Volume 15 Number 4 - April 4, 2017

Why You Should Care About Apps

The skills shortage we all lament is a fact of life. And of the future of manufacturing. As our sector quickly transitions from ballroom dance to Whirling Dervish, we are required to master smart hiring and fast effective onboarding. This is where Apps can be a significant contributor to our success.

I am learning Spanish, admittedly for the second time. I started with a combination of Duolingo, Babbel, and Rosetta Stone. Why all three? My Rosetta Stone is old and requires I sit at my desk; the microphone doesn't work right so I can't practice pronunciation. DuoLingo is free and on my phone, but too leading in its instruction model. Babbel seems the best option, as it explains nuances of the language as I experience them. I expect to settle on it soon. I'm discovering which instructional design works best for the type of learning I am trying to accomplish.

Just as I learn Spanish via apps, apps can be leveraged to teach your products, your processes, your technology, and more. They can be used to help diagnose problems, and provide important reminders. They can explain distinctions. But all that only when you understand the issues in the first place to populate the app with logic. With constant feedback from the app, you can better understand and improve your business, if you design it that way. You'll know what people find difficult to understand, if you design it that way. And the app can help you see changes that should and should not be made within your business, if you design it that way.

You want people to learn and learn the right things quickly. You likely want to know what people find confusing, and what rules you've put in place that may not make sense. An app isn't for fun. It's for enabling your company to quickly and effectively onboard people. They will contribute more more quickly, and you will benefit from that, if you are clear on what you want them to learn and the instructional design that will best accomplish that.

It's not about the app; it never will be. Like most technology, it's about what it can do for your business if you utilize it well. Fast effective onboarding is a common problem that can be slashed via this simple technology. As our world continues to spin faster, overcoming this challenge is mandatory. An app is one way to attack it now.

Transforming Operations. Transforming Business.®

Let's discuss how Manufacturing Greatness can help you become a better manufacturing operations leader. Additionally, my latest book, Start Smart, Finish Strong: Forging Your Path to Operational Excellence and Long-Term Success in the Manufacturing World is available at Amazon, Kindle, and iBooks.

Finish Strong®

The Starting Pistol

Friedrich Nietzsche:
"Many are stubborn in pursuit of the path they have chosen, few in pursuit of the goal.”

The Tape

Rebecca Morgan:
"...which explains why I emphasize clear strategic vision over a strategic plan"

April 11, 2017: Cleveland, OH: Learners Group for Strategic Leaders is a five session, one workshop per month, series sponsored by Wire-Net to help manufacturing executives become the great leaders they want to be. It is limited to the strategic leaders of companies over $13MM in annual sales. Rebecca Morgan provides high quality, tough no-nonsense coaching. Series is limited to the first 10 companies registered.

May 2-3, 2017: Ogden UT: If you've never seen a world class manufacturing organization up close, this is your chance. Autoliv has agreed to host a 1.5 day workshop for AME, showing many of their processes and systems. As Tom Hartman would say, "you can see it in the eyes of our people."

May 8-10, 2017: Cleveland, OH: The Industry Week Manufacturing and Technology Conference (previously IW Best Plants) includes presentations, plant visits, keynotes, technology demonstrations, and an opportunity to learn more from others and share what you know.

May 23-25, 2017: Phoenix, AZ: Disruptions large and small confront today’s supply chains on a daily basis. The Gartner Supply Chain Executive Conference is an opportunity to meet with the best to be exposed to their transformational strategies.

June 19-21, 2017: Barcelona, Spain: The 19th annual EMEA Supply Chain and Logistics conference is limited to 600 attendees. The global economy impacts all manufacturers, as we impact it. Take advantage of this great opportunity to talk with your peers. Speakers are from ZTE, Ikea, and other well known global companies.

Check out the Events page on our webiste for more information.

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