1 rich Libsyn https://www.libsyn.com 90 600 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: •&amp;nbsp;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: https://www.iotone.com/case-studies The Industrial IoT Spotlight podcast is produced by Asia Growth Partners (AGP): https://asiagrowthpartners.com/ Industrial IoT Spotlight https://www.iotone.com/podcasts <iframe title="Libsyn Player" style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/38350490/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/88AA3C/" height="90" width="600" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe> https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/content/193455620