At MODEX 2026, Matrix Design Group hosted an expert guest panel discussion focused on one of the most persistent challenges in industrial environments: reducing risk where mobile equipment and pedestrians operate in shared spaces. The conversation brought together enterprise safety leaders to share real-world experiences implementing collision avoidance as part of broader safety and operational strategies.
Moderator:
Jackson Phillips, Account Manager, Matrix Design Group
Panelists:
Kirk Mahan, Director – Safety Transformation, Georgia-Pacific
Jeremy Summers, Enterprise Safety Strategy and Growth Leader, Owens Corning
From Technology to Execution
The discussion centered on a shift in how organizations approach collision avoidance. Rather than evaluating whether the technology works, enterprise teams are focused on how to successfully deploy and scale it across operations, IT environments, procurement processes, and diverse equipment fleets.
Enterprise Deployment Challenges
Panelists emphasized that the complexity of implementation extends beyond product evaluation. Key challenges include:
- Aligning safety and operations teams early in the process
- Managing mixed fleets and legacy equipment
- Standardizing deployments across facilities
- Supporting long-term scalability and service requirements
As organizations expand beyond single-site deployments, these challenges become more visible and require coordinated execution across business units.
Driving Adoption Across Operations
Successful adoption depends on building internal alignment and establishing realistic expectations for implementation. Panelists highlighted the importance of cross-functional coordination, particularly between safety, operations, and leadership teams, to ensure consistent execution and system reliability.
They also noted that large-scale rollout requires structured planning rather than treating safety systems as simple, standalone installations.
From Visibility to Action
Increased visibility into interactions between mobile equipment and pedestrians enables organizations to identify patterns of risk, support safer behaviors, and accelerate decision-making across leadership teams. Panelists shared that access to real-world data and operational insights helps drive faster alignment and more decisive action at the enterprise level.
Scaling Safety Across the Enterprise
The session reinforced that collision avoidance is most effective when embedded into broader safety strategies. By aligning people, processes, and systems, organizations can move from isolated deployments to scalable, enterprise-wide programs that support long-term safety performance and operational consistency.