Digital Transformation Viewpoints

In this episode, Larry O'Brien speaks with Schneider Electric cybersecurity leaders Zakarya Drias and Nasir Mundh about the critical role of cybersecurity in enabling successful industrial digital transformation initiatives. The conversation explores Schneider Electric’s approach to helping industrial organizations assess cyber risk, develop cybersecurity roadmaps, implement governance and security controls, and operate resil...

This conversation examines how today's advanced digital technologies — edge sensors, mobile devices, guided workflows, and AI-driven analytics — are improving frontline execution in oil & gas refining and downstream operations. The industrial sector needs a worker-first approach that empowers frontline teams with intuitive, consumer-grade apps that help them perform tasks more safely and efficiently.

For emis...

In this episode, Colin Masson hosts a discussion with experts from Edgescale AI and Red Hat about the challenges and solutions in deploying industrial AI at the edge. They explore how to overcome data integration hurdles, the role of cloud-native platforms, and real-world use cases that demonstrate rapid deployment and operational impact.

Guest Names:
Brian Mengwasser (Edgescale AI's CEO) and Cole Wangsness (Red Hat's Edge Progra...

In this edition of DTV, ARC vice president of research Larry O'Brien talks to NetFoundry founder and CEO Galeal Zino about the challenges facing end users when it comes to OT cybersecurity in the age of AI and digitalization. NetFoundry was created to address fundamental weaknesses in traditional networking and cybersecurity. We discuss how traditional networking is not designed for today’s digital transformation requirements...

In this episode of the ARC Advisory Group’s Digital Transformation podcast, Craig Resnick of ARC speaks with Manishi Tiwari, Senior Director of EcoStruxure Power & Process Programs at Schneider Electric, about the accelerating convergence of electrical power management and process automation. The discussion explores the mega trends reshaping industrial operations—including process electrification, renewable energy i...

The director of Consulting at ARC, Rick Rys interviews Utility Industry Principal, Daniel Foster-Roman, at Seeq to explore how utilities are using data analytics and AI to plan for the unprecedented increases in power loads from data centers and electrification of transportation and building HVAC. The discussion also provides insights on how to keep a stable grid with new distributed generation assets like solar PV and batteries.

Wo...

At Innovation Summit 2025, Deepu Chawla, Senior Vice President, Industrial Control and Drives, Schneider Electric, Sophie Borgne, Water & Environment Segment President, Schneider Electric sat down with ARC’s Peter Manos to record an episode of ARC’s Digital Transformation Viewpoints. The three provide detailed examples of how industrial operators of all sizes across the globe are innovating at the intersection of en...

In this podcast, ARC Advisory Group’s Craig Resnick and Schneider Electric’s Christina Volkringer explore the fundamentals of Software Defined Automation (SDA)—what it is, why the industry is ready for it, and how it transforms traditional control systems. They discuss how SDA shifts functionality from proprietary hardware to open, software-centric platforms, enabling virtualization, centralized orchestration, and...

2024 was the year of "Generative AI Hype," AWS re:Invent 2025 was the moment the cloud officially got physical.

Fresh off the event in Las Vegas, Colin Masson, Director of Research for Industrial AI, ARC Advisory Group sat down with Steve Blackwell, Leader of the Worldwide Manufacturing Center of Excellence at AWS, to compare notes. He had just published ARC’s Top 10 Takeaways for Industrial AI, and Steve came prepared with hi...

The energy at AWS re:Invent 2025 in Las Vegas was undeniable. The narrative has shifted decisively from the passive "Industrial Copilots" of last year to active, autonomous Agentic AI. Everywhere you looked, the talk was of autonomous swarms, "Supervisor Agents," and the new Strands Agents SDK empowering developers to build digital workers that can reason and act.

However, as I (Colin Masson of ARC Advisory Group) noted in my recent...

It's impossible to ignore the tidal wave of excitement and hype surrounding Generative AI. However, at ARC Advisory Group, we consistently advise our Industrial Sector clients that success in this new era requires understanding the entire Industrial AI Toolbox, not just the newest, shiniest instrument. This ongoing Industrial AI (R)Evolution is fundamentally reshaping operations and architecture across IT, OT, ET, and Data Science ...

In our first ARC Advisory Group SPARC podcast, Steve Blackwell of AWS and I explored the vision for Software Defined Manufacturing, where Agentic AI acts as the "brain and central nervous system." Our second conversation brought that vision to the factory floor, examining the "muscles" of the operation with the rise of Physical and Embodied AI.

In this third installment of our ongoing dialogue, we connect the brain and the muscles. ...

As manufacturers and processors globally navigate through an era marked by rapid technological advancements, trade and geopolitical uncertainties, and evolving consumer demands, the need for flexible, interoperable, and software-centric automation systems has never been more critical. Open software-defined automation is not just an incremental improvement; it's a strategic imperative that enables industries to enhance their competi...

In our first ARC Advisory Group SPARC podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Steve Blackwell, Head of the Manufacturing Center of Excellence at Amazon Web Services (AWS), about the transformative shift towards Software Defined Manufacturing (SDM) in the Era of Agentic AI.1 We explored how Agentic AI is becoming the "brain and central nervous system" of the future factory, orchestrating complex digital workflows across the ent...

In the first three episodes of this series, we rediscovered our industry’s foundational challenges, tracked the rise of what ARC calls the Industrial Data Fabric, and highlighted the domain-specific innovators driving much of the momentum. This journey has established the critical need for clean, organized, and AI-ready data as the bedrock for future innovation.

Now, we take the next logical step. In this fourth episode, we ex...

Welcome to the third installment of our ongoing conversation on Industrial Systems Engineering in the Era of AI. In this series, I’m joined by my good friend and serial entrepreneur Rick Bullotta to unpack the profound shifts AI is driving in the industrial world.

 Our journey began in Episode 1, where we explored the historical evolution and foundational data challenges that have long constrained industrial operations. I...

Craig Resnick and Mark Sen Gupta from the ARC Advisory Group host a discussion on the evolving landscape of functional safety in automation in the age of Digital Transformation. Joined by special guest Noah Greene, Product Marketing Specialist for Functional Safety from Phoenix Contact, the conversation delves into the critical role of safety devices, such as configured controllers, safety relays, and safety PLCs in enhancing opera...

In this episode, we'll dive deeper into the changes and challenges brought about by AI, particularly since the November 22 moment with ChatGPT. We'll explore how AI has impacted industrial systems engineering, data quality, and the utilization of massive amounts of data in factories and supply chains.
Introduction Let's start with the big picture. AI has been around for a while, but the renewed focus on data quality and the chal...

IEEE 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 and 6E represent major advancements in wireless technology, particularly for industrial environments, due to their incremental efficiency, scalability, and bandwidth. Key features like OFDMA allow multiple devices to communicate simultaneously on subdivided channels, reducing latency and improving spectrum use. Wi-Fi 6E introduces the 6 GHz band, significantly expanding available bandwidth and alleviating cong...