by Gary Mintchell | Mar 9, 2015 | Education, Leadership
Here is a thought provoking TED Talk from Tom Wujec, a Fellow at Autodesk where he helps leadership teams solve complex challenges and design their future with emerging digital technologies. He uses the metaphor of drawing the process of making toast to eventually get groups thinking about using systems thinking to do what he calls “Wicked Problem Solving.”
Following is a his 8 steps process:
An Introduction to Systems Thinking and Wicked Problem Solving
DrawToast workshops are a great way to get groups to think freshly about mental models. In just 3 minutes, each person sketches a diagram of how to make toast. When comparing diagrams, people are shocked at how diverse the diagrams are, revealing a wide range of models of what’s important in making toast. It’s a great launch pad for drawing out what’s really important to the group.
There are 8 Simple Steps to the DrawToast Exercise:
Step 1
Prepare
Get the ingredients: felt markers, thick paper stock, sticky notes or index cards, and masking tape. Stage your room with tables, chairs, and a clear wall where you can post your work. It’s important to have enough room for all participants to see everyone’s creations.
Step 2
Invite
In your invitation, set expectations that your meeting will focus on building a systems model of an important challenge – clarifying your vision, improving cash flow, figuring out the next bold challenge. Begin with a simple design exercise.
Step 3
Conduct
Run the meeting informally. Hand out markers and paper to everyone and ask people to draw a picture of how to make toast.
Give them 2-3 minutes.
You may want to play toast-making music…
Step 4
Reflect
Have each person hold up their drawing for all to see. (Let the laughter start) Have the group place their drawings on a large wall space and comment on the drawings; pointing out which are simple and complex, which have people and which don’t.
Step 5
Play the TED.com DrawToast video and let it explain the big ideas about systems thinking. After it plays, ask the group how many nodes they drew and what kind?
Step 6
Draw Your Challenge
Have people draw a picture how to improve what what they are working on as a group. This can include almost anything, strategic or tactical. See ‘Draw Questions’ for inspiration. Make sure people draw individually and in silence.
Step 7
Share
Have people work at tables. showing and explaining their diagrams. Compare and contrast the diagrams and see what is similar and different between them. What links and nodes are common?
Step 8
System
If you have the time, have the group develop a systems diagram of the challenges using sticky notes and drawn links. Building on the previous individual diagrams, have groups of 4-6 people create nodes and links to to solve the challenges.
by Gary Mintchell | Mar 5, 2015 | Education
Thanks to Seth Godin for a great thought. How do you keep on learning?
He asks, “Quick, what’s XIV squared?”
Did you know that there is no zero in Roman numerals? You can’t do advanced math without a zero.
He links the idea that if you are missing a few important tools, even one, then your work is hindered. You have to obtain the necessary tools–which usually consist of vocabulary. A limited vocabulary will limit your career growth.
Says Godin, “Here’s my advice: Every time you hear an expert use a word or concept you don’t understand, stop her and ask to be taught. Every time. After just a few interactions, you’ll have a huge advantage over those who didn’t ask.”
I’d add, read with a dictionary (or dictionary app or browser). When you don’t know a word, look it up.
by Gary Mintchell | Jan 28, 2015 | Automation, Data Management, Education, Events, Manufacturing IT, News, Operations Management, Software, Technology
deployCamp reminds me of the exciting early days of Silicon Valley when developers would gather to exchange ideas and meet new people. Many ideas and companies sprang from that fertile soil. Company-sponsored user conferences are good–for those who use that company’s products. What we need in this industry is a venue for engineers to rekindle that enthusiasm for innovation. deployCamp looks like it will be that place. I hope to see you there.
Andy Robinson and Eliot Landrum announce deployCamp—a new mini-manufacturing-conference for manufacturing engineers that will be held May 19 & 20, 2015 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
“We’re both manufacturing engineers that have been in the automation / system integration business for a while. We work for different companies and in different industries. We both care deeply about building community across the industry, sharing knowledge, and advancing the overall state of technology for the automation field.”
Andy and Eliot began an Open Source effort: aaOpenSource. Now hosted on GitHub, aaOpenSource has multiple projects with thousands of lines of code that are freely available to anyone with an interest. aaOpenSource is all about sharing knowledge and developing time-saving tools for Wonderware System Platform. I wrote about the beginning of that project a few months ago.
They are taking the vision of community, sharing, and open source to the next step by launching a conference with the goal of bringing manufacturing engineers across the industry together for two intense days of technical content and networking. “We strongly believe that in order to advance the state of technology for everyone, we need to break down walls between companies and encourage an open, public community of knowledge sharing.”
There are a lot of existing conferences out there for manufacturing, so what makes this one different? First and foremost, it is user-led. “We’re just two engineers who want to get together with other engineers and talk shop.” Secondly, the event focuses on strong technical content without marketing overhead. “We want to geek out with fellow engineers, by learning from each other and leaders across the industry.” Finally, “We want to have a good time!” In addition to being hosted in a historic venue in downtown Raleigh, there will be local coffee, delicious food, and a craft beer tasting lined up along with a few other surprises.
This year’s conference is focused on the Wonderware System Platform, at future events we hope to expand to other ecosystems.
Check out the open Call for Speakers. Lining up sponsors marks the next phase of the project. Registration will be capped to 100 people.
Andy Robinson is the Principal of Phase 2 Automation, a consulting services company focused on Wonderware System Platform. Andy has been an automation professional for 15 years and is currently engaged in building a sterile filling facility in Taiwan. He IS the Archestranaut and has been actively blogging about Wonderware System Platform and associated tech since 2010. You can follow Andy on Twitter or GitHub.
Eliot Landrum is an MES Engineer/Analyst at Stone Technologies, Inc. and has been working in the manufacturing industry since 2004. He is actively involved with aaOpenSource and has contributed several complete projects to the community. He is a Wonderware certified developer and maintains certification on System Platform, Historian, InTouch, MES Operations, MES Performance, and MES Quality. You can follow Eliot on Twitter or GitHub.
by Gary Mintchell | Jan 13, 2015 | Automation, Education, Internet of Things, Leadership, News, Operations Management, Software, Technology
Let the debates begin! Jim Pinto has published his 2015 prognostications in the latest JimPintoBlog.
Check out his entire list and enter your thoughts on his blog. I’ll highlight some of his thoughts and add some of my own.
Automation Industry Trends
New inflection points will change the leadership lineup.
GM—I do not expect big changes in the automation leadership lineup. Mitsubishi, Rockwell Automation and Siemens are dominant in their home areas and fighting it out in China and India. Siemens has a bit of an edge having been international for a longer period of time. But as automation commoditizes, perhaps some new entrants will grab some share. If Bedrock Automation can market well, watch out for it. On the process side, Invensys is gone, absorbed by Schneider Electric. So the process automation business becomes even more of a minor part of the overall businesses, like ABB, Emerson Process Management, and Yokogawa. The only interesting situation in that market area is Honeywell Process Solutions. But I don’t really expect any change there.
I think 3D printing (additive manufacturing) is a game changer and one of the most important things from last week’s CES. It’s not strictly automation, though.
From Jim:
- Internet of Things (IoT): The Industrial Internet will transform the next decade. Intelligent sensors and networks will take measurement and control to the next level, dramatically improving productivity and efficiencies in production. Growth in 2015 will be bottom-up, not top-down.
- Smaller, Cheaper Sensors: Everyone is looking for or working on smaller, cheaper sensors for widespread use in IoT. Expect fast growth for sensors this year.
- Cloud Computing: Cloud computing technology reduces capital expenditures and IT labor costs by transferring responsibility to cloud computing providers, allowing secure and fast access for data-driven decisions. The significant gains in efficiency, cost and capability will generate continuing rapid growth in 2015.
- 3D Printing in Manufacturing: Today, do-it-yourself manufacturing is possible without tooling, large assembly lines or multiple supply chains. 3D printing is reshaping product development and manufacturing.
- Mobile Devices in Automation: The use of WiFi-connected tablets, smartphones and mobile devices is spreading quickly. Handheld devices reduce costs, improve operating efficiency, boost productivity and increases throughput. More and more employers are allowing BYOD (bring your own device).
- Robotics: Millions of small and medium-sized businesses that will benefit from cheaper robots that can economically produce a wide variety of products in small numbers. The next generation of robots will be cheaper and easier to set up, and will work with people rather than replace them.
- Control Systems Security: In spite of apprehensions over consumer security breach events, industrial cyber security has mostly been ignored due to lack of understanding of solution costs. Many companies struggle to justify what is seen as added cost to secure their operation. Major security breaches will change this attitude.
Business Technology Trends
Gartner’s top trends for 2015 (3) cover three themes: the merging of the real and virtual worlds, the advent of intelligence everywhere, and the technology impact of the digital business shift. There is a high potential for disruption to the business with the need for a major investment, or the risk of being late to adopt.
Here are the top Gartner trends:
- Computing Everywhere: As mobile devices continue to proliferate, there will be increased emphasis on the needs of the mobile users. Increasingly, the overall environment will need to adapt to the requirements of the mobile user
- 3D Printing: Worldwide shipments of 3D printers are expected to grow 98 percent in 2015, followed by a doubling of unit shipments in 2016, reaching a tipping point over the next three years.
- Advanced, Pervasive and Invisible Analytics: The volume of data generated by embedded systems generates vast pools of structured and unstructured data inside and outside the enterprise. Organizations need to deliver exactly the right information to the right person, at the right time, so analytics will become deeply, but invisibly embedded everywhere.
- Smart Machines: Advanced algorithms will allow systems to understand their environment, learn for themselves, and act autonomously.
- Cloud Computing: The convergence of cloud and mobile computing will continue to promote the growth of centrally coordinated applications that can be delivered to any device. Applications will evolve to support simultaneous use of multiple devices.
- Risk-Based Security and Self-Protection: All roads to the digital future lead through security. Organizations will increasingly recognize that it is not possible to provide a 100 percent secured environment. They will apply more-sophisticated risk assessment and mitigation tools. Every app needs to be self-aware and self-protecting.
GM—My take is that the biggest thing in this area is analytics combined with improved visualizations and dashboards that take advantage of smartphones and tablets. Cloud is here. IoT is here. Security will forever be an important part of business.
2015 Consumer Electronics Show
- Wearable Devices: The time is right for wearable devices.
- Practical green tech.
- Sustainability and transportation: Tesla Model X all-electric SUV with the doors that open like a Delorean. Electric-assisted bike technology; electric scooter with swappable batteries and dashboard analytics.
- Kid-Tech: Apps to help teach children science, math, and tech. Fun little robots that teach kids computer programming concepts. Drawing, design, and color patterns to help kids learn about robotics and computer programming.
GM—as I’ve already written, autonomous vehicles could be a game changer and 3D printing was huge. The outlier is drones. Who knows where that might go?
Future Prognostications 2015-2025
Here are ten prognostications for the next decade, picked from the World Future Society (7) forecasts, plus other readings and discussions with Futurists.
- – Education: A major shift to on-line education and certification is already happening, and will continue steadily.
- – Jobs: Advances in artificial intelligence will eliminate human workers.
- – Robot Work Force
- – Middle Class Impasse: delaying retirement, income stagnating
- – Driverless cars
- – Speak to Computers.
- – Robotic Augmentation (exoskeletons)
- – Health & Well-being: sensors everywhere
- – Brain scanning will replace juries
- -Energy: Futurist Ray Kurzweil notes that solar power has been doubling every two years for the past 30 years while costs have been dropping. He says solar energy is only six doublings (less than 14 years) away from meeting 100% percent of energy needs.
GM-There are going to be some disruptions and huge benefits from a number of these. Autonomous vehicles and health advances are fantastic. I wish education would change more quickly that it does. Even those who wish to disrupt education mainly only have the political agenda of “teachers’ unions” and driving down salaries. (Why is it a political agenda to drive down salaries. Shouldn’t we be trying to improve everyone’s lot in life?)
I’m not a fan of Kurzweil. 100% is not realistic—maybe residential, but not everything. Don’t think there’s enough volts there!
I think we are going to need those labor-saving, productivity-enhancing advancements because we’re actually facing a labor shortage in 10 years. Time to start thinking farther ahead.
Humans have a way of adapting to thrive. I am optimistic about the future!
Yes, Jim, I’m with you there!
by Gary Mintchell | Oct 24, 2014 | Automation, Education, Technology
Much has been written and discussed about 3D printing, aka additive manufacturing, lately. One thing I never thought of with my mechanical “engineering” days behind me long ago was the thought of tolerances. I just never asked anyone about the tolerances you can hold with an additive production process.
I wrote something about the topic recently that drew the attention of a PR firm, and soon I was talking with Ola Harrysson and Rick Wysk of the North Carolina State University Center for Additive Manufacturing and Logistics. Our conversation centered on the progression from design for additive manufacturing to processes to material development to finished machining to logistics. They are obviously taking a holistic view of the system.
Dr. Ola Harrysson, NCSU
Dr. Harrysson is professor and Fitts Fellow in Biomedical Manufacturing at NC State. Dr. Harrysson is in charge of the Additive Manufacturing Laboratory (AML) in the ISE department which houses the first Electron Beam Melting (EBM) machine in the world. AML is currently involved in both aerospace and medical related research as well as providing faculty and students with prototyping services.
Dr. Richard Wysk, NCSU
Dr. Wysk is Dopaco Distinguished Professor at the university, whose research and teaching interests are in the general area of Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) and medical device design and manufacturing. In particular, he is interested in: 1) lean manufacturing (waste elimination and setup reduction), 2) product/process engineering, 3) Computer-Aided Manufacturing, 4) Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMSs) planning, design and control, and most recently 5) the engineering and manufacturing of medical products, including regenerative medical products.
They told me the center is working on an automatic finishing system—software that works between the additive (3D printing) and subtractive (machining) processes.
Rick said, “Ola saw the potential and got funding for the first electron beam layering machine. He went on to develop one of the first titanium processing processes using the electron beam technology.”
Interestingly, they told me although geometric limitations of this process are almost nonexistent relative to casting or machining, the accuracy of building with an e-beam is about that of casting. Says Ola, “So I came with idea of knitting together processes. We then create holding components and put in a CNC machine.”
The Center is currently working with a company building parts for the aerospace industry. Parts can be built within 24 hours, but then it may be days to weeks to do the machining. The idea is to reduce that. Rick—”Imagine putting a system in a submarine where they could build replacement parts on the spot. John Deere is interested for custom building spare parts and reducing the need for costly warehouses full of spare parts that may never be used.”
The Center has funding from National Science Foundation and America Makes. They should show capabilities of software within a year.
by Gary Mintchell | Oct 20, 2014 | Automation, Education, Internet of Things, Manufacturing IT, News, Operations Management, Organizations, Process Control, Safety, Security, Software, Technology
It is time to start thinking about the annual ARC Industry Forum. I’ve attended every one beginning in 1998. It is a major industry gathering. It is largely about ARC’s clients, but the only industry people I don’t see in Orlando are competing analysts. A good place to see and be seen as they say.
ARC Advisory Group has announced the keynote presenters for its 19th Annual Industry Forum in Orlando, Florida, February 9-12, 2015. These include: Peter Holicki, Corp. Vice President, Manufacturing & Engineering and Environment, Health & Safety at Dow Chemical; Gregory Touhill, Deputy Asst. Secretary, Cyber Security Operations & Programs at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; and Stephan Biller, Chief Manufacturing Scientist at General Electric.
These keynote presenters and a large number of other distinguished engineering, IT, and operations executives will share concepts, approaches, and success stories that address the forum theme: Industry in Transition: The Information Driven Enterprise for the Connected World. The event will address top-of-mind concerns about the impact of new business models and disruptive, IT-based technologies on energy companies, manufacturers, and other industrial organizations.
In -depth workshops include cyber security, developing the future workforce, sustainable reliability, and the Industrial Internet of Things.
Individual forum sessions
- Reducing the cost and duration of capital projects
- Creating and sustaining a proactive maintenance culture
- Gaining value from predictive analytics
- Approaches for integrated control and electrification
- Enterprise recipe management
- Asset performance management (APM)
- Building a secure-by-design Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)
- Future directions for process automation systems
- Latest trends in operator training simulators
- Information continuum for plant design and operations
- Complex event processing
- Network best practices for connected assets
- Best practices for selecting technology and partners for greenfield and brownfield projects
- Workforce improvement through targeted training
- Enterprise manufacturing intelligence (EMI)
- Remote monitoring and diagnostics
- Machines as a service enabler
- Leveraging smart field systems
Forum attendees will learn about field-proven processes and techniques that are helping improve quality, performance, and agility at leading manufacturers and other industrial organizations around the world. As always, there will also be ample opportunities for attendees to network and socialize with their peers over the course of the four-day event.
