Before You Automate Anything, Fix the Flow.
AI is showing up everywhere in manufacturing right now. The challenge isn’t finding someone to talk about it. It’s finding someone who talks about it practically.
On November 10, the Wichita Manufacturers Association is hosting the AI in Manufacturing Workshop & Summit at the National Center for Aviation Training. From 1–6 PM, manufacturing leaders across the region will gather for one purpose: practical AI for the people running the floor.
Not a vendor showcase. Not a keynote about ten years from now. A real conversation about where AI fits today — in production, quality, workforce development, and floor operations.
Why This Conversation Matters to Techam
At Techam, we’ve spent decades inside manufacturing operations. And the question we hear most often isn’t “how do we use AI?” It’s “how do we get our operation to a place where AI actually helps?”
The answer is the same one that drives every lean transformation we lead: fix the flow first.
The manufacturers who benefit most from AI are the ones who have already standardized their processes, built floor visibility, and developed a team that knows how to act on information. AI makes a good system sharper. It can’t replace one that isn’t there yet.
That’s why we’re proud to support this event — and why our sister company, Optegrity Solutions, is the proud sponsor. Optegrity is the operating system lean manufacturers build before AI, and with it.
What to Expect
Practical sessions. Real applications. Room to ask the questions that matter for your specific operation — whether you’re new to AI or ready to go deeper.
Register by October 31. Space is limited.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the AI in Manufacturing Workshop & Summit?
A half-day event hosted by the Wichita Manufacturers Association on November 10 at NCAT. Built for manufacturing leaders who want practical, grounded conversation about what AI actually does on the floor — not theory, not a sales pitch.
Who should attend?
Operations leaders, COOs, directors of manufacturing, and anyone responsible for production performance and continuous improvement. If you’re trying to figure out where AI fits in your operation — or whether it does — this event was built for you.
What will be covered?
Real applications of AI in production, quality, workforce development, and floor operations. Sessions are built for engagement. Come with questions.
Why is Optegrity sponsoring?
Optegrity is a lean-based manufacturing execution system; the operational foundation AI needs to work. We’re sponsoring because this is the conversation we want to be part of: practical, grounded, and focused on what actually moves the needle for manufacturers.
Why Fix the Flow Before You Automate?
What does “fix the flow first” mean?
It means your operational foundation has to be solid before technology can improve it. Standard work, floor visibility, and a functioning problem-solving process have to exist before AI can make them better. AI surfaces patterns in data. If your data is incomplete or not being captured at the source, AI just gives you faster access to bad information.
Can’t AI find where my process is broken?
AI can surface symptoms. Identifying root cause and fixing the constraint still requires people who understand the process — and a system that makes the floor visible. AI accelerates analysis. It doesn’t replace the operational thinking that has to come first.
What’s the relationship between Techam and Optegrity?
Techam is a lean consulting firm. Optegrity is our sister company; a manufacturing execution system built for lean SMB manufacturers. Techam builds the operational foundation. Optegrity digitizes and sustains it. Together, they give manufacturers the system AI needs to actually work.
What’s the first step?
Map your flow. Find the constraint. Standardize the work. Then ask what data you’re not capturing; and why. That’s a conversation we’re happy to have.
