Baking Better Data: How OT Insights Drive Manufacturing ROI, with Aaron Pfeifer

What happens when you combine shift-level insights, OT data, and predictive analytics? You stop burning buns, and start scaling profits.In this episode of the Zeroed In Podcast, Marvin Tansley (Thing-Zero) sits down with Aaron Pfeifer (Atlas OT) to unpack how manufacturers can: • Pull signal from noisy operations data • Spot patterns in downtime, waste, and inefficiency • Use successful shifts as live playbooks for struggling ones • Bridge the gap between OT realities and IT-driven AI modelsWhether you’re leading a plant, an OT security program, or a digital transformation initiative, this conversation gives you a frontline look at how to turn data into behaviors that improve reliability, safety, and profitability.⏱ Chapters: 00:00 Start / Framing ROI: Maintenance math, partial valve testing (SIL mindset) 02:45 Real-time + historical data: Compare assets, vendors, and cycles for gains 05:30 Prep the data estate for AI: “You already own the apartment” (cloud) 08:50 Secure democratization: Read-only, one-way flows; exec dashboards that matter 12:10 Crawl → Walk → Run: Models, thresholds, and cost-of-action decisions 16:20 Edge models safely: Optimize offline; push anomalies up, not commands down 19:30 Brownfield realities: Knowledge loss, out-of-date prints, safety interlocks 24:30 The cost of NOT modernizing: Unplanned downtime vs. proactive budgets 28:50 Heterogeneous control stacks: Standardizing without standardizing 33:10 Agile POCs on your cloud: Measure waste first; fast wins prove value 37:10 Close: Better business → better world (and better jobs)🎧 Brought to you by Thing-Zero — Secure. Predict. Augment. Automate.📌 Follow Marvin Tansley on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marvin-tansley-a914551/📌 Follow Aaron Pfiefer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adpfeifer/Follow Thing-Zero on:- YouTube: YouTube.com/@Thing-Zero - Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/thing-zero - 𝕏: https://x.com/ThingZ96954- Web: https://www.Thing-Zero.com#IoT #OT #AI #PredictiveAnalytics #manufacturing