Today, we'd like to welcome Kimberly Hamrick.

Thanks, I'm excited to be here!

So, Kimberly, what got you interested in smart manufacturing?

Well, I came out of school focused on analytics and tried to figure out what that meant to clients. And I found that it's a good combination of tech, application development, and using data in new and interesting ways to improve how clients deliver products.

My first few years at Deloitte, I focused in planning analytics and supplier analytics and how we could help clients drive their planning processes in a new way. A two-to-three-week engagement with an aerospace client was my first foray into smart manufacturing. That project has turned into two-and-a-half years because they continue to see enormous value.

What gets you excited about The Smart Factory, specifically?

It combines a lot of the techy side of things that play to my strengths: the quantitative components and data-driven decision-making that I really enjoy, the functional focus on how we can improve our customer's operations and ultimately transform the way that they build and deliver aircraft or other end products.

What's the most surprising element in smart manufacturing applications?

Well, change is happening fast in smart manufacturing. Very fast. But what surprises me, sometimes, is how long it takes for organizations to pivot and act. You know, there's a real hesitation to dive in and make the investment, which I feel is somewhat inevitable.

What's the coolest project you've worked on so far?

I would have to say “projects” plural—because everything we've done for our aerospace client is very cool. It all started with dynamic scheduling and asset tracking. We really hit the ground running, integrating supplier systems, arming assets with sensors, and installing an RFID ecosystem to track and trace materials. We also developed a cloud-based, dynamic scheduler that tracks materials, monitors machine health, and dispatches job assignments in real time. It simplifies visual management and ensures that resources and people are in the right place, at the right time.

What have you learned about the power of smart factory solutions?

That they're very contagious! Once clients see the value of a particular solution, they want more. They get excited when they see how the same thinking and technology from one use case might be applied in a different part of the business. For example, our dynamic scheduling and asset tracking work created more opportunities and use cases for the same client. It's been a really great experience to see smart factory solutions gain traction, take off, and grow at such a trajectory. I'm so proud to have been a part of it.

Why should organizations visit The Smart Factory @ Wichita?

First of all, I can remember when The Smart Factory @ Wichita was just a crazy idea on paper being discussed internally at the partner level. So, it's amazing to see what it's become: an at-scale smart manufacturing facility, just down the street from my aerospace client.

Why should clients visit? Because now they can see with their own eyes that smart manufacturing is real, not just some abstract, buzzwordy promise. Clients come in and they start to see what's possible—the long- and short-term benefits. It's a good accelerator where you can brainstorm ideas and see them in practice—even on a small scale.

That's a very good analysis.

Well, that is my business.