Q&A With Industry Executive Matt Jetmore
The concrete and ready mix industry has begun to meander into the Artificial Intelligence (AI) realm to meet today’s challenges and tomorrow’s expectations. The industry is facing growth and changes thanks in part to technological innovations.
One of the most exciting applications or game-changing impact AI can have for concrete and bulk materials producers is the ability to shift mechanical, routine tasks off employees, says Matt Jetmore, a ready mix concrete executive with more than 35 years of experience.
“Think locating trucks, confirming orders, material planning, etc.,” Jetmore says. “This will allow employees to focus on exceptions where human insight and intervention can have a more positive impact on our customers.”
BCMI, developer of cloud-native dispatch, performance analytics, interactive communication tools and AI-assisted solutions, was a part of a panel discussion on AI in our industry with Jetmore recently and wanted to dive deeper into his expertise.
Q: Based on your experience looking into applications of AI, what should producers ask themselves to determine if it could or should have a role in their businesses?
Jetmore: I think AI should be evaluated like any other new product or technology. What problems can be solved and what is the value proposition. I don’t think anyone should implement AI just because of the buzz. At the end of the day, we’ve still got to pay our bills. That said, the industry has a history of moving slowly. I think the leaders are those who are engaged in actively evaluating solutions and are prepared to move decisively if and when the opportunity presents itself.
Q: Where can producers start if they’re interested in applying AI in their businesses?
Jetmore: While general business use cases like improving writing and communication are widely discussed, industry-specific applications can offer more tailored benefits. Paying attention to what vendors are offering is a smart approach. It allows you to see the latest advancements and understand how they can be applied to your specific industry. Researching options without immediately jumping into piloting can help you make more informed decisions when the time comes to implement AI solutions.
Q: Can you give an example of how you’ve seen AI implemented? How did it go? Was it successful?
Jetmore: We used AI-assisted tools to digest a huge number of internal documents and procedures to put together a multimedia training course for our plant managers and operators. AI allowed us to not just distill the information down to the relevant points, but also generate power point slides and voice overs. While we could have done this manually, the AI-assisted tools allowed us to do it much more efficiently and resulted in a high-quality product.
Q: Where do you see AI technology in five years, and how will it specifically impact materials producers?
Jetmore: I think we are at a watershed moment. Think about the release of the iPhone in 2017. It was quickly apparent that this was a paradigm shift. However, I don’t think any of us could have predicted TikTok. The only thing I can predict with any certainty is that there will be similar paradigm shifts coming to our industry.