The Best of Rethink
The 20th anniversary of Rethink brought together thought leaders and manufacturers to share digital transformation best practices and lessons learned.
MLC members celebrated Rethink’s 20th anniversary by doing what they’ve done at the past 19 summits: learning about the technology, leadership, and organizations driving Manufacturing 4.0 forward. Over the course of three days, more than 60 speakers shared their insights during keynotes, case studies, panel discussions, (Re)Think Tanks, fireside chats, lightning rounds, and executive interviews.
Here are a few of the exceptional sessions Rethink participants experienced.
Access to the MLC Member Portal is required to view the videos.
Opening Address: What’s Next?
David R. Brousell, Founder, Vice President and Executive Director, Manufacturing Leadership Council
Over the past 20 years, the manufacturing industry has worked hard to understand and adopt the digital model of production, learning much along the way. But as new technologies emerge, the proverbial finish line continues to move, leading to new possibilities, aspirations, and opportunities as well as challenges. MLC’s founder shares his views on what manufacturing might look like by mid-century.
Case Study: 25 Years of Transformation—Triumphs and Pitfalls from a Manufacturing Digital Native
Robert Bodor, CEO and President, Protolabs, Winner of the 2022 ML Awards Small/Medium Enterprise Manufacturer of the Year
Protolabs began as a company aimed at filling a specific manufacturing need: injection molded parts really fast. As one of manufacturing’s original “digital natives,” that speed was a result of automation and digitizing a once-traditional process. Since those early days, the company has expanded its offerings and experienced significant growth. The ongoing digital transformation that followed over the next 25 years as a custom components manufacturer has provided a case study in digital evolution comprised of technology advancements, key acquisitions, difficult trade-offs, and even a few hard lessons learned along the way. Learn more about the company’s ongoing Manufacturing 4.0 journey that has driven its mission to serve customers on the forefront of innovation.
Panel Discussion: Next-Generation Leaders
Angela Accurso, Director of Workforce Programs, MxD
Marlon Alberto Gonzalez Martinez, Storage Order Management Fulfillment Team Leader, IBM
Megan McCarthy, Business Process Manager for Global Manufacturing Electrical, General Motors
Jonathan Miller, Automation and OpEx Manager, Saint-Gobain Life Sciences
Facilitator: Penelope Brown, Senior Content Director, Manufacturing Leadership Council
What’s on the minds of the next generation as they develop into tomorrow’s leaders? This panel discussion examines the hopes, aspirations, and visions for the future from some of 2024’s top finalists for the Manufacturing Leadership Awards Next-Generation Leadership award.
Case Study: Hardwiring Innovation Processes from Tech Into a 155-year-old Company
Craig Slavtcheff, Executive Vice President and Chief R&D and Innovation Officer, Campbell Soup Company
The pace and scope of innovation demanded in food by consumers continues to be high, driven by a range of macrotrends including food exploration and nostalgia, ag-tech, and sustainability. To keep pace, food companies have to innovate on how they innovate, focused on the three drivers of “speed to insight,” “speed to design,” and “speed to execution”. Campbell has looked to the world of tech, including machine learning and AI, as inspiration to transform its innovation processes, building on its 150+ year old history of inventing delicious, nutrition, safe, and affordable foods.
Case Study: Making the World a Better Home through M4.0
Regan Gallo, Director of Operations, Coated Abrasives NA, Saint-Gobain North America
With more than 145 manufacturing locations across North America alone and several acquisitions in the past few years, Saint-Gobain faces steep challenges when it comes to deploying a unified digital strategy across the organization. With takeaways applicable to manufacturing companies of any size, learn where the company has found success, where it needed to make pivots, and the progress it has made as it works to meet its mission – making the world a better home.
About the author:
Jeff Puma is Content Director for the Manufacturing Leadership Council