Our series Being Human in the Smart Machine Age continues with Episode 5: Manufacturing Matters
Think you know manufacturing? Or maybe you think of it in the abstract, something unrelated to your work or your life. After listening to episode 5, you will rethink those assumptions.
Like it or not, manufacturing runs your life. The clothes on your back, the phone in your hand, the car (or bus, or bike) that gets you around, all exist because of manufacturing. Unless you are one of the lucky few with a sustainable backyard garden, the food you eat is processed, packaged, and delivered through a massive web of production. Think you’re off the grid? Unless you live in the wilderness with zero modern tools, you rely on manufactured goods. From life-saving medical devices to the roads beneath your feet, manufacturing isn’t just some distant industry—it’s the invisible force shaping our lives.
The word manufacturing conjures images of conveyor belts, steel, smoke, sweat, and grease. But the reality is a lot different. Factory floors are more likely to be a showcase of tech innovation and robotics. Workers are skilled proprietors of highly advanced technology in environments where automation, robotics, and data analytics reign. Workers are now technicians, problem-solvers, and quality controllers, not manual laborers.
Manufacturing’s digital glow-up has been a win for consumers—faster production, better quality, and more customization than ever. Want sneakers made just for you? A 3D printer’s got you. Need same-day delivery? Automated warehouses make it happen. But it’s not all smooth sailing. The rise of hyper-efficient supply chains raises big questions about sustainability, data privacy, and even what jobs will stick around in the future. We’re getting more choices, more speed, and more tech-driven personalization, but at what cost? Like it or not, digital disruption hasn’t just upgraded what we buy—it’s rewiring the entire consumer experience.
ABOUT THE SERIES: BEING HUMAN IN THE SMART MACHINE AGE
AI, IoT, Edge, Quantum, Robotics…feeling overwhelmed? Tech is changing the landscape of industries around the globe. Marketers, designers, strategists, and copywriters are not immune and may be a little worse for wear. We want the bots to do our dishes (robotics—yay!) but not take our jobs (AI-boo!). The volume and velocity of disruption are unavoidable. You cannot opt out of getting smarter about what it means to be human in the smart machine age.
Trying to get ahead in your career? Or just trying not to tank? Remember when your work shined by data defending your work with such impressive research? Today, information holds little value. Despite all the buzz around insights, these, too, have little value without "the" original idea. We must learn to use information and insights to generate a future state. What doesn't exist...yet. Harder still? Those big ideas have to map to brief and capture the ROI that keeps us in business. So, how are you going to get more effective? Get more creative? More strategic? How will you survive this act of being human in the smart machine age?
Grab your cocktail or mocktail and join Rachael Truscott, Angel Micarelli, and an endless parade of the best talent we know anywhere you get your podcasts.
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