Hardware Podcasts

The State of Manufacturing: Resilience in Uncertain Times with Willem Sundblad

Manufacturing Happy Hour · 7 Feb 2023 · 39m

What this episode covers

Willem Sundblad, CEO and Co-Founder of Oden Technologies, discusses findings from the 2022 State of Manufacturing report, surveying over 300 manufacturers on resilience, digitization, and sustainability. He explains that companies investing in digital tools and sustainable practices are outperforming competitors, driven by labor shortages and supply chain disruptions that force re-engineering and increased use of recycled materials. Sundblad highlights the importance of empowering frontline staff for faster decision-making and notes that the 'aftershocks' of the pandemic continue to impact labor and supply chain dynamics in 2023.

Most relevant to

large enterprises

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Oden Technologies, Rockwell
Also
Forbes

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • EMS@C-LEVEL · 10m

    BONUS - What's the SCOOP - 2022 Trends with Cogiscan's Michael Ho

    Michael Ho, Director of Business Development at Cogiscan (recently acquired by Dürr Group/iTAC Software AG), discusses the acceleration of factory digitalization in the electronics manufacturing industry. He explains how the pandemic exposed supply chain vulnerabilities, driving OEMs and EMS providers to prioritize visibility, risk mitigation, and automation to address labor shortages. Ho predicts a proliferation of digitalization across companies of all sizes in 2022, requiring scalable software solutions to manage data and process control.

    Factory operations & automationSourcing & supply chain
    6 chapters

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 40m

    Building for Long-Term Success w/ Ron Speicher and David Craft

    Ron Speicher and David Craft of Davron Technologies, Inc. (DTI) explain how a small mechanical contractor evolved into a top U.S. industrial oven manufacturer by maintaining in-house operations to ensure supply chain resilience and quality. They discuss the challenges of component shortages during the pandemic, which forced them to pivot scheduling and communicate transparently with customers about extended lead times. The founders emphasize their strategy of hiring people of character, investing in their workforce, and fostering a culture where employees feel valued enough to want to retire at the company.

    Manufacturing partners & offshoringIndustrial & consumer product design
    5 chapters

  • EMS@C-LEVEL · 37m

    EMS@C-LEVEL Season #2021 Episode #8 with Anna-Katrina Shedletsky, Instrumental

    Anna-Katrina Shedletsky, CEO and founder of Instrumental, discusses how the pandemic accelerated digital transformation in electronics manufacturing, validating her prediction of five years of innovation in 18 months. She explains Instrumental’s cloud-based platform that collects engineering data from across the supply chain to identify defects and improve first-pass yield, moving away from opaque, just-in-time models toward resilient, data-driven collaboration. Shedletsky highlights the shift from Capex to Opex for manufacturing technology and the critical need for transparency between brands and Contract Manufacturers (CMs) to solve problems faster.

    Scaling productionManufacturing partners & offshoring
    9 chapters

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 48m

    7 Central Themes from 200 Episodes of The Manufacturing Executive w/ Joe Sullivan

    Joe Sullivan, host of The Manufacturing Executive and co-founder of Gorilla 76, compiles insights from 200 episodes to identify seven central themes in manufacturing: supply chain, labor, the next generation, automation, digitization, sustainability, and leadership. He features soundbites from experts like Jim Pratt of Forsyth Advisors, Rob Pakalski of Datum, Will Willheim of Universal Robots, and leaders from companies such as Overview.AI, GelSight, and Hilos to discuss challenges and innovations in the industry.

    Sourcing & supply chainHiring & workforce
    7 chapters

  • EMS@C-LEVEL · 14m

    BONUS - What's the SCOOP - 2022 Trends with Season Group's Carl Hung

    Carl Hung, President and CEO of Season Group, discusses the persistent supply chain crunch and financial risks facing EMS companies in 2022. He highlights the shift from Just-in-Time to buffer inventory, the impact of rising interest rates on leveraged firms, and the logistical nightmares caused by COVID-19 lockdowns in China and the upcoming Lunar New Year. Hung also notes the changing workforce dynamics in manufacturing, with workers prioritizing flexibility over long-term roles, driving investment in automation.

    Sourcing & supply chainPricing, margins & unit economics
    7 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Manufacturing Happy Hour. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.