From the Desk of: Richard Meyer , Principal Controls Engineer, InflexionPoint

You don’t need another PowerPoint from someone who’s never set foot on a plant floor to tell you AI is coming for manufacturing. That part’s already happening. What stood out to me in the National Association of Manufacturers – NAM’s recent report wasn’t if manufacturers are using AI—but how fast they’re scaling it. Seventy-four percent are investing in machine learning. More than half are using it for predictive maintenance. That’s not “innovation theater.” That’s operational transformation.

But let’s be clear: the manufacturers making real progress aren’t just adding AI as a bolt-on tool. They’re rethinking how work gets done—and they’re doing it without sidelining the people who actually know how their operations run. That human-centered approach is something we live by at InflexionPoint. AI enhances our engineers’ decision-making—it doesn’t override it. Every recommendation, every output, is reviewed by someone who knows what’s at stake.

The report also hits on something too many teams are still ignoring: your supply chain can’t be resilient if your systems aren’t connected. With 60% of manufacturers planning to deploy AI in supply chain management within two years, real-time decision-making is no longer a luxury—it’s a requirement. And that only happens when your OT and IT environments are working from the same playbook.

And let’s talk cybersecurity, because the risks are real. Manufacturers are often targets because their legacy infrastructure wasn’t built for modern connectivity—let alone AI. That’s why we take a ‘Secure by Design’ approach: on-prem AI models, hardened networks, and strictly controlled data flows. If your AI solution compromises your IP, it’s not a solution—it’s a liability.

Here’s the truth: AI can absolutely drive better performance, lower costs, and reduce downtime—but only if it’s implemented with intention, structure, and respect for the people behind the systems. The companies that do that well? They’re not waiting for the future. They’re already building it.

Curious how we actually put this into practice? Here’s how we help manufacturers bring AI into operations—securely, intentionally, and without blowing up what’s already working: https://inflexionpoint.ai/pages_expertise/exp_strat_sbd.php