Very old black & white photo of a factory floor with many machines making fabric. Photo shows a female employee in lower right hand corner.
The factory floor has changed.

Why Manufacturing

We’re constantly renaming certain time-worn labels and manufacturing is such a label. Call it Manufacturing 5.0, Modular-Manufacturing, Connected, or Reshoring (manufacturers returning to the U.S.). MFGR 5.0 relies on digital intelligence; the various ways digital skills, tech tools, and the strategy necessary to make it all work without error, fit together. Reliability engineering, release engineering, data science, endless evolution, and you’re right, robotics will play a big part. But so will data, globalization, a new on-demand supply chain, 3D printing, and inventory control. So many old terms are once again new, and are all part of Digital Transformation. 

Predictive Replace-ment
Think of the connected car that will tell the manufacturer its brake pads need to be replaced next month - predictive replacement. Various systems take over, the pads are ordered, perhaps manufactured, sent to the local dealership, and are ready for installation -- all without human interaction. Maybe the car will drive itself to the shop while you’re asleep. The work will be completed, and your smartphone will let you know the car is back with new brakes. ​

Dream Time & 
Digital Skills 
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​The opportunities for careers in this simple scenario are many. Parents need to spend time with their STEM kids to dream up new careers! You can’t expect teachers to spend classroom hours on “future” careers, but students need to start articulating their own future scenes, and without ridicule. If I had my way … every Friday would be devoted to “dream time” where teachers and students collaborate on future careers, identify actual roles, discuss how to get there, and work with local businesses and their employees. Community colleges need Dream Workshops.
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In our automotive example above, what are some of the career possibilities? Data, lots and lots of it. Privacy: ownership of car and personal information. Certification: that the parts are correct and not a pirated, defective version. IP (intellectual property) of all manufacturers and standardization will be at the top of many lists. Cybersecurity will be interwoven, information arbitrage expanded, and data commodities traded.
 
Awareness of digital skills must develop at a faster pace, acknowledged in classrooms, discussed and validated at the dinner table. Jobs aren’t disappearing; they’re evolving, and our talented students must acquire the requisite fundamental skills to enter tomorrow’s workforce. 

Good Links
- Looking for good Manufacturing Information? Look no further: Manufacturing Stories unites Educators and Manufacturers. 

- Read: Fixing the Manufacturing Skills Gap. Great overview of what we should be doing, and where we need to focus.

- This report may prove frightening, but gives a terrific example of just how connected our automotive industry is. Hackers take on a big-rig truck and hijack the brakes and accelerator! Apparently it wasn't even too difficult.