There’s clear agreement that a company’s most important asset is its people, but there’s no consensus on the best recipe to develop them. And nor should there be, as every company’s situation is different. But are there major themes that cut across the spectrum?

Problem solving starts before a problem is even defined.

Additive manufacturing is the polar opposite of traditional manufacturing.

Countries understand that it matters where products are made.

Metrics don't make decisions, people do.

No checklist can effectively handle customer complaints.

It’s important to recognize times of transition.

Disruptive innovation devalues what made you successful.

I’m not an economist, but it’s clear to me that if I were a country, I’d want my economy to be grounded on the bedrock of making.

There’s lots of talk about a manufacturing renaissance. Some call it a resurgence, others a revolution, but the name doesn’t matter. There’s also been a lot of argument over the magnitude of the decline in manufacturing and how to measure it. Some say there wasn’t a decline at all. None of that matters, either.

The value of standard work is clear: improved productivity and quality. With standard work, the process is well documented, its yield is high, its cycle time is rock solid, and everyone has been trained to do it. It worked well once, so we do it again and again.

We’re all aware of the consequences of paying too much.

Engineers don’t know how to reduce part counts.

It’s planning time. It’s time to define the projects, the resources, and the timelines for next year’s work.

Everything boils down to problem-solving—everything. New technology, new products, new processes, new business models, new markets, new behaviors, new company culture, innovation—it’s all problem-solving.

Manufacturers vigorously seek out best practices because they can improve metrics, such as stock price, sales and profitability. There’s only one problem: Best practices are the actions that solved yesterday’s problems.

The schedule-at-all-cost message has been made too strongly.