As technology becomes more widely embedded across both assets and operations, information technology (IT) is rapidly converging with operations technology (OT) to orchestrate more efficient manufacturing and improve corporate performance.

In this session Bob Murphy, Vice President of Connected Enterprise Consulting at Rockwell Automation will discuss how digital transformation in manufacturing is helping companies scale production, optimize operations, and gain competitive advantages for themselves and their customers. He will offer insights on how Rockwell Automation developed a roadmap for becoming a more smart, connected operation themselves by transforming the way they do manufacturing and how they confronted the people, processes and technology challenges along the way.

Bob Murphy is senior vice president, Connected Enterprise Consulting at Rockwell Automation. This organization, through proven capabilities and expertise and working closely with many functions across the company, helps focus enterprise efforts on partnering with customers at the executive level to consult and guide them in their aspirations to become a Connected Enterprise. Prior to this role, Murphy was responsible for overseeing the company’s Global Supply Chain, Quality and Continuous Improvement, Engineering Services and Manufacturing Operations.

Bob has been with Rockwell Automation for over 39 years, starting his career with what was then the Allen-Bradley Company in 1979 as a production technician. His career progressed through a variety of disciplines, businesses and locations across the company with roles in test engineering, manufacturing and systems engineering, product industrialization and development, and operations management.

Bob was responsible for launching the company’s MES function in 2006 as an enabling force when he was tasked with optimizing the company’s global manufacturing footprint. That led to an internal “Connected Enterprise” journey which has since become representative of what Rockwell Automation promotes externally to its customers. Bob meets frequently with leaders within the manufacturing industry to exchange lessons learned throughout Rockwell’s transformational journey to smart manufacturing and to share real world experiences around what all embracing its tenets can afford in the way of step function improvements in quality, service and productivity.

Bob holds an associate of science degree in Electronics Engineering Technology from Stark State College in North Canton, Ohio. He has been married to his wife Margaret for 39 years and they have two daughters (both married) and three grandsons.

Today's messaging heavily emphasizes technology that connects devices, machines, and systems to leverage data and turn it into actionable information. Join Doug Kramer, Vice President of Sales at Kosei St. Marys Corporation, in this session while he explains how this was done in their manufacturing plant and the quantifiable impact that resulted. Doug will share their approach to what he believes is the first critical step in the process prior to any technological discussion. He’ll then share how they applied technology to their process to drive the results needed around quality, productivity and profitability to enable their business to thrive in a very challenging and competitive industry.

Doug Kramer is the Vice President of Sales at Kosei St. Marys Corporation which is a global manufacturer of aluminum wheels. Previously, Doug had responsibility for all aspects of the operation at Kosei as Vice President of Administration which provides oversight and leadership of Human Resources, IT, Purchasing, Accounting, and Production. Doug is a Corporate Officer and has served as Treasurer and also on the board of directors. Doug is a hands-on leader and has experience with many of the systems necessary to run a Tier 1 Automotive manufacturing operation such as ERP systems including SAP, JD Edwards, and Oracle, and various Manufacturing Execution Systems including Rockwell Automation's Factory Talk MES.

Doug is a graduate of the University of Findlay and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Accounting and is A Certified Public Accountant.

Industrial digital transformation is a strategy that allows businesses to solve everyday challenges and create new opportunities by using technology to leverage data to optimize production and better manage costs. Join Stan Askren, retired Chairman and CEO of HNI Corporation, to understand why digital transformation is more important than ever. During this session, Stan will address what you should consider for your organization’s digital transformation path both financially and strategically, as well as how you can lead the change within your organization – from buy-in among leaders, getting started and more.

Stan Askren, retired as Chairman and CEO of HNI Corporation in 2018 where he served as CEO for 15 years and served in various senior executive capacities for 26 years. Stan previously worked for Emerson Electric and Thomson SA in various progressive management capacities. Stan is the Founder and CEO of Quiet Trail Advisory practice. He currently serves on the Boards of Armstrong Worldwide Industries and Allison Transmissions. He is an advisor and consultant for Lean Focus, LLC., a lean consulting firm, and serves as an advisor to private equity firms and public company CEOs. Stan also serves as an advisor and/or board member to several not-for-profit and missions-based organizations. He graduated with highest honors from the University of Northern Iowa with a Bachelor of Business and has an MBA from Washington University and completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University. Stan is married to Mona Askren and has three adult, married children.

Smart manufacturing is changing how you run your business. Understanding how to leverage data and connectivity are key to being successful. Join Terry Gansen, Rockwel Automation Solutions Consultant, to learn tips on how other industrial facilities have leveraged the benefits of smart machines in a variety of applications to achieve intelligent and connected production.

Terry Gansen, Solution Consultant at Rockwell Automation focusing on helping organizations in their digital transformation journey. His 30 years of industrial automation experience covers a variety of industries that have spanned the globe. His background includes areas in networking, security and software deployments that reduce MTTR and overall enterprise risk, while improving asset utilization and worker competency. Terry holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Iowa State University.

The amount of digital information now available is immense and can be hard to manage. What is the gap between OT data and digital insights? Contextualization. New, innovative capabilities are being developed to minimize the value erosion of operational data over time and across systems as it is passed to IT centric digital transformation tools. From asset auto discovery, to OT/IT model sharing to closed loop system interworking, manufacturers are maintaining high-fidelity views of OT data as it’s passed to a range of new digital programs, maximizing time to value and operational agility. Join Karl Schmidt, Van Meter Process and Information Solutions Manager, to better understand how to use the digital information available within your business.

Making your operations more efficient: That’s what’s important to Karl Schmidt, Van Meter’s process and information solutions manager. Since he started at Van Meter in 1995, Karl has been working with your industrial customers to help them reach their goals of where they need to be in the near future – smart, efficient, productive and competitive while being agile enough to meet customer expectations and daunting market demands. He’s ready to help you transform your operations to where you need them to be.

Almost all manufacturers have started their digital transformation journey and understand the benefits Industry 4.0 technologies bring, yet need guidance on the approach. During this session, Andrew Ellis, Rockwell Automation Director of Global Technical Consultants and Information Solutions, will focus on some of the key decisions manufacturers need to make with respect to architecting their solution; focusing on data context and strategies for achieving their analytics goals.

Andrew Ellis is the Director of Global Technical consultants and Information Software Solutions. His role includes listening to, designing and developing solutions for, and supporting customers along their Connected Enterprise Journey. This role includes supporting internal and external customers in primarily pre-sales activities with a team of experts who are focused on delivering value. His team supports Information Software sales to ensure our customers receive guidance and solution direction along their Connected Enterprise journey, with increasing focus on the adoption and integration of Industry 4.0 technologies that are part of our FactoryTalk® InnovationSuite portfolio. Andrew holds a Bachelors of Engineering & Management, Engineering Physics form the Faculty of Engineering – McMaster University and has over 30 years of industry experience with software and visualization solutions.

With the growing demands for smart manufacturing data on the plant floor, your network must be able to scale to fit your needs while maintaining that it is secure, has a maximized throughput, stays simple and allows for easy access to data. Join Gavin Palma, Network Engineer with Van Meter, as he discusses how to develop a strategic framework for an infrastructure investment and network strategy on how to adapt to change to future proof your business.

Gavin Palma, a Network Engineer at Van Meter, provides network assessments, designs and troubleshooting to help implement migration plans for the future. Helping you improve your operational technology and prepare for the future is what drives him. He enjoys working with customers to find the best solution for networks that improve operations.

Helping you improve your operational technology and prepare for the future: that’s what drives Gavin Palma, Van Meter’s automation network engineer. Since joining Van Meter in September 2019, Gavin has been providing all things network – from assessments, designs, and troubleshooting to helping implement migration plans for the future.

Since 2006, Gavin has had hands-on experience designing, implementing and troubleshooting large and small scale networks across a variety of platforms during his time in the Army, working for a national internet service provider and working for a large social media provider before joining Van Meter. Being able to understand our customers challenges and provide a solution, or just help customers learn about what they have in place today and how they can improve motivates Gavin. The best part of his job is he’s working with customers to find the best solution for their network to improve their operations.

Achieving strong industrial security is a challenging task. It takes collaboration between IT and OT – who each have unique needs and concerns. It requires thoughtful planning and strategic investment. But, when done properly using a layered approach, effective security can yield significant competitive advantage. Hear from Gavin Palma, from Van Meter on how a layered network approach protects your business operation and provides security, flexibility and consistency.

Gavin Palma, a Network Engineer at Van Meter, provides network assessments, designs and troubleshooting to help implement migration plans for the future. Helping you improve your operational technology and prepare for the future is what drives him. He enjoys working with customers to find the best solution for networks that improve operations.

Helping you improve your operational technology and prepare for the future: that’s what drives Gavin Palma, Van Meter’s automation network engineer. Since joining Van Meter in September 2019, Gavin has been providing all things network – from assessments, designs, and troubleshooting to helping implement migration plans for the future.

Since 2006, Gavin has had hands-on experience designing, implementing and troubleshooting large and small scale networks across a variety of platforms during his time in the Army, working for a national internet service provider and working for a large social media provider before joining Van Meter. Being able to understand our customers challenges and provide a solution, or just help customers learn about what they have in place today and how they can improve motivates Gavin. The best part of his job is he’s working with customers to find the best solution for their network to improve their operations.

Join Chris Brogli, Vice President of Safety Business Development at ROSS Controls and a TUV Rheinland Functional Safety Expert, for a discussion on safety…

Culture: Having a positive safety culture can significantly enhance the wellbeing, morale and productivity of an organization. Learn about the tools, programs and strategies best in class companies are using to develop effective and sustainable safety cultures Having a positive safety culture can significantly enhance the wellbeing, morale and productivity of an organization.

Program: Holistic Safety is a way of more thoroughly and comprehensively managing operational safety. This type of approach to safety identifies and involves all personnel, gathers input, and creates risk reducing action items to keep your employees safe. Hear about best practices from industrial organizations that have implemented a holistic safety program. Learn how you can assess machinery using a holistic safety program to reduce risks and injuries within your own organization.

Christoper Brogli is an automation professional that has been in the industry 31 years and has held a number of leadership positions at global companies like Rockwell Automation and ROSS Controls. Chris is currently the Vice President of Safety Business Development at ROSS Controls and is a TUV Rheinland Functional Safety Expert. Chris is active in Global and National Safety Standards for Machine and Process safety and works with a number of multi-national companies to help support and develop their safety standards and requirements. Chris speaks at a number of company safety events and associations each year and is an advocate of “Safe Automation Solutions”.

In today's manufacturing world, you face many challenges – labor shortages, production efficiencies, safety requirements, demands for customization and more. Fortunately, advancements in robotics – industrial and collaborative—are bringing humans and technology together to address these challenges in unique and affordable ways. In addition leveraging expert guidance, wearable technologies, and augmented reality can enable an operator to perform productively with less training time. Join Chad Engelkes, Van Meter Automation Product Manager, and Karl Schmidt, Van Meter Process and Information Solutions Manager, to learn about various applications for robots and digital guidance in your operation.

Chad Engelkes has been a valuable part of Van Meter's team for more than two decades, serving as an automation product manager. High on his list of responsibilities is helping you select the right automation solutions - PLC's, human machine interface technology, and motion control - to create the best results. His No. 1 goal: "To make you safer." Through regular training, he stays on top of the latest technology innovations so he can show you how to gain a competitive edge.

Making your operations more efficient: That’s what’s important to Karl Schmidt, Van Meter’s process and information solutions manager. Since he started at Van Meter in 1995, Karl has been working with your industrial customers to help them reach their goals of where they need to be in the near future – smart, efficient, productive and competitive while being agile enough to meet customer expectations and daunting market demands. He’s ready to help you transform your operations to where you need them to be.

Electrical power is essential to the function of your business and a disruption to it, even a small one can have a larger impact to your operations than you realize. While in North America today, we have quite reliable power many businesses may have less than adequate power quality to their machines and equipment that are disrupting their day to day operations. During this session, you’ll hear from Robin Priestly, Rockwell Automation Solution Consultant, on ways to identify and mitigate the impact of voltage sags that cause less than ideal power quality and help you manage your production better. You’ll walk away with information on how to identify unplanned outages and validate power quality with ISense monitor and discover cost savings associated with variable frequency drives in your process with real return on investment examples.

Robin Priestley, CPQ, CEM
Senior Productivity Consultant, Power & Process
Robin is one of only 200 practicing CPQ, Certified Power Quality professionals and is also a CEM, Certified Energy Manager. Robin has been involved with every aspect of energy and power control. Robin was a qualified EOOW, Engineering Officer Of the Watch, for various naval propulsion systems in the U. S. Navy. As a civilian, he has held unlimited master electrician and unlimited electrical contractor licenses in multiple states and was a member of the IAEI, International Association of Electrical Inspectors. Robin has designed drive systems and has identified and resolved complex technical issues across the United States that had been thought of as insolvable. Robin is a gifted speaker on technical subjects, E.G., IEEE, ASHRAE, MREC, MiPSYCON have all enjoyed his unique style. Presently, Robin provides sustainability guidance to Rockwell Automation partners and continues his community service via the USCG Auxiliary as a member of the national staff.