A lot of people think you need a perfect plan to get into industrial automation. Mia Skurdic proves the opposite. She started college unsure of her direction, discovered programming for the first time in an intro engineering rotation, and later landed in the Ignition ecosystem almost by accident, then never looked back.

We dig into what it’s really like to grow inside the manufacturing world as a computer science major: building MES solutions as a systems integrator, connecting Ignition to ERP systems, and learning why the database layer often carries the “real” business logic. Mia also gives a clear, practical breakdown of Perspective vs Vision and MES vs SCADA, including how OEE, traceability, and process orchestration change the conversation beyond simple real-time machine visibility.

Then we zoom out to the skills that make automation engineers dangerous in the best way: reading the manual, using the forums, learning by doing, and leaning on a community that actually shows up. We also talk AI as a lightweight troubleshooting partner, why vibe coding can make debugging harder, and the future trend Mia wants to see everywhere in OT: better software engineering practices like Git version control and repeatable deployments. We wrap with a reminder that you don’t have to be “a math genius” to build a great career, plus why Ignition Maker Edition is a legit way to learn through personal projects.

Subscribe for more conversations like this, share the episode with a friend in controls or software, and leave a review so more people can find Automation Ladies.

Support the show

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🎙 About Automation Ladies

Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing.

__________________________________________________________________

🎤 Want to be a guest on the show?
https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/

__________________________________________________________________

👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts

Nikki Gonzales

Courtney Fernandez

Ali G

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🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com

Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections.

🎬 Credits

Produced by: Veronica Espinoza
Music by: Sam Janes

P.S. - Help our podcast grow with ...

🫆 Thank you to our amazing sponsor Inductive Automation

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Industrial automation doesn’t need more hype. It needs tools that solve real plant problems, survive real uptime demands, and still play nicely with modern IT. We sit down with Colby Clegg, CEO of Inductive Automation, to unpack how Ignition grew out of a systems integrator’s breaking point: the cost and pain of getting PLC data into SQL databases and into the hands of people who could actually use it.

From there, we zoom out on OT IT convergence and why the divide persists. We talk about OPC UA, open platforms, and the very different risk tolerances that shape engineering decisions on the plant floor versus the enterprise. Colby shares how Inductive hires a lot of software and computer science talent, then teaches the industrial context, and why that approach can challenge the “this is how we’ve always done it” mindset without ignoring the reality of downtime, compliance, and safety.

Finally, we get specific about what’s new: the arc from Ignition 8.3 toward Ignition 2027, the push for infrastructure independence with containerization, orchestration, and source control friendly configuration, and how that openness intersects with AI in manufacturing. We’re candid about the distance between impressive generative AI output and a production ready control system, why guardrails matter, and why legacy upgrades are becoming a cybersecurity issue, not just a maintenance task. If you enjoy the conversation, subscribe, share it with a friend in OT or IT, and leave a review so more automation folks can find the show.

______________________________________________________________

Support the show

_________________________________________________________________

🎙 About Automation Ladies

Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing.

__________________________________________________________________

🎤 Want to be a guest on the show?
https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/

__________________________________________________________________

👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts

Nikki Gonzales

Courtney Fernandez

Ali G

__________________________________________________________________

🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com

Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections.

🎬 Credits

Produced by: Veronica Espinoza
Music by: Sam Janes

P.S. - Help our podcast grow with ...

Your digital transformation plan is probably not failing because you picked the wrong protocol. It’s failing because IT and OT are solving different problems with different timelines, different risk tolerance, and zero shared language. We sit down with David Ariens and Willem van Lammeren from the ITOT Insider podcast to get honest about what it really takes to make IT/OT convergence work inside real manufacturing and critical infrastructure.

We trace how they went from plant roles at BASF to building IT/OT Insider as a “therapy session” that turned into a blog, a podcast, a live online academy, and now a new book, The IT/OT Handbook. Along the way, we talk industrial cybersecurity after Stuxnet, why vendors struggle to position products, and why most teams are not limited by technology as much as cooperation, politics, ownership, and decision-making.

We also dig into scaling, because proofs of concept are cheap and production is brutal. From “pilot purgatory” to the bus factor (or lottery problem), we unpack what it takes to move from a clever demo to something secure, supportable, and sustainable. If you care about DataOps, unified namespace thinking, industrial data platforms, or AI in manufacturing, this conversation keeps the focus where it belongs: the operating model around the tech.

Bonus: we’re giving away free copies of The IT/OT Handbook. Post on LinkedIn, link to this episode, tag Automation Ladies and IT/OT Insider, share what you liked (or didn’t), and say you want the book. First 10 people get a copy. Subscribe, share this with one OT or IT friend who needs it, and leave a review so more automation folks can find the show.

Support the show

_________________________________________________________________

🎙 About Automation Ladies

Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing.

__________________________________________________________________

🎤 Want to be a guest on the show?
https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/

__________________________________________________________________

👩‍🏭 Connect with the Hosts

Nikki Gonzales

Courtney Fernandez

Ali G

__________________________________________________________________

🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com

Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections.

🎬 Credits

Produced by: Veronica Espinoza
Music by: Sam Janes

P.S. - Help our podcast grow with ...