Balancing fundamentals with AI upskilling

In this episode of Manufacturing Hub, hosts Vlad Romanov and Dave Griffith welcome back Amos Purdy for a wide ranging conversation that connects plant floor reality with SCADA, MES, and the business decisions that actually fund modernization. Amos shares his path from early software and programming work into industrial automation, including building an industrial automation class and lab, leading MES and SCADA efforts, and working across industries where the pace, constraints, and validation expectations can feel like completely different worlds. If you have ever wondered why a solution that looks obvious on a whiteboard takes months or years to land on a production line, this episode breaks down the human, technical, and financial reasons in plain terms.

A big thread throughout the conversation is what it takes to build systems that last. The group digs into hiring and mentoring for Ignition based teams, what backgrounds translate well, and why “hobbyist energy” can be a real superpower in interviews and on the job. The practical takeaway is simple: credentials help you get in the door, but projects help you stand out, especially when you can explain the problem, the architecture, and the tradeoffs you made. The conversation also gets real about legacy plants, where the constraint is often not ambition but risk, ROI, and operational disruption. The group frames modernization as a sequence of targeted moves that improve data availability, reduce cybersecurity exposure, and create a foundation for future applications without betting the entire facility on a massive rip and replace.

You will also hear a grounded take on AI in industrial settings. The panel separates what is useful today from what is still hype, and explains why industrial AI needs context, standards, and purpose built training data to be trusted. They connect that to the “data transparency” problem: companies want answers faster, but the hard part is making the data accessible, reliable, and safe in the first place. The episode closes with a discussion on EV and battery manufacturing trends, the reality of global standards and certification, and what the next few years could look like as edge devices, connectivity, and power systems evolve.

Hosts
Vlad Romanov is an industrial automation and manufacturing systems expert focused on SCADA, MES, OT data infrastructure, and modernization strategy. He combines electrical engineering depth with an MBA from McGill University to help manufacturers reduce risk, improve reliability, and turn plant data into decision ready information. He leads Joltek, where he delivers assessments, integration roadmaps, and practical upskilling for engineering and operations teams.

Dave Griffith
Manufacturing and automation leader focused on bridging business outcomes with engineering execution, change management, and scalable plant systems.

Guest
Amos Purdy
MBA and electrical engineering background with deep experience across industrial automation, SCADA, MES, and manufacturing intelligence, including leading teams and deployments in both legacy and greenfield environments.

Timestamps
00:00 Welcome to Manufacturing Hub and why this episode sets up the upcoming modernization theme
02:20 Amos Purdy returns and reintroduces his background
03:00 From early programming to industrial automation, lab building, and MES leadership
09:40 Switching industries and why vertical experience is often overvalued
12:40 Hiring and mentoring for Ignition, web skills vs plant floor instincts
16:10 AI vs fundamentals, why legacy tech knowledge still matters
17:20 Growing teams and how managers should match work to strengths
20:10 How candidates stand out, hobby projects and real systems thinking
22:50 Technology modernization, data visibility, and cybersecurity as the forcing function
31:50 The real bottlenecks, selling ROI, scoping, and avoiding project blowouts
37:30 AI readiness in industry, what works today and what is not there yet
41:00 EV and battery manufacturing, investment, standards, and what changes on the shop floor
50:40 Predictions for the future, edge devices, connectivity, and more data everywhere
54:20 Book recommendation and why macro trends matter for engineers
56:00 Where to find Amos and what to reach out about

References and links mentioned
Ignition by Inductive Automation
https://inductiveautomation.com/ignition

Ignition SCADA overview
https://inductiveautomation.com/scada-software

Inductive University training
https://inductiveuniversity.com

ProveIt Conference 2026 details
https://www.proveitconference.com

Edison Motors
https://www.edisonmotors.ca

2030: How Today’s Biggest Trends Will Collide and Reshape the Future of Everything by Mauro F. Guillén
https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250772213/2030howtodaysbiggesttrendswillcollideandreshapethefutureofeverything/

https://www.joltek.com/services
https://www.joltek.com/education/ot-networking-fundamentals