Ben Allen
Speaker at SOUTHWEST: Ben Allen, Chief Executive Officer, Manufacturing ROI, LLC
Speaker at SOUTHWEST: Ben Allen, Chief Executive Officer, Manufacturing ROI, LLC
SOUTHWEST Session: Sponsored by: UiPath Moderated by: Paul Boris
SOUTHWEST Session: Join us for a town hall event designed for exhibitors and attendees to help shape the future of federal research and development in advanced manufacturing. SPECIAL REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED: Register Here Participants will share insights to help define the priorities for the 2026 – 2030 National Strategic Plan for Advanced Manufacturing, which guides Federal efforts to enhance the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing. The plan is revised every four years to provide new federal priorities in advanced manufacturing research and development, aiming to create jobs, boost economic growth across various sectors, and strengthen national security. This town hall session augments an online Request for Information (RFI), enabling participants to voice their views and catalyze deeper input into priority areas. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has posted the complete set of questions in the Federal Register. The National Science and Technology Council’s Subcommittee on Advanced Manufacturing will manage the RFI process, and the NIST Office of Advanced Manufacturing will collect and analyze the information. Learn more here: White House Fact Sheet This exclusive town hall roundtable gives manufacturing leaders the opportunity to: Get a seat at the table with peers and policymakers Make your voice heard in shaping U.S. manufacturing priorities Provide deeper insights beyond the formal Request for Information (RFI) process.
SOUTHWEST Session: Manufacturers from fabricators to assembly shops are all challenged with workforce woes, the need to boost productivity and the endless quest for quality. Knowing automation is the answer is one thing, but actually finding real success with technology investments can feel challenging and risky. How do you know what will truly bring value to the organization? How do you determine the return? And now with the hype of Artificial Intelligence (AI) seemingly on every product, how do manufacturing leaders determine the right places to invest limited time and capital budgets? In this session, we will delve into the ever-evolving landscape of automation & AI in the factory and take a look at technologies that are having a real impact today across the shop floor. Then we will stare into the crystal ball to look forward at technologies that are on the near horizon that manufacturing leaders should be keeping an eye on. Covering important topics like human-robot collaboration, automated equipment tending, data-driven insights, cobot welding, predictive maintenance, robot guided vision, bin picking, collaborative automation, quality inspections, and much more, attendees should leave this session ready to make value-creating technology investments in their business. Join us as we explore how AI is reshaping the factory floor — one algorithm at a time.
SOUTHWEST Session: Transitioning from prototyping to serial production is the defining challenge in additive manufacturing today. This presentation by Farsoon Technologies Americas will demonstrate a clear pathway to achieving high-volume, cost-effective manufacturing using truly open and integrated 3D printing solutions. We will explore real-world success stories across key industries, including the production of civil aerospace components, high-performance shoe molds, Intricate 3C products, electronic motorcycle parts, athletic and sporting goods, and medical implants. These case studies will reveal how our open-system approach provides the flexibility and material choice necessary for serial production. The session will then delve into the specific technology innovations that make this possible. We will showcase how Beam Shaping optimizes material and processing capabilities, while the Support Reduction System (SRS) slashes post-processing time and material waste. Attendees will learn how fine laser spot printing achieves ultra-fine 0.05mm details for intricate parts, and how large-layer thickness printing drastically improves efficiency for less critical dimensions. We will also highlight specialized solutions like Auto-Grafting Technology for superior mold production. Join us to discover how the latest advancements 3D printing technology are delivering great ROI by reducing total manufacturing costs and unlocking the full potential of volume AM production.
SOUTHWEST Session: Your next efficiency breakthrough isn't hiding in a machine learning algorithm. It's walking around your shop floor right now. While manufacturing obsesses over AI, 85% of operations still depend on human expertise. The CNC programmer who knows exactly when to adjust spindle speeds. The veteran welder who spots perfect joints in seconds. The setup technician whose alignment cuts cycle times. These operators don't just run your processes, they've mastered them. They hold the institutional knowledge that separates good production from great production. But your systems can't see what they know, creating a costly blind spot. Mid-market manufacturers nationwide face the same challenge: valuable knowledge trapped in individual heads instead of being scaled digitally. The result is lost efficiency because operator expertise can’t integrate with core systems. Companies overcoming this aren’t layering more machine learning. They’re building systems that amplify human intelligence. They digitize workflows, connect teams to real-time data, and create interfaces designed around how operators think and work, not the other way around. In this session, Docket will reveal how shop floor digitization platforms close the gap between operator expertise and digital execution. You’ll gain practical insights into smart manufacturing systems that support your frontline, enabling faster setups, higher accuracy, and smoother production. At a time when manufacturers chase the next big overhaul, don’t overlook the team that got you here. The goal isn’t replacing human insight, it’s designing systems that can multiply it.
SOUTHWEST Session: Manufacturing success relies on visibility—the ability to monitor production, quality, and financial metrics in real time. However, many manufacturers still struggle with disconnected systems that slow decision-making and hide the true state of operations. This session will demonstrate how a unified ERP solution enables manufacturers to gain operational insights, reveal performance data, and make informed, data-driven decisions. Through practical examples, we will show how the platform leverages data across CRM, shop floor, quality, and accounting workflows. Attendees will learn how teams use Odoo to forecast staffing and material needs, monitor productivity at each work center, track the cost of goods sold, and ensure quality consistency for every order. With clear metrics and user-friendly dashboards, manufacturers can transition from reactive reporting to proactive optimization. This presentation will also discuss how this integrated approach enhances financial visibility — connecting every transaction, production run, and quality checkpoint into a single source of truth. By connecting operational and financial data, leadership teams can identify inefficiencies, drive profitable growth, and gain clarity to prioritize investments. Whether your goal is to reduce downtime, improve first-pass yield, or strengthen margins, this session will show how visibility, powered by Odoo and Novobi, transforms manufacturing performance from the shop floor to the CFO’s office.