Industry Trends & Insights
Webinar
Join Reliabilityweb’s Research and Strategy Leader, Bob Francis for a live, interactive discussion with top industry analysts and researchers from ARC Advisory Group, Boston Consulting Group, Verdantix, and LNS Research, plus industry media veteran Tom Wilk of IndustryWeek.
This pre-conference webinar offers a first look at selected insights from the analysts’ latest research—along with highlights from Reliabilityweb’s 2026 Industry Trends and Insights findings and a preview of the 2026 Global Maintenance Excellence Survey (conducted by Boston Consulting Group, Reliabilityweb, and RWTH Aachen University). The webinar conversation will be a first look at the data and perspectives the same panel will explore in greater depth in their panel session at the 40th International Maintenance Conference (IMC 2026) on December 7-10 in Marco Island, Florida.
Webinar attendees will gain an early window into the trends, market forces, and innovation shaping maintenance, reliability, and asset management. Additionally, webinar attendees will have an opportunity to help identify specific topics this all-star group will unpack and discuss as the full findings are revealed at IMC 2026. Don’t miss this exclusive first reveal of the research that will drive one of the conference’s most anticipated sessions.
Our Presenters
Bob Francis
Research & Strategy Leader
Reliabilityweb
Bob Francis has over 25 years in the reliability, maintenance, and asset performance fields and joined the staff of ReliabilityWeb.com as a Sr Reliability Leader after having held key executive roles with leading software providers and prominent research firms focused on industrial technology and digital transformation. Bob's primary responsibility is leading the Industrial Trends and Insights Research Program, but has been an integral part of the Reliabilityweb.com community from its early days as part of the Reliability Leadership Institute (RLI) and as a founding member of The Association for Asset Management Professionals (AMP). Before joining Reliabilityweb.com, he served as a Research Analyst and Advisor at LNS Research. His academic credentials include an MBA from LeTourneau University with concentrations in Marketing and Management and executive education in Business Analytics and Big Data from Harvard Business School. Outside of work in industrial software, Bob is a frequent guest lecturer on business, leadership, and communications at Grand Canyon University. Bob has also lectured at the University of Tennessee and the Texas A&M Mays School of Business.
Inderpreet Shoker
Director of Research
ARC Advisory Group
Inderpreet Shoker is an industrial technology analyst at ARC Advisory Group. With a career deeply rooted in market intelligence, industrial digitalization, and asset performance management (APM), Shoker is a leading voice on how industries leverage cutting-edge technology to achieve operational excellence. In her role, she leads research and industry analysis on digital technologies to improve reliability, workforce effectiveness, safety, and asset performance. Shoker is the primary author of ARC’s global market research reports on APM. She frequently writes about how traditional asset management has evolved into highly sophisticated modern APM integrating digital twins, predictive analytics, generative AI, machine learning and cloud-based systems. Shoker is a frequent speaker, moderator and session leader at industry events, where she works with end users and technology providers on topics such as smarter asset management, digital workers, and the use of AI to drive operational improvements.
Rachel Stanford
Knowledge Expert - Maintenance & Reliability at Boston Consulting Group
Tom Wilk
Chief Editor
IndustryWeek
Thomas Wilk is the award-winning chief editor of IndustryWeek, an Endeavor Business Media publication that champions the people and companies that make the U.S. manufacturing sector a global leader, and serves as Market Content Director for the eight brands that comprise Endeavor’s Manufacturing Group. Previously, Tom was chief editor of Plant Services, which focuses on smart solutions for reliable operations, is a frequent presenter at leading industry events. Tom holds a BA from the University of Illinois and an MA from Ohio State University.
Vivek Murugesan
Research Analyst
LNS Research
Vivek Murugesan is a Research Analyst at LNS Research, where he conducts primary research across Industrial AI, Advanced Analytics, and Industrial DataOps. He also leads the development of LNS’ several quantitative models, including the Industrial Productivity Index, and its market sizing and maturity assessments. Before his eight-plus years in industry research, Vivek held brief roles in manufacturing, focusing on operations and supply chain.
Josh Graessle
Senior Manager, Industrial Transformation
Verdantix
Josh is a Senior Manager at Verdantix, where he leads research on industrial transformation with a focus on asset and maintenance management, industrial AI analytics, manufacturing operations and industrial design, and engineering. He has authored major reports including the proprietary CMMS software benchmark, the 2025 global survey of operations, engineering, maintenance, process safety, data science and IT leaders, and forward-looking research on the future of industrial asset management. He advises maintenance, reliability and operations leaders on technology innovation, digital strategy, and industry best practices. He also co-chairs the Vantage Industrial Asset Management Council, which brings together from a wide range of industries and regions to exchange expertise and share best practices that help organizations improve asset performance, strengthen operational resilience and enhance execution across asset intensive environments. Before joining Verdantix, Josh worked at Volvo Group and Mack Trucks, supporting factory operations, robotics and automation initiatives, enterprise systems implementation and data analytics. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA from the University of Delaware.