EP 225 - How are AI and IoT solving manufacturing labor shortages?

In this episode we spoke with Mike Rohrmoser , VP of Product Management for OEM Solutions at Digi , a global provider of mission-critical IoT connectivity products and services. We explored how manufacturers are addressing labor shortages with IoT and automation, the trade-offs between retrofitting existing factories and building new ones, the evolving sensor and connectivity landscape, and practical steps to scale IoT pilots into production. Key insights : • Retrofitting existing plants is often the smarter move . Brownfield upgrades can cost 40–60% less than new builds and achieve faster returns when paired with business-focused use cases and retrofit connectivity. • Sensors and networks must be judged as a whole system . Industrial buyers weigh accuracy, deployment simplicity, and lifetime cost over unit price, with wireless IO-Link and LTE Cat 1 gaining traction and 5G RedCap on the horizon. • Edge AI is real, but focused . Today it is most effective in computer vision for quality inspection and counting, while new designs anticipate broader workloads as adoption matures. • GenAI augments people, not machines . Its strengths are in analysis, documentation, and device management, while safety-critical real-time control remains firmly in the domain of conventional automation. • Scaling pilots requires proving value early . Many initiatives stall when they start with technology instead of problems; success depends on production-ready components, operator trust, and leadership alignment. IoT ONE database : The Industrial IoT Spotlight podcast is produced by Asia Growth Partners (AGP) :

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EP 225 - How are AI and IoT solving manufacturing labor shortages? is an episode from Industrial IoT Spotlight by IoT ONE.

This episode is 48:40 long.

This episode was published on Sep 25, 2025.

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