Peggy talks about how one initiative is making an impact on plastic use. She says we are certainly making some strong progress with our sustainability goals—but there are still far too many companies that have not yet taken action. She also discusses: Three major highlights that have emerged in the last six years. One case study with impressive res…

Peggy Smedley and Michelle Pellegrin, global VP and managing director of strategic partnerships, IBM, talk about the IBM and Microsoft partnership and what is on the horizon for the two companies and their customers. She says Microsoft is a big user of IBM technology and IBM uses Microsoft technology. They also discuss: How long the partnership has…

Peggy Smedley and Dan Miklovic, founder, Lean Manufacturing Research and leader, Third Eye Advisory, talk about the impact ChatGPT and gen AI (artificial intelligence) has had on manufacturing. He says it has definitely had an impact, particularly in the customer experience—and now in operations. They also discuss: Obstacles to widespread adoption.…

Peggy celebrates her 900th episode with Jules White, senior advisor to the chancellor on generative AI and professor of computer science, Vanderbilt University, who joins to discuss one of the most impactful technologies to debut during her 900 episodes: generative AI (artificial intelligence). He says you hear so much AI stuff that is so nebulous …

Peggy Smedley and John Reed, global solutions leader for manufacturing and mobility industries, Microsoft, give a preview of what we can expect from Microsoft at CES next month, regarding SDVs (software-defined vehicles), gen AI (artificial intelligence), and so much more. He says CES is going to be a great show, and as we have seen in the last few…

Peggy digs into the topic of cybersecurity—looking specifically at the IoT (Internet of Things). She says we all know enterprise adoption of IoT devices is growing rapidly, with dozens of use cases across each vertical market—and now we must ensure it is all secure. She also discusses: The biggest trends and strategies for IoT security. New numbers…

Peggy Smedley and Kim Lovan, associate vice president of industrial manufacturing, Black & Veatch, talk about technologies in the food space. She says the company looked at an opportunity in the food and agriculture space—and how technology can help change how we are feeding the growing population. They also discuss: The process of marrying food an…

Peggy Smedley and Kelly Stratton, founder, president, and chief product officer, Quire, talk about how AEC (architecture, engineering, and construction) firms have a two-pronged challenge: the labor shortage and greater customer demands. She says the work is there, but the people are not, and you want to serve customers in every facet, but do not h…

Peggy Smedley talks about how green building and sustainability has evolved in the past several decades. She says we are at an interesting point in history—one where we have the tools, resources, and technologies available to us to build a better tomorrow. She also discusses: The history of green building. Recent data related to the last three deca…

Peggy Smedley and Michael Zeto, chief commercial officer, Boingo Wireless, talk about what has been happening in the past decade with connectivity. He says with the transition from 4G to 5G, we moved from connectivity as a luxury to being critical infrastructure. They also discuss: How the adoption curve unfolded from M2M to the IoT (Internet of Th…

Peggy Smedley and Matt Hatton, founding partner, Transforma Insights, talk about some of the challenges we are still facing today with the IoT (Internet of Things)—and the progress we have made. He says there have been a lot of IoT adoptions over the years driven by regulations—and some were much slower to materialize. They also discuss: Why we did…

Peggy looks at a new report that digs into the details of the state of EVs (electric vehicles) in the Southeast. She says electric vehicle sales in the Southeast grew 42%, beating the national average by 37%. She also discusses: The importance of an ecosystem of players in order to ensure success. Growth trends across six indicators. What has stall…

Peggy Smedley and Chris McGuire, VP and general manager, Global Microsoft Strategic Partnership, IBM Consulting, and Lisa Slim, senior director, global partners, Microsoft, talk about the partnership between the two companies. McGuire says about four years ago the two companies decided to focus deeply on a partnership. Slim says this partnership is…

Urban populations are anticipated to increase by 2.5 billion by 2050, causing greater demand for new buildings. Peggy talks about how buildings are playing a huge role in greenhouse gas emissions. She also discusses: The challenge we face building new structures and retrofitting existing one. Examples of two new and unique projects. How to identify…

With 1.3 billion vehicles with internal combustion engines on the road, there are those that believe there should be no further investment in fossil fuels or internal combustion engines. Peggy Smedley talks to Zoran Filipi, professor and director, School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Clemson University and founding director, Center for …

Peggy Smedley and Dan Miklovic, founder, Lean Manufacturing Research and leader, Third Eye Advisory, sit down for a candid conversation about gen AI (artificial intelligence) in the manufacturing industry. He says we were drowning in data in manufacturing and now AI is our life preserver. They also discuss: The history of the IoT (Internet of Thing…

The holidays are fast approaching! Peggy talks about how technology is playing a bigger role in travel than it ever has before. She says people need greater reassurance that digital tools are safe to use. She also discusses: How many adults had travel plans in 2024. Trends related to travel in general How travel will have an infusion of new technol…

Peggy Smedley and Matt Reeder, director, BlueFin3, and Anthony Williams, director, BlueFin3, talk about the company’s objectives and how they help organizations meet their decarbonization goals. Reeder says BlueFin3 is an engineering and digital advisory company within the rail sector, which includes heavy haul, freight, and Metra. Williams says wh…

Peggy Smedley and Andreas Welsch, chief AI strategist, Intelligence Briefing and author of the AI Leadership Handbook, talk about why 85% of AI (artificial intelligence) projects fail and how ethics play a role. He says he sees AI leaders chase AI as this shiny object. They also discuss: The importance of aligning your AI strategy with your busines…

Peggy says a confluence of factors are playing a critical role in manufacturing today including geopolitical risks, supply-chain disruptions, sustainability, and the worker shortage. She says with all this in mind, digital transformation is something that is vital for today’s manufacturing industry to thrive. She also discusses: The history of manu…

Peggy Smedley and Simon Floyd, general manager, manufacturing and mobility, Microsoft, talk about the history of manufacturing and insights about the workforce and technology and how we can apply these lessons to the future of manufacturing. He explains about when we saw the first big analog dials turning up in manufacturing, plastic injection mold…

The construction sector has added jobs. Progress is being made, but is it fast enough? Peggy answers, citing statistics and giving her thoughts on some of the challenges the industry is facing and how technology factors in. She also talks with: Keith Churchill, manager of construction, Bechtel Manufacturing and Technology Paul Connell, senior strat…

Peggy Smedley and Keith Churchill, manager of construction, Bechtel Manufacturing and Technology, talk about the talent shortage in the construction industry. He says the craft professionals are key to being successful on any project, and the company is keeping tabs on the available workforce, and it is seeing a significant craft shortage of 40,000…

Peggy Smedley and Paul Connell, senior strategy and enablement consulting lead, Hexagon and Mark Mehta, senior solutions consultant, Hexagon, talk about the biggest challenges in the construction industry today. Connell says it is important that we are making the most of the technologies. Mehta says today it is all about the data and with that data…

Peggy takes a very unique approach on this episode, featuring two case studies. She unpacks how each company is leveraging technology to improve business processes. She unpacks: How TK Elevator approaches circularity and sustainability. How robotics in manufacturing is growing and how Boston Dynamics approaches this. peggysmedleyshow.com (10/15/24 …