In Episode 209 of Manufacturing Hub, we sit down with Dylan to explore the full spectrum of automation—from his early hands-on experiences in PLC programming all the way to architecting full-scale SCADA and MES systems. If you're looking to understand what it really takes to grow a career in industrial automation, this conversation delivers raw insights, practical lessons, and battle-tested strategies from the plant floor to the boardroom.

Dylan shares how his career evolved from service technician to systems integrator, detailing the learning curve involved in jumping between platforms like Ignition, FactoryTalk, Wonderware, and SQL databases. We dig into real-world project challenges, the importance of simulation and testing, and what it means to deliver systems that operators actually enjoy using. Along the way, Dylan offers valuable advice on how to learn faster, deal with unclear project scopes, and design better user interfaces by borrowing principles from modern UX and UI design.

We also examine:
Why ownership and internal technical teams are critical for end users

The importance of interoperability and avoiding vendor or integrator lock-in

How project creep really happens and what you can do about it

Visualization trends in SCADA and HMI systems, including practical opinions on high-performance design and AR/VR

Data strategies for manufacturing, from pipe-level decisions to planning for future use cases

Dylan’s new venture, Abelara, and how it helps manufacturers align executive vision with plant-floor execution

This episode is a must-listen for engineers, integrators, and manufacturing leaders looking to modernize their operations while keeping both usability and scalability in mind. Whether you’re early in your automation career or navigating complex transformation efforts, you’ll walk away with insights you can apply immediately.

⏱ Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction
00:08 – What is Manufacturing Hub? Meet Dylan, our guest
02:00 – Dylan’s career path from tech school to SCADA systems
04:00 – Early project experience and rapid on-the-job learning
06:30 – Moving from PLCs to SCADA and MES development
08:20 – Learning without mentors: forums, support lines, and trial by fire
10:10 – Challenges and opportunities with modern control platforms
12:00 – Vendor openness, interoperability, and practical system limitations
15:00 – Scope creep and how to reduce it with better project planning
17:00 – The role of simulation and show-and-tell in successful startups
20:00 – Getting end user buy-in from operators to executives
22:15 – UI and UX in industrial systems: beyond standards and templates
26:00 – Why most HMI screens are outdated and how to improve them
30:00 – Using consumer design trends in industrial HMI development
33:00 – Ownership vs. partnership: the evolving role of integrators
36:00 – Visualization tools: what's working and what still needs to improve
40:00 – Data in manufacturing: planning, silos, and interoperability
45:00 – Why planning trumps tools and how to avoid duplicate systems
49:00 – Real talk on end user responsibility and integrator lock-in
54:00 – How local integrators can thrive in a reshoring environment
57:30 – Early signs and implications of reshoring in manufacturing
01:01:00 – Introducing Abelara: Dylan and Glenn’s new consulting venture
01:04:00 – Book recommendation: Silos, Politics and Turf Wars
01:06:00 – Career advice for new engineers: learn by doing
01:09:00 – Final thoughts and how to connect with Dylan and Abelara

📘 Book Mentioned:
Silos, Politics and Turf Wars by Patrick Lencioni – A foundational read for breaking down barriers and aligning teams across departments.

🎙 Learn more about Dylan and his work at Abelara: https://abelara.com
Check out the manufacturing newsletter - https://www.framexl.com/

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In this episode of Manufacturing Hub, co-hosts Vlad and Dave turn the spotlight on themselves and share deeply practical stories from the front lines of industrial transformation. With decades of experience consulting across manufacturing verticals, they unpack some of the most pressing (and often misunderstood) topics shaping the future of factories today—from aging infrastructure and insurance-driven cybersecurity to real-world applications of artificial intelligence and organizational change.

If you're a plant manager, controls engineer, systems integrator, or digital transformation leader, this episode delivers grounded, no-fluff advice you can apply right away.

🧠 Key Themes & Topics Covered:
🔐 Cybersecurity as a Financial Decision:
Vlad explains how cybersecurity initiatives often originate from IT and are directly influenced by rising insurance premiums, making cyber-risk quantifiable. Learn how assessments now inform insurance underwriting and why updating your legacy OT systems could lower your premiums and risk exposure.

🛠️ Obsolescence Assessments & Risk-Based Planning:
Explore the actual workflow of auditing plant-floor systems, from identifying unsupported PLCs (like PLC-5s or Data Highway+) to negotiating priorities between IT directors, engineering teams, and insurance firms. Vlad shares real examples of balancing modernization costs with production constraints and process uptime.

📊 Why Assessments Are Just the Beginning:
Understand how post-audit phases translate into strategic proposals that combine low-hanging fruit projects with long-term roadmaps. Learn how organizations build 3–5 year modernization strategies—without bringing operations to a halt.

🤖 AI Strategy in Manufacturing—Beyond the Hype:
Dave shares how enterprise leaders—from CEOs to HR and IT departments—are approaching AI with curiosity but confusion. He outlines a clear framework for structuring executive workshops, evaluating tools, and identifying high-impact use cases across functions (from maintenance to HR to accounting).

🧩 AI Agents, Co-Pilots, and the Future of Decision-Making:
Explore the evolving role of AI agents and LLM-based tools on the shop floor. Dave breaks down what AI agents are, how they might function in the future (e.g., executive dashboards that talk back), and what security hurdles still block widespread deployment in industrial settings.

⚠️ The Reality of Change Management:
Implementing new tech is hard. Dave discusses how real change happens only when frontline champions (not just executives) see personal value in new tools. Hear the story of how one skeptical veteran technician became a project’s biggest advocate—once it solved a pain point he had lived with for decades.

🔁 IT/OT Alignment & Organizational Silos:
The hosts discuss why most enterprise-scale modernization efforts stall—not due to technical complexity, but due to siloed budgets, conflicting incentives, and competing visions between digital transformation leads, IT VPs, and plant operations.

⏱️ Timing Is Everything:
Even with budget in hand, projects often face delays due to scheduling around critical uptime windows. Vlad explains how production planning often dictates digital progress, especially in lean operations like food & beverage and life sciences.

🎯 Who This Episode Is For:
Engineering & operations leaders navigating legacy infrastructure
Cybersecurity professionals responsible for OT risk mitigation
Plant managers balancing uptime with modernization goals
Digital transformation executives driving multi-year initiatives
System integrators and consultants supporting migration projects
Anyone curious about how AI is actually being evaluated in manufacturing

📢 Don’t forget to:
✅ Like this episode if you learned something
📝 Comment with your thoughts or questions
🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes exploring the frontlines of manufacturing
🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite platform

In this episode of Manufacturing Hub, we welcome Amy Williams, Systems Architect at Skellig, for a deep dive into the world of life sciences manufacturing, a rarely explored but incredibly complex part of the industrial landscape.

From her roots in biomolecular chemical engineering to her hands-on role in Operation Warp Speed, Amy walks us through what it's really like to build and validate manufacturing systems for pharmaceutical and biotechnology applications under FDA regulation. 💊🧪

We explore:
What exactly qualifies as "life sciences" in manufacturing
Why GMP compliance and validation are critical, and how they slow everything down
How Operation Warp Speed succeeded in compressing a 10-year process into months
The role of automation, MES, and DCS in life sciences
Why paper-based MES is still sometimes the fastest way forward (and why that needs to change)
How companies are moving toward digitization, better data exchange, and process analytical technology (PAT)

Amy also shares her thoughts on:
The importance of cross-functional collaboration in regulated environments
Tips for engineers looking to break into the life sciences space
Why owning your control code might be more valuable than you think

If you're in automation, MES, or engineering leadership, and especially if you work in or around FDA-regulated industries—this episode is a must-listen.

🎧 Subscribe for more practical conversations at the intersection of manufacturing, automation, and strategy.

🔗 Connect with Amy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-williams-automation
📚 Book Recommendation: The Technology Fallacy