Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Peter Vassalo, senior counsel with the Littler legal firm, explains how OSHA has maintained its core activities despite leadership challenges, emphasizing ongoing inspections, citations, and the cautious approach to rulemaking, while exploring the impact of increased use of opinion letters for compliance assistance. 

Yes, AI has a place in lean and continuous improvement, but don't jump off the deep end. Try experimentation and remember: Respect for people prevails.

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Jill Jusko sits down with Eric Lussier to explore the intersection of artificial intelligence and lean manufacturing. Their conversation examines where AI can genuinely support continuous improvement without undermining respect for people or sound problem-solving practices. Together, they discuss practical use cases, cultural considerations, and why leadership remains critical as manufacturers experiment with AI. The episode offers a thoughtful look at how emerging technology can augment, rather than replace, lean principles.

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 explores the hidden power of maintenance planners in manufacturing operations.

Traditional safety metrics often miss the human factors contributing to serious harm, emphasizing the need for human-centric approaches that address stress, fatigue, and psychological risks. In this "In Case You Missed It" podcast, you'll hear why Jonathan English, CEO of Evotix, believes that 2026 is the time for a complete system rebuild to help companies reach meaningful SIF reduction.

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Laura Putre sits down with Mike Jackson to reflect on how suppliers navigated a turbulent 2025 and what the outlook looks like heading into 2026. Their conversation explores shifting trade policies, tariffs, and the evolving role of USMCA, alongside ongoing uncertainty around electrification and EV adoption. They also dig into nearshoring, supply chain volatility, and the financial pressures facing suppliers at every tier. Throughout the discussion, the episode highlights both the challenges confronting manufacturers and the resilience driving the industry forward.

How do you know when a scraper strainer makes more sense than a basket or backwash filter? In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, New Equipment Digest chief editor Laura Forbes breaks down the real-world differences between industrial strainer types and what engineers should consider when specifying filtration for high-solids applications. This episode is based on an article by Del Williams for Acme Engineering Products. Read the original piece here: https://www.newequipment.com/55294782

Artificial intelligence is not coming for jobs in the abstract. It is coming for tasks, and the maintenance and reliability world sits directly at this crossroads. 

On one hand, AI can process years of work orders, interpret patterns in vibration and oil analysis, map failure precursors, and generate predictive recommendations faster than any human analyst. On the other hand, no algorithm can yet replace the skilled craftsperson who understands how a machine feels, sounds, and behaves under load.

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Plant Services chief editor Thomas Wilk talks with Michael D. Holloway of 5th Order Industry about the kinds of work that AI will likely consume in the near-term and long-term.

There are interesting and encouraging data points amid all the confusion, with some trends emerging about job shop activity, high-demand industries, and manufacturing employment.

New orders for CNC machines are a reliable indicator of near-term growth in manufacturing activity - in nearly every major manufacturing sector - because those purchases mean operations are preparing for new business coming their way. And 2025 order values are on pace to top 2024.

So what is the continuing debate about interest rates and inflation? And what trends might we watch bear out in 2026? AMT principal economist Chris Chizik describes what the data reveals about manufacturing growth.

AI is getting better at predicting potential outcomes, but the technology still isn’t as reliable as humans at coming up with predictions that put everything into context for what it all means. In this podcast, Material Handling & Logistics’ chief editor, Dave Blanchard, takes listeners on a fast-paced tour of predictions for what the supply chain will look like in 2026 and beyond, featuring insights from some of the industry’s best thinkers and thought leaders.

We've all heard someone say it recently: Nobody wants to work these days. It's the refrain of a stressed manager who's short-staffed and losing production capacity because the company can't recruit people. 

Even if it's true (and really, has anyone ever really wanted to work? Isn't that why we pay them?), complaining won't fill your plant vacancies. Blaming other industries won't help either as they're saying the same things. Think manufacturers have a rough time recruiting people? Talk to trucking company leaders or landscaping operations. 

In a recent article in IndustryWeek, doctoral student Winifred Opoku shared her thoughts on how some manufacturers are making their ability to reach young people a competitive advantage.