Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast

Exploring the Evolving Role of System Integrators in Modern Manufacturing

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Tom Wilk, the chief editor of Plant Services, talks with Jose Rivera, the CEO of the Control System Integrators Association (CSIA). In December, Jose announced he would be stepping down after a decade of dedicated leadership and strategic vision. Under Jose's guidance, the CSIA has seen significant modernization, increased resilience, and a strong financial position. We spoke with Jose when he joined the CSIA 10 years ago and it's my privilege to talk with him one more time to look back over the past 10 years, and then look ahead at next steps for both Jose and the CSIA, including the launch of the the CSIA Learning Hub.

Empowering Frontline Workers With Industrial AI Tools That Actually Work

This sponsored episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast focuses on building AI that works for manufacturing teams, and features two key thought leaders with MaintainX, a maintenance and asset management platform purpose-built to help frontline industrial teams run more efficient, resilient, and safer operations. Nick Hasse is the co-founder of MaintainX, and has spent thousands of hours on the factory floor helping manufacturing and industrial leaders transform their operations with frontline-friendly software and AI. Roshan Satish is the lead product manager for applied AI at MaintainX, who is leading the development of AI-powered maintenance tools including MaintainX Copilot. 

Private 5G Networking at Deere for Plants, Not Phones (Production Pulse)

IndustryWeek Editor-in-Chief Robert Schoenberger and Senior Technology Editor Dennis Scimeca talk 5G in this episode, taken from our Production Pulse livestream series. IndustryWeek recently launched a documentary-style video series, looking at how large manufacturers tackle significant technology challenges. For the first episode, we feature John Deere's work in Waterloo, Iowa -- using private wireless networking systems to manage massive data flows needed to build tractors. 

A Holistic Approach to Safety Training

Maria DeLorenzis Reyes, CEO of Training Innovations/MDR Brands, explains why a workplace culture is most successful when it encourages interactive feedback and takes a long-term view for safety training.

The Future of Reliability — What’s Next at the 2025 Leading Reliability Conference

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Plant Services chief editor Tom Wilk is joined by Maureen Gribble, the sales enablement leader for North America at UE Systems, to preview the upcoming Leading Reliability conference. The event takes place May 12-15 in Clearwater Beach, Florida, with four days of workshops, practitioner sessions, and networking in a gorgeous venue. Anyone interested in attending a conference with like-minded professionals from all kinds of verticals will find people at this event who have lived your experience and have something to say about how they solve problems.

How Plant Managers Fail as Leaders, Mentors, and Mentees

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 how to use observation to be a better manager, why you should have a mentor and how to be a better mentor yourself.

What Do Generative and Agentic AI Mean for Your Factory?

Discover the differences between AI types, explore real-world applications, understand the challenges around adoption, and get actionable insight on strategic implementation to boost efficiency on your factory floor.

Manufacturers Face Tariffs: Fear and Opportunity (Production Pulse)

President Donald Trump's 10% tariffs on all imports to the United States, rising to as high as 49% for some countries, promise to upend the manufacturing landscape, forcing many producers to look for new suppliers and creating dramatic opportunities for companies that already have their production here. 
It's too soon the know all of the impacts, but a few things are clear:
Costs will go up on manfacturers that rely on foreign suppliers for key components
Companies will continue facing labor shortages, especially for skilled positions
Good management principles won't offset all of the changes, but they'll be more important than ever
And technology could provide some relief, but it's not going to be a cure all
Discussing these topics are InudstryWeek's editors. Below are some written thoughts that each of them had on the topic.

Improving Ladder Safety, One Step at a Time [Talking EHS]

Falling from heights is a recurring safety problem at workplaces. Mike Van Bree, president of the American Ladder Institute, explains why training, education and efforts like National Ladder Safety month are helping to reduce the number of reported ladder accidents.

Are Manufacturers Achieving Real Transformation, or Are They Just Covering up Existing Inefficiencies?

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Francisco Almada Lobo, CEO of Critical Manufacturing and an Industry 4.0 evangelist, educator, and author, joins Smart Industry's Scott Achelpohl to chat about what real transformation looks like, which steps to use, and how not to leave outdated processes still in place.