Get to know LNS Research
We are a mission and vision-driven organization that takes exceptional pride in our professional, collaborative, and approachable team of experts.

We are on a mission to empower industry leaders to transform their organizations
Our vision is a world where industrial companies are agile, autonomous, and sustainable
Accelerate your growth with our proven framework
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The framework guides your membership engagement plan to ensure alignment, feedback, and progress is made across business processes and cross-functional teams.
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Business
Objectives -
Strategic
Initiatives -
Operational Architecture
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Solution
Selection -
Change
Management

Set business objectives
Business Objectives are set by the CEO and senior leadership team in accordance with the organization’s vision and mission
These objectives are the north star of transformation initiatives, with the other four swim lanes in alignment with and in support of these objectives.

Establish strategic initiatives
Strategic initiatives align resources and focus efforts to achieve specific business objectives
Membership supports your strategic initiatives across:
- Industrial Transformation Readiness
- Factory of the Future
- Autonomous Plant
- Quality 4.0
- Sustainable Operations
- Future of Industrial Work

Understand the operational architecture
Operational architecture is the connective tissue between strategic initiatives and solution selection
A solid operational architecture:
- Aligns IT and OT groups, technologies, and requirements.
- Answers build vs. buy questions.
- Defines the role of infrastructure, platforms, and applications.
- Manages the risk of vendor lock-in.
- Ensures sustainability and scalability of solutions.
- Simplifies and minimizes the number of disparate systems.
- Defines the role of legacy, cloud, and edge.
- Ensures successful data and analytics models.
- Establishes the future vision and value of digital twins.

Select a research-based solution
Solution Selection is a critical component of Industrial Transformation that must:
- Effectively identify the needs of users and executives.
- Build a defendable and achievable business case journey.
- Effectively scan and assess market players - free of an internal and external bias.
- Gain organizational buy-in.
- Align to the architecture and roadmaps of the organization.

See momentum with change management
Change Management is where transformational strategies become reality for the rest of the organization
Effective change management assesses the organization’s maturity and progresses along with a roadmap that moves a company from establishing momentum to crossing the transformation chasm and delivering value.
Expert-level insights
Receive ongoing, expert-level insights so that you can effectively overcome your most pressing organizational challenges and drive ROI
Research library access
Get unparalleled access to research data collected and analyzed by our expert analyst team for your own education and strategy development
Maturity Assessments
Understand how your organization compares to leaders across KPIs, nine different elements of maturity, and hundreds of associated business capabilities.
Exclusive event access
Get access to invite-only exclusive events, including quarterly Executive Roundtables and The Industrial Transformation Event, and connect with IX exemplars
LNS RESEARCH MEMBERS ARE MARKET LEADERS
“LNS membership has been instrumental in the success and progress of our company. And also, in my own personal journey in the space.”

Mike Carroll
VP Innovation, Georgia-Pacific
LNS RESEARCH MEMBERS ARE MARKET LEADERS
“As a primary member, I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing the depth of LNS’ research articles, advice during critical strategic planning, feedback on roadmaps, interactive executive roundtables, and benchmarking materials.”

Nick Sims
Business Unit CIO, Abbott
LNS RESEARCH MEMBERS ARE MARKET LEADERS
“LNS Research’s deep knowledge, combined with the supporting data and the experience of the collective, is critical to informing the accretive value components of any successful IX; together they enable a collaborative journey of discovery that begins with humility and enables us all to become more effective and successful with our customers.”

Mike Carroll
VP Innovation, Georgia-Pacific
LNS RESEARCH MEMBERS ARE MARKET LEADERS
"LNS Research's perspective on digital transformation and the industry is invaluable because it’s rooted in unbiased research. I consider it all high-quality and well-thought-out assets coupled with an amazing team.”

Nick Sims
Business Unit CIO, Abbott
Tom Comstock
Research Fellow
Tom Comstock conducts research on a broad range of Industrial-Transformation topics, utilizing his 35+ years of experience in industrial and manufacturing software, marketing, and product management.
Main coverage areas:
- IX Readiness
- Factory of the Future
- Quality Management
Niels Andersen
Principal Analyst & Research Director
Niels Andersen conducts research on a broad range of Industrial Transformation topics, utilizing his 30+ years of experience in industrial technology and software, and has held executive positions at industry-leading organizations.
Main coverage areas:
- Factory of the Future
- IX Readiness
- Industrial Analytics
- Software Architecture
James Wells
Senior Analyst & Research Director
James Wells has 25+ years of experience in Quality and continuous improvement, implementing quality management systems, and leading digital transformation initiatives across several industry sectors. James has also led four Lean Six Sigma deployments and is a certified Master Black Belt and Lean Specialist.
Main coverage areas:
- Quality 4.0
- Factory of the Future
Allison Kuhn
Research Analyst
Allison Kuhn has 20+ years of experience in process/project engineering working at Riverwood International and the US Air Force. She also has held leadership roles at notable companies within the chemical industry and the US Department of Energy, Strategic Petroleum Reserves.
Main coverage areas:
- Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS)
- Sustainability
- Future of Industrial Work
Vivek Murugesan
Research Analyst
Vivek Murugesan supports primary research across IX Readiness, Quality 4.0, and industrial Analytics. He also manages the quantitative analysis of LNS Research studies, creating data models, including maturity models, market sizing, and more.
Main coverage areas:
- Industrial Analytics
Leadership Team
Matthew Littlefield
Research Leader
Matthew Littlefield is Co-founder, President, and Research Lead at LNS Research. He leads the organization as it fulfills its mission of driving industrial transformation. and contributes to research across the breadth of topics covered by the firm.
Matt is a recognized industry expert, an active speaker, and contributing author across many industry publications, associations, and events. His passion, however, is advising manufacturing executives on Industrial Transformation and Operational Excellence.
Mehul Shah
Commercial Leader
Mehul Shah is the Co-Founder and Senior Associate at LNS Research. He advises industrial executives in their Operational Excellence and Industrial Transformation initiatives.
Mehul is instrumental in the work LNS Research conducts with clients as they develop and refine the organizational culture, operational architecture, and processes necessary for true and beneficial Industrial Transformation.
Diane Sacra
Vice President of Marketing
Diane Sacra is the Vice President of Marketing at LNS Research, leading the research firm's integrated marketing communications and helping to share the company's compelling story with the world.
Diane has 20+ years of experience leading companies' marketing and communications programs within a variety of industries, including Automotive, Insurance, IT, Telecommunications, Wholesaling, and Supply Chain/Logistics.
Sera Holt
Director of Operations
Sera Holt is Director of Operations at LNS Research, covering several cross-functional areas. She provides key leadership throughout several aspects of the organization from Finance, IT, and Sales Operations to Legal, Human Resources, and administration.
Sera has 20+ years of experience in operations, administration, logistics, and procurement across multiple industries, including public utilities, mobile technology, packaging, commercial construction, and banking.
Have questions?
We're here to help. If you have a question that is not answered here, please contact our team.
Is LNS Research a consulting firm?
No, LNS Research is not a consulting firm, though we work with many companies that utilize consultants. LNS Research is an advisory and research organization that partners with your company and provides you with a specific Industrial Transformation (IX) roadmap and a membership engagement plan. Our expert analysts will provide you with industry best practices, help you make key IX decisions and get organizational buy-in, walk you through our research, and help you avoid the transformation chasm so that you can pivot from vision to value.
Can I include additional members of my organization on calls/events?
Depending on your membership plan selected, we will collaborate regularly with your primary, executive, and additional team members. If you would like to include other personnel beyond that in your advisory calls or at events, your LNS Research Account Manager will work with you to determine how to best include those additional team members.
How can I request an LNS Research speaker?
LNS Research analysts frequently speak at both virtual and in-person events and are featured on webcasts and podcasts. If you are interested in requesting a speaker, please complete the Contact Us form. Please be specific with your event details, including purpose of the event, audience make-up, logistics, date/time slot/location, event format, and what topic(s) you would like an LNS Research expert to present/discuss. Thank you in advance for your interest.
We make getting started with IX simple

1. Book a strategy call
We will share with you the challenges companies like yours face and how your peers overcome them. Learn about our engagement model and how we can facilitate your success

2. Identify opportunities
Identify specific opportunities to drive return on investment and build your customized roadmap during your regular advisory sessions with our highly experienced analysts

3. Onboard your team
As a new member organization, we will work with you to effectively onboard your team and build your multi-year engagement plan to achieve your transformation goals