Live from Tempe, this Shop Floor Social brings together manufacturing leaders for a straight conversation about what actually changes after technology hits the shop floor.

This isn’t about hype or digital buzzwords. It’s about reality. Better data doesn’t fix broken systems. It exposes them. It changes how people make decisions, how teams communicate, and how work actually gets done.

The panel digs into real issues shops deal with every day. Incomplete RFQs, shifting demand, inspection headaches, and the constant pull between production and process improvement. Then they get into what it really takes to solve them.

Not more tools. Not more software. Better leadership, clearer systems, and people who are aligned and accountable.

They also break down what modernization actually looks like inside a shop, how data reshapes how employees are evaluated, and why automation isn’t replacing people. It’s changing their role.

This is a conversation about the gap between knowing the problem and actually doing something about it.

Key Topics

• What actually changes after tech is implemented
• Why data alone doesn’t improve outcomes
• The real friction in manufacturing: RFQs, inspections, volatility
• Leadership as the root cause of most shop problems
• Utilization vs throughput and what actually matters
• Standardization, planning, and finishing what you start
• Technology investments that move the needle
• Automation and the shift from operator to orchestrator
• AI as a decision support tool, not a replacement
• Training, apprenticeships, and building internal talent
• Getting employee buy-in and managing change
• The future of manufacturing: integrated, human-driven, and evolving

Chapters

• 00:00 – Intro and live event setup
• 02:00 – Panel introductions
• 09:30 – Customer challenges and real friction
• 13:30 – Before modernization
• 17:00 – Defining moments for change
• 24:30 – Leadership vs shop floor
• 30:00 – Digital transformation stories
• 36:00 – Data, utilization, and throughput
• 40:00 – Game-changing technology
• 47:00 – Automation and workforce shift
• 52:00 – AI and future state
• 56:30 – One word: the future of manufacturing
• 59:00 – Audience Q&A on training

Manufacturing Intelligence | Hexagon

Next Shop Floor Social Nashville