Tom Wilk with Endeavor Business Media

Scott MacKenzie and Tom Wilk discuss the Xcelerate 2025 conference in Austin, Texas, highlighting the importance of asset management, maintenance, and reliability. Tom shares his experience with Plant Services Magazine and the evolution of the conference, emphasizing the adoption of Fluke's E-Maint system by SKF, which is rolling out to 81 plants. They discuss the benefits of a CMMS for sustaining best practices and the importance of AI and mobile components in modern maintenance. Tom also notes the growing interest among younger workers in professional certifications and the need for universities to adapt to industry changes.

Action Items

• [ ] Reach out to Tom Wilk (T Wilk) at Endeavor B2B.com or on LinkedIn to further discuss the topics covered in the meeting.

Outline

Introduction and Welcome to Industrial Talk Podcast

• Speaker 1 introduces Scott MacKenzie as a passionate industry professional dedicated to transferring cutting-edge industry innovations and trends.
• Scott MacKenzie welcomes listeners to the Industrial Talk Podcast, celebrating industry professionals worldwide.
• Scott MacKenzie thanks the audience for their support and highlights the importance of innovation, collaboration, and making the world a better place.
• The podcast is broadcasting from Xcelerate 2025 in Austin, Texas, hosted by Fluke Reliability.

Introduction of Tom Wilkes and His Role

• Scott MacKenzie introduces Tom Wilkes, who has been with Plant Services Magazine for 10 years.
• Tom Wilkes shares his background, including his role at Plant Services Magazine and his involvement in the Accelerate conference.
• Tom discusses the evolution of the conference from an EMA user group to a thought leadership event focusing on plant floor operations and best practices.
• Scott MacKenzie and Tom discuss the importance of connected reliability and the various solutions offered by Fluke Reliability.

Customer Success Stories and Implementation of E-Main

• Tom shares a press briefing from SKF about their successful implementation of E-Main across 81 plants worldwide.
• The success of E-Main led SKF's management to mandate its use across all plants due to the return on investment and streamlined work processes.
• Tom highlights the various ways different plants are using E-Main to optimize their maintenance programs and data management.
• Scott MacKenzie and Tom discuss the sustainability of these solutions and the importance of a CMMS in maintaining best practices and collective memory for the plant.

Challenges and Solutions in Reliability and Maintenance

• Scott MacKenzie and Tom discuss the challenges of finding skilled individuals and the impact of the "silver tsunami" on organizational knowledge.
• Tom emphasizes the importance of investing in systems like E-Main to reduce the learning curve for new employees and maintain organizational knowledge.
• The mobile aspect of CMMS systems is highlighted as a key factor in getting buy-in from younger technicians.
• Scott MacKenzie and Tom discuss the importance of having a system like E-Main to capture and maintain organizational knowledge.

Evolution of the Xcelerate Conference and Customer Focus

• Tom notes the subtle but significant change in the messaging at the Xcelerate conference this year, focusing more on tools already being used rather than future visions.
• The conference has shifted to a more customer-centric approach, meeting plants where they are and offering support and partnership.
• Scott MacKenzie appreciates this approach, as it provides a clearer path for organizations to achieve their goals.
• The conference fosters collaboration and community, with attendees sharing their success stories and learning from each other.

Importance of Training and Professional Certifications

• Tom discusses the interest of younger workers in professional certifications in reliability and maintenance, such as CMRP and CRL.
• The conference emphasizes the importance of investing in both training and technology to build a sustainable program.
• Scott MacKenzie and Tom discuss the three legs of a stool: education, collaboration, and innovation, which are all represented at the Xcelerate conference.
• The future of the industry will see more adoption of AI assistance to help technicians with data input and decision-making.

AI and Data Collection in Reliability and Maintenance

• Tom highlights the adoption of AI chatbots to help technicians input work order instructions and capture data more consistently.
• A presentation at the University of Tennessee demonstrated the use of AI chatbots to improve planning, scheduling, and inventory management.
• Scott MacKenzie emphasizes the importance of minimizing "pencil whipping" and achieving accurate data collection.
• The use of AI chatbots can help improve the bottom line and make it easier for maintenance managers to report positive results to leadership.

Executive Buy-In and Process Improvement

• Tom recommends going to the operations team to identify stoppages on the plant floor and implement process improvements.
• Collaborative process improvement wins can help build a case for investing in technology to predict failures and improve efficiency.
• Scott MacKenzie and Tom discuss the importance of human interaction and the challenges of finding the right talent.
• Universities need to be nimble and provide examples of the application of skills in various sectors to support industry.

University Support and Industry Opportunities

• Tom discusses the role of universities in supporting industry by demonstrating their engineering department's capabilities at trade shows.
• Universities should provide examples of the application of skills in various sectors to advocate for manufacturing opportunities.
• Scott MacKenzie and Tom discuss the importance of having advocates on the teaching side who understand the applications of skills in industry.
• There are significant opportunities for companies in the coming years, and universities need to support this growth.

Contact Information and Closing Remarks

• Tom provides his contact information for listeners who want to reach out and discuss further.
• Scott MacKenzie thanks Tom for his insights and encourages listeners to connect with Tom and Fluke Reliability.
• The podcast is part of the Industrial Talk Podcast Network, which offers marketing strategies and tools to help companies succeed.
• Scott MacKenzie emphasizes the importance of being bold, brave, and innovative in the industry.