Practical notes for people who run plants.
Once or twice a month: one in-depth article from real operations, what’s moving in manufacturing, and where AI actually helps. Written by an operator, for operators.
Get the next issue
Free. One or two emails a month. Unsubscribe any time.
From Paul E. Kohn: 25+ years leading operations at Ford, Tesla, Carl Zeiss and PE-backed manufacturers.
The long read
One practical, in-depth piece on running a better operation, built from real plants, with something you can try that week.
What’s moving in manufacturing
The events and shifts that matter to North American manufacturers, and what they mean on the floor.
AI on the floor
Where AI is genuinely useful in operations right now, and where it just makes existing problems more expensive.
Worth your time
A few articles and ideas from other operators and thinkers that are worth reading.
How to Find Hidden Constraints in Your Plant
The constraints that cost the most are rarely hidden from everyone. Four places to look, from the plant floor to the corner office, and how to find each one this week.
OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCEThe Operational Excellence Integration Framework: Why Dimensional Balance Matters More Than Individual Excellence
Organizations mature unevenly across Systems, People, Leadership and Technology. The weakest dimension caps the whole operation. Here is how to find it.
OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCEThe Missing Link: Why Operational Excellence Fails Without Integration
Most maturity models improve one dimension in isolation. Real gains come from connecting processes, people, leadership and technology so they work together.
Every plant has a constraint someone already knows about.
The newsletter is about finding it, and about the leadership that lets you fix it.