May 2019
T
echnology is advancing at a rapid pace and
even the most well-prepared companies are at
risk of falling behind. At the same time, locating,
training and retaining skilled workers is a challenge
faced by manufacturers of all sizes and across all
regions of the state.
With limited resources, what should manufacturers
do? Do they direct these resources to accelerating
new tech growth or focus on securing a reliable
talent pipeline?
In today’s modern manufacturing facility, what
should be the proper balance between technology
and talent?
Don’t Think “Balance,” Think “Integration”
It’s easy to think that technology and talent are
two halves of the successful manufacturing coin and
dedicating time to one can neglect the other, requiring
manufacturers to look for ways to “balance” between
the two. In fact, according to some leading technology
professionals, this is the wrong approach and
companies looking to balance between tech and
talent end up creating even greater imbalance.
“Emerging technology and skilled trades talent
are not areas that should be ‘balanced’ because that
implies they are opposite forces that need to be
brought into equilibrium,” said Michael Maddox,
president & CEO of ASK, the Lansing-based
provider of IT hardware, software, consulting and
security solutions. “Integration is what manufacturers
need to strive for. Talent and technology need to be
integrated and, in order to do that, best-in-class
businesses should develop a plan and work to
implement it.”
Creating the right plan, a strategic roadmap to
success, is critical for all manufacturers.
“Your plan needs to detail what emerging
technology will be the most advantageous to the
company in achieving short- and long-term goals.
Equally important is how to train, retrain and
incorporate skilled trades into that roadmap,”
explained Maddox.
What’s the Must-Have Tech
for Manufacturers in 2019?
There’s a variety of new tech out there and the
continuing push toward Industry 4.0 is only offering
more options for manufacturers to geek out over.
Artificial intelligence. The industrial Internet of
Things. Big data. Autonomous vehicle technology.
Simulation. Additive manufacturing. Cyber security.
What is ASK’s recommendation for the go-to
choice of tech manufacturers must have?
Not surprising, it’s none of the above — or, at
least, no single, all-encompassing tech of choice.
“It all depends on the strategic goals and
direction for the manufacturer — we even have a
MiMfg Magazine
No matter how innovative technology
becomes, manufacturers still struggle to
locate the skilled talent they need to
operate the technology and to do the jobs
that technology can’t do. We are at the
perfect point to develop new training
programs and talent pipelines.
— Chuck Hadden, MMA
saying at ASK that ‘technology has no intrinsic
value on its own for a business’ — so, to be honest,
the manufacturers that look outside their business
for the right tech to use in their business are doing
it wrong,” said Maddox. “Technology’s value is only
derived from its ability to increase profit, reduce cost
and streamline processes and how that is achieved
can vary greatly from one company to another.”
In other words, don’t engage any area of emerging
tech just because it’s the most talked about or appears
to be the latest trend. What’s that mean?
“It means you can research all the technology you
want but, when you’re ready to bring new technology
into your facility, you need to start with internal
conversations and then work with your technology
partner to map your business initiatives to the
technology,” suggested Maddox. “Start with what
goals you want to achieve and then find the technology
most likely to help you achieve those goals.”
Locating the Right Tech for You (Part 1)
While it is very important to vet potential
technology partners, before you look to potential
partners, make sure you know what it is you’re
looking for. Some of these questions include:
• How do we view the role of technology
in driving our business forward?
• Is the business capable and willing to invest
in technology and cyber security in order to
provide future growth and protection?
• Culturally, are we a company that truly
values our vendors as partners?
• What internal technical resources do we
have currently and are they operating at
the efficiency level needed?
Locating the Right Tech for You (Part 2)
One of the biggest challenges seen by ASK and
other industry supporters is the varied level of tech
skills found in today’s manufacturers.
“Technology is not an area that most manufacturers
have deep skills in,” said Maddox. “That’s not
necessarily something that is their fault; the
11