Modernizing Legacy Manufacturing Systems: Bridging AI and the Shop Floor with Right-Sized Technology

Jeevan Mulgund has spent decades driving transformation across industrial manufacturing. He led Honeywell’s global supply chain footprint and now invests in next-generation U.S. manufacturers through IGNOVA Ventures.

In this episode, Jeevan joins Andrew and Jennifer to unpack the real ingredients of successful transformation. He explains why right-sized technology only works when paired with trust, team diversity, and clear business objectives. He shares how he earned credibility by programming CNC machines himself and how to approach modernizing legacy manufacturing systems without waiting a year to see results.

Whether you’re digitizing a single factory or rethinking a multi-site network, this conversation is packed with insight on how to apply right-sized technology while modernizing legacy manufacturing systems in a way that solves real problems.

Topics discussed:

• Change management as the foundation for transformation
• People, process, and technology as a decision framework
• Reducing time to value through edge-in approaches
• Right-sizing technology for small and mid-sized manufacturers
• Lessons from quoting systems, dashboards, and global factory visits
• Training AI agents to support planners rather than replace them
• How legacy systems and modern AI can work together
• Workforce development and how to make manufacturing attractive to a new generation
• IGNOVA Ventures’ mission is to preserve and grow U.S. manufacturing