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Jeff Winter is the Vice President of Business Strategy for Critical Manufacturing, where he leads strategic growth initiatives and business development while positioning the company as a global leader in MES technology. With almost 20 years of experience working for different industrial automation product and solution providers, Jeff has a unique ability to simplify and communicate complex concepts to a wide range of audiences, educating and inspiring people from the shop floor up to the executive board room. Jeff is also highly active in the Industry 4.0 community. He serves on the Executive board for International Society of Automation (ISA), the International Board of Directors for MESA (Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association), a U.S. registered expert for the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) as a member of TC 65, and as a Smart Manufacturing Advisor to CESMII.
At the center of every successful smart factory sits one key enabler: the Manufacturing Execution System (MES). It is the operational backbone that connects strategy with execution, guiding people, machines, and processes to work together in real time. Choosing an MES, however, is not just a technology decision. It is a business-defining one. The right system can help a company adapt, scale, and lead for years. The wrong one can slow progress, limit flexibility, and block innovation.
Gartner’s strategic technology trends for 2025 showcase the tools shaping the near future, from AI-driven autonomy to sustainable computing paradigms. For manufacturers, these trends represent more than just possibilities—they are an urgent call to action to drive efficiency, resilience, and innovation.
