ai in manufacturing
Let’s Apply AI Where It Delivers Results
Most AI Efforts Don’t Deliver. Here’s Why.
Focus on the operation, not the technology
Many manufacturers are interested in AI but don’t know where to begin—or whether it’s worth the investment. In partnership with MKE Tech Hub Coalition’s Synapse Initiative, WMEP helps manufacturers take a different approach: identify the right challenges, build a clear plan, and apply AI where it delivers real impact.
Read more about the partnership, aimed to help Wisconsin manufacturers adopt AI and advanced technologies.
1%
Fewer than 1% of AI projects reach production primarily because organizations start in the wrong place
Where Do We Start with AI?
This is the most common question we hear. The best place to begin is your operation.
- Where are you losing productivity?
- Where are skilled people tied up doing repetitive work?
- Where do errors or delays keep occurring?
- Where is data stuck in spreadsheets instead of driving decisions?
- Where is quality, uptime, or on-time delivery off target?
Identify the challenges that matter most, then apply AI and other tools where they deliver the greatest return—and we work with your team to get there.
AI Navigator Workshop
A problem-first, hands-on starting point for applying AI in manufacturing
AI Navigator helps manufacturers identify where to start with AI by focusing on real business problems—improving productivity, reducing risk, and moving from ideas to results faster.
Guided by experts, your cross-functional team (2–4 participants) will:
- Understand the fundamentals of AI in a manufacturing context
- Work within your own team to apply the process to your challenges—not generic examples
- Leave with a plan built by your team, tailored to your operation—identifying where AI and other tools can deliver results
AI Implementation Support
Hands-on support to move from planning to results
We help your team prioritize and apply AI solutions that fit your operation so your efforts deliver real outcomes without unnecessary risk.
“I enjoyed the workshop, which was set up in a way that gave us space to brainstorm. As part of the brainstorming session, experienced AI experts spent time sharing their expertise to help us refine our ideas.”
— Marcease Warren, VP of Manufacturing, Sentry Equipment Corp
Where AI Leadership Meets Manufacturing Expertise
WMEP and MKE Tech Hub’s Synapse initiative joined forces to help mid-market Wisconsin manufacturers apply AI with confidence
MKE Tech Hub Coalition is a nonprofit membership organization
serving as a unifying voice for Milwaukee’s tech ecosystem and a
catalyst for innovation through meaningful connections. Through its Synapse initiative, MKE Tech Hub provides AI strategy and transformation leadership for mid-market manufacturers across Wisconsin.
Announced in February 2026, this partnership—bringing together WMEP, UW–Stout’s Manufacturing Outreach Center, and MKE Tech Hub—helps manufacturers take a strategic, practical approach to adopting AI and advanced technologies.