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JANUARY 2026 I I-CONNECT007 MAGAZINE 101 leads to preventive maintenance, increasing equip- ment reliability and operational efficiency. User Interaction Industrial digital solutions must be user-friendly, providing operators with intuitive interfaces to interact with monitoring systems, enabling them to respond quickly to issues. Operators can access real-time data and alerts through smart devices to correct shop-floor deviations. Process engineers require analytical interfaces to streamline the anal- ysis and optimization of manufacturing processes. These interfaces should enable access to detailed process data, disclose inefficiencies, and support improvements through extensive training. Main- tenance technicians benefit from digital solutions that simplify the scheduling and execution of tasks. Intuitive interfaces can help them quickly diagnose equipment issues, track maintenance history, and manage spare parts inventory, ultimately reducing downtime and improving operational efficiency. Best Practices Management may be reluctant to adopt a fully dig- italized/automated system because of the upfront costs and the need for an automation-educated workforce. In my 50-plus years of experience, I have found it easier to upskill current employees than to hire automation consultants. Adding a series of sensors to your manufacturing floor, updating your equipment, and implementing data manage- ment systems can be costly. However, with the right implementation plan, you can repay most of these costs over time with reduced operating costs, labor costs, and improved yields. Another hesitation in making this move is the increased chance of a cybersecurity attack. You can manage these risks with carefully planned firewalls, VPNs, security scanners, and Linux-based control- lers designed with cybersecurity in mind. PCB007 References 1. Happy's Tech Talk #32: Three Simple Ways to Manage and Control Wet Processes," by Happy Holden, PCB007 Magazine, Sept. 3, 2024. Happy Holden has worked in printed circuit tech- nology since 1970 with Hewlett-Packard, NanYa Westwood, Merix, Foxconn, and Gentex. He is a contributing technical editor with I-Con- nect007, and the author of Automation and Advanced Procedures in PCB Fab- rication, and 24 Essential Skills for Engineers. To read past columns, click here. Figure 4: Automation processes also apply to AI adoption. You need a plan, followed by a factory assessment, focused learning, execution, and a review of results, before creating a solution template to repeat the success. H A PPY ' S T EC H TA L K #4 6