There’s a good chance you already have a tool from the Stanley Black & Decker family in your toolkit. They’re household names, quality, reliable tools, and we wanted to hear more about the manufacturing process behind them.

Antonio Hill, Head of Manufacturing Digital Solutions, Global Supply Chain at Stanley Black & Decker, joins Manufacturing Happy Hour to talk about his career, the challenges of managing supply chains, the impact of Industry 4.0, and what lean manufacturing means to him.

We hear how Antonio made the jump from HR to manufacturing (bringing some important skills with him) and how he’s grown in his career since. We hear some top advice on starting with a lean process, building a “culture of lean,” and managing supply chain issues now and in the future. We cover a lot of ground in this episode, so you won’t want to miss it!

In this episode, find out:

• How Antonio made the jump from HR to manufacturing
• What lean manufacturing is
• How Industry 4.0 affects Antonio’s work
• Why data is the key to building more efficient processes
• Why you need a “culture of lean” in manufacturing
• Why you need to know your facility inside-out
• The challenges of managing supply chains (especially in a pandemic)
• The coolest thing about working at Stanley Black & Decker

Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It’s feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going!

Tweetable Quotes:

• “No one can predict the future, so in order for us not to go and try to hire Nostradamus, let's go ahead and create processes where we're getting the right information in order to make the best decision for our organization.”
• “We're always trying to improve the marginal cost and reduce costs to improve our business. We want our business to be the best.”
• “I think that a lot of times people get laser-focused on what they're on and not necessarily take the holistic approach.”

Links & mentions:

• AMS Summit, learn from manufacturing leaders about the most impactful trends in manufacturing – from workforce development to lean & OpEx – talking place October 11-12 in Houston, TX
• Stanley Black & Decker, manufacturer of iconic tools from household names such as BLACK+DECKER, DEWALT, CRAFTSMAN, STANLEY, and more

Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.