At the MES & Industry 4.0 event in Porto, Jeff Winter, VP of Business Strategy at Critical Manufacturing, outlined a practical roadmap for manufacturers ready to move beyond experimentation and into scalable transformation.Start with a Purpose-Built MVPRolling out MES across multiple sites doesn’t need to be slow or resource-draining. The key is starting with a Minimum […]
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Traditional Manufacturing Execution Systems were designed for a world where data flowed in one direction, from the shop floor up to enterprise dashboards, in batch intervals measured in minutes or hours. That architecture cannot support the real-time AI inference, closed-loop control, and edge analytics that modern smart factories demand. In this IIoT World analysis, we […]
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What if deploying MES didn’t require a massive budget, a year-long integration plan, or buy-in from every corner of the enterprise? A growing number of manufacturers are shifting away from all-in-one MES rollouts and embracing a more agile approach—building their execution systems app by app, module by module, and scaling only what works. The result […]
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Despite years of digital transformation buzz, many manufacturers still rely on spreadsheets, paper-based records, and siloed systems to run critical operations. As Augusto Vilarinho, Head of Global Sales at Critical Manufacturing, bluntly put it during the recent MES & Industry 4.0 Summit in Porto:“Excel is still the most used MES in the world.”The consequences? Missed […]
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Manufacturing Execution Systems have served as the operational backbone of factory floors for decades, orchestrating production schedules, tracking work-in-progress, and enforcing quality standards. Now, generative AI is reshaping what MES can be, transforming these systems from rigid execution platforms into adaptive, intelligent layers capable of generating optimized production plans, predicting process deviations, and autonomously recommending […]
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Manufacturers are under relentless pressure to adapt—fast. But while the demand for agility is everywhere, the reality on the ground tells a different story. Most factory floors still rely on outdated systems, fragmented data, and manual workarounds that leave them exposed to disruptions.The problem isn’t the lack of ambition. It’s the absence of a reliable […]
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As manufacturers continue to navigate evolving demands, supply chain complexity, and fast-paced technological change, the need for scalable, intelligent, and resilient systems is front and center. The MESI 4.0 Summit 2025, hosted by Critical Manufacturing, offers a platform for manufacturing and technology leaders to explore how MES and Industry 4.0 technologies are being applied to meet these […]
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In the age of digital transformation, data is more than a byproduct—it’s a powerful asset. But most manufacturers are sitting on untapped potential. This white paper from Critical Manufacturing explores how modern data platforms, combined with MES systems, are reshaping industrial operations—from the shop floor to executive decision-making.Readers will gain a clear understanding of how “dark data”—the 60–90% […]
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Volatility has become the norm in global manufacturing—driven by trade tensions, shifting tariffs, talent shortages, and fragile supply chains. In this environment, agility isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a competitive necessity.That’s the focus of “Thriving Amid Uncertainty: Building Agility in the Manufacturing Industry,” a forward-looking panel sponsored by Critical Manufacturing, airing during IIoT World Manufacturing Day 2025, May 21, between 10:00 […]
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At a time when Industry 4.0 conversations dominate industrial trade shows and boardrooms alike, many manufacturers still miss the mark. The problem isn’t the technology. It’s how it’s being approached.Jeff Winter, a well-known voice in digital manufacturing and VP of Business Strategy at Critical Manufacturing, shared insights at Hannover Messe 2025—cutting through the jargon to […]
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Manufacturing AI is evolving beyond dashboards and predictive alerts into a new paradigm: autonomous agents that can perceive their environment, reason about constraints, and take action without waiting for human approval. This IIoT World explainer maps the three waves of AI adoption in industrial settings. The first wave brought rule-based automation, the second introduced machine […]
Read more →![[Booklet] Manufacturing at the Crossroads 2025: Real-World Lessons from Industrial Leaders](https://iiot-world.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/HM25-Booklet-1024x576.jpg)
What does it take to make digital transformation stick—beyond pilots, platforms, and buzzwords?At Hannover Messe 2025, the conversation around industrial transformation reached a new level of clarity—and urgency. From AI and agentic automation to modular MES platforms and resilient supply chains, one message was consistent: transformation is no longer a long-term goal. It’s a right-now […]
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