One of the most compelling reasons to digitize your operations is the access you get to new data points that were previously uncapturable. New data points bring new visibility. New visibility brings new insight. And new insight brings new innovation. But what data points are needed? And are these insights reserved for certain roles? Or can data be a powerful in-the-moment companion to everyone within manufacturing operations? Today’s guest, John Klein, Business System Leader at American Axle and Manufacturing joined to give insight on how new data points combined with powerful visualizations ..read more

In a very special episode this week, we’re joined by two experts from the manufacturing industry who are using Parsable to power their digitalization efforts — Jim Carroll, Director of Land and Environment at Holcim, and Steve Switzer, Plant Manager at CEMEX. What’s unique about this conversation is that these two leaders from two competing organizations have found common ground in their effort to improve the day-to-day experiences for their frontline workers. By sharing their experiences and exploring common problems that need to be solved, they’re helping drive innovation within the industry ..read more

Many manufacturers and industrial operations are facing a number of disruptions. There’s workforce disruption, technological disruption, consumer disruption, and supply chain disruption. While there are a number of options for mitigating the impact of each, reshoring stands out as a critical way to minimize supply chain interruptions. In today’s episode, we are joined by Alberto Villarreal, the Founder and managing Director of Nepanoa, who shares how Mexico’s proximity, young workforce, and skilled labor make it the ideal location for manufacturers looking to reshore or localize aspects of th ..read more

ERP. If you got it, you probably don’t love it. But you know you need it. When it comes to ERP systems, many manufacturers have a love/hate relationship with their solution..  But why? At the end of the day, it is absolutely critical for managing what you produce. Is it caused by gaps in the solution? Shortcomings in the implementation? Shortsightedness in the vendor? What is the root cause of the pain? In today’s episode, Paul Tedford, CEO at Synergy Resources, shared his insight on how manufacturers can get the most out of their ERP system, from selection to implementation and beyon ..read more

Mitigating risk in manufacturing is a tall task for many companies — especially these days. Everything from supply chain, workforce retention and inflation can hinder a company’s profitability without warning.  How can a well lead company mitigate these risks without disrupting the flow of production?  In today’s episode, Dan Burgos, President and CEO of Alphanova Consulting, shared how companies can identify these constraints, embrace them and continuously improve from them.  Join us as we discuss: Making continuous manufacturing improvements to mitigate risks Creating efficie ..read more

We’re in a period of time where everyone is struggling to do more with less. That pressure impacts everyone at all levels — CEO, management, and the frontlines. But what if you had a blueprint for achieving more without expanding resources?  If you tap into the talent, skills, and creativity of your greatest asset — your people — you could accomplish quite a lot. There are issues that occur in manufacturing that go unreported because frontline workers don’t feel like they’re being heard by leadership. From quality and safety issues to facility improvements, there’s a sentiment that any fe ..read more

Your customers are not just the end consumer, your customers are all around you. They are the employees who help grow the business and the partners you work with to create sustainable products.  And if you aren’t meeting all of your customer's true needs, you’re in for some rough times. We speak with John Gossett, US Sales Director at Smurfit Kappa, in this episode to learn more about how he adopted a customer service mindset and the impact it’s had on his ability to enable others to make and sustain change. Join us as we discuss: Which customers you may be overlooking How to identify you ..read more

In today’s episode, Bob Seaman, Director of Innovation and Product Development at D.G.Yuengling & Son, joins to share his journey from the nuclear biz to the brewing biz, going from craft brewer to master brewer, and the lessons he’s learned along the way from major brewers like MolsonCoors and Yuengling.  We talk about the thousands of possibilities and things that could go wrong when packaging beer and how he empowers his workforce to take ownership for solving problems. Join us as we discuss: Becoming a brewmaster Managing risk on a production line Empowering people within the orga ..read more

Our host Josh Santo and the rest of the Conquering Chaos team are going on a short break for the summer but we'll be back with more conversations with leaders who are Conquering Chaos.  While we're gone, visit our new LinkedIn Page for the Conquering Chaos podcast and revisit some of our top episodes.  See you at the end of summer! Keep connected with Conquering Chaos at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website. Listening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Conquering Chaos in your favorite podcast player ..read more

There is a lot of talk out there in the world about how digital transformation is a people focused transformation, but the application of that seems to get lost. In order for manufacturers to thrive in the factory of the future, we need to place our focus on the user experience and putting people first. In today’s episode, we speak to Dr. Stefan Kozielski, Associate Director Of Manufacturing and Supply Chain at Boston Consulting Group, about his experience advising manufacturing leaders and what manufacturers need to do to get started on a people focused journey to the factory of the future? J ..read more