How to Balance Roles, Integrate New Talent and Embrace Industry 4.0

Q: You juggle multiple roles — engineering, business development and even shopfloor tasks. How does your background as a mechanical engineer support your diverse responsibilities?

A: It’s helped me learn enough to be dangerous. The study of mechanical engineering is very broad. I’ve supported everything from the design and release of programs to filling in on the mill to final assembly at Best Tool and Engineering (BTE).

The business development side came partly from my past ventures and work experience but also from my senior project in college. We were effectively tasked with creating a startup within a niche field and that experience has aided tremendously in gaining trust with entrepreneurs and companies in the early design phases.

Q: You stress the importance of attracting and training new talent. What specific challenges do you see in integrating the younger generation into the moldmaking industry, and what solutions do you propose?

A: I see a few challenges: Creating an environment that can support onboarding, personnel and resources, opportunities for growth and some spring cleaning.

I’m sure many companies like us, for the longest time, relied on a talent pool that was plug-and-play. Consequently, the skilled labor shortage has forced our hand — for all the right reasons — into overhauling how we train and retain. We must do better at prioritizing organization and cleanliness, even on rush jobs, by making our workspaces inviting to those who wouldn’t expect anything less from any other industry.

My biggest piece of advice is if you don’t have the resources to train, find out how to outsource it and then focus on everything else. We’re currently working with Ryan Pohl at Praeco Skills to develop a remote training program for new hires.

Q: What are your key takeaways from implementing an ERP system and exploring Industry 4.0 technologies? What advice would you give to other small/medium moldmaking businesses considering similar steps?

A: Key takeaways are:

1. Know what you need. ERPs will not solve your problems if you don’t know what they are and how much they’re affecting you.
2. Take the time to research beyond what’s marketed toward manufacturers. I found many smaller, affordable players outside of manufacturing who can open the door to Industry 4.0.
3. Don’t let the ERP companies pressure you. They will tell you how many happy customers they have and that they’re the best, but they may not be the best for you and your situation.
4. Base your decision on your answers to two questions: Is the ERP easy for my team to use? And how many problems does it solve off the shelf? Seventy percent of ERPs fail in implementation. You want a product that is easy to adopt based on what you’re already doing.

My biggest piece of advice is if you don’t have the resources to train, find out how to outsource it and then focus on everything else. 

Q: Balancing personal and professional life can be tricky, especially when family is involved. How do you manage being married to the president’s daughter and working for the same company?

A: It’s a constant juggling act and there are give-and-takes in this industry. Neither Joe nor I want to work crazy hours, and I would much prefer to be with our families. In addition to being a mom, my wife is a wedding photographer and takes on just as much as I do, if not more. I wish there were two of me most days.

However, the future looks promising. I’m very excited to start implementation with Global Shop. We’ve got an avenue to train new talent. I’m growing my network of shops and molders to help with the ebbs and flows of our business. So, it’s all coming together and balancing out.