Tom Meyns
IWS and Digital Manager - Danone
LinkedIn
(Beyond) Build or buy: the manufacturing edition
Every company faces the same crossroads: buy a platform with years of built-in best practices? Or build something that actually fits your processes, your people, your pace? Easy question. Hard answer.
Here's the thing: no two manufacturing companies are the same.
Different products. Different processes. Different culture. Different legacy systems. Different levels of maturity across sites.
And yet, when it comes to digital transformation, the pressure is always the same: move fast, don't break things, and make sure it scales. So what do you do? Go for a proven platform and adapt your processes? Or build something tailored and accept the risk that comes with it?
Together with Maecos, Mayker and Hyperion, we're bringing together leaders who've stood at that exact decision and made a call.
Spoiler: there's no single right answer. But there are smarter ways to think about the question.
What you'll hear
- Keynote from Pepijn Verhaeghe: From ugly duckling to Factory of the Future
In his keynote, Pepijn will reflect on a question many organisations struggle with: Can digitalisation bring both customer value and simplify life on the shop floor? What if digitalisation doesn’t just deliver data, but also creates real value for the customer and more calm on the shop floor? Drawing from his experience at ChocDecor, as a Factory of the Future auditor and Lean expert, he will show why sustainable digital transformation starts with culture, leadership and continuous improvement - Customer case: Danone
How Danone empowers frontline teams to work data-driven, without losing the human touch. A story about enthusiasm, progress, and keeping people at the centre. - Customer case: Etex
In just two years, Etex went from a single app to a scalable, data-driven production system across multiple plants with Mendix. - Panel: "Build or buy - where do you draw the line?" An open conversation with experts from industry, IT, and operations.
This event is for you if:
- You're at a crossroads: scale what you have, or try something new?
- Your sites are at different maturity levels, and one solution doesn't fit all
- You're weighing flexibility against proven best practices
- You want to hear from peers who've already made the call and learn from their trade-offs
Practical info
Date: 27/01/2026 Timing: 17:00 Location: Gent Zuiderpoort
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