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Why Your Operators Are Still Your Best Manufacturing Investment

SOUTHEAST Session: Your next efficiency breakthrough isn't hiding in a machine learning algorithm. It's walking around your shop floor right now. While manufacturing obsesses over AI, 85% of operations still depend on human expertise. The CNC programmer who knows exactly when to adjust spindle speeds. The veteran welder who spots perfect joints in seconds. The setup technician whose alignment cuts cycle times. These operators don't just run your processes, they've mastered them. They hold the institutional knowledge that separates good production from great production. But your systems can't see what they know, creating a costly blind spot. Mid-market manufacturers nationwide face the same challenge: valuable knowledge trapped in individual heads instead of being scaled digitally. The result is lost efficiency because operator expertise can’t integrate with core systems. Companies overcoming this aren’t layering more machine learning. They’re building systems that amplify human intelligence. They digitize workflows, connect teams to real-time data, and create interfaces designed around how operators think and work, not the other way around. In this session, Docket will reveal how shop floor digitization platforms close the gap between operator expertise and digital execution. You’ll gain practical insights into smart manufacturing systems that support your frontline, enabling faster setups, higher accuracy, and smoother production. At a time when manufacturers chase the next big overhaul, don’t overlook the team that got you here. The goal isn’t replacing human insight, it’s designing systems that can multiply it.

Jordan Walker

Speaker at SOUTHEAST: Jordan Walker, Sr Applications Engineer, Hawk Ridge Systems

Digital Threads and Smart Factories: The IoT Advantage in Manufacturing

SOUTHEAST Session: As global manufacturing enters the next wave of industrial transformation, the convergence of digital threads and IoT is reshaping the way products are designed, built, and maintained. A digital thread creates a seamless flow of data across the product lifecycle — from design and engineering to production and aftermarket service. When paired with IoT-enabled smart factories, this integration unlocks unprecedented operational visibility, agility, and intelligence. This session explores how manufacturers are leveraging IoT to create connected ecosystems that power predictive maintenance, real-time quality control, autonomous operations, and closed-loop decision-making. We will discuss practical frameworks for implementing digital threads and highlight ROI-driven success stories from discrete and process manufacturing. Participants will walk away with a clear understanding of: The role of IoT sensors, edge computing, and AI in transforming factory floors Use cases that demonstrate measurable gains in OEE, sustainability, and workforce efficiency A roadmap for integrating IoT into existing manufacturing systems without disrupting operations This talk is essential for manufacturing leaders looking to accelerate their Industry 4.0 journey and future-proof their operations through connected intelligence.  

Vision AI Solutions for Smart Manufacturing

SOUTHEAST Session: Manufacturing facilities generate vast amounts of visual data daily, yet most struggle to extract actionable insights from this untapped resource. This presentation demonstrates how Vision AI transforms existing camera infrastructure into intelligent systems that improve operational efficiency and reduce costs. We will explore practical deployment strategies that deliver measurable ROI within months. Attendees will learn how computer vision can be used for: detecting microscopic defects invisible to human inspectors, real-time SOP and process monitoring, automated inventory tracking, equipment utilization analysis, enhancing the safety culture and automating order accuracy verification. The session covers the complete implementation lifecycle—from identifying high-impact use cases to production deployment. We'll examine how Vision AI solutions can be integrated with your existing equipment and software. Attendees will leave with a clear framework for building their Vision AI roadmap, understanding both the technical requirements and organizational changes needed for successful adoption. Whether you're exploring initial pilots or scaling existing deployments, this presentation provides actionable strategies for leveraging Vision AI to reduce costs, improve quality, and accelerate your smart manufacturing transformation.

Real Adoption of Automation & Physical AI in Small & Mid-size Manufacturers

SOUTHEAST Session: Manufacturers from fabricators to assembly shops are all challenged with workforce woes, the need to boost productivity and the endless quest for quality. Knowing automation is the answer is one thing, but actually finding real success with technology investments can feel challenging and risky. How do you know what will truly bring value to the organization? How do you determine the return? And now with the hype of Artificial Intelligence (AI) seemingly on every product, how do manufacturing leaders determine the right places to invest limited time and capital budgets? In this session, we will delve into the ever-evolving landscape of automation & AI in the factory and take a look at technologies that are having a real impact today across the shop floor. Then we will stare into the crystal ball to look forward at technologies that are on the near horizon that manufacturing leaders should be keeping an eye on. Covering important topics like human-robot collaboration, automated equipment tending, data-driven insights, cobot welding, predictive maintenance, robot guided vision, bin picking, collaborative automation, quality inspections, and much more, attendees should leave this session ready to make value-creating technology investments in their business. Join us as we explore how AI is reshaping the factory floor — one algorithm at a time.

Nicky Pettit

Speaker at SOUTHEAST: Nicky Pettit, Account Executive, Limble