SEO Keywords: SMRP 33, industrial reliability conference, asset management trends, maintenance best practices, reliability professionals
Meta Description: Discover why SMRP 33 is the must-attend event for reliability and maintenance professionals. Learn about the industry renaissance and why 2026 should be on your calendar.

The Society for Maintenance & Reliability Professionals (SMRP) conference has always been a cornerstone for industrial leaders, but this year’s 33rd edition in Fort Worth, Texas marked a turning point. Attendance surged, vendors jumped from 130 to 220, and the energy was palpable.

Kevin Clark of Nanoprecise summed it up perfectly: “This is a step change from last year. More vendors, more practitioners, and more people looking for real solutions.”

The Rise of RCM and Technology Integration

SEO Keywords: Reliability-Centered Maintenance, RCM benefits, maintenance technology, predictive maintenance, industrial IoT
Meta Description: Explore how Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) is evolving with AI and IoT, making it a powerful strategy for modern industrial operations.

Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) isn’t new—it dates back to the 1960s—but it’s experiencing a revival. Why? Because modern technology makes RCM smarter, faster, and more actionable.

Industry legends like Nancy Reagan are breathing new life into RCM, proving it’s not an outdated methodology but a dynamic framework that thrives when paired with automation and data analytics.

Data – The New Industrial Gold

SEO Keywords: industrial data analytics, edge computing, CMMS integration, predictive maintenance data, AI in reliability
Meta Description: Learn why data is the new gold in industrial reliability and how edge computing and AI are transforming maintenance strategies.

Data has always been valuable, but in today’s industrial landscape, it’s platinum. Yet, there’s a catch: most legacy data was designed for humans, not machines. That creates clutter and inefficiency when feeding AI systems.

Edge computing is accelerating this shift by processing data closer to the source, reducing noise, and delivering contextual insights. The result? Less data, but better data.

AI, Trust, and Cultural Shifts

SEO Keywords: AI in maintenance, industrial AI adoption, CMMS automation, cultural shift in reliability, AI trust issues
Meta Description: Discover how AI is reshaping maintenance and reliability, and why trust and cultural change are critical for successful adoption.

Artificial Intelligence is transforming maintenance—but trust remains the biggest hurdle. False positives can flood CMMS systems with unnecessary work orders, damaging credibility overnight.

Kevin warned: “Cultural shift is sensitive. A few AI mistakes can undo years of progress.”

Looking Ahead – Quantum Computing and Cybersecurity

SEO Keywords: quantum computing cybersecurity, industrial cybersecurity, future of maintenance technology, reliability trends 2026
Meta Description: Explore the future of industrial cybersecurity in the age of quantum computing and why proactive strategies are essential.

The conversation didn’t stop at AI. Kevin and Scott explored the looming impact of quantum computing on cybersecurity. While quantum tech isn’t mainstream yet, its arrival could upend encryption and expose vulnerabilities across industrial networks.

The post The Future of Industrial Reliability: Insights from SMRP 33 with Kevin Clark appeared first on Industrial Talk.

Email marketing has been around for decades, and for many industrial businesses, it feels like a box to check rather than a strategy to embrace. You create campaigns, hit “send,” and hope for engagement—but often, the result is silence. Why? Because inboxes are flooded with generic messages that lack relevance and personality.

Yet, email marketing still matters. Unlike social media platforms, where algorithms dictate visibility, your email list is your asset. You own it. You control the message. And when social platforms go down—as they have before—your email list remains a direct line to your audience.

Takeaway: Email marketing isn’t dead. It’s just misunderstood. The challenge is making it human, helpful, and worth opening.

The Human Touch vs. AI

AI tools promise speed and efficiency, but there’s a hidden cost: authenticity. When every email sounds like it came from the same algorithm, your brand loses its voice. Subscribers notice. They crave connection, not jargon.

The same goes for visuals. AI-generated images often look too polished, too perfect—especially in industrial contexts. Real people want real stories, not stock-like perfection.

Your competitive edge? Your tone, your quirks, your perspective. Use AI as a productivity tool, not a personality replacement. Let your emails reflect the human side of your business—the challenges, the wins, and even the imperfections.

Takeaway: Authenticity beats automation. Keep your voice. Keep it real.

Practical Tips for Better Email Campaigns

If you want your emails to stand out, start with these actionable steps:

• Structure matters: Use bullet points and short sentences. Avoid long paragraphs that overwhelm readers.
• Timing counts: Test different days and times. For some audiences, weekends work; for others, midweek mornings are best.
• Learn from retail giants: Why do you open Amazon’s emails? Because they’re simple, relevant, and actionable. Apply those principles to your industrial campaigns.
• Limit outbound links: Too many links feel like a trap. Keep it focused—one clear call to action per email.
• Stay consistent: Develop a cadence your audience can anticipate. Predictability builds trust.

Takeaway: Small tweaks—structure, timing, tone—can transform your email performance.

Building Trust and Long-Term Relationships

Email marketing isn’t about quick wins; it’s about trust. Shift your mindset from “How do I get clicks?” to “How do I help?” When subscribers feel valued—not used—they engage more.

Mix your content:

• Value-driven emails: Share insights, tips, or industry news without asking for anything in return.
• Action-oriented emails: Include links and CTAs, but only after you’ve built credibility.

Think of your email list as a community, not a data set. Relationships take time, but the payoff is loyalty—and yes, revenue follows.

Takeaway: Help first. Sell second. Trust is the ultimate conversion tool.

Your Next Step (Call to Action)

Ready to rethink your email strategy? Start here:

1. Audit your inbox: Which emails do you open? Which do you delete? Why?
2. Write like you talk: Draft your next email as if you’re writing to one person you know.
3. Flex your creativity: Avoid AI-generated language and images. Your tone is your secret weapon.
4. Commit to consistency: Pick a schedule and stick to it.

👉 Join the conversation!
Subscribe to our newsletter for more insights, or sign up for our upcoming webinar:
“Industrial Marketing Reimagined: Email, Social, and Beyond.”
Click here to register and start building campaigns that connect, not just convert.

Final Thought: Email marketing isn’t about sending messages—it’s about starting conversations. Make yours worth having.

The post Email Marketing in Industrial Business: Why It Still Matters and How to Do It Right appeared first on Industrial Talk.

Why Storytelling Matters in Manufacturing

Headline: Manufacturing Has a Story—Are You Telling It?

Manufacturing isn’t just machines and processes—it’s innovation, resilience, and purpose. Yet, the industry faces a branding challenge. Too often, people think “dirty, grimy, outdated.” The truth? Manufacturing is cutting-edge, tech-driven, and vital to solving global challenges.

Danny Gonzales of Industrial Sage nailed it: “We have a marketing problem, and the answer is great storytelling.” Your work impacts lives thousands of times a day. But if you don’t share that story, who will? Storytelling isn’t fluff—it’s the bridge to talent, customers, and future leaders.

Key Takeaway: If you want to attract the next generation and inspire your workforce, you must communicate your purpose boldly and consistently.

The Human Side of Digital Transformation

Headline: Tech Alone Won’t Transform Your Business—People Will.

Automation, robotics, AI—these tools are powerful, but they don’t replace human connection. In fact, as technology accelerates, human-to-human interaction becomes even more critical. Leaders must step out of their comfort zones, communicate openly, and show up on the shop floor.

Danny shared a powerful insight: “Talk is cheap. Actions matter.” Employees need to feel heard and valued. When frontline workers are part of the process, retention improves, innovation thrives, and culture strengthens.

Pro Tip: Pair your digital strategy with a communication strategy. Inspire your team with purpose-driven storytelling and involve them in decision-making. That’s how you build resilience.

Your Call to Action

Headline: Be Bold. Tell Your Story. Transform Your Industry.

Manufacturing is cool. It’s meaningful. It changes lives. But the world won’t know unless you share it. Stop overthinking. Start communicating—with urgency, energy, and authenticity.

Here’s how you can take action today:

• Connect with Industrial Sage at https://industrialsage.com for expert video storytelling.
• Join the Industrial Talk community at https://industrialtalk.com to amplify your voice.
• Start small: Record a short video about why your work matters. Post it. Repeat.

The future of manufacturing depends on leaders who dare greatly. Be that leader. Tell your story. Inspire the next generation. The time is now—are you ready?

The post Why Storytelling is the Secret Weapon for Manufacturing Success appeared first on Industrial Talk.

In today’s rapidly evolving industrial landscape, the need for skilled labor is more urgent than ever. At the SMRP Conference in Fort Worth, Texas, Scott MacKenzie sat down with Ashley Donahue and Darin Gray of Multi-Skill Training Services to discuss how their organization is tackling this challenge head-on.

With over 30 years in the business, Multi-Skill Training Services has built a reputation for customized, plant-specific training that meets the unique needs of each client. Whether it’s electrical systems, PLC troubleshooting, or world-class maintenance foundations, their approach is hands-on, data-driven, and deeply rooted in real-world application.

“We start with a job task analysis,” Ashley explains. “We identify exactly what skills technicians need, then tailor the training to those needs.”

This isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s precision training designed to close the skills gap and boost ROI for industrial operations across the U.S.

Training That Travels – Flexibility and Expertise in Action

Multi-Skill Training Services doesn’t just offer training—they bring it to you. Based in Kentucky, their team travels nationwide, delivering on-site instruction or shipping equipment and flying in instructors when needed.

Their instructors are seasoned professionals—retired engineers and maintenance managers with decades of experience. Each new trainer undergoes a rigorous onboarding process, including “Train the Trainer” shadowing and hands-on teaching before going solo.

“We’re constantly evolving,” says Darin. “Our curriculum, our equipment, our delivery—it all changes to meet the needs of the industry.”

They also offer online assessments and skill confirmations, empowering supervisors to validate learning outcomes on the plant floor. And yes, refresher courses are part of the package—because if you don’t use it, you lose it.

Inspiring the Next Generation – A Human-Centered Approach to Industrial Growth

As automation and technology reshape manufacturing, the human element remains critical. Multi-Skill Training Services is committed to building a roadmap for the next generation of industrial professionals.

“We give companies a way to take someone with little knowledge and build them up,” Ashley says. “From maintenance fundamentals to advanced controls and hydraulics.”

Founded by a vocational school instructor frustrated with outdated curricula, the company is a living response to the limitations of traditional education. Their model is agile, responsive, and built for the real world.

Call to Action

If you're an industrial leader facing a skills gap, don’t wait. Connect with Multi-Skill Training Services today and start building a workforce that’s ready for tomorrow.

🔗 Visit https://industrialmaintenancetraining.com
📧 Reach out to Ashley Donohoo or Darin Greifenkamp on LinkedIn
📍 Put SMRP 2026 on your calendar – and meet the team in person!

The post Bridging the Industrial Skills Gap appeared first on Industrial Talk.

Quantum Computing and Cybersecurity: Are You Ready for the Next Big Disruption?

The industrial world thrives on innovation, but with every breakthrough comes new challenges. Quantum computing is one of those breakthroughs—a technology that promises to revolutionize industries, accelerate research, and unlock unprecedented computational power. But here’s the catch: it also threatens the very foundation of cybersecurity as we know it.

Why Quantum Computing Changes Everything

Quantum computers aren’t just faster—they’re fundamentally different. Their ability to process complex calculations at unimaginable speeds means that today’s public key cryptography—the backbone of secure communication—could be rendered obsolete. Digital signatures, encrypted transactions, and trust mechanisms that underpin our digital world are all at risk.

Sandy Carielli of Forrester Research explains it best: “If a quantum computer existed that was powerful enough, it would break today’s public key cryptography.” That means emails, contracts, financial transactions, and even healthcare data could be compromised.

The Urgency: Harvest Now, Decrypt Later

Here’s the scary part: attackers don’t need a quantum computer today to start causing problems. They can intercept encrypted data now and store it, waiting for the day quantum computing makes decryption trivial. Sensitive information—like health records—will still matter 10 years from now. If you’re not planning for this, you’re already behind.

What’s Being Done?

The good news: industry leaders and government agencies saw this coming. Over a decade ago, initiatives began to develop post-quantum cryptographic algorithms. NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) has already approved new algorithms designed to withstand quantum attacks. Regulatory bodies worldwide are mandating migration to these algorithms by 2035—or sooner.

Financial institutions and government agencies are leading the charge, piloting quantum-safe solutions and conducting cryptographic discovery to identify vulnerabilities. But for most organizations, the clock is ticking.

What Should You Do Today?

1. Start the Conversation
   Bring together stakeholders—security, development, infrastructure, procurement, and risk teams. This isn’t just an IT problem; it’s an organizational priority.
2. Conduct Cryptographic Discovery
   Inventory your systems. Know what algorithms you’re using and where they’re deployed. You can’t protect what you don’t understand.
3. Engage Your Vendors
   Update RFPs and SLAs to ensure vendors are preparing for quantum readiness. Don’t assume—they need to prove it.
4. Prioritize High-Value Data
   Identify information that will still matter in 10 years. Healthcare records, intellectual property, and sensitive contracts should be first in line for quantum-safe protection.

The Bottom Line

Quantum computing isn’t science fiction—it’s coming faster than most expect. Experts predict less than 10 years before quantum computers can break today’s encryption. Some say even sooner. The organizations that act now will protect their data, maintain trust, and stay compliant.

Your Call to Action

Don’t wait for Q-Day. Start preparing today.

• Connect with Sandy Carielli on LinkedIn and explore her insights at https://www.forrester.com.
• Visit https://industrialtalk.com for resources, interviews, and strategies to future-proof your business.
• Lead the conversation in your organization. Quantum security isn’t optional—it’s essential.

Be bold. Be proactive. The future is quantum—make sure you’re ready.

The post Quantum Computing and Cybersecurity appeared first on Industrial Talk.

Why SMRP Is More Than a Conference—It’s a Community Driving Industry Forward

When you walk into the SMRP (Society for Maintenance & Reliability Professionals) annual event, you’re not just attending another industry conference—you’re stepping into a vibrant community of professionals who are passionate about keeping the world moving. This year’s gathering in Fort Worth, Texas, was a powerful reminder of why SMRP stands out: collaboration, education, and innovation are at its core.

The Power of Connection

Dan Anderson, newly elected Chairman of the SMRP Board, summed it up perfectly: “It’s a reconnection of family.” After last year’s cancellation due to Hurricane Milton, this year’s event felt like a homecoming. LinkedIn buzzed with excitement as professionals confirmed their attendance, and the energy on the floor was electric. SMRP isn’t just about networking—it’s about building relationships that last and sharing knowledge that elevates the entire industry.

Inspiring the Next Generation

One of the most pressing conversations at SMRP was about workforce development. How do we attract and inspire the next generation of maintenance and reliability professionals? Dan emphasized that it’s not an “old guys’ game” anymore. The industry must make learning fresh, fun, and accessible. SMRP is leading the charge with initiatives like micro-learning modules and revamping its Body of Knowledge to deliver bite-sized, actionable insights instead of overwhelming PDFs.

Technology and Fundamentals—Finding the Balance

From AI to augmented reality, technology is transforming maintenance and reliability. But Dan reminded us that fundamentals still matter: “You’ve got to be able to throw the ball, run the bases, hit the ball.” Technology is a tool, not a replacement for human judgment. AI can process massive data sets and flag anomalies, but decisions still require human expertise. As Reese Witherspoon famously said, “AI won’t take your job—the person who learns AI will.”

Breaking Down Silos

One challenge Dan highlighted is the fragmentation of industry knowledge. With so many organizations and solutions, it’s easy for professionals to feel lost. SMRP’s mission is to bring people together, foster collaboration, and create a unified vision for success. When we share knowledge and work collectively, the entire industry wins.

Your Call to Action

If you’re in maintenance, reliability, asset management, or industrial technology, SMRP is where you need to be. This isn’t just an event—it’s an opportunity to connect with passionate professionals like Dan Anderson, gain insights that will transform your career, and join a movement dedicated to inspiring the next generation.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Mark your calendar for SMRP 2026. Budget for it now—you won’t regret it.
2. Connect with Dan Anderson on LinkedIn and follow Reliability X for cutting-edge insights.
3. Visit https://industrialtalk.com to keep the conversation going and access resources that help you stay bold, brave, and innovative.

The future of industry depends on collaboration, education, and innovation—and it starts with you. Be part of the change. Join SMRP. Inspire the next generation. Lead the way.

The post Why SMRP Is More Than a Conference appeared first on Industrial Talk.

While these consumer-facing AI applications have greatly enhanced convenience and personalization, Industrial AI, the unique application of AI in industrial domains, holds the potential to revolutionize many industries, such as manufacturing, energy, mining, and logistics, to make a more profound impact on our society and at a larger scale.

In this blog, the first in a three-part series, we will outline the challenges and best practices that we have overcome ourselves, as well as continue to witness as we guide hundreds of our customers globally conquer and successfully implement.

It’s estimated that the potential value at stake from AI in industries is about 10 to 15 trillion dollars, with more than 1/3 of that, or 3.5 trillion dollars coming from AI models and applications deployed in supply chain management and manufacturing operations. By integrating and adopting AI-based solutions (combining data science, machine learning and related technologies), industrial organizations can harness the power of data-driven informed decision-making to achieve streamlined and optimized operations, enhanced safety, increased sustainability, efficiency, productivity, profitability, and many more.  With these promises, Industrial AI is regarded as the cognitive engine and key enabler of the fourth industrial revolution.

We see the following as a few areas of impact of Industrial AI, including:

• Manufacturing organizations seek to “do more with fewer resources”, and commonly look to digital technology as a solution as part of continuous improvement programs.
• Most manufacturers have teams dedicated to Industry 4.0 (“I4.0”) or “manufacturing digitization”; many have executive leaders responsible for this and many have formalized “product owners”.
• IT organizations are frequently focused on building efficient and scalable platforms to support Industrial AI, rather than experimenting with proof of concepts.
• The enabling technology capabilities and technology eco-system is approaching ubiquitous: Many software firms provide IIoT platforms, the major cloud hyper-scalers have dedicated efforts around Industrial AI and thousands of “.ai” boutique firms offer analytical expertise.
• Manufacturing engineers are exiting academia more technology-savvy and statistics-capable than ever before, ready and able to apply digital tools such as Industrial AI.

While the potential value of Industrial AI is tremendous, value realization is still very low; about 50 to 60 percent of companies have deployed AI but have not scaled it.  According to various surveys, many industrial organizations continue to face many business and technical challenges.  We highlight the three crucial challenges here:

Challenge #1. Lack of a compelling, business-aligned transformation roadmap

Often, digital initiatives are aligned by “digital maturity”, or a linear progression such as

• from Descriptive to Predictive to Prescriptive,
• or from Connect to Visualize to Insight to Recommendation to Automated.

This maturity is often driven by technology enabled and/or technical support capability.  This IT capability model, however, is misaligned with business or operational problem-solving needs.  “We aren’t there yet” is an unfortunate reply when presenting a moderately complicated Industrial AI solution to address a critical business or operational issue.

Also, IT-Operations communication channels and tools must be improved:  Operations must recognize IT constraints and assure to build this into the feasibility side of Industrial AI project definitions.  Meanwhile, IT must appreciate and fully understand the operational value proposition of the Industrial AI solution in order to appropriately prioritize.

Challenge #2:  Requirement of multi-disciplinary technical expertise

Applying AI to solve industrial challenges and drive tangible business impact is hard!  It requires multi-disciplinary skills, working in-concert:  domain expertise/operational technology (OT), AI, and digital infrastructure.

Further, industrial AI applications often encounter a variety of technical challenges because of its intricate nature and stringent requirements for worker safety, reliability, data privacy and system robustness.

In addition, the data generated in industrial settings usually exhibit high heterogeneity and complexity, including both structured and unstructured formats, complicating data management activities.

Challenge #3. Complexity of mapping business need to technical capabilities

Industrial processes are usually complex and consists of interconnected subprocesses. Many times, different working conditions and scenarios may be involved and there are lots of inherent uncertainties in many real-world business environments. For example:

• Customer demand is highly variable.
• Equipment fails unexpectedly.
• Environmental conditions are constantly changing.

Even well-defined business needs and objectives have nuances that need to be well understood and factored into solution development.

Meanwhile, the portfolio of technologies and solutions available to the Industrial AI practitioner is vast, often novel or unproven, and rarely well-catalogued.

Aligning complex requirements to complex solutions, often under the watchful eye of a return-on-investment expectation, requires considerable leadership and proficiency.

What Can We Do?

We believe that the onus on business architects to connect dots between what’s been done before and problems the manufacturer faces is the Industrial AI adoption bottleneck.

We call on industry groups and industrial digital transformation leaders to think broader and deeper about industry-specific Industry AI taxonomies.  A structured taxonomy for Industrial AI will accelerate solution realization and increase value delivered.  It provides:

• A clearly articulated business value statement supports tying Industrial AI initiatives to outcomes.
• A common definition of use-cases and solutions supports collaboration across factories or industries.
• A structured categorization scheme that helps ease matching AI solutions with the operational needs.
• A common language allows for operations and AI experts to better work together.

In the past decade, Hitachi have leveraged our deep expertise in both OT and IT and accumulated extensive experience helping our industrial customers overcome the challenges on their digital transformation journeys.  In particular, to help our customers identify the pain points and lay out the AI transformation roadmap, we have developed a systematic industrial AI taxonomy that covers an essential set of business problems faced by customers from various industries where AI can drive better business outcomes.

The Hitachi Industrial AI taxonomy (described in the Figure 1) proposes a structured and linear method of identifying, describing and defining Industrial AI problems:  business outcome to operational problem to analytical approach.  The framework enforces classification of problems and solutions to encourage reuse and reapplication.  The framework is also a tool to help communication between business, operations, and technologists.  The general use of the framework is described below.

Figure 1:  Hitachi Industrial AI Taxonomy Framework

 1. Organize by Operational Domain: The broadest categorization of problem-sets, intentionally aligned to typical operational organizations

2.  Define Operational Problem: A clear and concise problem statement is critical to align all parties. Identification of desired operational outcome (KPI) and articulation of what is going to change for this outcome to be achieved is critical and often omitted.  This includes:

• • KPI sought to improve
  • Decision we are looking to make
  • What lever can be pulled based on the result
  • Timeliness of the decision-making: seconds, hours, days, months

3. Define Analytical Problem: A definition of how the problem should be solved and key mathematical principles.

• • Analytical Problem Type:
  • Analytical (mathematical) Approach

4. Select from a bank of Implementation Solutions: Products, Accelerators and Examples available to address the Industrial AI solution.

Beyond our Industrial AI cataloguing work, our extensive experiences have proven that our diverse and deep AI expertise can be leveraged to develop advanced solutions to cope with some of the technical challenges.  Solving real-world complex industrial problems often requires innovations created by drawing advancements from multiple AI sub-fields such as traditional machine learning, deep learning, reinforcement learning, statistics, operations research, and optimization. We will showcase our AI technology innovations in following posts.

In the second part of this blog, we will get into some specific areas of Industrial AI: Dynamic Scheduling and Asset Management. Stay tuned!

Authors:

David McKnight, Director of Digital Manufacturing Solutions, Hitachi Digital Services

The post Triumphing with Industrial AI appeared first on Industrial Talk.

The post Welcome appeared first on Industrial Talk.

By: Keith Walsh, OT Security and Operations Director at Armis

Leaders of Industry: 5 essential steps to secure and sustain digital cities, campuses, and buildings

Leaders of Industry is a series of conversations between operational technology, critical infrastructure (CI), and security experts from Armis and other leading companies and institutions. The series explores critical considerations for protecting the OT and CI assets that keep our manufacturing operations, public and private institutions, and cities humming.

This conversation on securing digital cities, campuses, and buildings features the following experts:

• Thomas A. Rodgers, Director of Operational Technology, Penn State University 
• Mirel Sehic, General Manager, Cybersecurity, Honeywell Building Technologies (HBT)
• Keith Walsh, Director, OT Strategy and Operations, Armis

In section 1, Keith Walsh and Thomas Rodgers discuss how Penn State has addressed security challenges related to connected assets across its facilities. In section 2, Keith chats with Mirel Sehic From HBT about managing the expanding attack surface in buildings, campuses, and municipalities and how to address them. And in section 3, we outline 5 essential steps for securing digital buildings, campuses, and cities.

Welcome to the conversation.

Section 1: What does ‘good’ look like in CI security and how do we get there?

Our buildings, campuses, and cities have been growing up fast for the better part of two decades. Today, cities and towns are blanketed with radio frequencies (RF)  to enable our utilities to remotely read gas, water, and electric meters; our highways and bi-ways are covered with smart lighting, cameras, traffic sensors, and speed monitors; and the buildings we work in are networked with devices to ensure safety and comfort to all those who enter.

Just last month, in my not-so-sleepy-anymore-beach-town, I witnessed the construction of 5G poles every 200 meters. With 10x the speed of LTE and significantly lower latencies, we now have a technology that will further accelerate the deployment of industrial IoT devices.

When it comes to finding a dynamic environment illustrating a diverse mix of OT and IoT devices, sensors, and controllers communicating across an ecosystem, one would be hard pressed to find a better example than Penn State University.  With  nearly 2000  buildings hosting 90,000+ in-person and online students Penn State arguably looks more like a smart city than a college campus.

That’s why I was excited to have the opportunity to sit down with Thomas Rodgers, Director of Operational Technology at Penn State to learn more about how he approaches his task of ensuring campuses and buildings maintain their resiliency, safety, and uptime.

Keith: Good morning, Thomas. Can you share with the readers the breadth of the Penn State campus and the challenges you face in the BMS/BAS/smart campus space?

Thomas: Sure. Our BAS systems can be found in many buildings across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Those campuses make up the Facility Automation Systems (FAS). Included in the FAS network are the utility plants for steam/electric generation, wastewater treatment and water treatment facilities, as well as academic buildings, research facilities, museums, dining spaces, and much more. Basically, we are a smart city where most of the building automation systems (BAS) are controlled by the FAS/BAS teams. A big security challenge in the BAS space is visibility into the network and devices. We have many devices on our networks that do not run a traditional operating system where software agents could be installed for endpoint device security posture assessment. In addition, the traditional network scanning vulnerability assessment tools can have a negative effect on OT devices with fragile network stacks.

Another challenge is the scalability and the varying needs of a large and diverse customer base. We are tasked with supporting everything from multimillion dollar research efforts to the simple comfort of heating and cooling. And supporting hundreds of buildings across multiple geographic locations that can be hundreds of miles away provides a unique challenge.  Keeping offsite networks secure and operational at various locations can be difficult. Helping them understand security and the fact that outdated systems need to be updated and replaced at regular intervals is not an easy task and requires us to be constant champions for the cause.

Keith: With such a diverse device ecosystem, how do you wrap your arms around the product life cycle, including patching and updating your various campus support systems?

Thomas: While there are many challenges, applying traditional IT practices to an OT environment isn’t always feasible. The Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability (CIA) triad in IT gets flipped in OT which presents new priorities in the security space. Performing operating system updates on a server may “break” the building automation software, directly affecting availability. Rigorous testing is required before rolling patches out to your production systems. Also, replacing unsupported operating systems can be challenging because there are multiple parties involved, such as the mechanical systems they are controlling. The building automation software may only be certified to work with a specific operating system and patch level. The endpoint devices may also need to be upgraded or replaced to support the new version of building automation software, which can cost millions of dollars and is not always from the OT budget. Many of these challenges are due to the longevity of our buildings and the extended lifecycle planning of building systems.

Keith: When or how did you realize improvements needed to be made? Or, put another way, what led you to go to market to solve what problems?

Thomas: The most important thing is to understand where you are and create a baseline. In completing our security assessment, in an environment this complex we needed to have a better inventory of authorized/unauthorized devices on the network. The most room for improvement was the visibility of all the software, or devices running on our network. We also lacked a good vulnerability assessment and tracking program, which is key to understanding where you have risk. All of those are key to having a good foundation of cybersecurity in an OT environment. We have a saying on our team, “You don’t know what you don’t know,” and that’s why visibility is key to securing an OT network.

Keith: We couldn’t agree more about needing to know what you don’t know. What might the ideal end state at PSU look like in a perfect world?

Thomas: In the end, an ideal FAS network would have visibility into all aspects of the network and devices. When a new device is attached, a report or alert would go out to the security and network teams letting us know something was connected and needs to be assessed. Routine vulnerability assessments need to be performed by a tool passively scanning the network.

Segmenting the network to separate things like utilities, metering and automation systems is important. Having everything on the same network permits adversaries the ability to pivot from vulnerable systems to other devices.

We all know there is no “perfect world” and there will never be systems without issues or problems, but having a system that is built, secured, and equipped to deal quickly and effectively with the inevitable problems that arise is key to success! We’re well on our way to making that goal a reality.

Keith: That baseline of device discovery you speak of is truly the holy grail because it allows for the successful pursuit of all other use cases, and passive real-time monitoring is certainly the way to go in such a dynamic environment.

Thanks Thomas, we are certainly looking forward to what your journey holds as you progress towards gaining complete visibility of your devices, and your quest to ‘know what you don’t know’.

Thomas: Thanks.

Section 2: Insights on managing the expanding attack surface

Today, virtually every building, campus, and municipality is bursting with newer and older connected devices. And based on Penn State University, we know the reach can encompass hundreds or potentially thousands of buildings across significant distances. Given how smart devices include communications modules that allow them to connect to any network, including the Internet, we now have an entirely new attack surface to manage.

In fact, it’s arguable that the front line of this new attack surface resides within the assets that we place on our networks. Since these devices often allow ingress into our networks, device manufacturers certainly bear some responsibility for device security.. But even with effective built-in security, staying ahead of our adversaries is not an easy task. We must be right 100% of the time, whereas our adversaries only need to be right once.

To discuss managing this cyber-attack surface and ensuring the lifecycle of these devices is properly managed, I spoke with  Mirel Sehic, General Manager, Cybersecurity for Honeywell Building Technologies (HBT). Honeywell is a Fortune 100 company that delivers industry specific solutions that include aerospace products and services, control technologies for buildings and industry, and performance materials globally.

Keith: Welcome Mirel.

Mirel: Hello Keith, great to speak again.

Keith: Mirel, when we think about the transformation of our buildings, campuses, cities and grids over just the last ten years or so, what stands out the most in your eyes? What’s been the driver for the reinventing of our ‘spaces’? Is it industry standards? Has there been an inflection point?

Mirel: Great question Keith. I think the biggest standout is the way we are utilizing our buildings, campuses, and cities—as individuals we are expecting more from these facilities and want increased visibility to know that the buildings we use are safe and rely on technology that keeps our well-being in mind. With these new expectations, buildings need to make changes from a standard operating model to a ‘smart’ and ‘connected’ model, meaning a greater emphasis on technology that intersects both laterally (devices in-building expanding to other devices in-building and ultimately to the edge) as well as interconnectivity with the cloud. As you would expect, taking these historically low cyber-hygiene environments and stacking this new technology can lead to a potentially larger cyber threat footprint.

Keith: Let’s talk about this new attack surface management and this new ‘cyber threat footprint’. Gartner has in fact coined a name for it, CAASM, or Cyber Asset Attack Surface Management. We are now having to manage this new digital footprint found within our enterprises, including BMS/BAS, IoT, and OT devices, alongside the more traditional IT, virtual, and cloud-based assets. How can we get our arms around a cyber footprint that now seems 10x what it was 5 years ago, and will likely be 10x in 5 years, if not sooner?

Mirel: It’s always a good idea to start with the basics. Build a program from the ground up. Prior to any new or substantial change to a building’s operating environment, we must ensure that a cyber assessment has been conducted; this is our starting point. Once we have assessed our environment, we can come to an understanding of what remediation actions need to be taken, be they hardening, network architecture review; endpoint protection, OT monitoring and assessment management, or incident response. Although it may seem simple, this assessment is what provides the blueprint for comfortably expanding the environment’s footprint and doing so securely.

Keith: Mirel, when you talk about the ‘basics’ of getting started, it sounds like you’re speaking about the fundamental understanding of communicating assets in the environment, their software and their interdependencies to determine the risks they pose. And with the explosion of devices, which brings a much larger software footprint, it’s not surprising 2021 was the year of the vulnerability. As we continually add new devices, we introduce even more software, which brings even more vulnerabilities, risks, and threats to our environments. Is vulnerability management a zero-sum game? Are we chasing the dragon? Is there a better way to protect our assets?

Mirel: Good cyber-hygiene is something that must be practiced. We strongly believe in the prevention-first approach to OT cybersecurity—meaning understanding a client’s risk appetite, and then through this understanding of the risk appetite, plan for an effective, in-depth defense strategy. The simple truth is that you plan for what you can afford to lose, and, if you are in a critical infrastructure industry, you need to plan effectively to reduce risk as far as reasonably practicable. Establishing a more robust OT cybersecurity posture often means, as you mentioned, correcting common vulnerabilities, like operating on outdated or unpatched software, or addressing a lack of stringent security measures around communication protocols.

Keith: It sounds like when we talk about good cyber-hygiene, our starting place is identifying and prioritizing the assets in our ‘protect-surface’, as not all devices and processes are created equal, which is understandable. On a campus or in a building, we may for example, deem fire suppression as our number one protect-surface. Flushing out the genetics of these interconnected devices, including the associated vulnerabilities and communication dependencies is a great place to start. It is certainly more manageable to address vulnerabilities in a subset of devices that affect the most critical processes than to become overwhelmed by the endless supply of vulnerabilities.

Lastly, does Thomas share some of the same challenges at Penn State University as you see across varying municipalities, buildings, and campuses?

Mirel: The challenges Thomas sees are very real and consistent across the OT domain. Today, conversations about cybersecurity still primarily focus on information technology (IT) systems and safeguarding data and assets. OT systems in facilities are often overlooked, but they are just as critical to a company’s security, processes, data, reputation and even employee safety.

Keith: Thanks, Mirel. When we talk about OT systems at times being overlooked, we can probably agree that with the interconnected nature of BMS/BAS, OT, IT, and the internet, “securing by obscuring” devices is no longer a fail-safe solution, especially when safety is on the line.

Mirel: Agreed. Thanks, Keith.

Section 3: 5 essential steps to secure and sustain digital cities, campuses, and buildings

There are a lot of steps that should be taken to improve the risk posture of our OT and CI environments. In an ideal world, OEM vendors would dedicate more energy and resources to hardening devices throughout their life cycles. And as always, our network teams need to build proper borders and boundaries, our IT staff to ensure device compliance, and our security operations teams to monitor for intrusion. But, as evidenced by the conversations above, there are plenty of other steps that can be taken to improve the overall risk posture of our OT environments, including the following:

1. Identify your ‘protect-surface’. A real-time, full device inventory, inclusive of hardware, software, and associated vulnerabilities that enables you to know what you don’t know is the foundation for a strong security posture.
2. Segment properly. Typically, you should group devices in subsystems according to their functions. Connections across subsystems should be monitored closely, including connections to the Internet. Anything less allows for pivots to higher profile targets.
3. Never rely on default device and system credentials as publicly available user guides oftentimes include this information.
4. Be a constant champion. Train your staff on what is an acceptable security posture of connected assets and continually reinforce it.
5. Patch. Work closely with your vendors to ensure assets are up to date in a timely manner.

In addition to taking the 5 proactive steps above to improve your security posture, I would suggest one final step—working together. Tear down the walls that exist between IT and OT; plan, execute, and plan again together; invest in platforms that share information because it takes a village to be right 100% of the time.

Download Solution Brief

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Abstract

Guided by factory needs, the LDF network provides direction & solutions for the digitalization journey of DI plants since 2016. By using own HW/SW products & solutions LDF has so far increased their productivity by low three digit MEUR and as recently shown even their resilience in times of a pandemic. While plants from different industries had to close, the output of DI plants was affected by only ~10% and back to normal quickly.

Supported by jointly created road maps, an alliance of >200 experts are working together to leverage new technologies. To guide employees in the digital transformation, even a dedicated learning channel was set up.

Winning several industrial awards, LDF supported to position Siemens as digital thought leader in the market and provided the blueprint for the Siemens-wide Factory Digitalization program with the mission to generate additional business with external customers.

Lean Digital Factory – A core program for the factories of Siemens Digital Industries

As complexity increases and business models change, traditional improvement methods must be augmented with digitalization, which is key for efficiency, flexibility, and speed. Successfully mastering digitalization is complex and requires high efforts. Sharing the burden by bundling expertise of the world-wide DI manufacturing network and our own solution providers while using our own solutions & products, LDF took thought leadership in 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies.

Our core program Lean Digital Factory is embedded in our framework of core programs „production and logistics excellence, in which we address all aspects of a role model factory from lean philosophy, employee engagement, plant network design, supply chain design and supplier collaboration.

The major benefits we have already achieved beside significant productivity increases are synergies, balanced workforce and capacity, speed learning and a reliable supplier base even before covid19 shocked the world.

This was possible because all plants are sharing one mission, to be the role model for excellence in production and logistics to provide proven value add for our customers, based on the methods of a digital enterprise and lean industrial engineering to master the challenges we face in manufacturing: to shorten our time to market, to increase our flexibility, to continuously improve our quality and to boost efficiency by increased security and sustainable operations.

We started this journey 2016 and since then, our factories are known internationally as digital lighthouse and received several recognitions. The factory in Chengdu, China and our factory in Amberg, Germany are rewarded as WEF Lighthouse factories and both facing challenges like serving 60.000 customers, producing 1 product per second with almost 6 sigma quality by having already reached full vertical and horizontal data integration.

In the year before the pandemic breakout, some DI factories pulled almost 10000 visitors per year, and therefore we were building a state-of-the-art digitalization center in Amberg which opened their doors for our customers in May 2021.

Figure 1: Motivation of Lean Digital Factory

Our core program “Lean Digital Factory” (LDF) was initiated to strengthen the focus further on automation and digitalization and shop floor productivity from data and analytics based on lean production philosophy.

The journey to become a lean digital factory always begins with becoming a lean factory first and can be characterized by several lean rules stated 1999 by Spear and Bowen.

One rule is known as that all work and process steps, shall be highly specified as to content, sequence, timing, and outcome. With other words, processes must be described without any waste, but in difference to the past, artificial intelligence and machine learning can be used to make them even more efficient.

Another lean rule states, that every customer-supplier connection must be direct, and there must be an unambiguous yes or no to send requests and receive responses. This can be realized very efficiently with defined digital supplier interfaces with standard communication protocols for tracking and tracing.

From the plant development point of view, the third and most important rule states, that any improvement must be made in accordance with the scientific method and at the lowest possible level in the organization.

From the very beginning, the empowerment of our people to drive and own data driven projects was key. So, our people started by using data to measure, track and optimize our quality for example down to a 5sigma level already with 9-11 dpm. This means, in our DI factories we are working with data to continuously optimize our processes. But one should be aware that one cannot introduce technologies on higher frequency than up- and re-skilling of the people who are going to use this technology.

Due to the reason that we are doing continuous improvement projects since a long time, the amount of shop floor productivity projects increased dramatically over the years to maintain the level of productivity we needed to stay competitive. To focus further on flexible automation with light weight robots and to address automation tasks was one focus. The next level of productivity, which we are reaching right now, is with further digitalization, which automates also administrative and engineering topics and due to shop floor IoT like augmented and connected workers and artificial intelligence (see also figure 1).

Our digitalization approach, which addresses more than 30 factories worldwide was started with an ideation phase, of course we had to define a certain program organization to assure best-practice and solution transfers as well as scalability. The main topic was to define which technologies we want to focus on and which not and how to prioritize. Therefor several technological workshops, expert interviews, visits and so on as well internally as externally have been conducted.

With so called technology radars, technologies have been evaluated economically. In parallel, we defined reference processes, as north star processes which have been released for orientation. Interesting could be, that we never expected that all plants will reach the reference processes at the same time. The focus was that all plants have an orientation for technology, software, and IT investments.

The overall elaborated “Digitalization Roadmap” finally consists out of five work streams flanked by an IT roadmap, solution link analysis and technology stack architecture for state-of-the-art connectivity and data mining.

The realization phase, in which we are now for almost three years can be described as an agile working mode with sprints and backlists. The implementation of solutions by itself are done via three major milestones “Proof of Concepts”, “Pilots” and “Scale Up Phases”. Nowadays, ~25% of our productivity measures are coming from LDF and the tendency is increasing, pushing our LDF plants to a level of up to 7% shop floor productivity per year and the recipe for our success can be seen in the generation of ready to scale up solutions by bundling the power of our manufacturing network to jointly develop and share solutions and to learn from each other by copying with pride.

The five workstreams, who are forming the overall roadmap also serve our digital factory vision, which contains out of the digital twin, which by itself can be divided in a digital twin of product, of production and performance.

What are now the five workstreams. The three workstreams “new ways of working”, “robotics” and “big data & analytics” can be seen as enablers while the workstream “digital twin” and “processes” serve the vertical and horizontal data integration with its respective reference processes.

Figure 2 shortly explains, what a roadmap on the highest level contain.

Figure 2: Generic digital roadmap

In figure above you see a roadmap on high level for a generic workstream with a timeline. Each workstream line addresses a defined target state and a trend, which is helpful for communication reasons. The boxes describing an evaluation state, which should be reached, the numbers are pointing to projects, with a defined timeline and project lead and group as well as a budget. Sometimes the project is a cluster of several single projects, who belong together.

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I was struck by the thought of how different this kid’s childhood is compared to mine. What should have been a joyful, carefree break for this little boy came with the responsibility to consider the carbon budget still left to us, trying to make his contribution to a livable planet.

While this child’s mindset is admirable, he is basically powerless. In the larger scale of things, his actions only have a narrow impact. But the thing is, mine don’t.

As someone who is in charge of a large international organization, backed by a powerful brand, I have far more opportunity and resources to make a much larger and more meaningful contribution to the effort to mitigate climate change. At Siemens, we have the privilege of working with thousands of utilities worldwide, indeed with many of the largest energy companies in the world. And not only that, we work with equally strong partners across the industry, building a true ecosystem. Such an ecosystem has the potential to truly change the dynamics of an entire industry.

My takeaway from this small encounter was the reinforcement of my belief that power comes with an obligation to do everything within one’s power. This is especially true when we look at the magnitude of the threat we are facing today from the climate crisis – and, more recently, from geostrategic upheavals and their incalculable knock-on effects, including in the energy sphere.

Putting power and resources to good use

How can our ecosystem of customers and partners in the energy sector make a difference with the power and resources that we have?

–       We can make sure that grids do not become a bottleneck for the ongoing exponential growth of renewables.

–       We can build and manage grids that can cope with a doubling or even tripling of demand due to the electrification of almost everything, from mobility to heat.

–       We can ensure that grids remain stable in the net-zero world.

–       We can manage the energy transition in an economically viable way.

Our goal – and also our obligation – is to drive a new dynamic and create momentum across the industry. We do that by radically opening up and joining forces with technology partners in order to generate even more speed and a shared momentum.

Yes, we will have to cope with a huge influx of new renewables and a swiftly growing number of distributed energy resources (DER). A large share of these DERs is installed in the medium- and low-voltage grids, which means the distribution grid will be decisive for the success of the energy transition. With the loss of inertia due to the large amount of inverter-based infeed, solutions for active monitoring and control combined with new forms of prosumer relationship management are crucial to ensuring grid stability.

Rethinking grid management (and grid software)

For groundbreaking transformations and disruptions to become reality, grid operators and solutions providers cannot rely only on traditional tools, existing hardware, or proven processes. Change must happen as fast as possible. We’re not talking about decades, but about the next eight years.

Of course, we need to improve and expand the existing grid infrastructure with more copper and grid automation. But this won’t be enough. It’s too slow and too expensive. Familiar tools and methods used in the high-voltage grid won’t be enough, either. They are limited by the available resources and space and are insufficient for managing millions of DERs in low voltage.

This is why I’m convinced that the decisive success factor will be game-changing and interoperable software that is modular, open, and flexible, mirroring the collaborative and transparent approach we all must take in advancing toward the net-zero goal. Based on these design principles, a secure and resilient suite of software solutions can empower us to interact seamlessly, make infrastructures more flexible in dealing with the exponential growth in complexity, and enable us to manage grids closer to their full capacity.

Only software can help us to reach the agility and speed needed during such a transformation. This includes vastly accelerating grid simulations and nearly doubling the efficiency of grid management tasks by changing the user experience, to name just two. All these improvements will lead the way in creating an holistic digital twin in the planning, simulation, and real-time operations and maintenance of power grids. Appropriately enough, most of these solutions were and will be co-innovated and developed in collaboration with our customers.

We at Siemens Grid Software are putting all our determination to work in the service of providing a software suite that enables grid operators and utilities to succeed. We want to work with these companies to take grid planning, operation, and optimization to the next level.

The best time for change is always now.

We tend to repeat the fact that we have to build a sustainable and secure energy future because the challenge is now even more pressing than ever before. Worryingly, this is true again today as I write about grid software as an enabler of decarbonization.

The latest assessment of the IPCC concludes that nothing less than a revolution is required to avert the climate catastrophe. The outbreak of war in Eastern Europe has brought energy supply back to the geopolitical agenda. And in face of extreme weather events, the societal pressures are rising.

Unlike the seven-year-old boy fretting about his chocolate bar’s carbon footprint, we are in a position to bring about large-scale change. We must do everything in our power to save the climate, transform the energy system, and make the world a better place for our children and generations to come. As long as we’re not fulfilling our obligation, the pressure will only continue to mount. With the power of the ecosystem and of modern software, however, we have everything it takes at our disposal.

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Much of the urgency to create a high-resolution map of the world’s ocean floor is based on the potential benefits: helping to manage fishing resources, improving marine navigation and guiding infrastructure construction, as well as better defining the impacts of the impending seabed mining boom.

This pressing need to map the seafloor led to the creation of the Nippon Foundation-GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project, an unprecedented international project to facilitate the complete mapping of the seafloor by 2030. Seabed 2030 is a major contribution to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).

But what stands between success and failure in the next 10 years is energy to operate more diverse and robust sensors without the expense and limitations of support from ships as well as energy to sustainably and economically scale to many thousands of sensors needed to cover the vastness of the ocean, and enable persistent ocean data collection.

The large-scale efforts currently underway are aspirational, but the ocean is big, and so far, we’ve mapped only 20% – which leaves an area twice the size of Mars yet unmapped. The simple truth is that seafloor mapping needs more sensors, along with innovative and cost-effective ways to deploy and power them if interested parties hope to win the race to understand and protect the ocean.

While ships are required for seafloor mapping in certain regions of the ocean, ships alone are not practical to map the vastness of the seafloor in a reasonable time frame – especially given the relatively small number available and the cost of operating them. Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) have been increasingly used to extend the footprint covered by ships. However, AUVs have a relatively short life, mostly due to the finite battery capacity to power propulsion; the faster an AUV travels, the shorter the AUV mission life. Furthermore, AUVs need to be recovered periodically by ships for battery replacement or recharging.

Future ocean datasets will be gathered by comprehensive networks of low-cost ocean robots. There has been a rapid growth of autonomous surface vehicles powered by renewable energy from solar, wind and wave. There is an opportunity to add underwater vehicles such as profiling floats to further reduce dependence on ships and enable large numbers to cover the entire ocean. One successful example is the international Argo network with a global array of 4,000 profiling floats to measure environmental conditions like temperature and salinity down to 2,000 meters.

A recently announced $53 million expansion of funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) will pay for an additional 500 biogeochemical (BGC) floats to expand data collection, including oxygen, nitrates, pH, and chlorophyll, in order to estimate the carbon in the ocean.

Such data are critical to understanding how human activity contributes to trends like sea-level rise, ocean warming, carbon dioxide increase, oxygen loss, ocean acidification, and algae blooms. However, more and more powerful sensors (e.g., echo sounders for seafloor mapping) require more energy from batteries, therefore increasing cost and reducing the float’s mission life. With today’s battery technology, 20% (or 800) of the Argo floats must be replaced each year. In addition to the environmental impact of these dead floats – though small compared to many larger pollution sources – it’s costly to deploy so many floats annually. It will also become increasingly expensive as more sophisticated sensors are added to these platforms.

It’s a reality that weighs on those working to understand the ocean, as shown by a survey at the OceanObs’19 conference that named energy as the single biggest challenge for sustained ocean observing systems.

How To Accelerate Efforts

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Powering the Blue Economy is a government initiative designed to accelerate new technologies that power coastal and maritime industries. Some technologies are showing promise, but governments aren’t the only ones working on solutions.

A privately-owned company called Saildrone recently launched Surveyor, a 72-foot autonomous drone powered by a combination of solar and wind power that’s designed for mapping the seafloor.

My company Seatrec is powering profiling floats using the ocean’s natural temperature difference. We are forging a public-private partnership to complement existing profiling float efforts by increasing their life span and the amount of data that can be collected. A global fleet of profiling floats powered by the ocean’s thermal energy has the potential to carry echo sounders to map the gaps of the global seafloor.

The simple truth is that multiple approaches are needed to accelerate seafloor mapping and build a network of complementary sensors to continually monitor the ocean’s water column in a cost-effective way.

A Win For The Ocean And Commerce

Winning the race to map the seafloor and better understand the ocean in time to regenerate the marine environment and derive socioeconomic benefit from it requires unique partnerships between governments, academic institutions and private companies. But the effort will also open the door to a robust “blue economy” with the potential to provide for environmentally sustainable, equitable and profitable use of the ocean.

Google Earth, for example, was originally envisioned as a way to serve noble causes such as rainforest preservation and international diplomacy but it also unlocked massive commercial applications that helped make Google one of the largest companies in the world. Real-time data from the ocean covering 71% of the planet holds even greater potential.

The Argo network shows how a large number of floats – once equipped with more powerful sensors and a renewable energy source – can provide a cost-effective, efficiency multiplier for quickly mapping the seafloor and providing long-term, continuous, real-time ocean data.

To me, it’s an investment that’s well worth it. Not only to keep the ocean healthy, but the technologies developed in the effort will form the backbone of a robust blue economy potentially worth trillions of dollars per year. Leveraging new energy technologies to power floats that are more durable, sustainable and scalable is key.

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Gen Zers were brought up alongside our phones, growing, and adapting with every new advancement in technology. Phones are our lifeline; it is how we communicate, learn, and understand almost everything.

Zers perform best by having an interaction with technology that engage and motivate us to keep working. Taking something we see as our core competency…working with automation, builds our self-esteem through validation, inspiring us to work harder and find enjoyment.

Automation In Academia Transfers To The Gen Zers' Workplace

Integrating technology and learning is not something new, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. As Boomers and Millennials had to make the difficult adjustment of putting their entire lives online, this adjustment however was quite easy Gen Zers.

Pine Crest School in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, which I attended for 14 years prior to starting my higher education at Boston University last year, started integrating technology and automating their learning program since Lower School. Whether it was utilizing the iLab to make our science projects, learning how to use the 3D printer for art class, or even taking out our phones during class to play interactive games to help us understand the course material, we were always using technology to further our education. Teachers were beginning to understand that students show quantifiable success when utilizing technology in the learning process, particularly given our comfort with learning programs to further our studies. At Boston University the integration of learning and technology was included in the automated orientation.

Students are required to take a drug and alcohol seminar as well as a sexual assault seminar. The program was fully online with interactive videos and quizzes to keep the students focused on the material. Since many Zers are used to using electronics throughout their educational careers, the transition to a working environment makes automation an extremely critical process for young workers.

Gen Zers Want New and Innovative Automation Technology

As shown above, our role in the workforce is growing significantly and we will be the majority by 2040 according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Outdated business practices hackneyed, and dull training will be reasons for my generation to quit a job. According to Dell Technologies, 80% of Generation Z hopes to work with cutting-edge technologies and around 91% cite technology as the most important factor when choosing a job.

For Gen Zers: Automation = Technology

Gen Zers are excited about technology and use the language of automation synonymously. Since issues like quality assurance, quality control regulatory compliance, occupational health and safety, ISO certification are constantly changing, Zers will simply access these data on their phones and proceed as
immediately debriefed workers.

Deploying Automation For Zers

Zers want to hear about fun and sexy automation tools, processes, and techniques. From Lean Six Sigma to Automated Guided Vehicles, this can all be presented to Zers as dynamic and intriguing (all via phone).

No longer are the outdated methodologies such as in-person seminars and training instruction acceptable. When manufacturers, now looking to hire millions of new workers, package and communicate in a manner appealing to Gen Zers, success is inevitable. To the C-Suite…check out TikTok; it can be your automation friend. Your children, nieces, and nephews will appreciate that you are savvy and aware of the trends that guide their lives.

Start Small In The Gen Z Realm

As manufacturers start implementing new technologies that engage Gen Z employees, simple advancements such as having employees clock-in via scanning a QR code or allowing them to take training through an interactive video presentation are simple ways to make a big impact.

Rachel Snyder as a Generation Z individual herself, Snyder has a unique understanding of the role of social media among her peers; her analysis examines how it impacts the lives, decisions, and actions of fellow Gen Z thinkers. Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok are more than resources but rather the answer to reaching her generation. These insights are vital for businesses to inspire, motivate, and engage Gen Z job applicants and employees. Traditional PR, messaging, tradeshows, job boards will simply be ignored by Gen Z thinkers according to Snyder.

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Immerse yourself in the latest technologies and trends at our exciting, new educational tech event for developers and industry insiders. Connect with Intel leaders and industry experts to gain the perspectives and training required to shift what’s possible through technology—today and tomorrow.

Find out More!

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Avani Lekhara: ‘This is for all who dare to dream'

India's Paralympic champion says that looking back at Tokyo 2020 still feels ‘quite surreal' and shares her achievements with the fans in her country17 Sep 2021

Avani Lekhara looking at her gold medal after winning the R2 – women's 10m air rifle standing SH1 at Tokyo 2020

Ⓒ Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

By World Shooting Para Sport

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At Industrial Talk, we view these individuals and companies as elite industrial athletes who possess laser-like focus on positively changing the world…exactly what industry is meant to do!

Our purpose is to be THE platform to educate, collaborate and innovate, the ESPN of Industry delivering entertaining, engaging & inspiring content. It’s what humans want!

Industrial Talk will never stop growing or evolving because industry is constantly changing and innovating. The doors of Industrial Talk are always open for companies and individuals who long to collaborate because their passion is changing the world by solving challenging problems the industrial world faces today. We must have a spirit of collaboration and an unquenchable desire to move industry forward.

What is the ultimate goal of Industrial Talk?  Through this website and the Industrial Academy we desire to plant dreams, instill hope and create miracles for a future that is being positively transformed through industrial innovation.  Industrial education delivered by industrial leaders committed to changing the world must be the priority, and it absolutely is at Industrial Talk. We are committed!

Please ask us how you can participate in changing the world through industry and this one-of-a-kind platform.

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SACRIFICE: The surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim.

PERSEVERANCE: Steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose or state, especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles or discouragement.

SUCCESSFUL ARE THE SACRIFICIAL. THEY DEVELOP PERSEVERANCE. Really…Sacrifice and Perseverance? They don’t even coexist in the same universe. Sacrifice is a bummer, a major burnout factor because it’s painful, while perseverance invites images of grit and determination, toughness. Sacrifice presents as a necessary evil to be grudgingly endured while perseverance looks like the trophy at the end: “YES, I PERSEVERED! LOVE ME!” It’s like this: We know that giving up something desirable is necessary to achieve a certain end. EXAMPLE: Studying for a test instead of watching Netflix is seen as a sacrifice at the time. We take the test and the sacrifice either pays off with the desired result, an A, or a C, based on perspective. For a short moment sacrifice and perseverance can peacefully coexist, with sacrifice as the means to an immediate end.

THEN we move on to whatever comes next.  BUT (yes, I know, starting a sentence with ‘but’ isn’t really grammatically correct. Deal with it.) what about sacrifice as the MEANS to another valuable virtue, one that is totally NECESSARY in business? Sacrifice then transforms into that first required rung on the ladder of success. You can’t get to the second one without being ELEVATED by sacrifice. It may still look like a temporary requirement, BUT (notice grammatical correctness.) it is actually the ESSENTIAL/NECESSARY state-of-mind and ATTITUDE that one must develop to continue moving upward.

The cool thing about sacrifice is that it is AUTOMATICALLY BUILT-IN to the business leadership program. No need to buy those “Sacrifice and Love It!” or “Hey, Let’s Suffer Together!” self-help tomes. (Yes, I used the word ‘tome’ instead of ‘book’. Impressed?) From the moment the synapses in the brain are jumped and the decision is made to grow through the business leadership-building process that built-in virtue factory starts grinding out pink unicorns and rainbows…HA! You thought I was going to say “SACRIFICE”! Well, I really was, just thought pink unicorns and rainbows would get your attention. Seriously though, as in the definition, the surrender of something else that is prized or desirable MUST BE forfeited in order to move through this process. Your body, mind and soul just can’t be in two places at once.

Remember, sacrifice is closely linked to discipline. They need each other, a perpetual motion machine of sorts that increases its own production through the give and take reality of practicing discipline. That might mean getting up early or setting a non-negotiable daily schedule; while sacrifice is, “No, I won’t buy the new car now. I’ll wait.” Delayed gratification never hurt anyone. Quite the contrary, it helps. Over time the Sacrifice muscle strengthens to support your newly-incorporated disciplines and even though the  dangling carrot/goal may sometimes move farther away, the discipline to continue reaching for it, based on the BEAUTIFUL ATTITUDE THAT SACRIFICE IS NECESSARY, WILL RESULT IN PERSEVERANCE, which is nothing more that CONSISTENT DISCIPLINE.

CALL TO ACTION: Write down one sacrifice that must be made in order to begin your business-leadership growth-journey. Take note that this is just the beginning. There’s no need to bog yourself down with a long list what will inevitably end up in the trash.

ULTIMATE GOAL: That simple exercise will prime the pump of creative thought and deeper consideration of the long-lasting value of a beautiful attitude in business leadership.

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Warren Buffett, the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, turns 91 in August. Remarkably, at an age where most people's cognitive functions have entirely regressed, where many are now at the hands of caretakers, Buffett still captures the world's attention as the fifth richest person on the planet.

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• Manufacturing returned to America
• New sourcing of raw materials and parts in the U.S.
• Expanding operations in America vs. going overseas
• Foreign direct investment in U.S. manufacturing

Statistics on reshoring are suspect

Statistics published with actual numbers of reshored jobs are suspect and unverifiable.  These published statistics are typically directionally correct, but cannot be verified. Some organizations count the number of jobs being returned as they are published in newspapers and press releases – numbers that might never materialize.  Others use import statistics that do not account for expansion projects in the U.S. Both are sketchy approaches with unreliable results.

While there is no official way to track and verify the actual reshoring numbers in terms of jobs returning or revenue increases, we have evidence that the reshoring trend is quite positive. We can also confirm anecdotally, the positive trend by the number of inquiries and consulting projects we get at the Reshoring Institute (www.ReshoringInstitute.org). Our “business activity” test is way up!

One startling number I saw recently was published by Thomasnet. Thomasnet surveyed over 500 industrial buyers – 83% of these buyers said they intended to find and place 10-12% more orders with domestic suppliers this year than last.  Based on Thomasnet’s collected buying data from past years as compared with next year, this simple change – buying 10%-12% more U.S.-made products – could inject $443 Billion into the US economy. WOW!

If these numbers are anywhere near correct, we are in for a wild ride. Thomasnet is a reliable source, and although the numbers are a projection based on a survey, they are likely to be directionally correct. Since we define the new placement of orders in the U.S. as part of reshoring, this number made me sit up and take notice. The trend is indeed positive.

The effect on the U.S. economy

What effect is this likely to have on the American economy? It’s like putting dry kindling onto a roaring fire. The effect is immediate, visible, and significant.  If this much money is put into U.S.- made industrial buying, we will all surely feel the positive effects of a roaring and on-fire economy.

There is also a magnifier effect when new jobs are added in the manufacturing sector. Based on the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) annual input-output tables have calculated that a dollar’s worth of final demand for manufacturers generates $1.48 in other services and production. Other economists put the number higher – as much as $2.00 for every $1.00 spent on manufacturing.

Manufacturing is the backbone of a robust economy.  In the 1960s, manufacturing accounted for about 25% of the U.S. GDP. In recent years it’s dwindled to less than 12% and employs only 9% of the workforce. There is a lot of room for growth in American manufacturing if we can make the economic case for bringing manufacturing back. We must focus on automation, advanced manufacturing techniques, and reduction of labor to reduce overall costs and increase productivity.

China’s robust growth over the past 25 years can be attributed to a manufacturing economy that is nearly 40% of China’s GDB. China makes and sells more manufactured goods than any other country on the planet.  It is time we focus on rebuilding manufacturing in America.

The reasons for returning manufacturing to the U.S.

The pandemic is the primary reason for this uptick in the return of American sourcing and manufacturing. Previous efforts including the tax reduction act of 2017, and the global trade war with China contributed but created only lukewarm results. The pandemic, on the other hand, introduced supply chain risk and exposed America’s vulnerability in supply chains for medical products and supplies.  Now we are experiencing severe semiconductor shortages, steel shortages, and shortages in other industries.

If some of the statistics for reshoring and industrial buying are true, or at least directionally correct, then American manufacturing is poised for rapid rebirth and astonishing results. I am very optimistic that Reshoring will continue to expand in America.

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1. SUCCESSFUL are the SACRIFICIAL…They develop perseverance.
2. SUCCESSFUL are the HUMBLE…They know who they are, strengths & weaknesses. They ask for help.
3. SUCCESSFUL are the FAILURES…They will rightly value success as the result of falling and getting back up again & again & again.
4. SUCCESSFUL are the CALM…They develop enduring strength.
5. SUCCESSFUL are the SELFLESS…They are motivated to do what’s right for others rather than what’s just expedient.
6. SUCCESSFUL are the FORGIVING…They build connections rather than tear them down.
7. SUCCESSFUL are the GENEROUS…They understand servant leadership.

AND WE BEGIN…

Beautiful Attitudes for business…Why? Why does a deeply held regard for all things beautiful and uplifting have anything at all to do with leadership success in business? Not talking about the occasional good feeling resulting from accomplishment and reward, so go home and pop the cork. It’s celebration time! No, this is the consistent, eternally-abiding sense of bringing good into the world simply because it’s right. BUT IS IT SUSTAINABLE? Is the idea that a beautiful attitude brings business leadership success just a touchy-feely, kumbaya pipe dream? I believe it is definitely NOT. Sustainable regard for the beautiful in our attitudes is actually the pre-requisite for admirable leadership and business success. They are easily seen as a match made in heaven if one simply takes a moment to consider the alternatives…anger, bitterness, revenge…YUCK! (And frankly, no fun at all.)

Business Beatitudes provide structure, the bones necessary for stability and growth. Without the BB, founding principles are MIA, leaving the business leader to flail in the changing winds of trends and market forces, minus the Monday-morning quarterbacking that can be quite helpful in the evaluation re-cap. (You know, the “I’ll never do THAT again” file.) I’ve lived in the changing winds, on the receiving end of market-forces victimization, and if I’m honest with myself, may have been perceived a time or two as the giver as well. (We’ll talk about the Law of Unintended Consequences later.) But I digress…

Where do go with all of this? We take it into the marketplace, putting the Business Beatitudes to the test, a stress-test if you will, of their usefulness in bringing about quantifiable change to the bottom line AND happiness in the workplace. When the Leadership is laser-focused on building sustainable Beautiful Attitudes and EXEMPLIFIES them, the business as a living entity not only grows but THRIVES.

Let’s get started NOW!

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According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, US Real GDP is projected to grow by 6.9% in 2021. Accordingly, shippers should prepare for this year to be a perpetual peak season across all transport modes.

Full Report

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The transition from internal combustion engines (ICEs) to electric vehicles (EVs) is accelerating worldwide. Significant progress in commercial electrification is being seen, most notably in last mile delivery. Last mile services have always been a part of the end-to-end supply chain, but as we navigated lockdowns during COVID-19, getting a broader range of goods onto consumers' doorsteps has made it a retailer battleground. Expanded corporate fleets and outsourcing contracts for more responsive last mile services have become integral to answering shifting consumer expectations. In parallel, the electrification landscape has evolved rapidly, with barriers to adoption being resolved and the cost benefits of conversion being actualized.

Part 1: Trends and Drivers for Converting Last Mile Fleets

Sustainability Commitments

Many companies prioritize environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies with a clear trend toward corporate fleet electrification. Some of the leading brands in online retail and transportation have established roadmaps to green the last mile. For instance, Amazon has tasked its sustainability scientists with analyzing and measuring its carbon footprint and has determined that online shopping is greener than in-store. They report that a single delivery van trip can eliminate an average of 100 shopper roundtrips by car.[1] This dove tails with Amazon’s Climate Pledge to have half of its shipments net-zero carbon by 2030.[2]

Delivery powerhouse FedEx has developed its fleet electrification plan. As part of its broader $2B investment in three core sustainability areas – vehicle electrification, sustainable energy, and carbon sequestration – FedEx has committed to having its entire fleet of parcel pick-up and delivery vehicles electrified by 2040.[3] Many others are following the same path toward electrification.

Regulations

Various state legislatures are assessing green transportation regulations; California is the most aggressive. By 2035, the state will require 55 percent of delivery trucks and vans, 75 percent of box trucks, and 40 percent of tractor-trailers to be electric. By 2050, all commercial truck sales in California must be electric.[4] Most states are enforcing federal standards rather than establishing their own, as that would create a patchwork of varying regulations that would complicate compliance. California is serious about the transition to commercial EVs to make a permanent dent in greenhouse gases.

Federal and State Incentives

Federal tax incentives are another way the public sector promotes the transition to EVs, making the change to electricity more cost-effective and appealing for businesses. The current $7,500 federal tax credit on EVs applies to OEMs that have produced fewer than 200,000 cars, essentially excluding EV purchases from Tesla, Nissan, and GM. Lawmakers are considering removing the 200,000-vehicle cap and sweetening the deal by increasing the tax credit to $10,000 for EVs made in the United States and adding another $2,500 for EVs assembled by workers represented in a union.[5]

Incentives go beyond the EV to include offsets to the cost of charging infrastructure installation. For example, the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Tax Credit eases the financial burden for businesses through a federal tax credit of 30 percent of the cost, up to $30,000, for commercial installations.[6] Some states such as California, Colorado, and New York also provide business incentives to install electric charging infrastructure.

Total Cost of Ownership

Perhaps the most significant factor driving the commercial EV transition is the total cost of ownership (TCO). This is a CAPEX plus OPEX calculation that includes the price of the vehicle plus the cost of its maintenance plus the cost of fuel over the vehicle’s entire lifetime. Because of government incentives, low electricity costs, and minimal maintenance relative to an ICE vehicle, EVs deliver a lower TCO than commercial ICE vehicles. Add to that the recent escalation in gas prices and EVs become an even more effective business decision.

With EVs becoming increasingly affordable and with the side benefits of achieving ESG goals through the electrification of transportation, we can expect to see a steady rise in commercial vehicles transitioning to electric.

What is Up Next?

In part two of this three-part series, I will discuss how the challenges that previously slowed fleet electrification are being resolved and spotlight the companies driving the transition for last mile delivery services.

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When I published my first book “Big Data” in September, 2013, I referred to the fourth stage of the “Big Data Business Model Maturity Index as the “Data Monetization” phase.  However, it wasn't until my latest book “The Economics of Data, Analytics, and Digital Transformation” that I published the end of last year, that I finally got the concept right.  For most organizations, it shouldn't be “Data Monetization.”  Instead, “Insights Monetization” – customer, product, and operational insights or predicted propensities – is more appropriate (Figure 1).

The “Insights Monetization” phase of the Data & Analytics Business Maturity Index is described as such:

That doesn't mean to preclude data monetization – or the direct selling of one's data – as an option, but data monetization has a very different context than insights monetization.  Let me explain.

What is Data Monetization?

The problem with the term “Data Monetization” is that for many organizations, this implies the direct selling of the organization's data.  And there are certainly companies out there that do sell data.  Nielsen, Acxiom, Experian, Equifax and CoreLogic are companies whose business model is the acquisition, aggregation, and selling of third-party data.  For example, Figure 2 shows the personal data that one can buy from Acxiom.  Yea, sort of scary.

Figure 2:  Source: “Here are the data brokers quietly buying and selling your personal …“

Selling data requires a significant organization to acquire, cleanse, align, package, market, sell, support, and manage the data for external consumption.  And there is a myriad of growing legal and privacy concerns to navigate, so a pretty decent legal team will be required as well.

For other organizations, data monetization amounts to creating data services that facilitate the exchange of an organization's data in exchange for something of value from another organization. Walmart's Retail Link® is an example of this sort of “data monetization.”

Walmart's Retail Link® gives Walmart suppliers – think Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) companies like Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, and Unilever – access to Walmart's “point of sale” (POS) data. Retail Link provides suppliers access to the supplier's product sell-through (sales) data by SKU, by hour, by store. Suppliers can also get on-hand inventory by SKU, as well as gross margin achieved, inventory turns, in-stock percentages, and Gross Margin Return on Inventory Investment (Figure 3).

This is a great example of Data Monetization. Unfortunately, not all organizations have the clout and financial and technology resources of a Walmart to dictate this sort of relationship.  Walmart invests a significant amount of time, money and people resources to on-board, support, maintain, and upgrade Retail Link.  In that aspect, Walmart looks and behaves like an enterprise software vendor.

But for organizations that lack the clout, finances, and technology expertise of a Walmart, there are other “monetization” options.

Keys to Insights Monetization

Insights Monetization is about leveraging the customer, product, and operational insights (predicted propensities) buried in your data sources to optimize and/or reengineer key business and operational processes, mitigate (compliance, regulatory, and business) risks, create new revenue opportunities (such new products, services, audiences, channels, markets, partnerships, consumption models, etc.), and construct a more compelling, differentiated customer experience.

To drive “Insights Monetization” requires some key concepts and techniques.

(1) Nanoeconomics.  Nanoeconomics is the economics of individualized human and/or device predicted propensities.  Nanoeconomics helps organizations transition from overly generalized decisions based upon averages to precision decisions based upon the predicted propensities, patterns, and trends of individual humans or devices (Figure 4).

Remember, making decisions based on averages at best yield average results.  We can do better than average by leveraging nanoeconomics to make precision policy and operational decisions.

(2) Analytic Profiles provide a model for capturing and codifying the organization's customer, product, and operational analytic insights (predicted propensities) in a way that facilities the sharing and refinement of those analytic insights across multiple use cases (Figure 5).

An Analytic Profile capture of metrics, predictive indicators, segments, scores, and business rules that codify the behaviors, preferences, propensities, inclinations, tendencies, interests, associations and affiliations for the organization's key business entities such as customers, patients, students, athletes, jet engines, cars, locomotives, CAT scanners, and wind turbines.

(3) Use Cases are clusters of Decisions around a common Key Performance Indicator (KPI) where Decisions are a conclusion or resolution reached after analysis that leads to an informed action.  Sample use cases include reduce customer attrition, improve operational uptime, and optimize asset utilization. And the application of the Analytic Profiles can be used to help optimize or address the organization's top priority use cases (Figure 6).

The power of use cases are:

• Readily identifiable by the business stakeholders (because they live them every day)
• Resolution or optimization is a source of quantifiable business and operational value (improving, reducing, or optimizing the use cases can have material business and operational value)
• Encourages tight collaboration between business stakeholders and the data & analytics teams to properly define the objectives, benefits, value statements, and potential impediments of the use case, identify the metrics and KPIs against which use case progress and success will be measured, and codify the associated costs of use case False Positives and False Negatives (see “The Art of Thinking Like a Data Scientist” methodology).
• Provides the basis for a use case-by-use case development and implementation approach – driven by Return on Investment (ROI) – to building the organization's data and analytic assets (see the “Schmarzo Economic Digital Asset Valuation Theorem“).

Organizations tend to fail because they peanut butter their precious data and analytics resources across too many poorly defined use cases, and don't get the prerequisite business stakeholder buy-in to actually deploy or use the resulting analytics.  Focus baby, focus!

The post Monetization of Data appeared first on Industrial Talk.

To determine how knowledgeable and ingenious threat actors could be in compromising a manufacturing facility, we conducted a research in 2019 that essentially had us simulating a factory of our own. Using our most realistic honeypot to date, we created an environment that could lure cybercriminals into carrying out attacks and at the same time give us an all but unimpeded look at their actions.

We designed our pure-production honeypot to mimic a real system, including programmable logic controllers, a human-machine interface (HMI), and other components of an industrial control system (ICS). We then created a cover company for this faux factory: a rapid prototyping consultancy firm with ostensibly real human employees, working contact channels, and a client base composed of large anonymous organizations from critical industries. This ruse proved effective, as shown by the different types of attacks our honeypot attracted.

Our research paper, “Caught in the Act: Running a Realistic Factory Honeypot to Capture Real Threats,” contains the full details of our honeypot, from its conceptualization to the description of noteworthy attacks we encountered on it. Here we recount some of the highlights of our honeypot’s monthslong run.

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Achieving media coverage is a good way to build a manufacturer’s profile, increase a well-earned reputation, and communicate messaging to target audience customers. Posting a single published feature article is not enough; it must provoke the implementation of cross-promotional PR strategies which exponentially increase the reach of the media coverage. PR is the protein shake to augment a good marketing campaign.

Manufacturers as thought leaders

Research has shown thought leadership in manufacturing marketing makes a difference for B2B brands. Nearly two-thirds of decision-makers said that thought leadership is one of the top ways to gauge the caliber of thinking that a company can provide. This approach permits creativity, authentic voice of the manufacturer, and advances all other elements in manufacturing marketing.

Read the Full Article Here!

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Find out More:  CLICK HERE!

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NEOM is aiming for Industry 4.0 — would you be able to explain what that means and how it's possible?

Net-zero means that we do not put any water back into the sea from desalination, so zero liquid discharge. Net-zero also means that we do not put any CO2 into the environment because we are running completely on renewable energy, whether that is pumping water, treating water, desalination or dealing with wastewater. All of that is on net zero energy. We are looking to put zero CO2 into the atmosphere and want to utilize all renewable energy. Net-zero means we treat all the wastewater, so none of it goes back into the environment. We have zero solid disposal, utilizing the solids to make products. We also will be making products out of seawater. If you can take the water out of the sea and solidify that CO2, you are benefiting the environment. Net-zero also means zero runoff. One of the biggest problems that you have around the world now in Singapore, Hong Kong, Jeddah, London, Paris and New York is that when it rains, all the stormwater runoff takes all the oil from the cars along with it — and it takes all the pesticides from the trees and gardens. The reason why the Great Barrier Reef is dying today is because there are a huge number of sugar cane fields on the East Coast of Australia and they use pesticides. When it rains, those pesticides run into the rivers and into the sea — meaning those pesticides kill off the Great Barrier Reef. They have only started figuring that out in the last 10 years or so. So net zero runoff also means making sure that it does not go into the sea and impact our environment.

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In this week's Industrial Talk Podcast we're talking to John Glassmire, Senior Advisor, Grid Edge Solutions with Hitachi ABB Power Grid about “Microgrid, Grid Edge, Energy Storage. The Electrification of Industry”. Get the answers to your “Electric Grid” questions along with John's unique insight on the “How” on this Industrial Talk interview!

Finally, get your exclusive free access to the Industrial Academy and a series on “Why You Need To Podcast” for Greater Success in 2020. All links designed for keeping you current in this rapidly changing Industrial Market. Learn! Grow! Enjoy!

JOHN GLASSMIRE'S CONTACT INFORMATION:

Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnglass…

Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hita…

Company Website: https://www.hitachiabb-powergrids.com/

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Zig Ziglar

Business Beatitudes (“BB”) says Huzzah! or Amen! or YES! Selflessness IS the Name of the Game…BUT it demands clarification and unpacking.

Without doing a word-by-word, side-by-side comparative study, BB wants to say this:

It’s pretty much impossible to feign or fake caring for any substantial length of time and if anyone thinks he or she can fake it in the moment just to achieve a certain goal…

FUGETABOUTIT! The receiver will see through you like a streak-free, sunshine-reflecting windowpane. If it’s not detected the first time, just give it a while. A pattern will emerge, and your insincerity will be exposed.

So how to do this Selflessness thing? BB offers this little systematic Self-Check:

1. What need does my potential client have that I can fill or what questions could I ask to uncover the need?
2. Have I properly researched my client’s business in order to develop my own understanding of what’s important to them?
3. Am I willing to listen and find common ground, so my client feels important and validated?

These 3 Starter Questions will prime the pump for a Self-LESS attitude. They will put you on the road to sincere interest and caring, patient and sometimes quiet reflection on their needs, curiosity to find solutions that benefit THEM, openness to new ideas and spontaneity or course-change because that’s what THEY need, not you.

Related Blogs:

Successful are the Forgiving – They Build Bridges from a Strong Foundation.

Successful are the Calm – They Develop Enduring Strength

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Why INDUSTRIAL Marketing? What special magic does that work “industrial” contain that sets it apart from all other marketing? Do Industrial companies really need to engage in Industrial Marketing? Why is Industrial Marketing a “thing” now? Is it really necessary to do something different?

“Marketing is ENTHUSIASM transferred to the customer.” Gregory Giotti

Once those questions are answered, we’ll tackle just how Industrial Marketing is done, why must it be done and what result your company will see. If it’s worthwhile to open your doors and turn on the lights, it’s worthwhile to explore Industrial Marketing. A wise person once said that if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing right.

Did You Know?

93% of online experiences begin with a search engine.  81% of people perform some type of online research before making a large purchase.  75% of people never scroll past the first page of search engines (Junto, April 8th, 2019)

Build a Powerful Industrial Opportunity Funnel

Our strategic guide will effectively layout a powerful Industrial Marketing road-map that will expand your market share and create an automated marketing funnel that will work for you 24/7.

Let's Talk!

Let’s unpack Industrial Marketing with some beginner word analysis, starting with the word Marketing. We’re all familiar with marketing in its many forms: introducing a new product, reminding consumers of its benefits, innovating said product for appeal to new purchasing groups, running conventional-style commercials and ads to keep it in the customer’s face, buying ads in industry publications for visual reminders to readers and, of course, now the many ways to use digital media for product marketing as well. Simply put, marketing is making something known to the masses. Historically and customarily, marketing targets certain groups or demographics:

• Toys to children
• Cosmetics to those who love them
• Tools to DIYers
• Sugary cereals to kiddos
• Exercise gear to gym nuts (like me)

Marketing is macro while sales can be more micro.

So let’s consider the Industrial part. What’s Industrial (Remember, that special, magical word)? EVERYTHING! Whatever is dreamed, created and finally manufactured, whether a direct-to-consumer product or something needed for the manufacturing process, IS INDUSTRIAL! The word may conjure images of smokestacks and steam from the Industrial Revolution, but “industrial” today represents so much more! Because of the digital revolution, industrial includes cyberspace and its supporting industries.

Did You Know?

Infographics are liked and shared on social media 3x more than any other type of content and 84% of people expect brands to create content.

Create an Industrial Content Generation Machine

Content is King!  You must be about generating Content.  Our approach through Podcasting and experienced Industrial writers, we consistently generate impactful content in a “snap”.

Let's Talk!

INDUSTRIAL MARKETING is a new concept to many because it’s usually an in-house function that just isn’t given much attention. A Marketing Director is hired. She or He hires a few staff members and off they go to their desks, cubicles and computers. They hold countless meetings to discuss the new idea, how to implement the new idea, who will implement the new idea, the timeline, individual work assignments, etc. That team then reports its progress back to the CEO, CFO, CIO and any other C-O on the reporting list. Everyone then pats themselves on the back for a job well done and it just may be well-deserved. That’s the way it’s always been done.

“PEOPLE DON’T BUY WHAT YOU DO. THEY BUY WHY YOU DO IT.” Simon Sinek

What if Industrial Marketing were handled differently and were brought into the technological realm? (Any Thor fans…the nine realms?) Could Industrial Marketing be transformed into a dynamic and relevant practice? Would the consumer then have the opportunity to understand your WHY rather than just your WHAT?

1. CREATE A STRATEGICALLY DYNAMIC WEBSITE: Dynamism doesn’t like cobwebs. No dust-blowing off of the boring/monotone video introductions and colorless bullet-points. Smart, up-to-date Industrial Marketing includes, by definition, a response-driven website, one that listens to customers and adjusts accordingly. Does the website do the listening? Well, of course not, but YOU DO! You, as an Industrial Leader engaging in strategically dynamic Industrial Marketing will pay attention to how your public responds. That’s the strategic part. The dynamic part incorporates CHANGES.
2. MAKE FRIENDS WITH DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY. This goes hand-in-hand with #1 above. The  Digital world is not your enemy! Get ahead of the learning curve in Industrial Marketing and don’t think that you have to be front and center in all of your website’s incarnations. Highlight OTHER PEOPLE’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS in your sphere of influence. Digital technology is the great equalizer. If you don’t show how YOUR PEOPLE are different, NOBODY will take notice. A small, ineffective company can make itself look big and popular just by using the tools of digital technology.

Did You Know?

Blogs with videos can increase organic search results by up to 157% and a video is shared 1,200% more than both links and text combined.

Industry is Changing Rapidly, Training is Key

Applying marketing strategies based on yesterday's thinking is a recipe for failure.  Today, Industry needs a continuous Marketing Training and Education program to defend against Industrial sameness and keep current with Marketing changes.

Let's Talk!

“LIKE IT OR NOT, YOUR COMPETITOR IS LEARNING INDUSTRIAL MARKETING.” Scott MacKenzie

Industrial Marketing mixed with a strategically dynamic website and digital technology used correctly and well work beautifully together to create exactly what you need, even if you don’t know it:

INDUSTRIAL SALES:

THE INDUSTRIAL SALES FUNNEL: That business sweet spot when you realize customers are coming to you!

Isn’t that what everyone in industry wants? Of course we continually reach out to increase sales and fill that funnel, but isn’t it just AWESOME when the customers SEE AND RESPOND WITH CONTRACTS?

The Industrial Sales Funnel through automation is rarely considered when creating an overall, strategic Industrial Marketing Plan, but it should be first and foremost on our minds. We want business to GROW. Using a dynamic website and all the offerings of digital technology as part of a strategic Industrial Marketing Plan will create and sustain that Industrial Sales Funnel.

INDUSTRIAL BRANDING:

Typical thinking: We design a logo. Put it on caps and T-shirts. Buy advertising in an Industry publication. Hand caps and t-shirts out at Industrial Conferences with pens, notepads and those little squiggly gadgets that open cans. THEN EVERYONE WILL KNOW, LOVE AND TRUST US!

LET THE CUSTOMERS RUSH IN!

OH, if it were that easy. Those practices are not wrong or unworthy of your time, but they are only a well-placed shrub in your Industrial Branding landscape. Any Industrial Marketing service plan worth the Word Document its written in must highlight BRANDING, a comprehensive, digital approach to instant name, service and/or product recognition. It will also EVOKE EMOTION.  I’m not going all touch-feely on you. I’m just making sure you’re aware of this new world we live in. Industrial businesses that want to THRIVE can no longer hide behind that little advertising shrub in the Industrial Branding landscape.

Did You Know?

61% of companies name “growing SEO” as their biggest priority in 2018 and organic search drives 51% of content consumption.

Technology, Technolgy, Technology!

Technology is driving a massive change in Industry.  Properly leveraging technology is foundational to your Industrial Marketing success.  Identifying and aligning the right technology is vital to your Marketing, Sales and Branding Efforts.

Let's Talk!

“People will forget what you say or did; but they will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou

I know. I know. The Industrial space is not accustomed to worrying about feelings. It’s a tough transition for me too, but humor me for a minute here. Have you ever seen the recent commercials for the plastics industry? Do they just show shelves with plastic blobs on them and machines cutting those blobs?

NO, THEY DO NOT.

They show what we make from plastics. They show a boy getting a cast on his broken arm after a Little League game. They show a little girl playing with her first doll, made of plastics. They show a hearing aid being turned on and a previously hearing-impaired child can now hear his mom’s voice for the first time in his life. That hearing aid is made of plastic!

Industrial Marketing with an Industrial Branding function can effectively bring feeling into the Industrial Branding space.

“BRANDING IS WHAT PEOPLE SAY WHEN YOU’RE NOT IN THE ROOM.” Jeff Bezos

INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP:

INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP IS THE NATURAL OUTGROWTH OF ALL OF THE ABOVE

Do you want to lead or fall behind? Leaders take risks and stay ahead of the herd. For far too long, Industrial Marketers have allowed Industrial Leaders to wallow in the warm, shallow waters of “just good enough”. Do you really want to be “just good enough”? What a colossal waste of time!

Industrial Talk has no interest in “just good enough”. Your Industrial Marketing strategy must advance your position in the marketplace, encourage innovation and increase your market share. The key to long-term success and growth in the Industrial Space IS strategic INDUSTRIAL MARKETING.

Did You Know?

75% of consumers expect a consistent experience wherever they engage and 85% of users ignore paid ads and focus on organic search results.

Collecting Market Data and Applying Analytics

Industrial Marketing means collecting the right market data and applying the right analysis to draw tactical solutions for success.  Done correctly, companies are able to quickly “pivot” to respond to changes in the Industrial Market.

Let's Talk!

About the Author:

SCOTT MACKENZIE BELIEVES IN INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP!

Scott has the Industrial STREET CRED:

• Construction worker and then Journeyman Lineman/Splicer for a large utility company.
• Bachelor of Science and MBA Degrees
• Utility Corporate Office, Management
• Director for Big 5 companies (worldwide)
• Executive bringing multi-national company onto NASDAQ

Scott’s humble beginnings were necessary to provide his deep-felt conviction that the PEOPLE in industry are the ones who make the world go ‘round. THEY are the unsung day-to-day heroes who make our way of life possible and prosperous.

Scott also knew he needed the classroom education and book knowledge to support his “up from the bootstraps” hard work. He put himself through college, undergrad and graduate school while supporting a family.

Scott has formed lifelong relationships with countless Industrial Leaders. He’s interviewed them, worked with them on projects, mentored them and followed them.

HIS BIGGEST TAKEAWAY:

LIFE IS MEANT TO BE LIVED. IF YOU FIND YOURSELF IN THE INDUSTRIAL SPACE AS I HAVE, THEN LIVE IT THERE. DON’T WASTE TIME. ACT NOW. YOU MAY NOT HAVE TOMORROW TO CHANGE THE WORLD.

Industrial Marketing, Sales and Branding Consultation

Are you doing everything you can to position your company for success? Are you ensuring that your company maintains and expands competitive advantage?  Find out! It's free and worth your time and peace of mind.

Find Out More!

The post Industrial Marketing – The Journey appeared first on Industrial Talk.

Forgiveness is the most under-appreciated practice, so much so that most see it as weakness. To forgive is to give in, right? It means MY voice isn’t heard, my interests are being stomped on and I LOSE. Nobody likes losing, for sure, but what if hidden inside the act of forgiving is an unexpected WIN?

See, the act of forgiving frees the forgiver from being held hostage by grudges & regret. Grudges turn us into grumpy curmudgeons while regret is the wet cement we trudge through that eventually hardens into hopelessness. Then we’re stuck!

In business, our hearts & minds must be light on their feet, nimble and flexible, able to adjust, flex and adapt to whatever comes our way, expected or unexpected, good or bad. Bitterness, the opposite of forgiveness, drags us down with negative thoughts that prevent growth and forward motion.

But the hidden WIN that awaits the forgiver is VISION! Vision is blackened and utterly stifled when it’s bound by the chains of anger & even hatred, which lack of forgiveness inevitably foments. Some might say that anger motivates them, like fuel to a fire; but Business Beatitudes says it’s a very short-lived motivation. Building success on bitterness is a house built on sand; plus it’s exhausting and unsustainable.

BB suggests a little exercise. List 3 people you need to forgive, personal or business-related. Say “I forgive you.” OUT LOUD. Doesn’t need to said to them. It’s about YOU learning to forgive.

Related Podcast:

Industrial Leadership: Setting a Higher Standard!

Related Blog:

Successful are the Calm – They Develop Enduring Strength

The post Successful are the Forgiving – They Build Bridges from a Strong Foundation. appeared first on Industrial Talk.

So that’s the textbook definition of calmness, the state or condition of being calm. Calmness is more the absence of certain influences than it is the addition of them. But what about this: The absence of disturbances and agitation creates space or room for more productive input.

Therein lies the reason that the practice of calmness is a major player in the business leadership game. If all the negative, distracting and non-productive influences can be weeded out to make room for positive, calmly thought-out, decisive action then the decision-maker is much more likely to stick around. It’s the highly-charged emotional tornadoes created by those lacking calmness that sweep up everyone in their path, throwing them to the distant four corners never to be heard from again. It’s a recipe for disaster first of all, and for constant turnover, perpetual dissatisfaction and total confusion.

How does the business leader practice calmness personally AND develop a calm environment? Business Beatitudes has three simple suggestions:

1. Read daily inspiration, at least 6 minutes. Why 6? Five is too easy to blow off and 6 gets you closer to 10. The inspiration must be other-focused, not self-congratulatory or self-centered. Starting the day with self-centered thoughts breeds dissatisfaction with everyone & everything around you.
2. Smile at everyone you see before entering the work environment. Silly? BB’s say No. What one projects on the outside will transform what one thinks or feels on the inside. Wear a frown, inner agitation increases and you enter into your business arena like a walking embodiment of stress and aggravation. Breaking down that wall of discontent is then virtually impossible. Fear, loathing and fight or flight response takes over. So get over yourself and just smile.
3. Decide in advance how you plan to handle life’s daily aggravations. Take deep breaths, count to 10, pray, do push-ups or burpees…Whatever works! Just decide in advance and stick to it.

Enduring strength WILL prevail because a calm attitude makes space for reasonable thought and reflection. The tornadoes of emotion subside because there’s nothing to feed them.

The post Successful are the Calm – They Develop Enduring Strength appeared first on Industrial Talk.

Loaded Statement! Let’s unpack this one word at a time. First of all, “Successful” is a word that’s easily thrown around to motivate and inspire, because success equals happiness and peace, right? That’s artful business seduction: If you achieve this or that goal you are successful, taking your rightful place in the “pat myself on the back and buy the new sports car I’ve been wanting” line. Before you go spraining your elbow, take a mental step back. Success takes many forms, shows up at the oddest times (has its own timetable) and looks suspiciously like hard work and sacrifice.

Oddly enough, success doesn’t always feel like we imagined it would feel. Why, you ask? The Business Beatitudes (BB from now on) would suggest that Goal-Setting Success should NEVER be the motivating factor. It’s limiting and self-focused. “If I accomplish this, then I’m good at what I do.” Success, in order to bring any measure of fulfillment, MUST be the result of having met someone else’s need, solved someone else’s problem, made someone else’s life more beautiful, etc… BB hopes you get the idea. Self-focused/involved/motivated success is short-lived, hollow and quite possibly, NOT success at all.

So the next two words: Are & The. Time for a little grammar lesson that might actually shed some light on this Beatitude. One is a verb and the other is what’s called an article. This particular verb is a State of Being, an existential reality, positive or negative: “I am not 6 feet tall. You are.” The beauty of this verb is that IT CAN CHANGE. (Even the height thing; I can wear very high heels and look taller.) Next is the article that often functions to limit or to distinguish one thing from another: “That’s THE car I want.” These words must be where they are to connect Success and Failure, but they both indicate a changeable situation/state of being and help to focus/distinguish one’s perceptions, desires or motivations.

Lastly, we come to Failures. Yikes! NOBODY likes that word! BB says: “Learn to like it! Become friends!” It’s been said in a variety of ways on countless memes that failure exists only if we refuse to learn from an experience. There’s forever failure from giving up or there’s growth from evaluation and re-direction. The bottom line is pretty simple: Failure is in the eye of the beholder and the beholder is the governing Belief that guides the evaluation and course-correction. So we can fail and allow it to be FOREVER or we can Evaluate, Change Course if necessary, and finally, GROW.

Consider the alternative.

The post Successful Are The Failures – They Rightly Value Success! appeared first on Industrial Talk.

The post Successful are the Humble – They know who they are. appeared first on Industrial Talk.

Welcome. Thank you very much for joining the Industrial Talk podcast. My name is Scott MacKenzie, and I hope you're having a wonderful day, or afternoon, or even evening. Productive, ready to get going. Today's podcast, we're going to be talking about Speed is the Key. We're going to continue that series.

This is on time, and management of time. I know there's a bunch of books out there, and I have a different way of looking at time, I live it. This is more geared toward the management and sales and the marketing individuals. So without further ado, let's get this show going, and I appreciate you joining the Industrial Talk podcast.

Well I hope you're having a great day. Hope you're having a productive day, most definitely. As alluded to, this is the second in the series of Speed is the Key, and it might come across a little bit harsh, but understand, I've pretty much lived through all of this, and I'm very diligent about my time, because boy I have wasted a lot of it.

And I'm not proud of that, but we live and learn, because that's what we're all about, and we're going to learn as much as we possibly can. This is going to be a no frill, no fluff, no whatever podcast. It's going to be about learning and managing your time to the best of your ability. We're going to cover what we have covered in the past, specifically about yourself, and your personal, I guess, focus. Then we're going to go right into time.

So once again, the components here of business speed include the self and personal, and that's the investment of education. You've got to invest in that. You've got to do all of that. And then, of course, it's heavily linked to time, and that's the point we're going to be talking about today, and then once you manage, and once you understand yourself in that you will make mistakes and you will get bruised and you will scuff your knees, you just get back up, you WALK-IT-OFF, and you do it again.

Perseverance, and have that purpose focus. Connects with time, how you manage that time, what's important to you, all of that good stuff there, and that's what we're going to talk about here. And then into business, how do we take those two components and then we manage the business, and then of course leverage. How can we get more out of less?

They're all interchangeable. You can't have great time management, but you're not investing in education. It's a challenge. So once again, speed theory. It's about moving your business or profession forward as rapidly as possible. It's about action. It's about each day moving forward, not standing still. It's the optimization and leverage, the time, how can we get more out of a resource that we can't create? We can't create more time.

It's easier to create more money, so time is far more valuable than money, because we can always try to find ways of making more money. But time, it's gone, and it's gone in an instant. Let's move, remove those distractions and focus on your business and career. Let's remove the distractions of all the stuff that we're going to talk about in time. And then move forward as we look to do that.

Below is the instructional video for this blog:

Removing those speed bumps. We have speed bumps, and we'll talk about that in times. We live in this parking lot of business, and there are plenty of speed bumps that slow us down. We feel like we're moving forward quickly, and nope. There's a speed bump. Let's go, let's get our mind focused. So let's go right into it.

Once again, let's not be a fluff person. Let's execute. Let's be very, very critical of what we're doing today and at the moment, the now. It's important to have that, because once again, if it was money, you'd be very critical of how you're spending it, how you're earning it, and time is no difference. It's how you spend time, how you're using it, is it moving you forward? Are you going fast enough to get more distance?

No fluff. You've got to be honest about that. We can't wait anymore. So we wait, and we say, “Tomorrow's going to be a better day,” or whatever the excuse might be. We can't wait. Today is the day we change. Today is the day we think about making those differences in our day, and it's a process, but you have to, within yourself, definitely think, “Today is the day.”

We've got to have that urgency and say, “We're going to change, and we're going to move forward.” We've got to cover as much distance as we possibly can. Just like any athlete that is in a race, or anybody that decides that they want to move forward, there's a sense of determination and commitment to that, because I know for me personally, over the years, I get a sense of just … I don't know.

When I do not have that sense of race in my mind, I lack that determination. And I'm as guilty as anybody else, but this is the world we live in. We live in the world of bullets. Once again, as a way of just communicating, people who know me know that I just … Give me the condensed version. Go, go, go, go. My attention span, unfortunately, is much shorter.

As the years have gone by, where I've looked and produced many PowerPoint presentations, I've presented to many boards and groups, and it's just boom, boom, boom, boom. And I'm working on it, don't get me wrong. I do like talking to people. But if they have an issue, I just want to get to the issue and then let's start talking about what strategies to deploy to get past those issues.

So when we start looking at how we, once again, address the self, the person, this is the necessity for education. There's tons of education material out there, and a lot of it is really good. And you continue to just educate. It is your profession, it is what you do for a living, it supports your family, it supports the community. It supports whatever philanthropic endeavor you find yourself passionate about.

You've got to continuously educate, and with the advent of podcasting, geez, blogs, there's ample amount of information out there. So when we start talking about time, I would highly recommend that the time be spent, windshield time, anyway, things like that, be spent educating. It's important to do that. You've got to have that fortitude of hope, that grit, that you're not going to quit.

You're going to shake it off. You're going to WALK-IT-OFF. If something bad happens, if you didn't get the deal, if it didn't go the way you decided that it needed to go and something else happened, because we live in a world that is like that, WALK-IT-OFF. When I was a boy, and I'd be playing in, let's say, the playground, and I remember this vividly, I'd fall, hurt myself, and there was always a bunch of other friends going up to me and say, “Hey come on, WALK-IT-OFF, WALK-IT-OFF. Let's get back.”

And then you just, “Okay.” WALK-IT-OFF and you move forward, the same thing has to exist in your business and in what you do. You can't give up. You can adjust. You can adapt. You can move, pivot, whatever it might be. But you've got to be persistent. You cannot give up. You've got to have a sense of purpose. The purpose of, let's say, Mother Theresa. The reason she got out there, and the reason she did what she did, is her purpose was to love the unlovable. And that's an amazing purpose.

So all of her day and effort with unspeakable sadness, that propelled her and that kept her going. That was her purpose. Find that purpose. I always try to get up, read early, once again, I recommend this. Read early. It doesn't mean you have to get up at three in the morning, read for two hours, and so on. It's just a way of getting your mind straight. You've got to find that team, you've got to exercise, you've got to do something. You've got to move. The oxygen that is necessary for your brain, you've got to keep that moving forward.

Some of the best ideas that I can think of, and many have heard this over and over again in my, quote, “Education efforts,” is that the exercising is critical for that creative thinking and coming up with special solutions, most definitely. Keep it simple. We have a tendency to make it complex. And in the time segment of this particular presentation, we'll talk specifically about simplicity and be painfully truthful with yourself.

Are you doing the right things? Are you getting back up? Are you being persistent? Do you have that fortitude of hope, that grit? You've got to have those, those candid conversations with yourself, and maybe find that team that says, “You're not doing it right,” or, “You're having issues,” or, “I'm here to help,” because my purpose is to help you achieve your goals.

So onto the time. Okay, we've all heard this, most definitely. The typical day of the “busiest person in the world“, we've come across all of them. We were probably the busiest person in the world as well. On a typical day, I lived it. This is not a finger-pointing activity by any stretch of the imagination. All of this stuff is me coming to the conclusion that I waste time. That I see other people wasting time. And that commodity of time is gone forever.

Have that sense of urgency to understand that that's gone. You can never have it back. So here's an example of a day, my day: when I was in a corporate environment, coffee. Oh boy, I need my coffee. The coffee was important because, well, that was an opportunity for me to catch up on the news from everybody else. “Hey, how you doing?” All that good stuff. Coffee.

And then I would go into my office, and then I would get interrupted. And then we chitchat about the weekend, or chitchat about the week, whoever came into my office. And then they'd leave and I've got to get re-calibrated. And then that wastes more time. And then of course, within an organization, there's politics and you've got to talk about that. You've got to sit there and chitchat with individuals that are dealing with issues.

And then by that time, you need coffee. So you go and have that coffee again, and then you go and chitchat with other people, and then, “Oh man, came across a great video on Facebook and I need to share it with everybody else because it's funny. It's hilarious. It's got, whatever, five million views or whatever it might be, and it's been shared a gazillion times. But it is worth it.”

So that time goes by, and man I'm hungry right now, so I better go out for lunch. And then, I've got that afternoon. I better get some coffee and talk to people about their lunch, and that video I shared on Facebook. And then sit at my chair and look at the paperwork, maybe shuffle it around a little bit. Oh, there's some emails I've got to look at. Somebody shared me a funny video again. And then I have to forward it, and I've got to comment about that.

And then somebody comes back into my office and says, “I've got an issue. We've got to deal with that.” And then after that, I'm done drinking coffee because, well, by that time I'm pretty jittery and I do want to sleep tonight. And then we go home. I buzz on home, and then home is home, and it's all good. And then the next day, repeat what we just did today. From scratch, again.

We might be productive here and there, but that's just the realities, and there's a ton of other distractions that just exist. The computer is a distraction. So we've got to just be painfully honest about that. We've got to be painfully honest about the fact that we do get interrupted, and our day is focused on things as opposed to what truly moves us forward. So there's no speed in that. We just grind to a halt.

So William Penn had this wonderful quote, “Time is what we want most,” absolutely! “But what we use worse” truth! I fall into that. I definitely fall into that, and I definitely have some issues associated with that. So let's talk a little bit about time. Let's get right to the point. As a business owner, I've had the fortunate opportunity to run a number of businesses, and of course, I've had multiple focuses and multiple interests.

But the thing, the item, the point that I look at is revenue. Are we generating revenue today? How are we generating revenue today? Is it a good day? Is it a bad day? That analytic of revenue is vitally important each and every day. What does that return on the time? So if I spend eight hours, did I generate any revenue? It's important that we have that level of analytics.

My time, my expense to the company has to generate revenue. In a typical day, I'm being distracted, drinking coffee, looking at videos, that's not a good return on time. It does not generate revenue. It's vitally important that we have that mindset, because we can be an overhead. We just are. We've got to start thinking about a P&L, meaning profit and loss.

If I do not generate revenue, if I do not utilize my time specifically to focus on revenue-generating activities, then I'm a liability. I'm a loss. There's no profit there. The bottom line is in red. We don't want to be in red, but we are, in a sense, a P&L, individual P&L statements. You are a business. This is the mindset that has to be there every single day at every moment.

So as I have run a number of businesses, there's this 80/20 rule, right? Everybody hears 80/20, 80/20, 80/20. I believe it's probably more 90/10. So when we start talking about 90% of my time on a daily basis, and once again, this is not finger-pointing. This is something that I came to the conclusion out of sheer frustration after running business and being an employee that I realized that I'm wasting time.

I'm wasting time for this company, for this owner, and it's a reality we all get into. So the 90% is this filler work in a day, it's just stuff that we get focused on. We go to meetings, oh my goodness, meetings. Meetings that will last for an hour, hour and a half, and then you've got to chitchat after that. You've got to have that conversation. You've got to have a re-calibration. “What did that individual say? What do you mean by that?” All of the stuff that's associated with the meeting, it generates zero revenue.

We've got to have coffee, we've got cellphones, we've got Facebook, we've got all of these distractions. Instagram, funny videos, emails, reports, read, does it work? Write something. Report something. Filler work, and that is a reality. I fell into that. We all fall into that. Technology drives to a certain extent that reality. And then 10% of your day is actually on revenue-producing activities.

We've got to truly understand the needs of the customer. That's the revenue, that's the point. The company, who you work for, what are their drivers? Are you just sitting there, me, personally, once again, sitting there just saying, “Hey, I'm owed this?” We've got to understand the needs of the customer and the needs of the company, and look at us, and look at us as a business.

What keeps them awake at night? I know what keeps me awake at night. What are the right steps? What are we doing to make sure that we are doing and focusing on the right steps? And this whole thing of hope, we've got to be very careful. We've got to have that gratitude of hope, but we've got to be very careful about hope because sometimes hope does not put money in the pocket.

I hope that Acme does something, but I'm going to continue to do that. I hope that when I take this individual out for lunch, that that individual's going to give me business. We all know yes or no. We've got to be very, very selective in our hope. Those are harsh words, but that's a reality, from my perspective, of what I've experienced over my years that really 90/10, 80/20, whatever it might be, the reality is that we need to do more on the lower end of that ratio, and do what it takes to do that.

Then finally technology, we are supposed to do more with less. But the problem is are we doing the right things with technology? When we sit down at our CRM and plug in all this information on an individual, is that actionable, accurate data? Or is it just, “I'm trying to fill this thing in because I'm supposed to fill this thing because this technology is here because the company says I've got to do it.”

My recommendation is that make sure that it is actionable. And once again, when you sit down, and you're drinking that coffee, and you're at your computer, are you doing the things that are actual revenue-producing activities? This is not something that you can have 100% of your time being able to produce that. Sometimes paperwork has to happen. Sometimes meetings have to happen. Sometimes you've got to watch that video because it is funny. But you've got to be truthful about it. You've got to be mindful of that reality.

Okay, here's where the rubber meets the road. This is where we need to be, and granted, I'm fully aware of this. If you're not an asset, that means putting money into somebody's pocket, into the company's pocket, into your pocket, into whatever it might be, you are a liability. You're an overhead. You're a cost. And you've got to be diligent about having that mindset that, “I want to be an asset.” You've got to have that. “I've got to do and focus on everything that I know that will generate revenue.”

And find people to help you. Be an asset, do not be a liability. On a daily basis, look at yourself as a P&L. So okay, the return on time. I keep the numbers simple here, and because this is a podcast as well, you can go out and find this information, it'll be posted at all of the typical places, YouTube and Vimeo and so on. Return on time, so let's say I've got $100 a day. That's what's my cost. That's it. For me to go to the office, or out there, or whatever it might be, $100 a day.

Math is simple, and I generated zero revenue. My ROT, of course, is zero. It just doesn't exist. I didn't produce anything. At that moment in time, I'm a liability. I've got to have that sense of urgency. So the next example here, of course, it's $100 a day, right? And I brought in $120 in that day of revenue. I've got a 20% ROT on my time. I'm an asset. I just brought revenue, money, into that pocket.

So it's imperative that we recognize the fact that we want to be an asset. We want to be an asset to the company, an asset to our family, of course, and an asset to the customer too. To provide the valuable services that I know that can be provided. But once again, change the thinking, become an asset, do not become a liability or an overhead. And think about that return on time, because each and every day, you're costing time.

Track it. Track it, track it, track it. Data, data, data. So I'm going to constantly look at, “Okay, I cost the company X, what did I do to generate revenue? Did I? Did I not? Did I have some good prospects?” All of these points of information are critical in your daily life, specifically to the company, or to your own business. But you've got to track it.

We can't just sit and think, “Okay, it's just taking care of itself,” because that's not going to be the case. So you've got to track it, and have that conversation, once again, that truthful conversation of being able to say, “I didn't do it today. I got distracted by more coffee than I should be drinking, a long lunch,” whatever it might be. This is a process of changing the way you're thinking so that in the future, you change it.

Okay, so here we go. 80/20, I think it's 90/10. We've got to start shifting and recognizing, through our record-keeping, through our new asset mindset, we begin start to shifting to an 80/20. So in a 10 hour day, we have two hours. Of course, I have to keep the math simple, because if it was eight hours, it'd be a different calculation and I'm not going to do that.

So in a 10 hour day, two hours would be for revenue, solid-income producing activity. It's not rocket science. It's just the fact. And we continue to be diligent about that those hours are producing revenue. I recommend, this is what I do, I get down and I look at no computers, no cellphones, no individuals, nothing. Quiet, and sit down for half hour, 45 minutes, half hour, 45 minutes, and I map out my day. I map it out.

These are non-negotiable steps. These are the activities that are truly revenue producing. People understand and know that they can't come into my office. They can't distract me during that time period. They can't call me. They can't do any of that stuff, because I'm sitting there specifically looking at the day, and whatever I did the previous day, I sit there and I look at it, and I have that truthful conversation of, “What really needs to take place?”

I've got to understand my customer. I've got to understand my company, and what's important, and what keeps them awake at night, and what are the right steps? I need to be very, once again, truthful about the steps that I am taking specifically to my time. Once that half hour, 45 minutes is over, doors come open, but I am specifically focused on those activities. There's no deviation from it.

My morning plan is my daily plan, and that plan then gets to move over to the next day if I don't accomplish because, once again, a number of activities occur outside of that plan, and then I'm going to have to make that decision. But nonetheless, I'm developing a focus on revenue-producing activities.

Meetings! Meetings as a whole are a time slayer! A lot of the day is just encompassed by meetings, and more meetings, and prepping for meetings, and talking about the meetings beforehand, and then having that meeting after the meeting after meeting. The meetings are just absolute time slayers.

So once again, you continue to understand the needs of that customer, what keeps them awake at night, and what are the right steps. We've got to have a sense of urgency in our meetings, that where I produce an image in my mind of the meeting room wall closing in. You only have a certain amount of time, that wall is coming in, it's closing, closing, closing. Oh my goodness, we've got to get through all of this stuff, it's closing, closing.

Before it closes in on yourself, we've got to have that discipline to say, “Okay, we're in a meeting. It's a half hour. This is it, let's go forward, boom.” And once again, back to the revenue-generating activities and doing what is necessary to bring revenue and be an asset to the company. Technology is a duel-edged sword. I've implemented a number of ERPs, enterprise systems, CRMs, custom systems, and what is interesting about it, there is the hope that these system will be able to, or the technology will be able to let you do more with less.

And in essence, leverage your time on more revenue-producing activities. It is good. The problem is discipline. Once again, technology's a duel-edged sword. We can get out there and, gosh, the internet is phenomenal for just gathering information. But that gathering of information also leads you to, “Wow, look at that. That's an incredible collection of pictures,” and, “I like that sports video.” It's a duel-edged sword. The level of discipline that needs to be applied when using technology is off the charts.

And once again, back to, “Am I an asset or a liability?” Once I start to venture into looking at funny videos, boom, I'm a liability. I stop being an asset, I become a liability. It sounds harsh. I'll be the first to admit that I am one of the worst. I love having a good time. I love listening to those funny videos. Boom, liability. And then, once again, without ignoring it, you've got to have that truth.

You've got to have the truth, be able to tell yourself that, “Right now, I am a liability. I'm not bringing any revenue into my pocket, nor am I bringing any revenue into the company's pocket, and nor am I helping my customers achieve their goals. Where they are today, the problems they have today, and the solutions tomorrow,” of being able to communicate that accurately. So you've got to have that truth. It's important to be able to be truthful, and it's no right or wrong. It's uncomfortable, maybe. But once again, WALK-IT-OFF. It's no big deal.

So when we start to summarize where we were today in this particular presentation, we've got to remember that, once again, we've got to have our mind right. We've got to WALK-IT-OFF, you're going to make mistakes, you can't achieve perfection. So just recognize that. You've got to have that purpose, you've got to have that discipline for that mental capabilities.

Start thinking of yourself more as an asset and be truthful about that. “Am I bringing revenue in? Am I doing the activities that are focused? Am I achieving what my company needs me to achieve, and can I have that awkward and uncomfortable conversation that I would have with my, let's say, sales manager, marketing manager, manager manager, whatever it might be, director, whatever it is, that my activities are doing what is necessary for the betterment of my company?”

Time we can never get back. Time is a component of distance, and if we waste time, we're not moving forward, and it's important that we manage that time to the fullest. Be an asset, not a liability. Be an asset, not an overhead. In your meetings, the walls start closing in. Have a sense of urgency. Be in a race. Have that right mental fortitude. And let's move that 90/10 to 80/20, to 70/30, because boy that level of production, that level of capabilities, reaps huge, huge benefits.

Okay, I live it. Don't get me wrong, I'm not sitting here pointing fingers, because I'll tell you right now, I live it. I've seen it. I've experienced it. So don't get down on yourself, just move toward. Tell your truth. Get going. WALK-IT-OFF. Visit us at industrialtalk.com, that's where this podcast will be. Of course, we've got all of Facebook, Twitters, and LinkedIn, and everything else out there. We're also out on YouTube as well as Vimeo, and then all the podcasts are being posted up to the typical podcast locations too as well. I've got plenty of those.

But you can see that out on industrialtalk.com, and I really appreciate it. We're going to start talking about the business and really get into the nuts and bolts next time on how we implement, and what are those tools and techniques that we can deploy to generate more revenue, to look at business, your customers, in ways that we can truly help. And I really appreciate your time, because I know your time is very important, and definitely we'll see you next week. You be safe, be productive, be an asset, have your mind straight, educate as much as you can with that time, of course, and I will see you next week. Take care.

The post Speed is the Key – Time! appeared first on Industrial Talk.

Greetings all. This is Scott MacKenzie with Industrial Talk. We're going to talk about all the stuff that goes on with the industrial profession, from labor to craftsman, to anything that we can talk about. For this report, we're focusing on Speed is the Key. This is a series of how living in the NOW is so important.

I'm glad that you're here and participating in this podcast. There's a video log as well regarding Speed is the Key. I know for me, personally, every time I've run businesses there’s always a sense of urgency, a sense of doing what we can, as fast as we can, and as effective as we can, using certain tools and techniques that are proven over time. We're going to be living in the NOW: trying to respect your time while moving forward, and hopefully, you can gain a couple of things out of this whole conversation.

The simple way: I’m showing you simple ways to cover more distance in your business or profession, that's what we want. We want more time for what we want to do and then make sure that our business is operating as effectively and as efficiently as possible.

A little bit about myself, I'm a husband, father, love my kids, and my wonderful wife. I've had humble beginnings. I started out as a lathing contractor and hod carrier. That's right. That's what it was, a hod carrier and then became a Journeyman Lineman/splicer. Went to school at night to finish my undergrad as well as Masters in business. I've had the privilege of leading a team and company onto the NASDAQ. I'm so passionate about developing marketing and sales solutions for companies to truly expand their business. That's what I'm all about. I think if you're generating revenue for your business, everything is good. That's where I'm always focused, and Speed is the Key! I will make sure that this training is quick, to the point, and definitely actionable.

Speed is the most important thing, from my perspective, when it comes to business and how quickly we can execute these strategies and tactical steps on a day to day basis. It's all about moving your business or profession forward. Speed is about action. We don't sit on our hands. We don't wait. We talk about it and we move forward right off the bat.

It's about optimizing and leveraging time because time is something that is always gone. Once it's there, it's gone. We can definitely have tools and techniques to bring about optimizing and leverage of time.

It is about moving, removing distractions, and focusing on what moves your business and career forward. That's the distance. I know, for me, personally, sometimes I get distracted, just like everybody else, but it's important to be very sensitive and aware of all of the distractions that can take place on a day to day business. Focus on what moves your business forward.

It's about removing those speed bumps. I always look at a parking lot with speed bumps, and if I want to go fast, I can't, because, well, there's speed bumps there. What we want to do is remove those speed bumps in your day to day, and help you gain more progress on a daily basis.

Number One: Be a no-fluff person. That's definitely what I'm about. No fluff, get to the point, direct, and get the stuff done. Let's execute. Let's execute today. No more waiting. We don't want to wait, we want to get going. We want to make sure that we execute. There's got to be a sense of urgency. When there's a sense of urgency, you definitely make progress.

Let's talk about distance. Now, we all know that speed is equal to distance over time. Time is the real driver, here, because, well, you can never get it back. I always look at my day as sort of a race. A race with a sense of urgency. For example, I'll travel. I remember going to Orlando, and going to a specific theme park there. I drive, and I drive, and I drive, and I realize that I'm getting more anxious because I can't go faster. So, what I do is I go a little bit faster. I push the pedal a little bit more because I want to cover more distance and get there quicker. That's all we're trying to do from a business point of view, is to go a little bit faster, cover more distance, and use a little less time in doing so.

Now, we live in a world of bullets. I know I do. I cut to the chase. Tell me what the bottom line is so that we can make some decisions and we can move forward, and we can take care of business ASAP. With that understanding, this presentation itself is specifically about bullets. I don't have to time to read all the books that are out there, but there are a lot of good ones out there. I always like the Cliff Note version of that. Tell me, tell me what the salient points are.

Number Two: Attention span. I was listening to somebody talk a little bit about the attention span back in 1990. You had 12 minutes, 12 minutes to be able to catch that individual's attention on what you're trying to do, and where you're trying to go, and what you're trying to tell them. Today it's down to seven. As we can definitely imagine, it's now seven because we've got just tons, and tons, and tons, of information out there that we've got to process, and we've got to process quickly. Just the world we live in is a matter of speed.

When I look at a diet, this is just a general example. There are tons of books out there that are diet books. Eat this way, do that. Anyway, I find out that diet books come down to two simple points. One, eat less. That's right. Eat less. Don't consume too many calories. I've been on the no-carb kick, which has been very good for me, but primarily, it's eating less. Then, the other element of that equation is, move more. In our day to day lives, we tend to try to make things very complicated. When you get right down to it, a sense of speed is to try to simplify as much as we possibly can. So, for the diet book, I'm going to eat less and I'm going to move more. That's really all I need, but I can't really sell many books that way.

The components of business speed are broken up into four categories.

1. The category we're going to talk about today is really our self and personal. There's plenty of books out there, but it's really a focus and a drive to education.
2. Time, and, of course, we're going to talk about that next week. It's an impact on time you accomplish. It's one of those tactical and strategic objectives.
3. Business, this is where the real rubber meets the road. This is where the analytics really take over, and you start to really evaluate businesses and opportunities from a purely financial and operational point of view. How you can quickly do so using tools and techniques.
4. Leverage. Once we find out how we can leverage our time, we can get, definitely, a lot more done. We're going to talk a little bit more about that. Those are the components of speed.

From a self and personal perspective, I cannot emphasize enough the necessity to educate. There are tons of books out there. There are tons of … The World Wide Web, shall we say, of information that can definitely help you. You've got to be a student and educate. The other item, here, is fortitude of hope. That means grit. That means you're not going to give up. That means you're going to strive, you're going to drive, you're going to commit to what you have made a decision to commit to. Like I said, there are many books out there, and I would highly recommend the necessity to pick up some good books. I'd be more than happy to make some recommendations of books that have definitely changed my life and have directed me in a path that I feel is meaningful.

Persistence. You just can't give up. Life is challenging. Things come at you real fast, but because you are persistent, you just never give up. When you do give up, that's a permanent decision to a temporary situation. Never, ever, and this is also in your mind, you just will never give up.

One of the most important things that I've ever come across, in my profession, would be the sense of purpose. I have a story to relay. There was a point where I just didn't have a purpose, and there I was, sitting there in a beautiful office overlooking a river, and I realized I wasn't contributing anything. Anyway, there are some great individuals out there that really look at purpose. I highly recommend that you really focus on understanding your purpose in life, because it does help out. It does give you that desire to move faster because you're trying to fulfill that purpose.

What I try to do, on a daily basis, and I do, because it's so important, is I do a morning reflection or reading to get my day started, to focus myself in a way that supports my purpose. There's once again plenty of material out there. I would recommend that, once again, go out, pursue it, but you got to get up early. Get up early and start your day out right.

I have a team of individuals that keep me directed down the right path. I would also recommend that. Finding that team is critical because they're the ones that will tell you the truth. They're the ones that will say, “Hey, that didn't work out real well.” Bottom line, you need to find that team of trusted individuals. It could be one, it could be two, it could be three. It doesn't really matter, but I would recommend that you find those individuals.

For me, personally, along with my morning routine of reflection, and reading, and sort of getting my mind right in the morning, I also go to the gym. I started out with about just a ten-minute rule. What that means is that I get up, I'm not in the best shape, or I don't have the best mood, or whatever it might be, I always tell myself, “Just ten minutes.” I get on that machine, ten minutes, and then it always turns out to be more than that, about a half hour or so, 45 minutes, and then all of a sudden you're just this exercise person that you just want to continue to exercise. What it does is it really drives blood to the brain and gets you really thinking and reflecting upon what you need to accomplish to fulfill that purpose.

Once again, I can't stress upon the need for simplicity. We have a tendency to make things very difficult. Then, once they get very difficult, they get very convoluted. Then, they start to really impact the speed, and your desire to try to do what you can as quickly as you can, in gaining that ground.

Then, the bottom one, the last one, is the truth. That's where your team comes into play. That's where you've got to come into play and be painfully honest and truthful. Nothing's going to happen. Nothing's going to have any issues. The bottom line is that you definitely need to be truthful about where you want to go, what that purpose is, how to be persistent, are you running out of gas. That's where your team is.

Once again, from the self and personal perspective, which is vitally important, because you want to educate, you want to continue to grow, that's something that is in your mind that cannot be diminished enough. I don't care what it is. If you got the best operations, if you're not grounded with some good education, with a desire to learn, you will always have challenges.

In the next week or so we're going to discuss a little bit about time, and we're going to talk about the time, and business, and so on, and leverage. These are going to be upcoming programs. I have plenty of information associated with all three of those other items, too, as well as that they're out there. Once again, because we're desiring speed, and we're desiring to execute as quickly as we possibly can, I recommend that you really focus on yourself and personal. Establish those characteristics of getting up the morning, doing that reflection, finding your team, being persistent, and understand that your mind's going to be playing some games on you, but you're going to prevail. You're going to go and power on through.

If you like what you hear, if you like what you see, we've got a lot of other information out there. As you can see, we've got your typical website, and Facebook, and Twitter, and LinkedIn, all of that has that information. My podcast's out there, too, as well. Also, some really great templates that can be used right now for your business, to evaluate your business.

I hope everybody enjoyed it. I hope I didn't waste your time. I truly appreciate the fact that I get this opportunity to just at least share with you some stuff. Go out there. Get information. Get educated. I'll see you back next week. Thank you.

The post Speed is the Key – Personal/Self appeared first on Industrial Talk.