Hardware Podcasts

Don't Automate Chaos: Running Lights Out with Sarah Wierman of Fastems, Ep #45

Lights Out · 17 Jul 2026 · 59m · Episode 45

What this episode covers

Sarah Wierman of Fastems explains why automation is driven by labor shortages and retirements rather than just replacing people, and why shops must standardize processes before automating. She describes Fastems as a production orchestration company whose core product is the MMS software, which plans, runs, and monitors production, including predictive tool life alerts up to 96 hours in advance. Wierman emphasizes that repeatable workholding is the foundation of any automation strategy and advises shop owners to document practices and track downtime to avoid automating chaos.

Most relevant to

companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Fastems, SMW Autoblok, DN Solutions, Henning Automation, Raptor Work Holding
Products
MMS, GTS, CTS

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