This week on Speaking of Service
Episode 34: You Can't Improve What You Cannot Measure. Harpak-ULMA's Recipe for Success!
Understanding the performance of equipment is key to the success of every manufacturer irrespective of industry, size or location. If machine runs at 1-10% greater efficiency that equates to 10s of millions of dollars over the course of just one year. The crux is how to identify where those efficiencies can be made. In this episode, we speak with Alexander Ouellet from Harpak-ULMA, a company that excels in product to pallet automated packaging machine systems for food, medical, pet food and industrial products in North America. We delve into Alexander´s work and how measuring data has been the recipe for success with their customers.
Key Questions:
- What is the value of IoT for Harpak-ULMA?
- What is the impact of improving efficiency say by 8% or a dollar profit per product?
- How does regulations and compliance affect what the teams do at Harpak-ULMA?
- What does the future look like?
This episode's guests
Our host: Chris Wolff
Sales VP, Strategic Partnerships, PTC Americas
Our guest: Alexander Ouellet
Engineering Manager, Innovation, Harpak-ULMA
Meet this season's hosts and guests
Brian Allred - Global Director, Data Analytics and Digital Technologies, Autoliv
Brian Allred, a tech veteran with 20+ years, drives data-driven solutions as a global tech leader. At Autoliv, he oversees big data, data sciences, advanced analytics, and business intelligence, aligning with executives for strategic digital initiatives.
Haroon Abbu - Vice President, Digital, Data and Analytics, Bell and Howell
Haroon Abbu is a seasoned leader with 20+ years driving tech-driven business change via digital solutions and data analytics. Presently, he heads a team of data scientists and architects developing IoT, ML, and advanced analytics-based products for enhanced services and data monetization. A regular industry speaker and panelist, his work is featured in business publications and academic journals. He's also a co-author of "Trust: The Winning Formula for Digital Leaders," a guide on digital transformation.
Pete Barrie - Product Management Director, Sani-Matic
Pete Barrie holds a Chemical and Biological Engineering degree. He transitioned from engineering to Product Management at Sani-Matic, managing marketing, development, and teams. He directs product strategy across diverse industries. Active in technical development through ASME Bioprocessing Equipment Committee and 3-A Work Group, Pete is a Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) and is Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HAACP) certified.
Joe Biron - General Manager, Azure Strategic Missions Product Marketing, Microsoft
Joe Biron is Microsoft's Azure Product Marketing head for Strategic Missions. With a tech-focused career spanning software engineering, systems architecture, CTO and General Manager roles, Joe excels at aligning technological innovation with business strategies for maximum value.
Jim Brown - President, Tech-Clarity Inc
Jim Brown, founder of Tech-Clarity in 2002, has over 30+ years in manufacturing and software. A skilled researcher, author, and speaker, he's dedicated to enhancing business performance via digital strategies and software tech. Jim's current focus is investigating the manufacturing industry's digital transformation and technology convergence effects.
John Carroll - Founder and CEO, Service Council™
John Carroll, a prolific author, has penned numerous case studies, articles, and benchmark reports. He's a global speaker covering topics like field service, labor strategies, and cutting-edge technologies such as AI, AR, and IoT.
Sumair Dutta - Vice President of SLM Product Marketing at PTC
Sumair Dutta is the Vice President of SLM Product Marketing at PTC, where he plays a pivotal role in crafting and refining PTC’s Service Lifecycle Management messaging, positioning, and strategic direction.
A recognized thought leader in the field service and service management domains, Sumair has conducted numerous research projects focused on field service, customer support, and strategic service execution. His diverse experience and passion for serving clients' needs make him an invaluable voice in the industry.
Lora Estey - Product Manager, PTC
Lora Estey specializes in Smart Connected Product solutions within the IIoT ThingWorx Platform. Her background includes collaborating with clients at PTC's IIoT Center of Excellence and roles as a Release Engineer, Development Tools Lead, and DevOps Engineer. Lora holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering with an Electrical focus from Grand Valley State University.
Harald Fiedler - Director of Integrated Product Quality & Cybersecurity at FUJIFIM SONOSITE
Harald Fiedler is the Director of Integrated Product Quality & Cybersecurity at FUJIFIM SONOSITE. He leads Cybersecurity Engineering, Systems Engineering, Systems Verification, Systems Integration, Compliance Engineering, Hardware Verification, and Configuration Management. His teams comprise approximately 40% of the entire R&D organization of SONOSITE. Previously, Harald worked at one of the largest Medical Device Manufacturers headquartered in the Netherlands, where he instituted Cybersecurity & Privacy across all modalities worldwide. Amongst other leading R&D positions, Harald worked to establish the R&D center and its first CT product line in Suzhou, China. Harald is an RF engineer (MS), has a CISSP, CIPP, is USCG Captain, a certified closed circuit rebreather diver and dabbles lately in landscaping and digging holes with his newly acquired tractor. Driven by curiosity and the urge to get things done, culminates in a very busy life. Whenever there is a moment of downtime, Harald enjoys hiking and engages in landscape and portrait photography.
Tyler Gannon - Vice President, Product Marketing and Strategic Alliances, Device Authority
Tyler Gannon has more than 20 years experience in enterprise technology focused on building strategic alliances that driving market growth. Over a 12-year career with Microsoft in a variety of roles he managed global strategic partners, led business development teams, and focused on technology integration for joint sales initiatives. Most recently he served as VP of Business Development and Strategy for eCare Vault, an early-stage SaaS company providing privacy-compliant collaboration services for Public Sector and Healthcare customers, and spent time with PTC as Director of Microsoft Alliance for the Americas. He’s also a tech founder, having built an identity-provisioning service, bridging the gap between on-premise and cloud-based authentication platforms, which was acquired in 2016. His experience with identity and compliance, coupled with broad industry experience across Public Sector, Healthcare, and Manufacturing will be a valued addition to the North American team. He is passionate about building lasting business relationships between organizations that create powerful partner ecosystems. His focus at Device Authority will be to help drive North American market growth through strategic partners.
Mohan Gatta - Managing Partner, Customer Experience Transformation and Service Lifecycle Management Growth and Transformation, Manufacturing, Energy and Resources Unit Tata Consultancy Services
Mohan Gatta is a leader at TCS, focusing on Customer Experience and Service Lifecycle Management in Manufacturing, Energy, and Resources. With 30 years of experience across automotive, industrial, aerospace, and defense sectors, he drives business transformations, providing strategy and value realization. Formerly leading supply chain integration at a leading aviation engine manufacturer, he's managed aftermarket parts, heavy equipment sales, and service operations. Mohan, a Mechanical Engineering graduate with a Management Diploma, has authored thought leadership pieces on Digital Customer Experience and more.
Andy Hay - President and Chief Executive Officer, Sysmex America, Inc
Driven by healthcare efficiency, Andy Hay shapes Sysmex's growth and market influence in the Americas. Part of the global leadership, he contributes to strategic design and relationship-building for the company's worldwide success. Andy's background includes a medical laboratory sciences fellowship from John Moore’s University, UK, and an advanced management program degree from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. With a decade in hospital laboratories and medical technology prior to joining Sysmex in 1989, he brings a wealth of experience to his role.
Howard Heppelmann - Divisional Vice President and General Manager, ThingWorx IoT Solutions
Howard Heppelmann is PTC's Divisional VP and GM for the ThingWorx IoT Solutions segment, overseeing innovative solutions merging disruptive technologies for industrial enhancements. He formerly held roles including VP and GM for ThingWorx IoT Solutions and GM for Connected Product Management and Service Lifecycle Management at PTC. With over three decades in manufacturing, Howard drives the application of Industrie 4.0 and Smart Connected Operations to transform industrial processes in the IoT era. He is an industry seminar regular, presenting on topics including Industrie 4.0 and Smart Connected Products. Howard's insights have been featured in publications like Wall Street Journal and Forbes. He holds degrees in Economics and International Studies from Macalester College.
Nathan Hoyt - Internet of Things Software Developer, Bell and Howell
Nathan Hoyt recently earned his BS and MS in manufacturing engineering from Brigham Young University, where he dedicated three years to the Smart Manufacturing research lab led by Dr. Yuri Hovanski. He played a major role in shaping an Industry 4.0-focused university curriculum and conducted research in this field using lab-scale factories. Nathan's contributions extend to scholarly work, having submitted an article to the journal Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence.
Yuri Hovanski - Associate Professor, Manufacturing Engineering, Brigham Young University
Dr. Yuri Hovanski holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Brigham Young University and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Washington State University. After roles at Bechtel National, Inc. and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, he joined Brigham Young University as an associate professor in manufacturing engineering. Actively engaged in professional societies (SME, AWS, ASM, TMS, SAE), he's contributed significantly to friction stir welding, including cost-effective solutions for industrial use. Collaborative global research led to advancements in closed-loop control and real-time defect detection, aligned with intelligent manufacturing and the smart factory. Recognized by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers for his Industry 4.0 curriculum, he's a top academic in smart manufacturing.
Danny Jackson - Digital Transformation Director, Autoliv
Danny Jackson brings 20+ years of experience in Manufacturing Operations, Supply Chain Planning, and Information Technology Management, emphasizing practical tech application to enhance business processes. His insights bridge these areas, offering a distinctive view on leveraging digital technologies to boost efficiency across the value chain.
Chris Joynt - AI Co-Innovation Lead, PTC
Chris Joynt launched his career at IBM, specializing in big data, BI, and data mining tools. Transitioning to a machine learning startup, he directed revenue growth encompassing marketing, services, and ML-as-infrastructure strategies. PTC's acquisition of the startup integrated ML capabilities into ThingWorx Platform for IoT and digital transformation. Chris' earlier experience with software architectures and ML proved vital in mapping data flows to real-world business processes, creating adaptable digital assets. In today's landscape, his insights enable AI-driven practical predictions by harmonizing sensor data, operational technology, and IT systems for process modeling.
Kate Leggett - VP and Principal Analyst for CRM and Customer Service, Forrester Research
Kate Leggett serves Application Development & Delivery Professionals. She is a leading expert on customer relationship management (CRM) and customer service strategies, maturity, benchmarking, governance, and ROI. She is an accomplished public speaker and frequently presents at industry events such as CRM Evolution. She has been published in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes magazine, and industry publications such as CRM Magazine, KM World, and Destination CRM. Kate has extensive industry experience, with more than 10 years of leadership at CRM and customer service software companies, where she held senior product marketing and product management roles. She is also a published author on customer service trends and best practices. Kate earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto and a Master of Science from the University of Pennsylvania.
Chris MacDonald - Head of AI and Analytics Expert
Chris MacDonald led the PTC Analytics Business Development team globally from 2015. In 2018, Chris formed and led the Global Analytics Center of Excellence with responsibility for all analytics business development, field engineering, and services for the IoT business. Through his work at companies such as Xerox, SAP, Oracle, Coldlight, and PTC, Chris has helped companies across every vertical harness the value of data-driven innovation. Leveraging expertise in IoT Analytics and Machine Learning, Chris focused on unlocking potential opportunities in evolving data ecosystems.
Jeff Miller - Director, Digital Performance Management, Kalypso
Jeff Miller, a Director at Kalypso (A Rockwell Automation Company), leads Digital Performance Management solutions in North America's Industrial High-Tech Sector. He collaborates with organizations to optimize enterprise technologies, IoT, and AR investments, designing solutions that enhance manufacturing and supply chain operations. Jeff's career centers on merging business and technology to achieve strategic goals. He's held pivotal roles at PTC, Accenture, DXC, and KPMG before joining Rockwell Automation and Kalypso. With earlier manufacturing and supply chain management experience at Westinghouse, his expertise spans extended value chains, logistics, and commercial operations. Jeff holds an MS in Industrial Management from Florida Institute of Technology and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tennessee.
Dr. Billy Milligan - Solutions Development Lead, Howden
Dr. Billy Milligan, BEng(Hons) MSc PhD CEng MInstMC MIET, is a seasoned controls and instrumentation design engineer with extensive experience across oil and gas, water, bulk solids handling, and rotating equipment. A Chartered Control and Instrument Engineer, he's affiliated with the Institute of Measurement and Control, Institution of Engineering and Technology, and Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers. He serves as Honorary Secretary on the council of the Institute of Measurement and Control and Chairs its Digital Transformation Special Interest Group.
Alexander Ouellet - Engineering Manager, Innovation, Harpak-ULMA
Alexander Ouellet is the innovation manager at Harpak-ULMA Packaging. In his role at Harpak-ULMA, Alexander is responsible for the strategy, development and implementation of all of Harpak-ULMA’s Service initiatives.
Anthony Moffa - Senior Director, SCP Sales and Strategic Initiatives
Anthony Moffa has extensive experience creating diagnostic systems in the aerospace, nuclear power, and petrochemical sectors. Preceding his role at PTC, he led IoT programs in life safety and life sciences. A significant contributor to service research advisory councils managed by Aberdeen and The Service Council, he holds a Mechanical Engineering Degree from Villanova University and has multiple Six Sigma certifications.
James Penney - Chief Technology Officer, Device Authority
Originally a founding-member of Device Authority Ltd, (formerly known as Cryptosoft), James Penney has over 13 years’ experience in both internal and external facing technical roles. James leads the technology strategy and is the technical leader of the business, working closely with the engineering team to improve and develop our IoT security software platform – KeyScaler. James also works closely with a number of key customers and strategic partners to ensure our products fulfil current market requirements, are easy to integrate and use, and meet the IoT security use cases for key industry verticals – IoMT, IIoT, Automotive and Smart Connected Products. Prior to Cryptosoft, James was the lead technical consultant for a European software reseller responsible for designing and delivering PKI-based data security solutions for variety of customers, including SMBs, government agencies, and multinational corporations.
Aly Pinder Jr. - Research Vice President, World Wide Aftermarket Services Strategies, IDC
Aly Pinder Jr. leads IDC's service and customer support market research, focusing on field service, warranty operations, and service parts management's impact on customer experience. His scope covers tech like 3D printing, AR/VR in field support, and IoT and analytics for asset management. He charts a path for manufacturers to leverage technology for enhanced customer experiences, revenue growth, and efficiency. Before IDC, Aly was a service and customer support market analyst at The Service Council and the Aberdeen Group for a decade, establishing himself as a thought leader in field service, service parts management, and IoT trends.
Kamakshya Prusti Business Portfolio Head: Connected Products & IoT Bosch Software & Digital Solutions
Kamakshya is responsible for the growth of Connected Products & IoT business unit at Bosch Software & Digital Solutions. He helps global product manufacturers infuse digital solutions to translate the futuristic vision of digitalization for business growth.
John Ragsdale - Researcher and the Vice President of Technology Ecosystems for TSIA
John Ragsdale, VP of Technology Ecosystems at TSIA, is a distinguished researcher. He specializes in aiding tech firms in selecting and benefiting from tools and platforms, prioritizing customer experience. John collaborates with TSIA's partner ecosystem to identify leading tech vendors addressing member challenges. Formerly at Forrester Research, he brings over six years of experience as VP and research director. His career includes product management and marketing roles at Clarify, Answer Systems, Platinum Technologies, and Nortel Networks. John authored "Lessons Unlearned" (2012) and contributed to "How Companies Succeed in Social Business" (2015).
Abhinav Deep Saxena Portfolio lead – Connected Tires Bosch Software & Digital Solutions
Abhinav Deep Saxena, is a seasoned professional serving as the Portfolio Lead for the Connected Products & IoT division within the Bosch Software & Digital Solutions group. With nearly a decade of hands-on experience in this field, he has been passionately involved in shaping and advancing the realm of connected technology. His expertise lies in orchestrating innovative strategies and driving transformative initiatives that have a profound impact on the interconnected world.
Martina Stefanon - Business Development Manager, IMA Digital - IMA Group
Martina Stefanon, Business Development Manager IMA Digital at IMA Group, provides technical and commercial support across the Group's divisions, focusing on digital tools and services. She is also the Product Manager of the IMA Sentinel platform for data-driven services on connected machines. With over 5 years in Industrial IoT and Analytics, she's designed Industry 4.0 applications for various machinery. Martina's 15+ years in the packaging machinery industry encompass diverse experience. She served on the Advisory Board of "Quota 8000 Service Innovation Program" by The European House Ambrosetti from 2015 to 2019.
Randy Thompson - Sr Business and Technology Architect, Transition Technologies PSC
Randy Thompson's career started in plant floor automation and evolved into over 20 years of IoT experience across medical, tech, financial, and industrial sectors. Formerly leading presales and customer success for Axeda (acquired by PTC), he drove IoT projects for 150+ companies. Randy contributed at Wind River (Intel), Bsquare, and Dell Technologies. As Senior Solution Architect at Transition Technologies PSC, he defines project requirements, mitigates risk, and speeds value realization for clients. With a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas and an MBA from Bryant University, Randy applies his expertise to diverse IoT implementations.
Chris Wolff - Sales VP, Strategic Partnerships, PTC Americas
Chris Wolff, aka "Wolffie," joined PTC in November 2022 to create a Field Alliance function within PTC Americas sales, working with the DVP of Sales. This team accelerates customer value and leads complex ecosystems. Formerly, Wolffie led Dell Technologies' Office of Global OEM and IOT Partnerships, simplifying partnerships and chairing the Dell Technologies IoT go-to-market committee. She shaped Dimension Data's presence in the USA for 18 years, growing the group from 1000 to 30,000 employees. She served as Dimension Data's SVP, Group Cisco Alliance, managing a $4 billion partnership. A strategic advisor to Dell, Secureworks, and Seagate, she's on boards like MIT Enterprise Forum and Duke AIMS. She's passionate about mentoring women in STEM, golfing, and supporting the Duke Blue Devils.
Marco Zeller (Master of Eng.) - Director of Remote Service and Io(M)T
Marco Zeller is the Director of Remote Service and Io(M)T at Storz. Across his nearly 16-year tenure, he's held roles from software engineer to software architect to system engineer. Marco focuses on integrating devices into customer and company workflows for streamlined digital experiences, working to digitize product-related processes. His passion lies in harmonizing devices with business processes to create a cohesive digital environment for product management. He holds a master’s degree in engineering.
A recognized thought leader in the field service and service management domains, Sumair has conducted numerous research projects focused on field service, customer support, and strategic service execution. His diverse experience and passion for serving clients' needs make him an invaluable voice in the industry.
Season 1: Industrial Machine Builders Series
Industrial Machine Builders Podcast
"If you listen to your equipment in the field, you actually hear what your customers are saying to you, and that is the mindset change. I don’t really want to sell the piece of equipment—I want to sell the value that it delivers to that end user."
John Cote, Senior Director of Product Marketing, PTC