For pioneering green project management in intelligent manufacturing

IM Innovation Studio’s Leader at Shanghai GKN HUAYU Driveline Systems Co., Ltd (SDS) | Shanghai, China

Artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and big data integration all have powerful applications and implications for manufacturing. While these tools can produce optimal conditions in manufacturing that result in a superior product and a faster “factory floor to market” time, their implementation also requires rapid learning, new quality standards, and seamless integration with existing processes, often on an accelerated timeline. But for Peiyao Ni, overcoming these challenges is part of the thrill.

As leader of the IM Innovation Studio at Shanghai GKN HUAYU Driveline Systems Co., Ltd (SDS), Peiyao embraces opportunities and obstacles that come from adopting smart manufacturing technologies. “We need innovation. We need to use new tools,” she says.

Her proactive approach extends beyond pioneering intelligent manufacturing. Peiyao has also implemented a green sustainable development framework that aligns project goals with environmental responsibility, creating what she calls “a harmonious co-existence between project goals and organizational environment.”

This approach was central as Peiyao led her team to achieve a world-first: the introduction of AI algorithms into automotive drive-shaft inspection and assembly technologies, which led to tech breakthroughs in intelligent manufacturing. Notably, Peiyao was responsible for managing global cross-functional collaboration and resource integration, leading to a sound business intelligence tracking platform. Her leadership cultivated talent and made significant contributions to her company’s bottom line after she developed a project management approach that eliminated redundant and ineffective development work, integrated diversified project development resources, and built an internal visual business intelligence platform that improved project tracking.

Reflecting on her career, Peiyao says that applying critical thinking to innovative projects gets her excited about her work. “I was proud to lead our project to a quick delivery time of six months,” she says, and to achieve a first-in-class development that can improve auto manufacturing.