Leadership is challenging because leaders are required to manage a diverse team of individuals using consistent methods. When it comes to ma...

Got a Performance Issue? DO NOT Ignore It! 

This can be a difficult concept for some leaders to grasp. I’ve seen many leaders who don’t use...

Lean Manufacturing identifies 8-types of waste. These wastes in lean terms are called MUDA, a Japanese word meaning "wasteful". A MUDA walk ...

The Model-T & Industry 4.0 (Part III)

Industry 4.0 sounds amazing – right? So, what are my concerns with it? Well looking back at the drama...

The Model-T & Industry 4.0 (Part I)

A few months ago, I slept in a Ford Model-T plant in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (OKC). You may be asking...

The Model-T & Industry 4.0 (Part II)

As a career manufacturing leader, I love the integrated systems approach that Industry 4.0 provides, b...

Tools for the Trenches is setting out on a journey to explore our industrial heritage. Manufacturing has been my career home for over 40 yea...