Manufacturers (not just the guys on the shop floor, but the C-suite behind them) are on a race to the finish line when it comes to automation. Most of us by now are pretty familiar with how AI and automation can play a role in manufacturing. But it looks like we’re heading to the next stage…
In this episode, we hear from Chris Stevens, the SVP & GM of US Automation Business at Siemens Digital Industries. We grab a virtual drink and kick the episode off with an interesting paradox – twenty years ago, the push was to automate humans out of processes. But today, we’re figuring out how to bring them back.
Chris talks about where we’re heading now with AI – from reactive tools to proactive partners with the rise of agentic AI. He talks about how the new and improved era of AI can make adaptive manufacturing a reality – imagine having one line but with multiple configurations.
Digital transformation is a big theme in this episode, but it’s not just about tools and technology. Chris highlights the role of people in the new age of manufacturing too.
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3 Quick Things from this Episode
- Adaptive manufacturing is about being flexible and adapting to changes in demand, circumstances and technology so that factories can produce multiple configurations in one place.
- Most AI tools we use are reactive. You input queries and details, and it produces the results that you ask for. But agentic AI is proactive. You can feed it information and train it to act as a partner, to give suggestions, and to add value beyond simple answers to questions.
- The biggest lightbulb moment in AI is the realization that we need to do more with data. It’s all very well collecting it and storing it away. But getting AI to use that data to make real connections in factories is where the real value lies.
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Tweetable Quotes
- “The contextualization of data is extremely important. That’s where the work’s got to happen.”
- “Two decades ago, it was ‘how can I take humans out of the loop?’ Today it’s ‘how do I bring humans back in the loop?’”
- “There’s a lot of digital transformation projects that fail, and it has nothing to do with the technology. It has everything to do with usability. Making sure that people like it and then how we implement it.”
Please Scroll Down for Recommended Resources from this Episode
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What We Discuss with Chris
- Chris explains the biggest changes since he’s been in the industry and why the focus has moved on from just ‘lean manufacturing’
- A breakdown of what adaptive manufacturing is and how it ties into automation and AI
- How the lines are blurring between IT and manufacturing roles
- How AI could help to bring humans back into the loop – internal and external use cases
- Agentic AI vs. reactive tools like Copilot and how manufacturers can use AI agents in real examples
- The top lightbulb moments around AI and why data contextualization is how we move one step forward as an industry
- Different ways adaptive production methods are changing manufacturing processes
- How adaptive production ties into the trends around reshoring
- Why more manufacturers need to use digital twin technology
- Digital transformation trends and why it’s not just about the technology
Recommended Resources
- Siemens Digital Industries, business platform that helps organizations digitally transform using software and hardware like digital twin technology
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