Welcome to this SPK and Associates video entitled The Future of Digital Manufacturing: AI, No Code, and Composable Solutions.
Manufacturing is really at a turning point between labor challenges, quantity expectations, and the pressure to move faster without sacrificing compliance. Manufacturers are really rethinking how their work actually gets done on the shop floor.
Today we’re seeing a shift towards digital manufacturing platforms that are not only connected but intelligent, flexible, and built for change. So today’s vlog, we’re going to explore what the future of digital manufacturing really looks like through the lens of three major forces: AI-powered operations, no-code solutions for frontline teams, and a composable MES approach that integrates with the systems that you already have today.
Introduction
My name is Michael Roberts. I’m vice president of sales and marketing here at SPK and Associates, and I’m joined by Lauren Gerzina. Lauren, feel free to introduce yourself.
Hello. I am Lauren Gerina. I’m the director of PMO at SPK, and I’ve been in operations for quite some time and have been very passionate about solving problems and making everything more efficient on the shop floor.
Overview of Digital Manufacturing Solutions
Today, Lauren and I are here to talk about the capabilities of a couple of solutions here. One is related to Tulip’s frontline co-pilot, computer vision for quality predictive maintenance, and some no-code app building, and really how it’s changing the way that manufacturers are driving efficiency, quality, and resilience.
So Lauren, let’s jump in.
AI-Powered Operations and Quality
Tulip’s platform, if you’re not familiar, is introducing features like frontline copilot and predictive maintenance that’s all powered by AI.
From your perspective, how are those capabilities transforming manufacturing operations, especially when it comes to minimizing downtime and improving product quality?
Currently, manufacturers have a lot of data, but it’s really hard to act on that data. That causes downtimes and quality issues, and those are sometimes found too late. It actually becomes a huge problem.
Using Tulip and Frontline CoPilot, they can take all of that data and turn it into trend lines and ways for people to actually see what is happening. So it creates clear guidance for people to act upon.
It helps decide when preventative maintenance is actually needed. There’s also computer vision software that helps improve quality, so we’re basically looking at every single part and every single piece instead of randomly spot-checking.
So generally, it supports proactive maintenance and not just firefighting on the shop floor. It could be really transformative for the operations teams.
Absolutely. Limiting downtime is a huge thing, especially when you even mentioned the quality component too. That alone can save tons of money.
No-Code Enablement
One of Tulip’s strengths is that it has a no-code approach, which allows engineers and frontline workers to build apps without heavy IT involvement. Anytime you can not involve IT, it’s a good thing.
How do you see a no-code solution enabling manufacturers to respond faster to production issues and potentially even changing customer demands?
Currently, a lot of companies, if they need a change in some sort of program, they have to put in a ticket and send it off to someone who lives on the other side of the world to make changes to something that the shop floor is using on a daily basis.
That can be super time-consuming and cause a lag in making these changes. Also, the people who are actually working on it are not the ones making the changes to the code. Just generally not the best way of having all of this done.
Tulip on the Shop Floor
Using Tulip, people on the shop floor can actually make those changes in real time.
I was at the Tulip operations calling event earlier this year, and I got to pilot, or I think it was in beta at the time, a new technology using computer vision to create an SOP on the shop floor.
They demoed a toolbox where you talk to the camera and show the camera what you’re doing, how you’re putting things away, or how you’re moving things around. At the end of it, it basically created this entire SOP based off of the things that we were doing.
I think that could be super transformative to people on the shop floor that may have specific ways of getting things done that maybe other plants are not doing or seeing. It’s creating this SOP with a video that can be viewed later.
It is like the coolest thing. I really loved seeing it.
That could be a huge game-changer for a manufacturing environment. I have been in scenarios before where people don’t do it the way I do it, so being able to actually have video in the environment that you’re in and showing people how it’s done on the fly is super transformative.
Composable MES and System Integration
The last thing I want to talk about is how Tulip is positioning itself as a composable MES.
For those that aren’t familiar, it means it integrates seamlessly with existing systems instead of forcing you to do a rip and replace.
How does this composable approach help manufacturers connect machine data, quality tracking, and frontline workflows for a more unified digital manufacturing strategy?
Tulip basically comes in on top of any and all different systems that are already in place. It’s not forcing any company to rip out anything that they already have and replace it completely, which sounds very time-consuming and costly.
Tulip comes in on top and enhances all of that data. It makes it so that you can utilize the data that is already being pulled from all of these different systems and makes it actionable, readable, and usable.
It’s less expensive and less risky because you already have that base level infrastructure already in place that you’re already used to. It creates a unified experience for everyone on the ops team.
It also creates flexibility so that you can make changes in Tulip to make things better on the shop floor without the rip and replace. I think this is a really huge change to this environment that can be transformative as well.
The ability for people that are doing the work to impact the way that others are doing the work is a very big deal.
Closing Remarks
Hopefully, we’ve shared a little bit about the highlights of a fundamental shift in manufacturing, moving from rigid siloed systems to a platform that has more intelligence and adaptability, and that’s really designed for the way that people are doing work today.
Lauren, again, thank you for your time and your insights around Tulip and how that’s helping manufacturers.
Thank you.
If you’re thinking about how AI, no-code, or composable MES strategies could help shift your digital manufacturing roadmap, SPK and Associates does help manufacturers evaluate, implement, and optimize solutions like Tulip as a part of a broader connected ecosystem.
Be sure to like this video on YouTube and subscribe to the SPK and Associates YouTube channel for more content like this.
Again, thanks for watching, and we’ll see you next time.
