Lighthouses cut through new technology hype with a value-backed roadmap FIGURE 18 Advanced Foundational pihsgal FHyper -connectivity AGV/AMR logistics automation, IoT-based OEE dashboar ds, robotics/co-bot integration, digital performance management, condition-based maintenance yllacipyt sesuohthgiL deploy up to 50+ solutions at scale with 5-10 ﬂagship AI-assisted systems Vision-based quality inspection, open-loop parameter optimization, NLP/chatbot-enabled r eporting, AI-enabled pr edictive maintenance Closed-loop, autonomous Self-optimizing pr ocess contr ol (root cause analysis, scheduling), parameter optimization (e.g. energy consumption), agentic decision systems snoitulos fo erah Slevel ytiruta m noitulo S snoitulos fo %06 ~~30% of solutions fo %01 ~ solutionsLighthousesHype Pilot purgatoryScaling slump Notes: AGV = automated guided vehicle, AMR = autonomous mobile robot. Source: Global Lighthouse Network. Lighthouses treat technical decisions as business-critical Each new technology wave is as new to Lighthouses as to anyone else, but they stay ahead by steadily building capabilities that matter. As tools become more accessible, in-house teams move quickly, prototyping and refining solutions tailored to local operational needs. Figure 19 compares development approaches, ranging from in-house builds to third-party solutions, across three AI technologies: analytical, generative and agentic. The variation reveals a deeper shift: technology choices are now strategic levers for value creation, not just implementation details. As decisions move from IT to the C-suite, Lighthouses weigh not only cost and speed, but also how each approach builds differentiated capabilities and resilience across the enterprise. Lighthouses treat make-versus-buy not as a binary choice, but rather as a dynamic capability, building internal fluency while maintaining an open ecosystem of partners. As AI and analytics become standardized modules within enterprise resource planning (ERP) and other vendor platforms, this dual model enables agile in-house development alongside partner-driven scale, preventing technology fragmentation and keeping AI anchored in business value. Global Lighthouse Network: Rewiring Operations for Resilience and Impact at Scale 30

Global Lighthouse Network 2026