Behind the Ops Tulip

Increasingly, companies are choosing to bring manufacturing back to the United States for a variety of reasons, including increased labor costs in other countries and supply chain disruptions caused by events like the COVID-19 pandemic. The Chips Act, renewable energy, and geopolitical tensions with China are additional contributors to the reshoring trend.


Companies need to carefully consider their reshoring strategies, as it can involve various approaches, such as setting up new facilities in the US, diversifying manufacturing locations, and partnering with local contract manufacturers. It's also necessary to discuss the importance of incorporating digital technology and adaptability into new facilities to avoid repeating past mistakes.


In this week's episode, Madi and Natan discuss manufacturing in the United States, with a focus on reshoring and its potential impact on workers and our economy.




LINK DUMP:



Axios: "A manufacturing investment supercycle is starting"
BCG: "Honing US Manufacturing’s Competitive Edge"
BCG: "The Shifting Economics of Global Manufacturing"
Reshoring Initiative

Have you come to subconsciously dread the sound of a Slack ping? In a world where you're constantly being bombarded with notifications coming from apps, emails, instant messages, and other channels, it's easy to feel like you're paying for less work with an influx of distractions.


In this week's episode, Madi and Natan reflect on the role that a constant stream of alerts has on our cognitive load, discuss how the right technology can empower people to have more problem-solving capacity, and introduce Automations — an exciting new Tulip capability that enables you to run logic in the background of your manufacturing operations.


LINK DUMP:
-Read "Phone Notifications Are Messing With Your Brain" for insights on how endless notifications can influence important decision-making
-Check out Tulip's Automations landing page to learn more about how Automations empower you to make your people more efficient, accurate, and productive
-Follow us on LinkedIn to join the conversation and find out when we post new episodes

Have you ever thought about how government espionage is not all that different than corporate sabotage? We have! (Consider tactics along the lines of "let blades go dull so people can't sharpen their saws"...)


In this week's episode, Madi and Natan reflect on how the CIA espionage manual relates to the ways in which many big corporations create a bad work environment, discuss Natan's "obsession" with "The Fractal Company," and break down how to build a corporate structure that encourages innovation.


LINK DUMP:
-Dive into the CIA's "Simple Sabotage Field Manual" booklet for insights into the ways in which agents instructed civilians to inflict sabotage through ordinary means
-Check out "The Fractal Company: A Revolution in Corporate Culture" to learn about how to develop an organization that utilizes its strengths and remains competitive
-Read "The Organization of the Future Is Fractal" for a break down of fractal design principles
-Follow us on LinkedIn to join the conversation and find out when we post new episodes

Vroom vroom.


In this week's episode, Madi and special guest Kyle Oberholtzer, program manager of the Tulip Experience Center, discuss all things Formula 1.


Madi quizzes Kyle (a Formula 1 fan, though a bit of a "Netflix newbie") on racing terminology (what in the world is a pole sitter?). And they reflect on the many ways in which the Formula 1 space is relevant to manufacturing. After all, the fact that these cars exist in the first place is a huge manufacturing achievement, right?


LINK DUMP:



Check out A beginner's guide to F1 slang for definitions and context around important Formula 1 terms
Read Insider's guide: How is an F1 car made? for insights on what is used to construct a Formula 1 car
Follow us on LinkedIn to join the conversation and find out when we post new episodes

Are buzzwords a necessary evil, or do their costs outweigh the benefits?


In this week’s episode, Madi and Natan dive deep into this question — exploring the difference between useful buzzwords and those that obscure the meaning of evolving concepts. They also discuss how Industry 4.0 and IoT have mutated into new terminologies, and play a fun game to identify popular buzzwords!


LINK DUMP:



Check out 15 Frequently Misunderstood and Misused Tech Buzzwords for insights from a panel of experts on specific tech terms that are often used incorrectly
Read How Industry 4.0 is Transforming Lean Manufacturing for a breakdown of the new technological developments that are driving Industry 4.0 forward
Follow us on LinkedIn to join the conversation and find out when we post new episodes

Hallo from Hannover! In this episode — recorded on-site at Hannover Messe 2023 — Madi and Natan provide a breakdown of everything they saw and heard (and ate!) on the show floor. (P.S. Madi says German hotdogs are just “fine.”)


Listen in to hear our co-hosts discuss the history of Hannover Messe, break down trends from this year’s event (in case you were wondering, the cloud has become like “khaki pants and polo shirts for our industry”), and reflect on the surprising lack of physical, interactive demos. As Natan points out, how many flat screens with PowerPoint can we survive?


LINK DUMP:



Dive into The Top 5 Manufacturing Trends in 2023 for insights on what to expect from AI, IoT, and other technology throughout the rest of this year
Read Cloud computing, SaaS, and the ‘new normal’ for manufacturers for an overview of how more and more organizations are adopting a cloud-first stance when it comes to selecting technology
Follow us on LinkedIn to join the conversation and find out when we post new episodes