In this Gear Talk interview, M. David Howard D.Sc, CMRP, CSSBB made a really strong point about why transformation MUST start with People First and Technology Second.
Dave has a military background, and here is how he describes process and technological change from that perspective:
“… when you say people first, technology second, the military can apply the technology first because it’s an order. But…in the manufacturing plants around the world, it’s a culture change…somebody’s used to using what they’ve been using for the past 20 years or…doing it the way that they’ve always done it. And to change that requires a lot of effort.
So it really comes down to education.”
What Dave is getting at is that people have to see why the change matters and how it makes their day easier, not harder.
Manufacturing teams are usually not saying “we hate technology.” They are saying “we have been burned by tech rollouts that did not fit how the work actually gets done and it becomes one more hurdle to production.”
This is why, when we get pulled in, we start with a simple question:
What is getting in the way of good work getting done consistently?
We help teams uncover and address what is often at the heart of their production slowdowns and tedious, manual work, such as:
😰 Disconnected systems
😰 Manual workarounds
😰 Systems with incomplete data and no real business logic
😰 Production decisions made in side conversations (because nobody trusts the data)
Technology can help, but only when it is applied in a way that reduces challenges around getting the work done and creates shared truth across the operation.
If your rollout plan does not include the insight and best interest of people who live inside the process every day, the technology and solution “pilots” you embark on become another abandoned solution (and fast).
Dave’s point is simple and powerful: real transformation starts with people, not with technology platforms. When technology is shaped around how work actually happens on the floor, advancements and tech tools stop feeling forced and start feeling useful.
If you happen to be looking for solutions that improve operations that start with a “people first” mentality, you should probably connect with us. 🙂
