Course Highlights

• Discover what successful companies do differently when investing in AI and Digital Transformation
• Learn how to apply System Thinking to select the right AI projects based on a diagnosis of your system
• Examine proven approaches for increasing user adoption
• Discuss how to seamlessly combine Industrial AI with existing methodologies, such as Lean and Six Sigma
• Earn a certificate of course completion from the MIT Sloan School of Management

Course Description

The rapid rise of Industrial AI presents both immense opportunities and significant challenges for business leaders. Successfully adopting new technologies is not just about acquiring the latest tools—it requires a strategic, system-wide approach that aligns with organizational goals, customer needs, and operational realities.

Despite widespread access to Industry 4.0 technologies, 70% of organizations struggle or fail to achieve their objectives. What sets successful leaders apart? They take a disciplined approach to technology adoption by:

• Identifying system leverage points before making investments
• Selecting and sequencing technologies to maximize impact and minimize risk
• Engaging front-line employees from the start to drive adoption
• Avoiding “so-so” technology solutions that create more complexity than value
• Translating data into action to enhance decision-making and performance
• Integrating Industrial AI into their company’s operating system for sustained success

Strategic Technology Adoption

Leaders must go beyond visioning and ensure technology investments are designed to create real value. Value is realized by strategically connecting Industry 4.0 technologies to address customer and supply chain challenges. This course explores:

• How to sequence investments to drive results while minimizing up-front risk
• The role of Industrial AI in augmenting Lean, Six Sigma, TQM, and related established methodologies
• Best practices for integrating Industrial AI across industries to accelerate digital transformation
• Techniques for improving your facility’s “IQ” to drive productivity and safety

Why attend Strategy, Survival, and Success in the Age of Industrial AI?

Participants will explore:

• Digital twins: Creating virtual replicas of physical assets and processes for simulation, optimization, and predictive maintenance
• Data, machine learning, and digital platforms: Leveraging data analytics and machine learning algorithms to extract insights and drive automation
• Generative AI for workflow efficiency: Automating and streamlining complex workflows using cutting-edge generative AI models
• Augmented and virtual reality: Enhancing human capabilities and improving training through immersive technologies
• Ubiquitous low-cost sensors: Deploying sensor networks to gather real-time data for enhanced visibility and control

Through successful real-world case studies, this course will examine how leading companies have successfully combined these technologies to generate measurable results.

The MIT Advantage: Industrial AI Meets Industrial Dynamics

MIT's unique approach to Industrial AI is rooted in our pioneering work in Industrial Dynamics. Building upon the foundational principles introduced by Professor Jay Forrester in 1958, we empower you to understand your organization as a system of interacting feedback loops and time delays. By combining these timeless insights with the transformative power of Industrial AI, you will gain the tools necessary to revitalize, expand, and fundamentally reshape the performance of your organization and supply chain.

Guest Speakers

Matthew Littlefield

In his role as co-founder and President of LNS Research, Matt leads the organization as it fulfills its mission of driving industrial transformation. He is also the head of research at the firm, contributing to studies and reports across the breadth of topics covered by LNS Research.
Matt is a recognized industry expert, and an active speaker and contributing author across the breadth of industry publications, associations, and events. His passion, however, is advising manufacturing executives on Industrial Transformation and Operational Excellence.

Cyrus Shaoul
Cyrus Shaoul is an entrepreneur with deep expertise in computational cognitive modeling. He is one of the co-founders and the CEO of Leela AI, which uses a novel kind of visual intelligence invented at the MIT AI Lab to improve productivity and safety in manufacturing.  The Leela AI platform has been deployed commercially since 2021, and is now in production at multiple Fortune 500 companies. He holds a BSc. from MIT and a PhD from the University of Alberta.

Ron Westrum
Ron Westrum is a Professor of Sociology Emeritus at Eastern Michigan University. He specializes in the sociology of science and technology, and in the dynamics of corporate culture. He has written three books, and some fifty technical papers. His last book is Sidewinder: Missile Design at China Lake, now in its fourth printing. He is well known for his "continuum of corporate culture" based on the flow of information, which has been adopted by many large technical organizations. He has worked on system safety in aviation and medicine, and given talks for many groups supported by NATO and the United Nations.

Course Experience

Learn more about the in-person course experience. 

Learn more about the live-online course experience. 

Applying to the course

We accept enrollments until the offering reaches capacity, at which point we will maintain a waitlist. Many of the courses fill up several weeks in advance, so we advise that you enroll as early as possible to secure your seat.

You can begin the application process by using the red 'Enroll Now' bar at the bottom of the screen.

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Have questions?

Contact us if you would like to speak with a program director or visit our Frequently Asked Questions page for answers to common questions about our courses.

This course was formerly named Implementing Industry 4.0: Leading Change in Manufacturing and Operations.