The Wrench Factor

MaintainX

Welcome to The Wrench Factor, where we explore the technologies and innovations shaping the future of industrial asset management. In each episode, we dive into the biggest challenges facing frontline professionals, sharing real-world insights and practical strategies to help teams achieve best-in-class operations. From AI to asset reliability, we're talking about what matters most—right from the field. If you have an idea for a future topic, send your suggestion here: podcast@getmaintainx.com Powered by MaintainX

  1. JAN 27

    Introducing High-Value Products to the Manufacturing Floor

    When companies have a new product idea, the path from concept to production isn’t always clear—and the decisions made early can make or break success. In this live episode, Jake Hall (The Manufacturing Millennial) sits down with Rush LaSelle, CEO of Fathom Digital Manufacturing, to unpack how ideas actually make it onto the manufacturing floor—and ultimately into the hands of customers. As one of the first touchpoints for companies bringing new products to life, Fathom helps teams navigate critical decisions around manufacturing processes, speed of iteration, cost vs. quality, and scalability. Rush shares insights from working with cutting-edge technologies like humanoid robotics, fast-paced innovation cycles, and global organizations pushing the limits of what’s possible.

    22 min

  2. JAN 13

    The State of CMMS: Industry Trends and Predictions for 2026

    The maintenance and reliability landscape is evolving fast, and few people have a clearer pulse on the industry than Greg Christensen, host of CMMSradio. In this episode of The Wrench Factor, host Nick Haase sits down with Greg to unpack what’s really happening across the CMMS and maintenance technology ecosystem. Drawing from his many conversations with vendors, practitioners, and industry leaders, Greg shares what he’s seeing from both sides of the market: where vendors are innovating, where the ecosystem feels crowded or confusing, and what maintenance teams are actually asking for on the ground. The conversation dives into real-world pain points, shifting buyer expectations, and how the CMMS space has evolved. We also look ahead. From predictions on where maintenance technology is headed to what Greg is most excited about as we move toward 2026, this episode offers a candid perspective on the state of the industry and what reliability leaders should be paying attention to next. Follow CMMSradio on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cmmsradio/

    27 min

  3. 2025-12-15

    The New Era of Vibration Monitoring: What Industrial Leaders Need to Know

    Predictive maintenance has changed more in the last decade than in the previous forty. In this episode of Wrench Factor, host Nick Haase sits down with Ryan Bowman, Chief Revenue Officer at Waites, and David Porter, Director of Reliability Services at Waites, to unpack the state of vibration monitoring today—and why it’s becoming a foundational tool for modern manufacturing. Waites provides industrial wireless condition monitoring built for harsh environments, pairing rugged vibration and temperature sensors with AI-driven analytics and human reliability experts. Together, Nick, Ryan, and David break down what every plant leader, technician, and executive should understand about today’s vibration technology: The shift from monthly manual checks to continuous IoT monitoringEarly signs your operation could benefit from modern vibration monitoringReal-world value of hourly data collection versus legacy intervalsWhat to consider when evaluating systemsHow to turn integrations into a lasting efficiency lever, not a one-time IT projectWhether you’re new to vibration analysis or looking to strengthen your predictive maintenance strategy, this conversation delivers a clear view of where the industry is headed and how to prepare your plant for the next generation of reliability.

    24 min

  4. 2025-12-10

    Safety Meets AI: How NVIDIA Is Powering the Next Era of Robotics

    On this episode of The Wrench Factor, guest host Jake Hall (The Manufacturing Millennial) sits down with Chen Su, Senior Technical Product Marketing Manager at NVIDIA, to explore how AI and robotics autonomy are redefining safety on the factory floor. With more than a decade of experience across industrial automation, enterprise software, R&D, and product management, Chen brings a rare, cross-functional view of how cutting-edge technology becomes operational reality. Together, Jake and Chen explore how AI helps frontline teams work with fewer risks, why safety must be a true cultural value, and what it takes to get executives to invest in the right safety technologies. Whether you're focused on minimizing risk, improving productivity, or accelerating digital transformation, this discussion offers a look at how NVIDIA is weaving safety into the core of next-generation industrial operations.

    30 min

  5. 2025-12-02

    The IT–Ops Divide: How to Build a Modern Industrial Tech Stack

    Manufacturers know the tension well: Operations needs modern tools to run efficiently, while IT is tasked with protecting the enterprise, managing risk, and preventing tech-stack sprawl. Sometimes, when those priorities collide, digital transformation stalls. On this episode of Wrench Factor, host Tyler Hufstetler sits down with Blaine Bryant, Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President at Lightera. With more than two decades of global IT leadership across manufacturing, software, financial services, and high-tech industries, Blaine has built a career transforming technology organizations into strategic value creators. Today, he leads global IT consolidation, MES standardization, data modernization, and cybersecurity maturity across 27 manufacturing sites. Together, Tyler and Blaine dig into what really holds digital transformation back—and how IT and Operations can align to move faster and smarter. They explore: What CIOs actually look for when evaluating new tools: ROI, governance, security, and adoptionThe rising need for unified OT leadership to avoid tribal, decentralized decision-makingHow to reduce cybersecurity risk across distributed plants and aging OT assetsHow to build scalable, standardized architecture without killing plant-level flexibilityWhether you’re leading a plant, modernizing your tech stack, or navigating IT reviews, this episode breaks down a practical path for building a secure, integrated, and future-ready operations ecosystem—together.

    26 min

  6. 2025-11-21

    Building What’s Next: Product Strategy for the Industrial Workforce

    Nick Haase sits down with Will Lehrmann, SVP of Product at MaintainX and former Procore Technologies product leader, for a candid conversation about what industrial teams actually need from software today. Drawing from experience across both construction and manufacturing, Will breaks down the challenges he’s hearing from operators, the opportunities product teams should be building toward, and what’s real — versus what’s overhyped — in the industrial tech landscape. They also dig into the growing labor shortage, the push for efficiency, and why a strong mobile experience can fundamentally change how work gets done in the field and on the plant floor — shaping what product innovation could look like heading into 2026 and beyond.

    26 min

  7. 2025-11-10

    What Manufacturers Are Doing Wrong with Data

    Jake Hall, The Manufacturing Millennial, talks with Remus Pop, Partner at Concept Reply, about the current state of digital transformation — and where the biggest shifts are happening on the plant floor. They break down what’s actually shifting on the plant floor as AI becomes more embedded, why maintenance teams are essential to successful digitalization, and what leaders should be thinking about to develop the next generation of industrial talent. In this episode, you'll learn: - Emerging trends in digitalization and AI in manufacturing - How Maintenance is becoming a strategic role in transformation - Why the future of Industry 4.0 depends on investing in people

    26 min

  8. 2025-10-23

    Demystifying Industry 4.0 with Jake Hall

    Industry 4.0, minus the buzzwords. On this episode of #TheWrenchFactor, co-founder Nick Haase sits down with Jake Hall (The Manufacturing Millennial) to demystify what a real digital transformation flywheel looks like, ERP vs. MES vs. data lakes and IoT, and how AI (perception, generative, and agentic) is moving maintenance from reactive to truly predictive. Plus, why early adopters win and how a modern CMMS plugs into the stack for compounding ROI.

    26 min
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About

Welcome to The Wrench Factor, where we explore the technologies and innovations shaping the future of industrial asset management. In each episode, we dive into the biggest challenges facing frontline professionals, sharing real-world insights and practical strategies to help teams achieve best-in-class operations. From AI to asset reliability, we're talking about what matters most—right from the field. If you have an idea for a future topic, send your suggestion here: podcast@getmaintainx.com Powered by MaintainX

Information

  • Creator
    MaintainX
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Wrench Factor
  • Show Website
    The Wrench Factor