Sara Smith

Service AI Program Owner Waters Corporation

Sara brings a unique perspective to AI implementation in field service, combining hands-on technical experience with deep expertise in the human side of transformation. With 18 years in the industry and a background that spans Forensic Toxicology and an MBA in healthcare management, she has lived the field service journey from multiple angles - starting as a Forensic Scientist at Quest Diagnostics, working as a Field Service Engineer, and advancing through various leadership roles at Waters Corporation, including Director of Global Service Change Enablement. In her current role leading digital support initiatives for Waters' global service organization, Sara has successfully launched the company's first AI implementation, doubling cost avoidance targets and significantly reducing on-site labor hours in just the first year. But her real expertise lies in something most AI initiatives overlook: getting people to actually use the technology. By blending change management principles with AI strategy, she has developed approaches that help risk-averse organizations move forward confidently, addressing the fears, resistance, and cultural barriers that typically derail even the most promising technical solutions. Sara's philosophy is straightforward - the technology is rarely the hard part; it's the people side that determines whether AI initiatives succeed or become expensive shelf-ware.

Wednesday, April 8, 2026

10:30 AM Early Explorers in AI Meet-Up

(Limited to 20 participants from manufacturers and distributors only)

If you're at the very early stages of your AI journey, this is the meet and greet session for you! Connect with fellow peers who are gathering information to develop an AI roadmap. Find out the latest use cases in front and back office operations, and make new connections to share tips and tricks along the way.

Hosted by:

Sara Smith, Service AI Program Owner, Waters Corporation

Jamison Wharry, Director, Global Commercial Service, Hach

2:45 PM Track A: Panel: Getting Started with AI in Field Service (Even If You're Risk-Averse)

From automating dispatch to enabling predictive maintenance, AI is making waves in field service, yet for many organizations, the path forward is unclear. In this practical discussion, service leaders who’ve taken the leap will share how to start small, scale responsibly, and ensure AI implementations are effective, secure, and trusted. Panelists will kick off the panel sharing one low-risk high impact AI use case they recommend as a starting point, highlighting what they did, how they pitched it and early results. Additional discussion topics include:

Making the case to leadership by framing AI adoption in terms of business outcomes, customer benefit, and operational efficiency to gain executive buy-in and resourcing
Managing risk and IP concerns by protecting proprietary knowledge and mitigating AI risk in highly technical environments
Practical strategies for launching pilot programs on a budget and focusing on targeted use cases like knowledge retrieval, ticket routing, or predictive diagnostics
Measuring success to assess value from early efforts, tracking adoption, accuracy, and time savings to justify continued investment

Check out the incredible speaker line-up to see who will be joining Sara.

Download The Latest Agenda