The Manufacturing Executive From Paper and Spreadsheets to Connected Data: Making the Digital Leap w/ Ian Burns
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Mar 10, 2026 Ian Burns, President of Applied Control Engineering and seasoned engineer, explains why manufacturers cling to paper and spreadsheets. He highlights data quality and completeness as foundations for decision making. He explores practical digital twin uses like operator training and control testing. He also discusses OT cybersecurity priorities and the value of incremental automation investments.
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Spreadsheets Create Dangerous Data Silos
- Manufacturing uses spreadsheets heavily, creating data silos that prevent a single source of truth for business decisions.
- Disconnected data hides root causes of throughput and quality issues, preventing leaders from knowing whether to hire, reschedule, or perform maintenance.
Validate Data Quality Before Acting On It
- Verify data quality before trusting analytics by checking completeness, frequency, and relevance of measurements.
- Ask whether you have blind spots, and instrument the process with the right sensors or KPIs to answer specific business questions.
Digital Twins Scale By Purpose Not Perfection
- Digital twins vary in fidelity and purpose; most midsize manufacturers adopt targeted twins for training, testing, or skid development.
- Even simple simulation models shorten downtime, allow operator scenario training, and validate control code before commissioning.