Textron

As the Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Textron, my professional journey has been closely intertwined with the evolution of technology in the manufacturing sector. Since I began my career at Textron in 2008, I’ve seen firsthand how advanced technologies can transform processes, propel industries forward, and create new business opportunities. Throughout my tenure, from leading a program management office to serving as CIO at Textron Systems, Bell, and now the entire enterprise, I have focused on driving innovation through technology.

At Textron, I lead the Information Management Council, a group that includes the CIOs of our various business units. Our objective is clear: to drive a cohesive IT strategy that aligns with our broader business goals. Through collaboration with business leaders, engineering teams, and manufacturing experts, we strive to leverage modern technologies to enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs, and innovate across our diverse portfolio, which includes commercial, industrial, aerospace, and defense sectors.

The Role of Modern Technology in Manufacturing

Modern technology has become the cornerstone of success in today’s highly competitive manufacturing landscape. As businesses strive to stay ahead, they need tools and technologies that help them innovate, operate efficiently, and meet ever-changing market demands. At Textron, we've embraced this through various initiatives, but one of the most significant investments has been in the Future Factory at Bell.

This facility represents the future of manufacturing, integrating advanced technologies such as machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital twins to create a model-based enterprise. The concept of the Future Factory allows us to simulate factory operations and test process improvements before making real-world changes. This capability is transformative. It enables us to optimize our manufacturing flow, reduce cycle times, and minimize rework. As a result, we’ve been able to drive efficiency, improve product quality, and lower manufacturing costs.

However, this transformation isn’t something that happens in isolation. It requires a close partnership between IT, engineering, and manufacturing teams. Together, we design solutions that are both innovative and secure, ensuring that the technologies we deploy can scale across both new and legacy factories. This collaborative approach has been instrumental in pushing the boundaries of what's possible in manufacturing today.

Addressing the Challenges of Skilled Labor and Knowledge Retention

One of the most significant challenges we face as a company—and across the manufacturing sector as a whole—is the attainment and development of skilled labor. As manufacturing processes become more complex, the demand for highly trained professionals has surged. However, the pool of available skilled workers hasn’t kept pace with this demand. At Textron, we’ve been proactive in addressing this challenge by developing innovative solutions that help close the skills gap.

One such solution is the deployment of a Generative AI assistant designed to support our mechanics. This tool provides instant access to the most current work instructions, troubleshooting techniques, and technical knowledge—compiled from years of aircraft service data. It empowers our workforce to perform their jobs more efficiently and accurately, regardless of their level of experience. Whether it's troubleshooting a system issue or verifying a complex work instruction, our mechanics now have the knowledge they need at their fingertips.

“Together, we design solutions that are both innovative and secure, ensuring that the technologies we deploy can scale across both new and legacy factories.”

This is part of a broader strategy to capture and retain essential knowledge. By storing this information in structured and unstructured formats, we ensure that valuable expertise doesn’t leave the company when an employee retires or moves on. Furthermore, by developing additional AI tools, we are continuously improving how we support our workforce, reduce human error, and increase productivity. The goal is to not only maintain but enhance our competitive edge in a highly dynamic market.

The Future of Manufacturing: Factory 4.0 and Beyond

As we look ahead, it’s clear that the manufacturing sector will continue to evolve, driven by new and emerging technologies. At Textron, we are positioning ourselves to embrace these changes by modernizing our factories and integrating Factory 4.0 capabilities. The concept of a Factory 4.0 environment is built around the idea of creating highly connected, automated, and data-driven production facilities. It’s about leveraging the full potential of IoT (Internet of Things), AI, machine learning, and data analytics to drive continuous improvement.

The role of the digital twin will be critical in this next phase of manufacturing evolution. While digital twins are traditionally used during the engineering lifecycle, we’re seeing an expansion of their utility into manufacturing and sustainment phases. By using digital twins, we can create a virtual replica of our factory floors, allowing us to analyze and optimize operations in real time. This leads to better decision-making, enhanced process flows, and more efficient resource utilization.

Moreover, the future of manufacturing is increasingly tied to data and analytics. We’ve already seen how data has transformed manufacturing execution and quality management systems, but the next frontier lies in leveraging Generative AI to extract new insights from that data. Imagine being able to generate highly detailed, data-driven recommendations on how to improve processes, adjust work instructions, or optimize production scheduling. This is the future we’re preparing for at Textron, and it requires a multi-year IT strategy that aligns with our overall business objectives.

Building Strong IT-OT Collaboration

To successfully navigate this ever-evolving landscape, one thing is clear: strong collaboration between IT and OT (Operational Technology) is essential. As IoT continues to gain momentum, manufacturing companies are racing to digitize their factories and connect shop floor devices. But this digital transformation can’t be done in silos. Close coordination between manufacturing, operations, IT, and security teams is necessary to ensure the success of these initiatives.

One piece of advice I offer to other senior leaders and CXOs is to build a robust architectural playbook that guides these efforts. This playbook should not only outline hardware and software standards but also address acceptable control frameworks for securing operational technology. It’s important to start this collaboration early—during the capital selection phase of new shop floor equipment—to ensure that the technology meets both operational and security requirements.

Manufacturing companies are complex ecosystems, and their transformation requires input from every department. By fostering close relationships between IT and OT teams, you can ensure that your organization is well-positioned to capitalize on new technologies while maintaining the security and reliability of your operations.

Leading the Charge into the Future

At Textron, we’re excited about the future of manufacturing. Through strategic investments in technology, collaborative partnerships across departments, and a relentless focus on innovation, we’re well-prepared to lead the industry into the next era of growth. Our commitment to embracing emerging technologies like AI, digital twins, and IoT is helping us reimagine the manufacturing process from the ground up.

To my fellow leaders in the manufacturing sector: the pace of technological change may be rapid, but by fostering collaboration, staying agile, and building a strong foundation, you can navigate the challenges and seize the opportunities that lie ahead.