In a special episode of the Augmented Ops podcast, host Erik Mirandette sat down with three engineers on the front lines of digital transformation in manufacturing. Ryan Infantozzi from Veka Inc., Esmeralda from Stanley Black & Decker, and Cuyler from Agility EMS shared their unique journeys, the impactful projects they’ve led, and their insights on the future of the industry.
Despite their diverse educational backgrounds – spanning biochemistry, materials engineering, and mechatronics – all three guests were drawn to manufacturing by a common passion: problem-solving. As Cuyler put it, “I only took one class in programming in college and kind of had to learn the rest along the way. But Tulip’s been really forgiving in that way, so it’s been a blast just being able to take a tool that you know nothing about and then three months later be full board running at max speed.”
This adaptability and eagerness to learn have proven invaluable as these citizen developers tackle day-to-day challenges on the production floor. For Ryan, that means engaging with operators, prioritizing issues, and developing applications for production tracking and supervisor oversight. Esmeralda has led the charge in digitalizing a manual 5-phase audit process across 150 areas and 400 auditors at Stanley Black & Decker’s Reynosa, Mexico facility. At Agility EMS, Cuyler is focused on capturing processes, onboarding new products at record speed, and building work instruction apps at scale.
But with any digital transformation comes resistance to change – a hurdle that all three guests have had to overcome. The key, they’ve found, lies in continuous iteration based on user feedback. “The best thing that we ever did was say, well, if the best way to communicate with someone on the floor isn’t with words, let’s make it video based and we’ll show exactly how things need to be manufactured and we’ll get immediate feedback from these operators,” Cuyler explained.
“Because at the end of the day, they are the ones who really know the process and understand the pain points that they have,” Esmeralda added. “And create it, because that’s one of the advantages we could create quickly. Solutions, they get more and more involved.”
This principle extends beyond the shop floor, as the guests have learned to demonstrate value and time-saving potential for teams across their organizations. By leading with results and understanding the unique needs of each department, they’ve been able to secure buy-in and scale their citizen development efforts – all while balancing the need for governance and standardization.
So what does it take to attract and retain the next generation of manufacturing professionals? According to the podcast guests, it boils down to providing opportunities for growth, fostering a culture of innovation, and empowering employees to solve real-world problems.
“Younger generations, I think, that are looking for impactful dynamic and technology driven careers and manufacturing laws. Evolve to meet these expectations. I think an advice for young professionals entering on manufacturing and digital transformation, I could say don’t be afraid to start the smile. You don’t need to solve a massive problem on the one. Look for smile pain points in your environment and use them has an opportunity to apply what you know.”
As manufacturing continues to evolve, it’s clear that citizen developers like Ryan, Esmeralda, and Cuyler will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the industry. By harnessing the power of no-code tools and their own problem-solving skills, they’re driving digital transformation from the ground up – one app, one process, and one empowered operator at a time.
To hear more insights from these innovative engineers, check out the full episode of Augmented Ops wherever you get your podcasts. For more on the future of manufacturing, be sure to subscribe to the Tulip blog for the latest trends, tips, and success stories from the front lines of Industry 4.0.
