Ever had a VP show up and point at something you can't explain? Ed and Alvaro have both been on the receiving (and giving) end of tough plant reviews, and this week they're breaking down how to turn that often stressful visit into your biggest opportunity.

• Why the first 10 minutes of any tour set the tone for the entire day

• The "skill, will, access" framework for reading what leadership actually wants

• Why hiding bad news always backfires (no surprises, ever)

• How to use a plant visit to get resources, not just a rating

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Augury and IndustryWeek just dropped the State of Production Health 2026 report, and the findings are worth talking about. Ed and Alvaro dig into what 500+ manufacturing leaders said about their biggest challenges, where AI is actually being used, and the contradiction that sits at the heart of the whole study.

• For the first time, workforce constraints topped the list of manufacturing challenges in 2026.

• Unplanned downtime jumped 10 points to #2, putting machine reliability at the center of every pressure manufacturers face

• 57% of manufacturers are now using AI for predictive maintenance, up 22 points in a single year

• 42% have AI at scale across more than half their sites, up from 14% last year

• Poor data quality just became the #1 roadblock to AI adoption, and the most advanced adopters feel it most

The big question Ed and Alvaro tackle: if you believe in AI this much, why aren't you using it to solve the exact problems holding you back?

Mentioned in this episode:
The State of Production Health 2026
The State of Production Health 2025
The State of Production Health 2024
The State of Production Health 2023

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P&G is projecting $1.5 billion in savings from Supply Chain 3.0. PepsiCo is piloting AI and digital twins. Hershey just announced $100 million in inventory reductions. So why does McKinsey report that not a single manufacturer has fully integrated AI into operational decision-making?

Ed and Alvaro get real about:

• Why good systems stall out even when the technology is right

• What P&G actually got right that most companies miss

• How to get started if you're not a Fortune 50 company

Spoiler: the barrier to entry is lower than you think.

Mentioned in this episode:
P&G shifts Supply Chain 3.0, other platforms into large-scale rollout
Transforming factories: The power of continuous, connected insights

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