The Planning Desk: The ACT before ManufACTuring

S1E7 Digital Transformation: AI Agents, Digital Twins & Paperless ERP

Episode 7 of The Planning Desk goes deep on digital transformation from the planning chair — and we're not giving you the vendor pitch version. In this episode, Tyler Grefe covers where AI scheduling and planning assistants actually are in 2026, walks through three real proof-of-concept stories from manufacturing environments, and gives an honest, unfiltered look at the risks and opportunities every planning leader needs to understand before making a move. What we cover: * Where AI scheduling genuinely is today — and what's being oversold * Three real proof-of-concept stories from the shop floor * The digital twin that almost modeled the wrong factory * The AI agent that said no to a customer order — and was right * The last 6% of paper that survived 12 years of paperless initiatives * The risks vs. opportunities framework every planning leader needs * Three actions to take this week — not concepts, actual actions If you're a planner, scheduler, or supply chain leader trying to figure out where AI actually fits in your operation — this episode was built for you.

S1EP06 The Planning Desk: The Act before ManufACTuring The People Side: Communication Across Planning, Engineering, and Quality

In this episode we discuss the importance of clear and concise communication.

S1EP05 The Planning Desk: The Act before ManufACTuring On Forecast and the use of AI.

We discuss forecasting and discussed how you could introduce AI into the organization around forecasting.

S1EP04 Load and Capacity: The Balancing Act

In this episode, I was able to interview Matt Stewert, a Site manager of a local manufacturing company in the twin cities.  He brought a unique take on load and capacity.  We were able to talk a few challenges that have come up and some of the P&L impact that it could have if you are not aligned with your load and capacity.

S1EP03 The Role of the Planner: The Unsung hero of the Shop Floor

This episode will discuss everything from Standard of Work for planners to KPI's for the department and how to get them to be proactive instead of reactive.