Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, ARC Advisory Group research lead Inderpreet Shoker brings the data and follows up her recent three-part Smart Industry series on connected worker platforms with more advice on making the most of these promising solutions that involve many variables to succeed in smart factories.

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. I...

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Shaun Carvalho, chief safety officer at Shawmut Design and Construction , discusses how organizations can develop comprehensive safety and wellbeing programs that go beyond traditional PPE, emphasizing mental health, substance abuse, and inclusive communication strategies.

Manufacturing leaders face a hidden cost: fragmented data. This sponsored podcast episode, recorded with guest Keith Dunnell, VP, Global Head of Manufacturing Industry GTM at ServiceNow, is for operations leaders, security teams, and plant managers who know fragmentation is slowing them down but aren't sure how to fix it. This podcast is sponsored by ServiceNow.

In a few weeks, the 2026 IndustryWeek Operations Leadership Summit brings together manufacturing leaders responsible for turning strategy into measurable performance. The Summit, held in Spartanburg SC from Oct. 20-22, will deliver practical, real-world insights on the challenges that matter most, from building stronger teams and sustaining continuous improvement to adopting AI and emerging techno...

Recently, over 91,000 manufacturing professionals roamed vast exhibit halls in pursuit of technologies to make their enterprises more efficient, productive, competitive, or connected. Whether they realized it or not - all of them were looking for “manufacturing technology.” Why is this label so elastic? At IMTS 2026, 1,788 exhibitors filled 1.17 million square feet of floor space with new applicat...

The yard is no longer just the space between transportation and warehousing. It's where safety, execution, and business performance intersect. In this episode, YMX Logistics' Adam Buttgenbach discusses why yard operations are becoming an increasing focus for EHS leaders and how companies can move from reactive risk management to a more coordinated, proactive approach. This podcast is sponsored by...

Manufacturing Extension Partnerships, state organizations that help small and medium-sized manufacturers , have been in the news in recent months as some saw their federal funding suspended or delayed. Things are looking better in the latest round of award s, however, as the funds have been delivered on time, and suspended funding was restored to Ohio. In this episode of Great Question: A Manufact...

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Smart Industry's Sarah Mattalian and Nancy Majure, the head of product for Adaptive ERP at QAD, explore how manufacturers can scale AI without adding headcount by improving real-time visibility, data quality and workflow integration. They discuss the role of ERP as a foundation for governed AI, along with the risks of fragmented data, sha...

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Chuck Orzechowski and Josh Renicker of the COO Forum discuss how operations leaders are navigating AI-driven disruption and workforce change. They explore the importance of human-centric leadership, strong teams, and culture as new technologies reshape manufacturing. The conversation also examines how closing gaps between engineering and...

By focusing on the fundamentals, workplaces can build a safer environment from the ground up, says Kevin Weaver of U.S. Compliance , and author of Building a Strong Safety Culture: The 5 C’s of Workplace Safety , 2nd edition.

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Anna Smith explores the growing skilled labor shortage facing U.S. manufacturing. She examines data on the 1.3 million-worker talent gap, an aging workforce and rising demand driven by reshoring and data centers. Smith also looks at how upskilling, education partnerships, apprenticeships and AI can help manufacturers expand their talent p...

On this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, New Equipment Digest Editor-in-Chief Laura Davis rounds up four products worth knowing about — a coupling and brake system built for e-mobility test stands, an AI-powered platform for warehouse data capture, a connected AI forklift platform, and a pair of high-output rechargeable flashlights. Whether you're chasing measurement accuracy on...

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 this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, EHS Today's Adrienne Selko talk with safety expert Camille Oakes , who says improving emotional intelligence skills for safety managers helps create stronger outcomes in complex workplaces.

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, IndustryWeek technology editor Dennis Scimeca and Smart Industry head of content Scott Achelpohl discuss the evolving cybersecurity challenges facing manufacturers. They examine recent attacks targeting PTC product lifecycle management software and Siemens S7 PLCs , highlighting the complexities of patching vulnerabilities across industri...

IMTS 2026 is just weeks away, and the show floor will be packed with new equipment worth tracking down. In this episode, Laura Davis highlights four machines making their case at McCormick Place this September. Here's where to find each one, and what makes it worth the walk. A 5-axis mill-turn center built for aerospace engine components A compact CNC turning center for small high-volume parts A f...

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, chief editor Robert Brooks takes a look at how manufacturers that implement supply-chain management technology frequently face the “go-live gap”. It’s what separates a technically successful implementation from an operation that is truly prepared to use the new platform, follow the new processes, make the right decisions, measure and capt...

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, McKenna Schutty, safety, health and environmental manager at TDIndustries , a Texas-based facilities services and mechanical construction company, discusses how her company brought AI into its safety organization. 

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Ilana Preuss, a champion of small-scale manufacturing and founder of Recast City , discusses the importance of raising the visibility of small-scale manufacturing, whose impact on the larger economy is being overlooked from lack of data and lack of awareness. While large manufacturers attract lots of attention, a strong domestic manufactu...

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Smart Industry's Sarah Mattalian talks with Mike Fedorov , COO and co-CEO of Applied AI Labs , who discuss why AI implementations often fail to deliver expected results. They explore how manufacturers can work with the muddy waters of imperfect data, establish effective governance, and design AI solutions around measurable business outcom...

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 this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Nicole Stempak speaks with the current and previous two presidents of the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) -- Monique Parker, Linda Tapp and Pam Walaski -- about strategies safety leaders can use to stay energized, the importance of mentorship, and how embracing change and diversity can lead to more effective safety initiat...

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, IndustryWeek's Laura Putre speaks with Emily Domenech about efforts to streamline federal permitting for large manufacturing and critical minerals projects. They discuss how the Fast-41 program coordinates agencies to reduce project delays, improve transparency, and accelerate approvals while maintaining environmental and safety standards...

On this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, New Equipment Digest Editor-in-Chief Laura Davis rounds up four new products worth a closer look: a passive exoskeleton that eases shoulder strain during overhead work an AI-powered device that keeps forklift-based inventory tracking accurate in real time a connected ultrasound platform built for multisite reliability programs, a new inli...