Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast

Reshoring Manufacturing: Pharma, Trucking, Plastics Insights [Production Pulse]

The Reshoring Initiative's 2023 report shows jobs continuing to flow into the United States from Asia as companies look to shorten supply chains and protect themselves against ongoing trade disputes. The figure fell in 2023 from 2022's record but remains well elevated compared to pre-pandemic statistics.
At IndustryWeek and other Endeavor Business Media publications, we've seen that trend building with new battery plants, trucking hubs, pharmaceutical operations and plastic injection molding facilities popping up -- operations that might have gone to Asia a decade ago.
Discussing that trend are:
Lynne Sherwin, managing editor of Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing
Karen Langhauser, chief content director for Pharma Manufacturing
Kevin Jones, editorial director of EBM's fleet group, including FleetOwner, Trailer/Body Builders, Bulk Transporter, Refrigerated Transporter, American Trucker, and Fleet Maintenance magazines and websites
Robert Schoenberger, editor-in-chief of IndustryWeek and editorial director of EBM's manufacturing group 

The Psychology Behind Safer Workplaces [Talking EHS]

In this “Talking EHS” podcast episode, you’ll learn about the new tools and strategies companies are using to foster psychologically safer workplaces.
About the Article
The Psychology of SafetyNew tools and strategies emerge to foster psychologically safer workplaces.Written and read by Adrienne SelkoRead the article

Why Everyone Is Faking Their KPIs (But Shouldn’t Be) [Ask a Plant Manager]

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 insight into why fake numbers fake real progress.

Best Practices Are Boring. Hop on the Fad Bandwagon to Make Your Facility More Exciting.

Captain Unreliability is a satire of the state of the manufacturing industry in ’Merica today and is written by an industry professional known for using humor to get the point across. In his columns, The Captain covers a range of topics, including the art of avoiding work, creating a culture of unreliability, and why a reliability program is like a toilet. In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Alexis Gajewski, senior content strategist for Plant Services, shares The Captain’s thoughts on fads and why all complex problems can be solved by embracing The Next Big Thing as the solution.
About the Article
Why chasing fads is the key to corporate successCaptain Unreliability thinks that you can tackle all complex problems by embracing The Next Big Thing as the solution.Written by Captain UnreliabilityRead by Alexis GajewskiRead the article

Reviewing the Mid-Year Manufacturing Reviews

2024 has reached its midpoint, and in businesses that is a good time for evaluation. There is uncertainty everywhere in manufacturing – with slow demand for manufactured products leading to weak revenue growth for manufacturing businesses. Here are three perspectives on the first half of 2024, and a peek at the months ahead of us.

Our Top New Product Picks From This Month

Join Alexis Gajewski, who is filling in for Laura Davis, Editor in Chief of New Equipment Digest, as she talks about her choices for the latest new products to hit the manufacturing industry this past month.
Learn more about the products mentioned in this episode

The Intersection of Maintenance and Microbrews

Corey Dickens, CMRP, is a senior solutions consultant at Brightly, and describes himself as a maintenance practitioner and CMMS super user. Hs career has taken him into a wide variety of plants and industrial facilities, and recently he presented on maintenance best practices to the Craft Brewers Conference. In this conversation with chief editor Thomas Wilk, Dickens explains why some brewers refer to it as "equipment caretaking" and the hunger among brew pubs and micro breweries for maintenance knowledge.

How Smart Metering Helps Manufacturers Save Big, Helps Preserve the Planet

Satish Saini, who is utility industries specialist for HEXstream and head of the United Nations Transmission & Distribution Energy Efficiency Working Group as well as the Chair of IEEE Smart Grid Technical Activities Committee, joins Smart Industry’s Scott Achelpohl as a follow-up to a February article Satish wrote on “smart” or advanced metering, which can help manufacturers cut energy costs, enhance reliability, and bolster conservation and sustainability.
According to Satish and HEXstream, investing in energy efficiency provides companies and organizations with opportunities well beyond energy savings. These techniques and technologies such as advanced metering can optimize and increase productivity at manufacturing companies while also reducing operating and maintenance costs and creating safer and more welcoming environments for their employees and customers.
Plus, governments and utilities welcome these advancements in industry because they help the environment and provide a way to measure energy consumption and power requirements, especially in areas where industrial activity is higher.

What's New in Industrial Safety [Production Pulse]

Keeping workers safe on the job should be the top priority for every business, so how is industrial America doing? Join IndustryWeek's Robert Schoenberger, EHS Today's Dave Blanchard and Chemical Processing's Traci Purdum as we discuss how companies are reducing worker risk and avoiding workplace accidents.

Supply Chain Basics: Outsourcing Logistics

In this Supply Chain 101 “explainer” podcast, you’ll learn how outsourcing logistics allows companies to free up resources and focus on their core competencies.
About the Article
Supply Chain 101: Outsourcing LogisticsOutsourcing logistics allows companies to free up resources and focus on their core competencies.Written by Jagan ReddyRead by Adrienne SelkoRead the article