ASSEMBLY Audible

Join us for a conversation with Vanessa Akhtar, Kotter's Head of Consulting and Managing Director, and co-author of Change: How Organizations Create Hard-to-Imagine Results Despite Uncertain and Volatile Times. We examine how reshoring affects organizations beyond logistics, how to measure the success of reshoring or other operational transformations, how to engage employees during times of uncert...

Join us for a conversation with Joanna Cooper, General Manager at the Mount Holly Daimler Truck plant, to explore what it really takes to connect with people and get desired results in today’s manufacturing landscape. Joanna offers insights into innovative management strategies to address workforce challenges, some of which can involve a “game of telephone” unless new tools and approaches are util...

Join us for a conversation with Tennessine Titans FIRST Robotics member, Lacey Coates. Lacey offers valuable insights into how manufacturers can attract and inspire young talent, emphasizing the need for a cultural shift that prioritizes innovation, technical skills, and long-term investment in STEM education. As part of FIRST Robotics, Lacey and her teammates take a holistic approach to design an...

From addressing workforce and skills gaps to enhancing quality control, assembly line maintenance, and front-office operations, learn how automation is helping manufacturers and how to formulate a successful strategy. Colin Dowd, Industry Strategy Senior Manager for the Manufacturing and Distribution practice at Armanino, shares practical insights on building effective automation strategies that a...

Welcome to this joint ASSEMBLY Audible and Quality Magazine Q-Cast podcast episode! Get a preview of the upcoming presentation by David Dechow, Benefitting from Machine Learning in Machine Vision Applications, through this collaborative podcast, where we discuss how machine vision applications are implemented in assembly applications. David will be joining us at the ASSEMBLY Show in October. Learn...

Participation in FIRST Robotics serves as a gateway into STEM and manufacturing careers as students learn facets of mechanical, programming, electrical, and the business side of robotics. Dhruv Patel from Flagship First Robotics joins us from the ASSEMBLY Show South in Nashville to share his enthusiasm for the latest technological advancements in manufacturing, like rapid liquid printing. He also...

Without clear standards in place, efforts toward kaizen or continuous improvement often fall flat. During this episode with consultant, author, Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, and student of Japanese philosophy and culture, Steve Beauchamp, we discuss how failing to establish standards makes it difficult to identify problems, recognize what’s necessary, and communicate change. Learn some of the...

Puerto Rico is a smart source for recruiting manufacturing talent, and our guest on the podcast, Clay Martin, founder of Isla Talent, a staffing and recruiting agency specializing in this area, has been successfully matching companies with qualified Puerto Rican workers for over two decades. Find out the benefits and what's involved in the process of recruiting from this overlooked territory. Spon...

What is meaningful work, and how does an organization improve when employees are instilled with a sense of meaningful work? We're joined by Kathy Miller, author, operations leader, and Women in Manufacturing Hall of Famer, to discuss her upcoming publication based on her MORE model. Kathy discusses her approach to processes, sound leadership principles, and the science of human flourishing within...

Explore insights from Accenture's report, Rethinking the Course to Manufacturing’s Future. Based on a global survey of 552 factory managers across industrial, automotive, and aerospace sectors, the study reveals how manufacturers are reimagining production in the era of hyper-automation and AI. Our guest, Patrick Vollmer, Global Industry Group Lead, Industrials, Accenture, breaks down the defining...

The automotive industry has one of the most complex supply chains in the world, comprising thousands of parts and an ever-expanding range of products. The shifting global landscape, including tariffs, trade uncertainty, and supply chain disruptions, impacts production at every level, including the aftermarket. We're joined by the CEO of Premium Guard Inc (PGI), a manufacturer and supplier of auto...

Every plant has its unique set of challenges and situations. Innovative, customized turnkey solutions for advanced manufacturing operations go far beyond a single segment. Rhino’s holistic approach brings together tools, hoists, automation, and expertise to deliver sustainable, high-impact results. In this episode, Michael Fecher, Area Sales Engineer, shares how Rhino is helping manufacturers acro...

From detecting defects at the source to inventory counting and tracking, Roboflow’s platform can be deployed via smart cameras to deliver actionable insights on the shop floor. We’re joined by Daniel Bender, Product Specialist at Roboflow, to explore how their customizable computer vision platform is helping companies extract real-time data from their environments. Sponsored By:

The global welder shortage is affecting fabrication shops of all sizes—from small, 12-person teams to large pontoon boat builders. Spartan Robotics is helping companies overcome this talent gap with a 7-axis cobot welding system that delivers speed, flexibility, and a fast ROI. Pierre de Giorgio, President and CTO of Spartan Robotics, joins us to share key components of the user-friendly system de...

What does AI actually look like on the factory floor? In this episode of ASSEMBLY Audible, we learn about the real-world applications of artificial intelligence in manufacturing. Ivan Madera, CEO and Founder of Adaptive AI, has raised and deployed over $100 million to launch advanced engineering and manufacturing facilities, working closely with some of the biggest names in the industry. We discus...

With nearly half a million open manufacturing jobs reported in the U.S., communities across the country are feeling the pressure to fill critical roles. In this episode, we spotlight the Lincoln Manufacturing Council (LMC), a powerful example of how local leadership and industry collaboration can create meaningful change. Based in Lincoln, Nebraska—where manufacturing is the city’s second-largest...

From the lingering impacts of COVID-19 to the challenges of tariffs, Jennifer Chew, VP of Solutions and Consulting at Bristlecone, explains why supply chains must move beyond cost management to focus on resilience and adaptability. She highlights the critical role of planning and how AI is emerging as a powerful tool for improving visibility, facilitating scenario planning, and supporting strategi...

Xaba’s Generative Industrial AI equips machines with cognitive intelligence, allowing them to autonomously adapt, optimize, and execute tasks with precision. Its flagship product, xCognition, empowers industrial robots and cobots with AI-driven cognition and awareness, enabling them to autonomously generate programs and execute complex tasks such as welding, drilling, assembling, and additive manu...

We spotlight the top five developments in manufacturing—and discuss what still needs improvement, according to Meaghan Ziemba, founder of Mavens of Manufacturing. Some areas of growth noted by Meaghan include how AI is helping manufacturers with small or no marketing teams and how companies are moving beyond outdated jargon to connect with audiences through authenticity, culture, and human-centere...

In this episode, we sit down with Ann Wyatt, President of Ann Wyatt Recruiting and Host of the Workforce 4.0 podcast. Ann shares her insights on how small to mid-sized manufacturers can adapt their hiring strategies to locate top-tier technical talent. From understanding which platforms to use for talent outreach to the growing importance of technology-driven training—like VR and AI—we explore wha...

Traditional robotic systems often require manufacturers to constrain their environments with expensive tooling and rigid setups. Griffin Gillespie, Account Executive, shares how Inbolt is transforming assembly operations by attaching a 3D vision system to industrial robots. Inbolt’s technology allows robots to follow moving parts on assembly lines and has proven particularly useful in automotive m...

Tariffs may well be the defining word of 2025—especially in manufacturing. In this follow-up to our earlier episode, The Impact of Trump's Tariffs on Manufacturers, we revisit the conversation with an updated perspective. We connect with René Linsner, President & CEO of Horváth USA, to discuss how tariffs are currently affecting manufacturers—from rising production costs to reshoring strategie...

Optimal leak detection is critical to ensure quality control—and safety. In this episode, we speak with Dave Deiwert, President of Tracer Gas Technologies LLC, about the challenges of leak testing, especially when using helium as a tracer gas. Dave shares insights from his decades-long career, including what inspired him to launch his company and why hands-on training is essential. We explore comm...

Meet Nush Ahmed—Quality Inspector, founder of the NextGenMFG-Podcast, and co-founder of Sisterhood of Trades, a growing community built by tradeswomen to empower the next generation. Nush takes us inside the world of quality inspection in manufacturing. We dive into her philosophy that quality isn’t a bottleneck—it’s the heart of manufacturing. From aerospace to automotive, Nush explains how quali...

Workforce regulations have intensified under the current administration—making compliance a higher priority than ever. This episode explores strategies to avoid costly fines, damaging publicity, and disruptive production delays. Our guest, Billy Milam, CEO of EmployBridge, the U.S.'s largest industrial staffing firm, suggests a "belt and suspenders"  approach to protect operations. We examine what...