[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":356},["ShallowReactive",2],{"/news/2026-06-18-ai-automation-hype":3,"/news/2026-06-18-ai-automation-hype-recents":169,"surroundAI and Automation Without the Hype: Where to Start":353},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"date":147,"description":148,"extension":149,"meta":150,"navigation":159,"path":160,"seo":161,"sitemap":162,"stem":163,"tags":164,"__hash__":168},"news/news/2026-06-18-ai-automation-hype.md","AI and Automation Without the Hype: Where to Start",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":138},"minimark",[9,13,19,22,25,30,33,41,47,53,59,63,66,69,73,76,79,83,86,114,118,121,124,127],[10,11,12],"p",{},"At CambsB2B North on 11th June 2026, our Managing Director, Jason Mashinchi, gave a talk on a question we hear from almost every SME we work with: \"Where do you actually begin with AI?\"",[10,14,15],{},[16,17,18],"strong",{},"AI adoption for SMEs involves identifying which repetitive or data-heavy tasks can be handled more efficiently by AI tools, starting with clear inputs and measurable outputs.",[10,20,21],{},"With plenty of questions and uncertainty in the room, the audience was hooked on every word, with many businesses clearly keen to move past the noise and find something practical to help them free up headspace for the work that actually matters.",[10,23,24],{},"Here is a recap of the main points for anyone who couldn't make it or wants a reminder of what was covered.",[26,27,29],"h2",{"id":28},"the-opportunity-and-the-hesitation-with-ai","The Opportunity, and the Hesitation with AI",[10,31,32],{},"Every industry is going through some form of digital transformation, and AI sits right at the front of it. The potential is real: better efficiency, higher quality, lower costs, and time freed up for the work that actually matters. The hesitation is just as real. We hear the same \"yes, but\" responses again and again.",[10,34,35,36,40],{},"\"",[37,38,39],"em",{},"We lack the expertise.","\" - New tools let non-engineers build systems and understand their own data.",[10,42,35,43,46],{},[37,44,45],{},"It's too expensive.","\" - Start small, let the service scale, and the efficiency gains often pay for themselves.",[10,48,35,49,52],{},[37,50,51],{},"Our data isn't good enough.","\" - You already have usable data, AI works with small sets, and it can help you collect more.",[10,54,35,55,58],{},[37,56,57],{},"It'll disrupt our workforce.","\" - In practice, it augments people by taking the tedious work away, allowing staff to focus solely on higher-value tasks.",[26,60,62],{"id":61},"what-ai-is","What AI Is",[10,64,65],{},"Jason's framing went down well with the audience. Think of AI as a very knowledgeable intern. Fast, capable, and occasionally confidently wrong. Large language models predict the next most likely word, so they can make things up, which means you should always verify.",[10,67,68],{},"It works best on tasks where you can tell whether the answer is right, and the old rule applies more than ever: put rubbish in, expect rubbish out.",[26,70,72],{"id":71},"understand-your-data-processes-and-systems","Understand Your Data, Processes, and Systems",[10,74,75],{},"A recurring theme was that the foundations matter more than the tools. Most businesses want a single system that runs everything, yet the reality is that data is spread across SharePoint folders, CRM, ERP systems, spreadsheets, and even filing cabinets. Most of the pain shows up at the joins, where information is re-keyed between disconnected tools.",[10,77,78],{},"The same goes for processes. You cannot automate a process you cannot describe, so understanding how work really flows, including the hand-offs and the workarounds, often delivers quick wins before AI is even involved. Information should flow through the business, not around it.",[26,80,82],{"id":81},"four-practical-ways-to-put-ai-to-work","Four Practical Ways to Put AI to Work",[10,84,85],{},"Jason set out four levels, each adding more leverage and demanding more from your data:",[87,88,89,96,102,108],"ul",{},[90,91,92,95],"li",{},[16,93,94],{},"Asking and exploring:"," Q&A over documents, summaries and \"what if\" questions",[90,97,98,101],{},[16,99,100],{},"Instructing:"," drafting emails, reports, plans, or code",[90,103,104,107],{},[16,105,106],{},"Reviewing:"," refining your own work, improving tone, clarity, and structure",[90,109,110,113],{},[16,111,112],{},"Automating:"," multi-step workflows that update systems and handle tasks end to end",[26,115,117],{"id":116},"a-sensible-way-to-start-adopting-ai","A Sensible Way to Start Adopting AI",[10,119,120],{},"The advice for getting going was refreshingly down-to-earth. Start with the outcome you want and work backwards. Essentially, what pain points do you want to eradicate? Consolidate your data so it is consistent and accessible. Automate data collection to cut out failure points. Document what you do and how you make decisions, which Jason described as \"gold dust\" for getting better results from AI.",[10,122,123],{},"A safe pilot follows a simple loop: choose a pain point, experiment with real tasks, measure whether the output is good enough, build confidence within the team, then review, and keep asking why. The worst thing any business can do is nothing at all, especially with how clever these AI models are becoming.",[10,125,126],{},"A big thank you to the Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce team for organising such a well-run event, and everyone who stopped by our stand to talk through their challenges. It was a pleasure to meet new faces and catch up with familiar ones, too.",[10,128,129,130,137],{},"You can find out more about Jason's talks and book him to speak at one of your events around the topic of AI and business process improvements on our ",[131,132,136],"a",{"href":133,"rel":134},"https://www.kinabase.com/about/speaker",[135],"nofollow","speakers page",".",{"title":139,"searchDepth":140,"depth":140,"links":141},"",2,[142,143,144,145,146],{"id":28,"depth":140,"text":29},{"id":61,"depth":140,"text":62},{"id":71,"depth":140,"text":72},{"id":81,"depth":140,"text":82},{"id":116,"depth":140,"text":117},"2026-06-18T00:00:00.000Z","AI and automation adoption for SMEs, without the hype. A recap of Jason Mashinchi's CambsB2B talk on where to start, what holds teams back, and how to build confidence.","md",{"img":151,"featureImg":151,"imgPos":152,"featureImgPos":153,"readingTime":154},"/news/2026-06-18-ai-automation-hype.png","50% 50%","50% 80%",{"text":155,"minutes":156,"time":157,"words":158},"4 min read",3.41,204600,682,true,"/news/2026-06-18-ai-automation-hype",{"title":5,"description":148},{"loc":160},"news/2026-06-18-ai-automation-hype",[165,166,167],"News","AI Adoption","Event","aNOSxKl5j7DjfDzD9o0ktJv28kPqydlT1O-r_Vdab3o",[170,269],{"id":171,"title":172,"body":173,"date":253,"description":254,"extension":149,"meta":255,"navigation":159,"path":261,"seo":262,"sitemap":263,"stem":264,"tags":265,"__hash__":268},"news/news/2026-04-28-peerless-plastics-event.md","What Does AI Actually Look Like in a Manufacturing Business? Cambridge Kinetics at Peerless Plastics Conference",{"type":7,"value":174,"toc":247},[175,178,182,185,188,192,195,198,204,213,217,220,223,227,230,233],[10,176,177],{},"On 15 April 2026, Cambridge Kinetics founder Jason Mashinchi joined a room of manufacturers, engineers, and industry leaders at the Peerless Plastics & Engineered Surfaces conference to answer a question that many SME owners are grappling with: where do you actually start with AI?",[26,179,181],{"id":180},"a-day-built-around-the-future-of-manufacturing","A Day Built Around the Future of Manufacturing",[10,183,184],{},"The event, hosted at The English Distillery in Norfolk, brought together speakers and delegates from across the manufacturing value chain. Organised by Peerless Plastics and Coatings, it was designed to spark honest conversation about the pressures and opportunities facing UK manufacturing today.",[10,186,187],{},"Sessions covered skills and workforce development, global pressures on UK and European plastics manufacturing, collaboration across the supply chain, and the role of AI and data in driving operational change. A factory tour at the Peerless Plastics facility rounded out the afternoon, giving attendees a hands-on look at the innovations being embedded on the production floor.",[26,189,191],{"id":190},"cutting-through-the-ai-noise","Cutting Through the AI Noise",[10,193,194],{},"Jason’s session focused on something often missing from conversations about AI in manufacturing: the practical reality of getting started. Rather than presenting AI as a futuristic concept reserved for large enterprises, his talk explored how SME manufacturers can analyse the data they already hold, identify the processes causing friction, and take confident first steps into digitisation, keeping up with or even ahead of competitors who have yet to adopt AI in their businesses.",[10,196,197],{},"The response in the room reflected just how much this issue has resonated with the audience. Attendees had questions about where AI fits into their existing workflows, what realistic integration looks like without large IT teams, and how to avoid the common trap of investing in technology that doesn’t connect to real business outcomes. It was a conversation that went well beyond the allotted session time.",[199,200,201],"blockquote",{},[10,202,203],{},"For manufacturers who are ready to move beyond the buzzwords, the opportunity to digitise and harness their own data has never been more accessible.",[10,205,206,207,212],{},"The session sat alongside contributions from Will Bridgman of Warren on apprenticeships and workforce strategy, highlighting the importance of promoting from within, giving people a chance, but also knowing when to make those difficult decisions. James Williamson from Made Smarter East of England also spoke on the funding and support available to help SME manufacturers adopt digital tools, including mentioning our current offering of workshops with manufacturers on the journey of digital transformation with Made Smarter support. Rounded off by Peter, who talked about ",[131,208,211],{"href":209,"rel":210},"https://www.peerless-coatings.co.uk/",[135],"Peerless Plastics & Coatings",", the importance of coating plastics, and that they are a regular in everyday life, including a demonstration of how coated plastics cannot be easily scratched. Together, the four talks painted a picture of an industry in transition, and one that is actively looking for practical guidance rather than theory.",[26,214,216],{"id":215},"ai-in-manufacturing-the-momentum-is-building","AI in Manufacturing: The Momentum Is Building",[10,218,219],{},"Events like this matter because they create space for conversations that rarely happen on the production floor. Manufacturers are under real pressure from global competition, rising costs, and a tightening skills market. AI and digitisation are not a silver bullet, but for businesses that understand their own data, they represent a genuine lever for efficiency, resilience, and growth.",[10,221,222],{},"Cambridge Kinetics works with growing SMEs across manufacturing, construction, professional services, and other sectors through implementing Kinabase, an AI-powered data management and automation platform built to make data actionable for businesses that don’t have enterprise-level resources. The interest generated at events like Peerless Plastics’ conference reinforces what the team hears regularly: manufacturers know that they need to move, they just want a clear starting point.",[26,224,226],{"id":225},"bring-ai-expertise-to-your-event","Bring AI Expertise to Your Event",[10,228,229],{},"If you are organising a conference, industry event, or workshop and want to give your audience a grounded, engaging perspective on AI and digital transformation in manufacturing, Jason is available for speaking engagements.",[10,231,232],{},"His sessions are tailored to the audience, practical in focus, and designed to leave delegates with something they can act on. Topics include AI adoption for SME manufacturers, making sense of business data, and building a digitisation strategy that fits the scale and pace of your organisation.",[10,234,235,236,240,241,246],{},"Get in touch with Millie Martin at ",[131,237,239],{"href":238},"mailto:events@kinabase.com","events@kinabase.com"," to discuss a speaking slot or visit our ",[131,242,245],{"href":243,"rel":244},"https://www.kinabase.com/solutions/industries/manufacturing",[135],"industry pages"," to find out more about how Kinabase is helping manufacturers to work smarter, not harder.",{"title":139,"searchDepth":140,"depth":140,"links":248},[249,250,251,252],{"id":180,"depth":140,"text":181},{"id":190,"depth":140,"text":191},{"id":215,"depth":140,"text":216},{"id":225,"depth":140,"text":226},"2026-04-28T00:00:00.000Z","Cambridge Kinetics founder Jason Mashinchi joined manufacturers, engineers and industry leaders at the Peerless Plastics & Engineered Surfaces conference to explore where SMEs can actually start with AI.",{"img":256,"featureImg":256,"imgPos":152,"readingTime":257},"/news/2026-04-28-peerless-plastics-event.png",{"text":155,"minutes":258,"time":259,"words":260},3.445,206700,689,"/news/2026-04-28-peerless-plastics-event",{"title":172,"description":254},{"loc":261},"news/2026-04-28-peerless-plastics-event",[165,266,167,267],"AI","Manufacturing","LK0EOmI5vbvEHcmRz22vXwy007oPrRXbx_suIbEEX48",{"id":270,"title":271,"body":272,"date":337,"description":338,"extension":149,"meta":339,"navigation":159,"path":346,"seo":347,"sitemap":348,"stem":349,"tags":350,"__hash__":352},"news/news/2026-03-10-welcome-alena.md","New Addition to Kinabase Team: Meet our Systems Consultant",{"type":7,"value":273,"toc":333},[274,277,280,284,287,300,303,306,310,313,325],[10,275,276],{},"We are pleased to welcome Alena Gorb to Kinabase as a Systems Consultant. Alena joins the team at an important stage as we continue helping organisations design, improve and scale the operational systems that support effective work.",[10,278,279],{},"Her role strengthens our ability to support clients not only in configuring the Kinabase platform, but in ensuring it fits coherently within their wider operational systems and ways of working.",[26,281,283],{"id":282},"combining-ai-and-systems-thinking","Combining AI and Systems Thinking",[10,285,286],{},"Kinabase is designed to bring clarity and control to complex operational environments, particularly where data, workflows and AI capabilities intersect. Alena brings a systems thinking approach that focuses on understanding how teams actually work, how information moves through an organisation and where structured improvements can reduce friction.",[199,288,289,294],{},[10,290,35,291,35],{},[37,292,293],{},"Well-structured data is the backbone of any organisation. From the outset, I've been impressed by how the team at Kinabase approaches the challenge of data management and pragmatic AI integration across a variety of sectors. I look forward to working with the team to help our clients apply Kinabase capabilities within their operational systems.",[10,295,296],{},[297,298,299],"cite",{}," – Alena",[10,301,302],{},"Systems design centres on mapping processes and ensuring that platform implementation supports real operational goals. This includes helping clients transition from fragmented or manual workflows to more reliable and repeatable processes supported by Kinabase's AI-powered capabilities.",[10,304,305],{},"Grounding implementation in a clear understanding of operational context helps ensure improvements are sustainable and aligned with broader organisational objectives.",[26,307,309],{"id":308},"strengthening-kinabase-delivery","Strengthening Kinabase Delivery",[10,311,312],{},"Jason Mashinchi, our Managing Director and Founder, highlighted that Alena's appointment strengthens Kinabase's capacity to deliver thoughtful system design, structured platform implementation and long-term client support.",[199,314,315,320],{},[10,316,317],{},[37,318,319],{},"\"As more organisations look to improve how data flows across teams and how AI can support operational decision-making, systems thinking is central to ensuring that change is practical and well integrated. We're excited to have Alena onboard to help our clients navigate operational complexity and change.\"",[10,321,322],{},[297,323,324],{}," – Jason",[10,326,327,328,332],{},"We are delighted to welcome Alena to the team and look forward to the contributions she will make across projects and partnerships. If you are exploring how to improve workflows, strengthen data management or apply AI within a structured operational framework, please ",[131,329,331],{"href":330},"/contact","get in touch"," with the team today.",{"title":139,"searchDepth":140,"depth":140,"links":334},[335,336],{"id":282,"depth":140,"text":283},{"id":308,"depth":140,"text":309},"2026-03-10T00:00:00.000Z","We are pleased to welcome Alena Gorb to Kinabase as a Systems Consultant, strengthening our ability to support clients in designing, improving and scaling operational systems.",{"img":340,"featureImg":340,"imgPos":152,"readingTime":341},"/news/2026-03-10-welcome-alena-photo.png",{"text":342,"minutes":343,"time":344,"words":345},"2 min read",1.735,104100,347,"/news/2026-03-10-welcome-alena",{"title":271,"description":338},{"loc":346},"news/2026-03-10-welcome-alena",[165,351],"Team","LcWJm_8dBBFrUwmiQlRSa0kYY1J8Lo-ZDkKrCV_yoW8",[354,355],{"title":172,"path":261,"stem":264,"children":-1},null,1781787947182]