Welcome to the Industrial Executive!

I’m super glad you’re here.

Let’s get to it!

IBM just rolled out an AI tool to detect PFAS chemicals in manufacturing processes.

Which is something I’m super excited about, having worked in the DuPont plant that was the feature of the major Hollywood movie Dark Waters for dumping a ton of PFAS into the water supply.

The core message here is that while everyone's chasing AI headlines, the companies actually winning are the ones focused on solving real operational problems…

Whether that's chemical compliance, manufacturing processes, or strategic acquisitions that improve their bottom line.

I love the focus on applying cutting edge tools to real problems, and not just throwing buzz words around to sound cool.

I just got off a call with a plant manager in Wisconsin who's three months into an MES rollout that's already 40% over budget. Sound familiar?

The vendor keeps insisting their system is "plug and play." The IT team is pointing fingers at the OT side. And meanwhile, production is running at 78% efficiency because operators are doing double data entry while the "smart" system learns their process.

Let's be honest about what's actually happening here.

The Real Problem Isn't Technical

After watching 100+ MES implementations across the last decade, I can tell you that failed projects share three common characteristics:

They skipped the people problem. Your operators didn't wake up excited about learning a new system. They woke up worried about job security and frustrated that nobody asked them how the current process actually works. That tribal knowledge sitting in Martha's head from 15 years on the line? Your fancy MES doesn't know about it.

They solved the wrong problem first. Most companies implement MES to "get better data" when their real issue is that they don't act on the data they already have. You've got a SCADA system spitting out alarms that everyone ignores, but somehow a new dashboard is going to change behavior?

They trusted vendor timelines. Every vendor says their solution is "plug and play." Meanwhile, your plant has 847 different ways to define "downtime" and your legacy systems speak three different protocols. But sure, this will definitely go live in 90 days.

What Actually Works

The plants that nail MES implementations do three things differently:

The Bottom Line

Your MES implementation isn't failing because of the technology. It's failing because you're solving a technology problem when you actually have a change management problem.

Before you blame the system, ask yourself: Did we design this implementation for the people who actually have to use it every day?

Most honest answer you'll get: Probably not.

This week’s executive is Tom Connell!

Tom brings over 20 years of executive manufacturing operations experience (in Fortune 50 companies) to Magic USA, has contributed to published industry articles, has his name on several active patents, and has a track record of leading digital transformation initiatives that actually deliver ROI.

Let’s just say he knows a few things about being an industrial executive.

Enjoy this Q&A with Tom:

Q1: What's the biggest misconception about MES implementations that you see executives believing?

That it's just an IT project.

Many executives still treat MES implementations like software upgrades… something you delegate to IT and measure in feature sets and deadlines. But MES is deeply operational. It changes how work gets done, how people communicate, and how problems get solved on the floor.

The biggest failure point I see is when there’s no real buy-in from the people who will actually use the system, your frontline teams, right down to the operators.

If they don’t trust it, if they don’t believe it makes their job better, it won’t get used.

And if it’s not used, it’s not MES, it’s shelfware.

Q2: You've been through multiple digital transformation initiatives. What's one mistake you've seen over and over again? (I edited this question)

Assuming that the technology alone will create momentum.

The biggest mistake is thinking that if the tools are powerful enough, the change will happen naturally. It won’t. Digital transformation requires as much leadership alignment and cultural change as it does good architecture and integration.

I’ve learned to prioritize the people and processes that make the technology meaningful. If you skip that step, even the best systems will collect dust.

I’ve seen this mistake from both sides, on the user side, when technology is mandated by management like it’s the 11th commandment, and on the provider side, when buyers treat the technology acquisition like Charlie finding the golden ticket in his candy bar.

Neither approach works without a plan for adoption, context, and long-term relevance.

Q3: What's the hardest leadership lesson you learned?

For years, I didn’t believe in a no-win scenario. I thought I could fight against the odds with sheer will and force of personality. But I was wrong.

You can’t rescue every project, or every person. As a leader, it’s tempting to step in and carry the weight when things go sideways. But that’s not scalable, and it doesn’t build trust or resilience in your team.

The hard truth is that sometimes you need to let things fail, gracefully, transparently, and with accountability, so people can learn, adapt, and grow.

That’s how strong teams are built.

Q4: When evaluating technology vendors, what's your go-to question that separates the real players from the sales pitch artists?

"Tell me about the last time your solution failed—and what you did next."

Before I came to Magic, I was on the acquisition side of technology. I’ve sat through more vendor pitches than I can count, and I learned quickly that the best way to separate real partners from polished presentations is to ask about failure.

Today, I’m on the other side, leading integration efforts and helping companies avoid the same mistakes I used to see behind closed doors.

I’m not looking for perfection. I’m looking for honesty, accountability, and staying power.

If a vendor can’t talk openly about a failure and how they responded, I know I’m not talking to a partner.

I’m talking to a pitch.

Q5: What's one piece of career advice you'd give to a new manufacturing people leader?

Walk the floor more than you sit in meetings.

My first job out of the Army was as a Process Operator for a specialty chemical manufacturer.

That experience taught me early on that the best ideas, the most valuable context, and the truest version of your operation live on the plant floor.

You earn trust by showing up, asking questions, and listening without judgment.

That’s the heart of servant leadership, showing up for your team, not above them. If your team only sees you when something goes wrong, you’re not leading, you’re reacting.

Q6: If you had to choose between perfect data visibility and bulletproof cybersecurity on the plant floor, which would you pick and why?

Call it a Hobson’s choice—I don’t believe eliminating either is a viable option.

Data visibility is powerful, but if you can’t protect your systems, your production, your IP, or your people, none of that insight matters.

At the same time, cybersecurity without insight leaves you flying blind. Visibility without security is a liability, and security without visibility is a missed opportunity.

If forced to choose, I’ll take a secure foundation first—you can build visibility from there.

But I’ll always push for both, because in manufacturing, you can’t afford to compromise either.

Q7: Everyone talks about Industry 4.0. What's one "old school" approach that still outperforms the latest tech trends?

Listening to the people closest to the problem.

We’ve built smart factories, predictive models, and real-time dashboards, but the operator who’s been at the same machine for 20+ years often knows more than the algorithm.

Technology should amplify those insights, not replace them.

That kind of wisdom is still the most undervalued asset on the floor and the one that is ignored the most.

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And that’s all folks!

Till next week,

The Industrial Executive