Peggy Smedley Show

Peggy and Thorsten Wuest, professor, University of South Carolina, talk about the future of industry. He says the university that he is working at today consciously decided it wanted to be strong in manufacturing.

They also discuss:

· How he ended up working in South Carolina—and the new opportunities that exist in South Carolina.

· The smart manufacturing program at the University of South Carolina.

· Research projects with partners such as Scout Motors, Mercedes, and Trane.

2:13 How he ended up working in South Carolina.

8:25 The collaboration between the University of South Carolina and Clemson.

14:20 Research projects with partners like Scout Motors, Mercedes, and Trane.

16:34 Challenges and opportunities when working with industry.

19:38 How to recruit students to manufacturing—and a student internship example.

22:19 The long-term vision for the center.

25:33 How to apply real-world solutions to real-world problems in an advanced manufacturing environment.

28:05 How to get students to understand the data and be inquisitive.

32:50 The importance of problem solving and taking initiative among the younger generation.

36:55 How all of this will impact work in the future in South Carolina and in other states.

38:46 How the team came together and the undergrad research culture at the university.

https://www.thorstenwuest.com

Peggy talks about distracted driving, why the problem hasn't gone away, and what we can do about it. She says we need a multi-layered approach that starts and ends with each and every one of us.

She also discusses:

· The number of lives lost and the number of people injured in 2024.

· The history of distracted driving and why it persists.

· The evolution of technology and where we are headed.

https://peggysmedleyshow.com

Peggy and Dave Moelker, CEO, Twisthink, talk about the societal factors impacting OEMs (original-equipment manufacturers) today including shifting customer expectations and accelerating technology cycles. He says there are a couple of different dimensions, especially in the B2B context.

They also discuss:

· The need to bring in muti-disciplinary groups.

· The importance of contextual data.

· Two next steps to take.

https://twisthink.com

Peggy and Matt Hatton, founding partner, Transforma Insights, talk about how the IoT (Internet of Things) has changed in the past decade. He shares a few interesting points, such as the fact that it is an operational issue, rather than just a technological issue.

They also discuss:

· What has happened in more recent years.

· Challenges, current realities, and where the best IoT use cases come from.

· What's to come in the next decade.

https://transformainsights.com

Peggy explores how AI (artificial intelligence) is reshaping senior leadership and what it ultimately means for the future of work. She says AI is a force that is redefining what it means to lead at the highest level.

She also discusses:

· The role of the senior leader—past, present, and future.

· How many leaders identified human factors as the primary barrier to adoption.

· Next steps to take to prepare for the new era of work.

https://peggysmedleyshow.com

Peggy Smedley and David Levinson, professor, University of Sydney, talk about how transportation is evolving as cities grow and technologies accelerate. He says 30 years ago, there was an assumption technology wouldn't change, but there have been technology shifts.

They also discuss:

· How the field of transportation has changed throughout his career.

· Challenges cities are going to face and lessons learned.

· How cities are going to have to change and be reimagined for the future.

· Designing roads for safety.

https://transportist.org/

Peggy and Wyatt Jenkins, senior vice president of product management, midmarket, Intuit, talk about how AI (artificial intelligence) is reshaping the future of construction operations. He says labor is still the number one consideration for construction companies today. They also discuss:

· The biggest priorities for construction companies today.

· The importance of job cost accuracy and cash flow visibility in realtime.

· The space that is moving the fastest from a technology perspective.

https://www.intuit.com/enterprise

On Aiglatson, Peggy Smedley and cohost Dennis Draeger, foresight director, Shaping Tomorrow, talk about big signals that are realigning how talent moves and leadership sits. He says the trend with AI (artificial intelligence) cuts both ways in the hiring process.

They also discuss:

· City states vs nation states and the impact on the workforce.

· Hybrid vs return-to-office mandates and the impact on work.

· How the leadership pipeline and workforce planning will all be rewritten.

https://peggysmedleyshow.com

Peggy Smedley and Steve Yates, CEO, Buildxact, talk about how the construction industry is evolving quickly and the next wave of meaningful innovation. He says small business builders are trying to determine how to grow with the resources they have.

They also discuss:

· How technology can help solve some of the challenges for small business builders.

· Labor shortages and the importance of recognizing the highest and best use of workers.

· The difference between the availability of the data and the usefulness of the data.

https://www.buildxact.com/

Peggy answers one big question: What happens to middle management in the age of AI (artificial intelligence)? She says the conversation around middle managers needs to shift from whether we need them to what kind of managers we need.

She also discusses:

· The role of middle management historically and today.

· Research that suggests organizations are using AI to flatten structures.

· The real risk if we fail to evolve middle management.

https://peggysmedleyshow.com