Welcome to Manufacturing Minute!

I'm glad you're here.

Let's get to it.

🚨In the News

Jensen Huang just said what a lot of us have been thinking: U.S. export controls on AI chips "backfired."

His take? They gave China "the spirit, energy, and government support to accelerate their domestic development."

Now, sure… Jensen wants to sell chips to everyone. But he's not wrong.

While we've been debating and restricting, China's been building. DeepSeek is now putting out models that compete with ours at a fraction of the cost, for example.

Here's what strikes me: They're acting like a country that knows it's in a competition. Long-term vision, 1.4 billion people, and the belief they're writing the next chapter of history.

Meanwhile, we're still arguing about the CHIPS Act implementation.

🏭 The Great Corporate vs. Plant Battle: Why Perfect Solutions Are the Enemy of Good

Picture this: Corporate engineers roll into the plant, confident in their latest "transformative" solution. Within hours, operators are throwing crayons at photo eyes to disrupt conveyor systems, just to watch the suits scramble with their troubleshooting protocols.

Sound familiar? 

The Crayon Rebellion

I've witnessed this dance countless times. The corporate team arrives with their standardized, globally-approved solution that took eighteen months to procure. Meanwhile, the operators who've been running that line for fifteen years know exactly what will break, when it will break, and how to fix it with duct tape and experience.

But instead of listening, we double down on the "uniform way", you know, the one-size-fits-all approach that actually fits nobody.

The crayon incidents should be feedback. 

The operators are telling you your solution doesn't understand their reality. When they wrap your predictive alert horn in plastic because "they already know when things are going to happen," they're not being difficult… they're being honest.

The AI Note-Taking Paradox

Here's the kicker: Right now, there's probably a plant somewhere debating whether to implement Microsoft's AI tools for basic note-taking. Six months of committees, procurement battles, and IT security reviews… all for functionality they could get today with free, open-source tools.

While corporate argues about global standards, the plant sits paralyzed, still using audio recordings and manual transcription. The perfect solution becomes the enemy of any solution.

Why This Keeps Happening

The old-school procurement model assumes uniformity equals efficiency. But manufacturing isn't uniform. Plant A's solution might be Plant B's nightmare. What works in Michigan might fail spectacularly in Mississippi—not because of the technology, but because of the people, processes, and culture.

We're so invested in the idea that offshore resources will bring us the perfect global solution that we ignore the expertise already walking our factory floors. The same operators who "sabotage" your systems could be your greatest digital transformation allies—if you'd just ask them what they actually need.

The Real Solution

Stop waiting for perfect. Start with practical.

That free note-taking app? Deploy it in one plant as a pilot. Let them break it, improve it, and tell you what's missing. Then take those learnings to the next plant. This isn't cowboy IT, it's intelligent iteration.

Your operators aren't obstacles to digital transformation. They're your best consultants. They know where the real problems are, what actually works, and what's just corporate theater.

The Bottom Line

The next time you see operators wrapping horns in plastic or throwing crayons at sensors, don't call it sabotage. Call it valuable market research.

Trust your plant teams. Empower them with tools that work today, not perfect solutions that might arrive tomorrow. Sometimes the best global standard is having no standard at all, just smart people solving real problems with whatever works.

After all, the goal isn't uniform processes. It's better outcomes. And if a crayon-throwing operator can teach us something about that, maybe we should be taking notes.

P.S., Whether you're trying to make sense of Industry 4.0, struggling with legacy systems, or just need a sounding board from someone who's navigated similar waters, let's talk. Book Your 30-Minute Strategy Call →

P.P.S., if you are a nerd (like me), the next installment of my Manufacturing-themed D&D comic is out! See it here: