Ep. 195 - Unlocking Digital Transformation: The Unified Namespace, Industrial Data, and Prove It!

Welcome to Manufacturing Hub, where we dive deep into the world of industrial automation, software, and digital transformation. In this episode, hosts Dave and Vlad are joined by Zach Scriven, an industrial automation expert, digital transformation evangelist, and a key player in the development of Prove It, a groundbreaking industry conference.

This conversation explores a range of topics, from Zach’s personal journey in industrial automation and SCADA integration to his pioneering work in digital transformation education. We discuss Unified Namespace (UNS)—a powerful framework for structuring and scaling industrial data—and its role in breaking down silos and creating scalable, interoperable architectures.

Key Topics Discussed:

✅ Zach Scriven’s Background: His journey from SCADA integration in the water industry to co-founding 4.0 Solutions and IoT University.
✅ Unified Namespace (UNS): What it is, why it matters, and how it enables scalable industrial data architectures.
✅ Digital Transformation in Manufacturing: The need for a clear strategy, the challenges of data silos, and the shift toward IT-OT convergence.
✅ Edge Computing & Industrial Data Platforms: How Ignition, MQTT, Litmus Edge, HighByte, and HiveMQ are changing the landscape of industrial automation.
✅ Challenges in Legacy Industrial Systems: How companies with aging infrastructure can begin their digital transformation journey.
✅ The Future of Industrial Conferences – Prove It: Why traditional conferences fail to deliver value and how Prove It is disrupting the model by requiring vendors to "prove" their solutions in a real-world simulated environment.

References & Companies Mentioned:

📌 Unified Namespace (UNS) – A key architectural framework in Industry 4.0.
📌 Ignition by Inductive Automation – A leading SCADA and industrial application platform.
📌 HiveMQ & EMQX – MQTT brokers enabling scalable industrial data strategies.
📌 HighByte – An industrial DataOps solution for modeling and structuring data.
📌 Litmus Edge – A platform for edge computing and industrial data management.
📌 Rockwell Automation & Siemens – Leading industrial automation providers.
📌 Prove It Conference (Feb 18-20, 2025) – The first event where vendors must prove their solutions in a real-time, virtual factory environment.

About the Prove It Conference:

The Prove It conference is set to redefine the way industrial automation conferences operate. Unlike traditional events where vendors showcase theoretical solutions, Prove It requires companies to integrate their technologies into a shared virtual factory to demonstrate real-world use cases. Vendors such as Inductive Automation, HiveMQ, Siemens, Opto 22, Dell, Google Cloud, and more will be participating, showcasing how their platforms interact in a live digital ecosystem.

This conference represents the shift from sales-driven to results-driven events, ensuring that attendees see tangible demonstrations rather than just slide decks and sales pitches.

Why This Episode Matters:

This episode is essential for engineers, IT/OT professionals, plant managers, and executives looking to understand how to modernize industrial operations using cutting-edge software, data-driven decision-making, and scalable architectures. Whether you are just starting your digital transformation journey or looking to optimize an existing system, Zach provides valuable insights into where the industry is heading and how you can stay ahead.

🔹 Want to learn more about UNS and industrial data strategies? Check out IoT University for in-depth training: https://iot.university
🔹 Interested in attending Prove It? Get your tickets now before they sell out: https://proveitconference.com

📢 Stay Connected:
🔹 Follow Manufacturing Hub: LinkedIn | YouTube
🔹 Follow Zach Scriven: LinkedIn | IoT University
🔹 Follow Dave & Vlad: LinkedIn | LinkedIn

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