Just a few weeks in the past, I discovered myself again at CAMX, the Composites and Superior Supplies Expo, for the third time. This present has turn out to be an actual marker for me, as a result of it all the time lands proper round my “work anniversary.” This 12 months, I kicked off my fourth 12 months at Plataine.
If i needed to sum it up in a single quick sentance, CAMX 2025 felt totally different.
Final 12 months, everybody was buzzing after the keynote on AI. It was thrilling, however I obtained the sense folks had been nonetheless making an attempt to wrap their heads round what AI truly means for manufacturing basically, however not a lot what it’d imply for them. There was curiosity, a whole lot of “inform me extra,” however not a lot readability.
This 12 months, although? It was like a change flipped. Its apparent lots has modified within the final 12 months. The conversations I had felt sharper, extra knowledgeable, extra sensible. Individuals got here not simply to speak about AI, however to ask how precisely it could actually assist them, on their store ground, with their schedules, with their folks.
From Curiosity to Confidence
I bear in mind final 12 months’s CAMX clearly: so many attendees stopped by our sales space wide-eyed about AI, however their questions had been high-level. This 12 months, I used to be struck by how many individuals got here with particular situations in thoughts:
- “How would AI deal with if one in every of my operators calls in sick final minute?”
- “Are you able to present me how scheduling works when a scorching job is available in?”
- “What’s the actual ROI on materials optimization?”
These aren’t theoretical questions anymore, they’re actual, sensible issues. And that’s once I knew the business had crossed a line.
The Finish of Excel (and Whiteboards)
If I had a greenback for each time somebody admitted they’re nonetheless operating their manufacturing facility on Excel spreadsheets or whiteboards, I wouldn’t simply be taking Micky mouse out to a pleasant dinner in Orlando, I’d be counting stacks of money, Scarface model. That’s how widespread it nonetheless is.
The issue is clear: these strategies can’t sustain when machines go down, operators name out, or pressing orders drop in on the final minute.
And even ERP methods, one thing many firms invested closely in, aren’t fixing the issue alone. In actual fact, quite a lot of folks advised me their ERP has turn out to be so inflexible or sophisticated that they don’t know easy methods to get actual worth from it.
That’s precisely the place Plataine is available in. We don’t change ERPs; we sit above them as a sensible layer that takes all that current information, connects it with what’s taking place on the store ground, and is smart of it. The outcome? Actual-time visibility, actionable insights, and selections that truly mirror the messy, fast-changing actuality of manufacturing.
Why AI Clicked This Yr
For me, the most important shift at CAMX 2025 was watching the lightbulb moments occur. Persons are starting to see AI not as a buzzword, however as one thing that may take weight off their shoulders.
As an alternative of drowning in rework or spending hours shuffling schedules, they’re beginning to think about AI Brokers doing the heavy lifting, whereas they step again and concentrate on technique.
That’s highly effective. It’s not about changing folks; it’s about giving them higher instruments. And that’s a narrative that resonates, whether or not you’re a plant supervisor, an engineer, or an operations director.
Past AI: The Different Tendencies I Seen
In fact, AI dominated a whole lot of conversations, however just a few different themes stood out:
- Sustainability – extra speak about lowering scrap and increasing materials shelf life. This ties on to optimization instruments like ours, however the urgency is larger: it’s concerning the business’s footprint.
- Digital Twins – individuals are extra open to experimenting nearly earlier than making pricey strikes on the ground.
- Provider Connectivity – producers are realizing their provide chains have to be digitally linked, not simply bodily.
- Workforce Challenges – firms nonetheless wrestle to draw and retain expert employees, and lots of see digitalization as a method to make jobs extra interesting.
My Takeaway from this 12 months in Orlando
Strolling away from CAMX this 12 months, I felt energized. The composites group is now not simply dipping its toes into digital transformation, it’s diving in.
It struck me that simply three years in the past, AI in manufacturing felt futuristic. Final 12 months it was “attention-grabbing however fuzzy.” This 12 months? It’s sensible, particular, and ROI-driven. That’s an enormous leap in simply 24 months.
And for me personally, beginning my fourth 12 months at Plataine, it was rewarding to see our conversations shift together with the business. The questions I obtained this 12 months proved that individuals are prepared to maneuver from discuss to motion.
Trying Forward- subsequent 12 months in atlanta , AI and the whole lot else
The following 12 months goes to be huge. The businesses that begin digitizing now, shifting past spreadsheets, whiteboards, and over-engineered ERP methods, are going to be those that thrive.
I’m excited for what’s forward, and I’m proud that Plataine helps lead that shift. For me, CAMX 2025 wasn’t simply one other commerce present. It was a turning level. And I can’t wait to see how the conversations we began in Orlando flip into actual outcomes on the manufacturing facility ground.
So what is going to we be discussing subsequent 12 months at CAMX Atlanta? Watch this area…
