Insights from a Decade of Manufacturing Workforce Trends

In this insightful podcast episode, join Thomas Davis, an experienced training manager, as he unravels the transformative shifts in the manufacturing workforce...

Mastering Value Stream Mapping

"I've never had a leadership team end a mapping activity and say, well, that was a big old waste of time. Never." A seasoned value stream mapping facilitator, Karen Martin,...

3 Mistakes to Avoid When Your Company is in Growth Mode

Our insightful discussion covers the dangers of insignificant improvements, the challenges posed by an overload of initiatives, and the drawbacks of rigid processes. Learn...

Decoding the Manufacturing Labor Market

"It's a very tight labor market. For every 1.5 job openings, there's only one unemployed worker.”Join Chad Moutray and Anjana Radhakrishnan from The Manufacturing Institute...

5S and Beyond: Elevate Your Lean Journey

In this episode, we learn the importance of standards in your 5S program. From visual controls to supply procurement and accountability, standards play a pivotal role in...

Navigating Industry 4.0: Insights from a Manufacturing Innovator

"We literally have to create the talent if we can't find it." These inspiring words (and more!) come from our Season 2 kickoff conversation with LaRuthie Mason, who works at...

How a Small Machine Shop Became a Top 20 Supplier to NASA

“Be careful with that silicon wafer. It's worth more than your house.” Rodney Babcock, President of Next Intent, learned this lesson as the quality assurance manager...

How to Hold a Rattlesnake Hunt at Your Factory

“The experts are the people that do it every.” Mark “Southern Sensei” Preston has been driving change in manufacturing and front office environments for over thirty years...

How Governments Play a Role in Supporting Manufacturing

"Train the workforce first, and then introduce new technology. Otherwise that tech will be sitting in a corner with a tarp over it." Paul Lavoie first fell in love with...

How to Build a Thriving Machine Shop

“We make the components that make the magic happen. Everything else is just a sculpture.”That’s the economic value of precision manufacturing. All those machined parts...

How To Go From Worst To First

"We're paying them for their hands, but they're freely willing & able to give of their hearts, if you engage them and help them with this vision." Erik Richardson shared...

How to Create a Daily Management System

Do your frontline employees know if they’re winning or losing each day?The answer to that question is simple, but not easy.Michael Muilenburg spent 35+ years at 3M building a...

How to Deliver People Centric Manufacturing Training

“The supervisor is the customer of the training.” When Vitalii Potapenko of Solar Plastics first shared these words with us, we knew their company was doing something special...

A New Model For Manufacturing Hiring

Constraint, Currency & Clarity What invention had the most profound impact on manufacturing hiring? Not the steam engine. Not the assembly line. Not lean practices. Not...

How to Tackle Hiring By Recruiting Student Athletes To Man The Line

Factories are fighting to fill open roles. And a lack of standardization creates a bottleneck that makes it hard for frontline employees to hit the ground running on day one.

How To Accelerate Frontline Learning With TWI

Frontline supervisors are not educated as teachers or coaches. The good news is, they can learn that skill. Most training programs focus on training operators, and we have...

How To Hire the Best Employees for Manufacturing

Employees are the backbone of any company. Nowhere is this more true than the manufacturing industry. Statistics show there are 15.7 million employees in the manufacturing...

Solving Modern Workforce Challenges in Food & Beverage Manufacturing

In the midst of unprecedented market demands and supply chain issues, the most innovative food & beverage manufacturers are finding new, creative ways to support an efficient...

How to Find Support Investing in Manufacturing Technology

Manufacturing companies are all interested in improving technology on the factory floor but often lack the resources or know-how to get started. This week we speak with Ron...

How to Effectively Train New Employees at Factories

In the manufacturing industry, effectively training new and current employees is the backbone of production. However, simply training new employees on the basics is not...

How to Manage Mobile Devices on the Factory Floor

Tablets and smartphones can transform your industrial operations. This week we are joined by Jacob Rattray, Operational Technology Specialist from 3M. Jacob specializes in...

How to Get Started with Automation in Manufacturing

Automation can benefit all industrial operations, from large to small manufacturers, by streamlining repetitive or dangerous tasks while adding valuable skills to your...

6 Shocking Stats for Manufacturing Leaders

After years of research, our show producer, Corey Brown, shares some fascinating statistics that will shock many leaders in the manufacturing industry. In this special...

How to Improve Performance with Preventative Maintenance

Equipment failure is a known evil in the manufacturing world. But unplanned downtime carries a significant cost and hurts overall performance. This week Brian sits down with...

How to Scale Technology Across Manufacturing Operations with 3M

Most manufacturing companies don't have people dedicated to evaluating and deploying modern tools. At best, IT or HR takes responsibility for new technology and doesn't have...

Career Progression in the Manufacturing Industry

Today's manufacturing facilities are clean and modern workplaces that offer a variety of unique and exciting career opportunities. Join our conversation with Joe Renaud from...

Using Standards to Empower the Frontline Workforce

Chad Nelson is a Lean Six-Sigma Operations Manager at 3M and has a wealth of knowledge about standardized work and engaging frontline workers with improvement efforts. Join...

How to Manage Change on the Plant Floor

Change management is a crucial part of any digital transformation or improvement efforts on the plant floor. But how do you deal with stubborn employees or older workers that...

Digital Technology Trends in Manufacturing

In the past, manufacturing technology was focused on improving equipment and tools. Now, the industry is shifting its priorities towards workforce enablement. How will the...

ISO 9001 Certification is Easier Than You Think

Is audit anxiety holding your company back from ISO 9001 compliance? While it may seem like a daunting task, many businesses are closer to certification (and...

Adapting Training to Meet the Needs of the Modern Manufacturer

Manufacturers are faced with a much different workforce than they've traditionally dealt with. Previous generations had more foundational knowledge, incoming generations need...

How to Attract and Retain a Qualified Manufacturing Workforce

Welcome to the first episode of The Voices of Manufacturing! Join us in conversation with Jim Vinoski, a Forbes Author who specializes in all things manufacturing. As...

Top Podcasts for Manufacturing Professionals

The podcast space is growing rapidly and the shows for manufacturing and industrial professionals are no exception. Podcasts in this genre can range from broad industry...

Insights from the Field: Can Tribal Knowledge Actually Work?

Recently, I had a chance to visit one of our larger manufacturing clients. Of the many insights gained on that trip, one stood above the rest — tribal knowledge used to...

How to Reduce Tribal Knowledge and Downtime with Dozuki Answers

The conveyor belt on line one stopped running and production came to a halt. It was the second time in a week that this happened. The maintenance team and engineers spend the...

Hidden Waste: The Unseen Inefficiency in Shop Travelers

Travelers and build books are intimately related, however, with traditional methods they often function independently. This gap between the travelers and build books creates...