I spent years working at Sysmex (medical devices) and Toyota Group (automotive parts) in Japan. With the current AI boom, I see many companies trying to inject "Silicon Valley logic" (move fast and break things) into manufacturing floors. In my experience, this usually leads to what I call the "PoC Graveyard."

In the physical world, bugs aren't just Jira tickets—they are injuries, recalls, or broken lines. I argue that before writing any code, we must follow the "100x Rule":

Non-Standardized Process + AI = 100x Chaos

Standardized Process + AI = 100x Profit

If you automate a mess, you just get a faster mess. I put together my thoughts on why "Standardization" must strictly precede "Automation," along with a 5-step checklist I use to diagnose factory readiness.