For many small and medium sized manufacturers, the principles of the Fourth Industrial Revolution are abstract. Terms like interconnectivity, IoTT, customization, flexible automation, AI/machine learning, and Big Data are routinely referenced in the corresponding rhetoric. Yet, many don’t understand how these technologies can be applied to existing operations and systems to manifest the prescribed benefits of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. While improving quality, increasing productivity, and reducing waste has always driven manufacturers’ business decisions, when viewed through the principals of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, a more elegant approach is provided. Smart factories don’t have to be fully automated, fancy factories of the future; instead, an evolution of existing equipment and processes married with thoughtful investment in new technologies and talent.