Manufacturing Hub Ep. 236 - How to Deliver Manufacturing Projects That Operations Actually Use
Handing over a project is one of the most underestimated and misunderstood phases in manufacturing and industrial automation. In this episode of Manufacturing Hub, Vlad and Dave sit down to break apart real stories from the field covering MES rollouts, line commissioning, SCADA and ignition development, operational adoption, and the very real consequences of poor knowledge transfer. Most conversations online focus on the technical build, but very few people emphasize the point where engineering lets go and the operations team becomes the true owner of the system. This episode brings forward examples of both well executed handovers and catastrophic failures that every engineer, integrator, or manager can learn from.
Vlad begins by walking through his experience building MES and data collection systems for food and beverage facilities where each plant had different architectures, legacy systems, undocumented networks, and obsolete PLCs. These initiatives required deep assessments, phased modernization, server deployments, KPI development, and the long journey from data collection to actual operational use. The most important insight is that success rarely comes from the technology alone. It comes from the extent to which operators, supervisors, and CI teams are trained, empowered, and aligned to use what has been built.
Dave then shares a story from a multi year track and trace project that technically worked but failed at the operational handover stage because the one scheduler refused to schedule inside the system. The entire project was mothballed despite millions of dollars invested. The lesson is simple. Technology cannot compensate for missing stakeholder alignment and poor discovery. Human influence can halt even the most well engineered solution.
Timestamps
00:00 Welcome and episode setup
01:20 Host introductions and backgrounds
04:00 Vlad’s MES and data rollout projects across multiple plants
18:10 Biggest wins and failures from MES handovers
26:20 Dave’s chocolate factory MES and traceability project
29:30 The scheduler says no and a multi million project gets mothballed
36:40 Lessons learned about scope creep and realistic timelines
42:00 Vlad’s multimillion packaging line rollouts and OEE based handover
49:20 Internal versus external teams and who really owns change
58:50 Connected workforce at an orange juice plant and knowledge capture
01:15:00 Where project handovers are heading in the next three to five years
01:19:00 Career advice, books, and final thoughts
Hosts
Vladimir Romanov
Founder of Joltek. Electrical engineer with an MBA from McGill University. More than a decade of experience across Procter and Gamble, Kraft Heinz, Post Holdings, and multiple systems integration roles. Specializes in OT systems, industrial data architecture, MES, SCADA, modernization, and digital transformation. Works with manufacturers to unlock value through data and operational decision support.
https://www.joltek.com/team-members/vladimir-romanov
Dave Griffith
Founder of Kaplan Solutions. Seventeen plus years of experience across aerospace, automation, system integration, MES delivery, and enterprise manufacturing systems. Dave specializes in ignition development, operations consulting, and project delivery frameworks that reduce risk and increase adoption across manufacturing teams.
References Mentioned in the Episode
Never Split The Difference by Chris Voss
https://www.amazon.com/Never-Split-Difference-Negotiating-Depended/dp/0062407805
How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
https://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/0671027034
Traction by Gino Wickman
https://www.amazon.com/Traction-Get-Grip-Your-Business/dp/1936661837
The E Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber
https://www.amazon.com/Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About/dp/0887307280