EMS@C-LEVEL
As Forbes, Entrepreneur, Fast Company and SCOOP writer, Philip Stoten, continues to talk to EMS (Electronic Manufacturing Services) executives he learns more about their individual and collective experiences and their expectations for their own businesses and for the entire electronic manufacturing industry.
EMS@C-LEVEL
The Strategic Equipment Choices and Technology Integration Reshaping Creation Technologies
Ever wonder how large manufacturing organizations balance standardization with maintaining close customer relationships? Mike MacKenzie, recently appointed at Creation, pulls back the curtain on this delicate balancing act during a revealing conversation at APEX 2025.
Creation has built its reputation through acquiring smaller, customer-focused manufacturing units. Rather than imposing rigid corporate structures, they've preserved the entrepreneurial spirit and customer intimacy these businesses are known for while strategically harmonizing operations where it makes sense. "We're trying to maintain some of that intimacy but also leverage best practices and standards," MacKenzie explains, noting they're about 75% through their harmonization journey.
The approach to equipment standardization particularly stands out. Instead of forcing wholesale equipment replacement across facilities, Creation allows functional equipment to naturally age out before standardizing. MacKenzie shares what they prioritize in technology partners: performance, support capability, and systems that will integrate with other tools. "We keep our assets for 10, 15 years preferably," he notes, emphasizing the need for vendors with staying power. They've successfully built communication interfaces across 90% of their equipment, though MacKenzie acknowledges the expense of creating these connections across dozens of different platforms.
The conversation takes a fascinating turn when discussing Industry 4.0's unfulfilled promises and whether AI will deliver better results. MacKenzie sees potential in AI for predictive capabilities but emphasizes the need for practical applications. The vision of an "agentic AI" that could coordinate between specialized systems across production, inspection and supply chain management represents an exciting future direction that could finally deliver the digital dividend manufacturers have been waiting for.
EMS@C-Level Live at APEX is sponsored by global inspection leaders Koh Young (https://www.kohyoung.com) and Creative Electron (https://creativeelectron.com)
You can see video versions of all of the EMS@C-Level pods on our YouTube playlist.