November 17, 2025
November 17, 2025
Why are many manufacturers still struggling to extract value from their data?
The simple answer is: itβs not the data itself.
The real problem is how people make sense of it. Or, more accurately, how they canβt.
Even with perfect dashboards and engineered pipelines, teams struggle.
Not because the dataβs wrong, but because itβs not embedded in how people actually solve problems.
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And not the oversimplified version of βwe add a bit of context.β
Real context. The kind that mirrors how people learn, discuss, connect dots, and adapt in messy, real-world environments.
Context isnβt a column in your spreadsheet.
Itβs revealed through language, conversation, trial-and-error, shared experience, and collective learning.
β
Kudzai Manditereza is an industrial data and AI educator and strategist. He specializes in Industrial AI, IIoT, Unified Namespace, Digital Twins, and Industrial DataOps, helping manufacturing leaders implement and scale Smart Manufacturing initiatives.
Kudzai shares this thinking through Industry40.tv, his independent media and education platform; the AI in Manufacturing podcast; and the Smart Factory Playbook newsletter, where he shares practical guidance on building the data backbone that makes industrial AI work in real-world manufacturing environments. Recognized as a Top 15 Industry 4.0 influencer, he currently serves as Senior Industry Solutions Advocate at HiveMQ.