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    Business man and woman walking through a manufacturing shop floor talking about the 2026 ECI Trend Report for Manufacturing
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    Turning 2026 Industry Shifts Into Operational Wins: A Panel Discussion

    Feb 11, 2026

    Wednesday

    11:00 AM

    CT

    Free

    Join our expert panel for a deep dive into the 2026 ECI Trend Report and discover practical strategies to navigate the workforce, technology, and trade pressures of the coming year. 

    Every year, the manufacturing industry undergoes unprecedented shifts, but 2026 is positioned to be a year of innovation driven by necessity. For SMB manufacturers, success in 2026 is not about a total overnight transformation; it is about modernizing to build a more stable, informed, and resilient business.

    We’ve gathered a panel of ECI leadership that span sales, customer success, and technical engineering to translate high-level trends into a practical playbook for your shop floor. Our industry leaders are sharing their insider tips on how to maximize your business from top to bottom.  

    What you’ll learn: 

    • The digital shift: Why 92% of manufacturers believe smart manufacturing is now the primary driver of competitiveness.
    • The workforce challenge: How to bridge the "knowledge continuity" gap as one in four workers approaches retirement.
    • Cybersecurity and connectivity: Practical steps to protect your business as IT and OT environments come together.
    • Trade and volatility: Strategies to manage margin pressure from challenging tariff-related cost increases and supply chain realignment.
    • Practical AI: How to move AI from a "curiosity" to a productivity multiplier embedded in your existing systems.

    Register for the LIVE panel discussion

    Meet the presenters

    Lisa O'Flaherty

    Principal Solutions Engineer

    Lisa O'Flaherty, currently a senior solutions engineer for JobBOSS and JobBOSS², has been with ECI for over 25 years and worked in the manufacturing industry since 1996. Her extensive background in manufacturing and software knowledge have allowed her to pair the two into a combination that will drive success for the companies she works with. Lisa’s first 10 years of experience at JobBOSS with the implementation team led her to hundreds of shops, helping them turn the page from manual and redundant processes to that of efficiency and profitability. Her experience being in the shops and seeing firsthand how implementations really need to happen have been invaluable to her current position offering solutions to those companies that are not reaping the benefits of a great job-based system.

    Tim Watkins

    VP of Integrated Solutions

    With nearly two decades of sales experience, mainly in the small to medium business market, Tim Watkins brings expertise and consulting experience to the manufacturing industry. Working as a manufacturing rep for five years, Tim has walked the shop floors many times. He also spent five years working for FedEx and helping SMB manufacturing companies optimize their shipping channels. With seven years of software sales experience as well, Tim understands the benefits that software can provide your organization.

    Kelly Aulenback

    VP of Account Management

    Kelly Aulenback is a seasoned sales and account management leader with more than 16 years of experience across the manufacturing and ERP software space. Throughout his career, he has built and led high-performing sales organizations, driven consistent revenue growth, and more importantly helped manufacturing companies modernize operations through customer-centric, technology-driven solutions. Kelly brings a disciplined, data-driven approach to execution, paired with a strong passion for developing teams and building trusted customer partnerships. His background spans ERP optimization, go-to-market strategy, and large-scale customer transformations, with a focus on aligning solutions that deliver measurable business impact. Kelly is known for his ability to translate complex business challenges into actionable strategies, enabling both customers and teams to succeed while creating long-term value for the organizations he serves.