Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast

Many plants around the world have invested to some degree in Just In Time Manufacturing, where goods are created to meet demand, not created in surplus or in advance of need. However this model was stress-tested in 2020, as the COVID pandemic wreaked havoc on the global supply chain, leading many plants to adopt more of a "just in case" approach to spare parts inventory and beyond. For this episode of Great Question! we're joined by Jason Manganaro, VP of Commercial Technology for the Americas at SPARX Logistics, who talks with Plant Services chief editor about how a post-COVID ripple effect through the global supply chain resulted in innovation at every step.

A B2B consultant with experience in manufacturing SMBs explains the proper role for manufacturing executives on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, etc.

Awards season is here with applications open for the IndustryWeek Best Plants Award, our annual recognition of manufacturing excelllence as measured by a stringent set of performance metrics. And while bragging rights for the winners are great, awards can also improve operations. In this episode of our bi-weekly livestream Production Pulse, we talked to: Rick Bohan, principal and CEO of Chagrin River Consulting, a frequent IW Best Plants Award judge, and the author of a recent story about the benefits of entering these sorts of contests.  Brandon Davis, vice president of Components at Dexter Axle Corp., a Northeast Indiana company that produces parts for trailers and RVs. Davis was a 2022 winner when he was plant manager at NOV Texas Oil Tools, and he co-wrote a piece about what you can learn from entering contests with Rick Bohan.  Jill Jusko, IndustryWeek's executive editor and director of the IW Best Plants Program.

IndustryWeek News Editor Anna Smith recently discussed how ill-fitting protective gear is a multi-faceted problem--creating potential unsafe working conditions for women and reinforcing messages that female employees don't belong in manufacturing plants or on construction sites. However, several companies and groups are working to address those challenges. Hear from Ana Kraft, founder and CEO of Xena Workwear, and Adonica Rodriguez, indirect material and services buyer at Ardent Mills, to hear how they're solving those challenges to ensure women and comfortable, empowered and protected in the workplace.  About the Article Lack of Women’s PPE Causes Safety Issues. Is Anything Being Done? Written and ready by Anna Smith Read the article

Join Laura Davis, editor-in-chief of New Equipment Digest as she breaks down six of the top technology trends reshaping the manufacturing industry in 2024. About the Article Embracing the Future: The Tech Trends Reshaping Manufacturing in 2024 and Beyond Written and ready by Laura Davis Read the article  

Joe Kuhn, CMRP, former plant manager, engineer, and global reliability consultant, is now president of Lean Driven Reliability LLC. He is the author of the book “Zero to Hero: How to Jumpstart Your Reliability Journey Given Today’s Business Challenges” and the creator of the Joe Kuhn YouTube Channel, which offers content on starting your reliability journey and achieving financial independence. In our monthly podcast miniseries, Ask a Plant Manager, Joe considers a commonplace scenario facing the industry and offers his advice, as well as actions that you can take to get on track tomorrow. This episode offers insight on who should take ownership of reliability at your facility.

The annual Leading Reliability Conference provides participants with the opportunity to learn more about maintenance and reliability by attending live presentations, workshops, and trainings. Held this year May 14-16 in Clearwater Beach, Florida, the intimate event offers participants the opportunity to build relationships with influential professionals from across the country. Plant Services editor in chief Thomas Wilk recently spoke with the four sponsoring organizations of the conference about what to expect at this year's event. The podcast guests include: Shon Isenhour, founder and owner of Eruditio Jeff Hay, CEO at RDI Technologies John Waldron, product manager at ACOEM USA Maureen Gribble, director of marketing for UE Systems. 

Manufacturers and tech companies have suffered severe cyber attacks in recent months, timing that coincides with new Securities and Exchange Commission rules that force publicly traded companies to disclose when they've been hit by hackers, as long as the damages are "material" to the companies' performances.  Smart Industry Managing Editor Scott Achelpohl discusses cybersecurity trends and the new requirements with Dennis Scimeca, senior technology editor at IndustryWeek.

Things got a lot better for manufacturers in 2023 when it came to getting raw materials into plants and finished goods to customers. But, the supply chain was still fragile and had to deal with several shocks, including massive capacity reductions at the Panama Canal. Editors from several IndustryWeek parent company Endeavor Business Media’s publications discussed how 2023 shaped up and what to expect in the new year. Major topics of discussion were challenges in the Red Sea, continued problems in Panama, nearshoring and onshoring shortening supply chains and labor availability. Speakers were: Adrienne Selko, senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics  Anna Smith, news editor at IndustryWeek Kevin Jones, editorial director of the commercial vehicle and a infrastructure group which includes brands such as FleetOwner and Bulk Transporter  Tyler Fussner, managing editor of Supply Chain Connect and director of the Market Moves Supply Chain newsletter that draws logistics and supply chain material from all of Endeavor’s publications   Like this episode? Listen to Has the Post-COVID Global Supply Chain Become More Reliable or Less? How are logistics companies helping plants calculate the carbon cost of their operations? Supply Chain Basics: What You Need to Know about Six Sigma

Hear about the latest regulatory updates coming from OSHA, as well as current developments in mental health awareness.