The SaaSpocolypse: Hype, Reality & the Future of MES

The SaaSpocolypse: Hype, Reality & the Future of MES

February 25, 2026 · 55 min · Season 4 · Episode 1

About this episode

The episode discusses the challenges and realities of SaaS in manufacturing software, featuring insights from Francisco Almada Lobo.

What a wild ride in the past week for the software vendors of the S&P 500 and beyond! In this episode, we sit down with Francisco Almada Lobo , CEO and co-founder of Critical Manufacturing , who used the term “SaaSpocolypse” to describe the growing tension between SaaS business models, AI "vibe-coding" and the operational realities of manufacturing software — particularly MES. This conversation goes beyond hype. It challenges assumptions about deployment models, vendor lock-in, data ownership, and the future architecture of smart manufacturing systems. If you care about the future of MES, interoperability, lifecycle thinking, and building resilient manufacturing systems — this episode is a must-listen.

People in this episode

Guest: Francisco Almada Lobo

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Critical Manufacturing, S&P 500

Products: SaaS, MES

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