In this episode of the Dozuki podcast, Andrew Dendis from RTX discusses his experience in a leadership development program, emphasizing the importance of versatility, networking, and dynamic problem solving in manufacturing and aerospace industries.

Thomas has been observing the trends of the manufacturing workforce over the past decade as a training manager. He’s noticed the workforce has changed dramatically over that time. In this episode, Thomas breaks down the modern manufacturing employee and what they want in a job and employer. During this interview with Thomas, we will cover the three big areas that employees are focused on and how manufacturing companies can align their operations to meet these demands.

Promo Code = VOM20

Our insightful discussion covers the dangers of insignificant improvements, the challenges posed by an overload of initiatives, and the drawbacks of rigid processes. Learn how to counter these mistakes by adopting strategic focus, embracing a growth mindset, prioritizing key projects, and maintaining the fundamental processes of your business.

Join Chad Moutray and Anjana Radhakrishnan from The Manufacturing Institute as they delve into the challenges of the current manufacturing labor market. Exploring vital statistics, they unveil insights from a recent study on the pivotal role of company culture and employee engagement. Discover practical strategies to elevate your company culture and stand out in the competitive landscape.

Meet Jared Supalla from Imagine Group. They've adopted a "Quality at the Source" methodology. Instead of traditional end-of-line quality checks, they empower their operators to ensure quality right during production. It's a game-changer, making every employee an active participant in maintaining standards. It's a refreshing take on quality management that's making a real difference in their operations.

A former director and manager of digital training at leading biotech firms Sanofi and Moderna, Chris Policastro shares valuable insights from his experience in the regulated life sciences industry. The discussion covers topics ranging from navigating FDA regulations for systems validation to establishing internal networks to advocate for innovative solutions supporting frontline operations. Chris, who successfully implemented Dozuki at both companies, provides unique content addressing the challenges life sciences professionals face in adopting new technology, particularly with concerns about validation. His practical advice and success stories make this episode essential for individuals in the life sciences industry looking to embrace innovative solutions.

Learn the importance of standards in your 5S program. From visual controls to supply procurement and accountability, standards play a pivotal role in ensuring lean success. Brian and Michael roll solo on this one, so tune in for valuable insights on building a culture focused on standards.

Andrew Murphy was brought into the company to help Norman Noble mature from a job shop with a mom & pop structure to a corporate structure. We discuss how Andrew and his team are implementing lean manufacturing and changing the company culture along with the tools and systems they use.

Show notes:14:48 -- We're under the work mindset that we can teach them how to use those things.  If they have the mindset that we want to come to work. We want to do the right things. We're already ahead of the game at, at that point, we feel that we can teach people how to do almost anything."18:22 -- "Our training center is relatively new. It's been around for about five years. It was something that myself and the team put together. I was in a different role. I was in quality and we were trying to resolve problems. After the issue had happened, we'd be out there trying to fix issues and then kind of tried to go into more, a little bit more of a proactive approach." 18:44 -- "Myself and a few other people started being a more proactive and kind of evolved to a training center. We've got myself and two other managers, and then we've got a staff of seven union trainers, and again, they all came from the shop floor. Most of them came from the team leader ranks, so we pulled a lot of the high performing team leaders,  and they have become some of our best trainers now." 23:33 -- "They're more accepting because it's not a solution that means more work for them. And that's one of the things, a lot of our solutions that we try and come up with, Needs to be easier for the operator. We can't add technology and make it harder because they already have a lot of work as it is. Building these trucks we have to make it easy for them to use."23:55 -- "When we implemented the Dozuki system, we pilot it for a long period of time. When we pilot things, the easy thing is to go to the most technologically savvy person in the area or in the team and say: Hey, we have this idea. We want you to try it out."30:18 -- "When we're implementing a new process or a new model truck,  some of the stuff we're getting into now with VR, we've been pulling them into some of our conference rooms and we have some VR technology where they can virtually walk around in their new workstation. There's a lot of companies put a lot of effort into tooling, and then it hits the shop floor and the  techs don't like it."

Show notes:12:21 - "One of the very first things I did was put in Dozuki because it was clear that without data collection for work instructions, we were never going to be able to scale or move beyond those key talents, those key individuals where tribal knowledge existed."15:23 - "My whole effort has been focused on how to make them more effective at doing the job that we hired them to do. And take away most of the other stuff that was just getting in the way of them effectively managing their team and people."22:12 - "Most quality assurance systems are centered around the idea of making the transition easy. So if you've got a paper collection form, I'm going to show you a path to digitally collect all the information you would have had in your paper form. What you want is to transform that digital acquisition into information that you can leverage."23:51 - "Every activity in the plant now has an inbound checklist. It might be really short, it might just be that I've got that item in my hands. It's barcode scannable, so it's relatively painless for an operator to scan it at this station. I get that notification and use it to update my production operations reports. We now have a backend to complement all of that system's work."48:16 - "You need to have a champion who's driven by the need to understand. It can't be driven solely by someone having a vision of wanting to go digital. Doing it the way we've done it takes passion, energy, commitment, and that comes from the heart of the people. You need to find that champion in your business."

Show notes:01:16 - "We worked hard. I won't say we ever perfected it, but we were always seeking to make that an effective gathering of the minds, sharing information, having conversations, talking about safety."00:08:33 - "I'm building the most beautiful structure I could ever build so that years from now, when I'm long gone, that generations, you know, ahead of me will be able to enjoy this amazing place to worship and have a sense of awe and wonder as they approach life."00:10:57 - "I need to know I'm spending my time solving problems, not finding them."00:14:07 - "Think how much pride you would have at the dinner table saying, you know, my work literally saves lives!"00:18:26 - "Once people know their purpose. They can't turn from it. They can't look away. They must pursue it."00:21:37 - "It didn't matter whether what you believe, if it's true enough to you and it motivated you to act in a certain way."00:38:30 - "It's all about the people and if you engage people and we think about them first, the results will flow from that."

Show notes:09:17  -- Most of my experiences, the technology shows up and then you say, how are we going to do the training or who's going to do it or how does this thing work?12:48 -- We literally have to create the talent if we can't find it.17:30 -- If what you're creating isn't going to solve a problem that they have, they're not interested.21:15 -- You might need that broader overview, which requires classroom training with an instructor.22:41 -- It's really about if I need information, do I know where it is and can I access it quickly to make the changes I need to make on the job?24:42 -- Their expectation for how they're trained, how they're developed, it seems like their expectations are higher than they've ever been because there's organizations doing it really well.26:26 - If you're so concerned that you have to memorize everything that's being written on the board, you're not really paying attention to what they're saying.29:22 -- Every individual in today's workforce is going to have to really adopt that mentality that I'm going to probably have to learn for the rest of the time I'm here.38:34 -- What worked maybe 20 years ago, even 10 years ago, might not be as impactful and effective.

SHOW NOTES03:22 — How the company’s motto became, “We design and build really cool stuff”09:01 — What led the company to become a top supplier for NASA14:48 — Why the paperwork have to weigh more than the part?24:11 — Getting rid of blame and ensuring the company owns the process29:53 — Fighting entropy and complacency on the factory floor36:20 — A modern philosophy on audits and certifications44:19 — The different ends of the supplier spectrum

01:45 — Where expertise comes from in world class companies03:02 — Lean is an acronym for “living, engaged, attitude, now”09:51 — Holding a successful rattlesnake hunt to reinforce safety, efficiency & engagement14:23 — How does company culture change after you’ve killed 6,000 rattlesnakes?18:57 — Preventing yourself from getting bitten by snakes26:22 — How leaders and directors can send a vision of quality to the frontlines

SHOW NOTES01:20 — What role should governments play in manufacturing?07:48 — How state manufacturers unified their voices to become an economic growth engine15:02 — Using digital initiatives to transform the entire manufacturing ecosystem18:33 — Connecting manufacturers with resources & opportunities21:28 — Marketing the manufacturing industry and promoting the benefits to individuals, the state, and local companies29:13 — Train workforces first, before introducing new technology35:11 — State level manufacturing practices other states should be copying37:17 — Creating an environment that will enable manufacturers to thrive by focusing on developing a local supply chain

Miles Free wears many hats as Director of Industry Affairs at the Precision Machined Products Association (PMPA). We sat down with him and were inspired by his passion, expertise, and of course, quotable pieces of industry insight on building a thriving machine shop. You'll learn how to stay globally competitive through the use of best available information and technology.

02:04 — From garage startup to billion dollar corporation06:00 — Going from the worst plant to the first one in the organization10:43 — How to start your plant’s digital transformation journey14:11 — Fixing a single machine to get buy-in across the organization18:45 — Adopting the 80/20 rule for pilot lines in digital transformation28:08 — Using digital tools to uncover issues leading to bad quality32:33 — How employee motivation stems from the value of the tools they use41:11 — Leveraging employee expertise when using new tools

02:48 — What is a daily management system?05:08 — Keeping score and making adjustments for future plays07:25 — Outcomes of daily management and keeping momentum alive12:01 — Why holding meetings halfway through the shift is better than before/after14:02 — Tiering systems for managing manufacturing facilities17:11 — Bolting on a tier structure to an existing standing meeting18:28 — Identifying metrics that are most important to your team25:40 — Diversifying meeting leaders to engage and empower operators28:33 — Should you make daily management automated or analog?

05:47 — Building a robust training program in Mexico09:51 — Focusing on quality, not speed12:25 — Matching employee personality with training opportunities15:15 — Hanging career path posters at every location to inspire growth20:13 — Reinforcing training over time23:54 — Treating the supervisor as the customer of the training32:04 — Making video work instructions to cross language barriers# # # Follow us on LinkedIn to continue this conversation, join us for some AMAs, and keep in the loop: linkedin.com/company/dozukiInterested in learning more about Dozuki? Visit us at dozuki.comFollow Solar Plastics on LinkedInFollow Brian Sallee on LinkedInFollow Michael Muilenburg on LinkedIn