On this episode, Ingolf Schroeder, Member of the Executive Board, EVP BU Microelectronics, joins host Benjamin Brockmann to talk about the following topics:

- AT&S and how it’s operating in 2023.

- The evolution of AT&S from a small company in 1987 to becoming a global powerhouse with 15,000 employees.

- How the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine affected Ingolf’s personal and professional life. 

- The ways AI and technology will affect facilities and the human workforce.

- The impact of face-to-face interactions as opposed to virtual meetings. 

- The future of manufacturing companies in Europe.

Ingolf Schroeder - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ingolf-schroeder-5602a098/

AT&S - https://www.linkedin.com/company/at&s/

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#operations #manufacturing #industrialautomation

On this episode, Jürgen Pfeifer, IoT and Cloud Partnermanager at WAGO, an international, standard-setting supplier of electrical interconnection and automation products and interface electronics, joins host Benjamin Brockmann to talk about the following topics:

- The strategy Jürgen uses for factory automation.

- The differences between IT (information technology) and OT(operational technology).

- The challenges of digitalization in the manufacturing space.

- Managing the connection between OT and IT.

- The security issues with the digitalization of OT devices.

- The challenges of having scalability in the digitization process.

Jürgen Pfeifer - https://www.linkedin.com/in/juergen-pfeifer/

WAGO - https://www.linkedin.com/company/wago/

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit operations1.com.



#operations #manufacturing #industrialautomation

On this special episode of the Future-Proof Operations podcast, host Benjamin Brockmann is joined by Steffen Zaune, VP of Central Operations at Jungheinrich AG, and Ingrid Bras, Head of Processes and Systems at Jungheinrich AG, for an informal panel discussion where they talk about the following topics:

- The challenges that new technologies bring to the factory floor.

- The future of manufacturing in the face of the current labor shortage.

- The importance of having an excellent culture to attract top talent.

- The digitization and automation of both white-collar and blue-collar departments. 

- Having one single point of truth when it comes to operational processes.

- Working toward having a paperless environment.

- Establishing a sustainable supply chain.

- Offering software solutions in addition to hardware products.

- The future of the factory floor and the people who work there.

- Collaboration with intelligent machines and robots.

Steffen Zaune - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steffen-zaune-86a518159/?originalSubdomain=de

Jungheinrich AG - https://www.linkedin.com/company/jungheinrich-ag/



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#operations #manufacturing #industrialautomation

On this episode, Laetitia Persano, Lean Manager at STMicroelectronics, joins host Benjamin Brockmann to talk about the following topics:

- The three pillars of Lean: reducing waste, reducing variability and improving flexibility.

- How Covid changed the operations at the factory.

- The importance of maintaining a good culture after adopting new remote digital tools.

- The generational differences in ease of adoption of new technologies and procedures.

- The challenges of keeping people motivated to improve factory performance.

- The risk of information overload.

- Managing employees and processes as new digital tools are introduced.

- The changing roles of managers and leaders post-Covid.

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit operations1.com.

#operations #manufacturing #industrialautomation

On this episode, Andreas Temmen, Head of Production at ZF Group, joins host Benjamin Brockmann to talk about the following topics:

-Specific approaches to building new factories when deciding whether to go brownfield or greenfield.

-The connections and challenges of raising up two new plants simultaneously in Mexico and China.

-The types of decisions Andreas faces when finding a new location to build or take over a plant.

-A high-level look at the similarities between going brownfield and greenfield.

-The importance of finding employee number one for a new plant.

-Learning from working in the mother plant before going to a new plant.

-The value of cardboard engineering to ensure a new plant is laid out properly.

-Using 3D glasses to get a realistic picture of a new plant during construction.

Andreas Temmen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreas-temmen-5138586a/

CF Group - https://www.linkedin.com/company/zf-group/

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit operations1.com.

#operations #manufacturing #industrialautomation

On this episode, Victor Kaupe, Manager of Transport, Goods Receipt and Projects at BASF Coatings,  joins host Benjamin Brockmann to talk about the following topics:

- How relevant Industry 4.0 is to logistics.

- Defining innovation as something new for a certain site, even though it may have existed elsewhere.

- Innovating on a daily basis at a large company.

- How optimizing in small steps adds up to overall innovation.

- The difference between centralized and decentralized innovation and why both are important.

- The right mindset and culture to bring innovation to life. 

- The challenges of keeping operations going during a crisis.

- A real example of creating an innovative solution at BASF Coatings.

- The conflict between being fast and being safe.

- The difficulty of getting everybody on the innovation bandwagon.

Victor Kaupe - https://www.linkedin.com/in/victorkaupe/

BASF Coatings - https://www.linkedin.com/company/basf/

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit operations1.com.

#operations #manufacturing #industrialautomation

On this episode, Jamie Flinchbaugh, Founder of JFlinch, joins host Benjamin Brockmann to talk about coaching, leadership, training and problem-solving.

Topics discussed include:

- The real competitive advantage that people and their capabilities bring to their companies.

- The way companies wrongly focus on tools and not people to solve problems.

- Jamie’s connection to manufacturing and his early start on the factory floor.

- The four specific domains connected to problem-solving.

- The mistake people make in forming the wrong problem statement.

- Understanding the importance of internal customers in your organization.

- The importance of coaching in problem-solving. 

- The role of the leader in managing the problem landscape.

- How to encourage leaders to continue learning and improving.

Jamie Flinchbaugh - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamieflinchbaugh/

JFlinch - https://www.linkedin.com/company/jflinch/

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit operations1.com.

#operations #manufacturing #industrialautomation

On this episode, Nabil Rihani, Plant General Manager at Gruner AG joins host Benjamin Brockmann to talk about the future of the factory floor, including introducing the Agile and Scrum frameworks as the driving force behind the working environment.

Topics discussed include:

- The adoption in the market of Industry 4.0

- The level of automation Gruner Group uses on the factory floor.

- The near elimination of paper in the company’s processes due to digitization.

- The reasons they implemented the Agile framework and Scrum.

- How the vision for the company changed from an individual vision to a group vision.

- How Agile Scrum led to openness and cooperation among team members.

- How to set up an Agile Scrum environment on a shop floor.

Nabil Rihani - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nabil-rihani-1031323b/

Gruner AG - https://www.linkedin.com/company/gruner-ag/

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit operations1.com.

#operations #manufacturing #industrialautomation

On this episode, Marco Link, Managing Director at ADAMOS, joins host Benjamin Brockmann to talk about how he sees the future of automation on the factory floor and the mistakes he sees companies make when it comes to making technology upgrade decisions.

Topics discussed include:

- The history and evolution of ADAMOS.

- The software procurement process of manufacturing companies.

- The differences between B2C and B2B software purchases.

- The changes in software decisions over the last 10 years.

- Demo periods on apps versus deep dives.

- The mindset for the future in manufacturing.

The future of the factory is in automation, technology and digitization. Marco says now is the time to act, to make sure your company doesn’t get left behind.

Marco Link - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marco-link-managing-director-adamos/

ADAMOS - https://www.linkedin.com/company/adamos/

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit operations1.com.

#operations #manufacturing #industrialautomation

On this episode, Jake Hall, Keynote Speaker and Content Creator at The Manufacturing Millennial, joins host Benjamin Brockmann to share some insights into the millennial workforce and how they are pushing technology forward in the manufacturing sector.

Jake is a millennial, and he has worked in manufacturing since he was a teenager. He is taking on the old-school thought process, typical in manufacturing, head-on to drive changes and modernization.

Jake and Benjamin discuss:

- The role of the workers in the future.

- Technologies today and in the future in the factory.

- Make or buy for manufacturing companies.

- AR and VR in manufacturing.

- The smart factory of tomorrow.

Smart manufacturing leaders are taking the lead in digitizing the workplace in areas that have been paper-based for decades or more, and Jake is leading the charge.

Jake Hall - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobrhall/

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit operations1.com.