ASSEMBLY Audible

For decades, lean manufacturing has helped companies reduce waste, improve efficiency and maximize productivity. But as manufacturers navigate supply chain disruptions, reshoring initiatives, labor shortages and geopolitical uncertainty, many are beginning to ask whether efficiency alone is enough. In this episode of ASSEMBLY Audible, Johan du Toit, senior vice president of strategic growth at Syspro, discusses how artificial intelligence, operational visibility and resilient manufacturing strategies are reshaping factory operations, why manufacturers must balance lean principles with resilience, and what operational leaders should prioritize as the industry continues to evolve.

Artificial intelligence is changing manufacturing, but successful implementation still depends on people. In this episode of ASSEMBLY Audible, Daniel Stewart, president of Stewart Leadership, explains why leadership, communication and employee engagement determine whether AI initiatives succeed or fail on the factory floor. The conversation explores organizational change, frontline leadership, participatory management and why manufacturers should focus on becoming people-centered and AI-enabled, rather than the other way around.

Why do continuous improvement efforts lose momentum? In this episode, Dr. Shannon Flumerfelt explains how manufacturers can sustain lean by applying structured problem-solving, daily routines and leadership accountability.

Why do so many lean initiatives fail to deliver lasting results? In this episode, Dr. Shannon Flumerfelt explains how leadership—not tools—determines success on the assembly line. She breaks down the gap between lean theory and real-world execution and what manufacturers can do to close it.

In this special joint episode of ASSEMBLY Audible and Industrial Safety & Hygiene News, Rodney Rodavich, Vice President of Global Health and Safety at TE Connectivity, discusses how leadership, employee engagement and practical training helped reduce workplace injuries across a global manufacturing organization. The conversation explores Mission Zero, safety leadership, workforce training and why Rodney believes safety is not simply a priority, but a precondition for every job.

When Scout Motors announced plans to build a new electric vehicle plant in South Carolina, the story quickly became bigger than the factory itself. In this episode of ASSEMBLY Audible, Annie Caggiano of the Central South Carolina Alliance explains how OEM investments attract suppliers, drive workforce development and create long-term manufacturing growth across an entire region. The conversation explores EV supply chains, site selection, technical training and what it takes to build a thriving manufacturing ecosystem.

Manufacturers have spent decades optimizing for efficiency, but Steve Ilmrud, vice president of operations at Hexagon, says today's environment demands a greater focus on resilience. In this episode, he discusses practical strategies for preparing for supply chain disruptions, strengthening supplier relationships and building operational flexibility before problems arise. Ilmrud also explains why lean manufacturing and just-in-time principles haven't disappeared—they've evolved to help manufacturers balance efficiency with resilience.

Supplier trust in automotive manufacturing can take decades to build — and decades to lose. Dr. Angela Johnson explains why organizational memory, purchasing culture and historical supplier relationships still shape the industry today.

Manufacturing automation is evolving beyond simple robot deployment toward more flexible, intelligent and adaptable production systems. In this second episode of our two-part ASSEMBLY Audible special, you'll hear how collaborative robots equipped with magnetic bases are already welding ships, illustrating how automation is expanding into applications that were once considered impractical. In addition, Keith Fox of Universal Robots and Moises Furlanetto of Flex discuss design for automation, collaborative robots, product life cycles, manufacturing repeatability and how new robot designs and software are helping manufacturers improve cycle time while reducing engineering effort. The conversation also explores physical AI, automation scalability and the future of industrial robotics on the factory floor.

Automation projects rarely fail because of the robots themselves. In this special two-part episode of ASSEMBLY Audible, Moises Furlanetto of Flex and Keith Fox of Universal Robots explain why successful automation begins with product design, repeatable manufacturing processes and collaboration between engineering and production teams. The conversation explores design for automation, flexible manufacturing and how manufacturers can build automation systems that adapt as products evolve.