Digital Transformation in Manufacturing

This is the FIRST session in our NEW Manufacturing Special Interest Group! We will feature a framing discussion on digital transformation, a case study on connected devices and the manufacturing feedback loop from Kemal Farrokhnia, Director of Operations - Advanced Manufacturing at Generac, and a panel discussion with leaders from four Wisconsin-based manufacturers—including Scott Graf (Chief Manufacturing Officer at Greenheck) and Jeff Koga (SVP of Excellerate, a division of FTI)—covering topics from precision automation and building internal automation teams to digital transformation in regulated environments.

Agenda

9:00 – 9:15 am | Opening and framing

Digital transformation in manufacturing is no longer about adopting new tools. It is about redesigning processes, strengthening decision-making, and scaling repeatable performance across increasingly complex production environments. The session will open with a framing discussion that clarifies what digital transformation means today for manufacturing leaders and where organizations most often struggle to convert technology investments into operational results.

9:15 – 9:45 am | Featured speaker: Digital execution at speed

Goal: share how manufacturing systems, data, and automation support rapid decision-making and execution discipline in high-growth, high-change factory environments, and how digital enables speed without sacrificing quality, reliability, or operational control.

9:45 – 10:15 am | Featured speaker: Connected devices and the manufacturing feedback loop

Kemal Farrokhnia, Director of Operations - Advanced Manufacturing at Generac, will explore how connected systems inside the factory create visibility and feedback across equipment, lines, and processes, and how that connectivity reshapes manufacturing priorities, problem-solving, and continuous improvement.

10:15 – 10:25 am | Break

10:25 – 11:40 am | Manufacturing panel discussion

A moderated panel featuring leaders from four Wisconsin-based manufacturers will explore how digital transformation plays out across different production environments:

• how data center delivery is shifting from project-based construction to manufacturing-driven processes through modularization, prefabrication, and digital execution to improve speed, quality, and repeatability
• how a precision manufacturer is extending its automation capabilities beyond internal use to support customers through its hydraulics business, applying controls expertise and manufacturing discipline to improve productivity and reliability
• how a mid-size Wisconsin OEM has built an internal automation team to deploy and sustain automation aligned to operational needs while maintaining execution discipline amid growing complexity
• how digital transformation in a regulated environment (ex: biotech) is driven by data integrity, traceability, and process control to support quality, compliance, and manufacturing decision-making

Panelists include Scott Graf (Chief Manufacturing Officer at Greenheck), and Jeff Koga (SVP of Excellerate, a division of FTI). They will discuss where digital initiatives have delivered measurable value, where they have fallen short, and which leadership and operational decisions matter most as they move from pilots to scalable impact.

11:40 – 12:00 pm | Audience Q&A and closing reflections

The session will conclude with audience Q&A and closing reflections focused on practical takeaways manufacturing leaders can apply in their own organizations.