Purdue Global manufacturing expert: Running a plant is more than just the finished item on the assembly line

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Toney Ferguson worked 16 years in a variety of supervisory and administrative roles in manufacturing settings. At the end of the day, knowing what the factory produces is key. But equipping, managing and training plant employees are what keeps the factory going and being successful.

Ferguson, a professor who specializes in and teaches supply chain management in Purdue Global’s School of Business and Information Technology, says understanding people and their skill sets and being able to manage all parts of human capital are key for any plant or operations managers and supervisors.

Ferguson, who also pursued his master’s degrees through employer-sponsored continuing education programs, teaches supply chain management courses, including operations management, quality management, business process improvement, global supply chain management, logistics and distribution, strategic warehouse management, and supply chain analytics.

Ferguson answers questions about manufacturing careers and the importance of upskilling and continuing education.

What do employees need to know about today’s manufacturing industry?

In today’s fast-paced manufacturing environment, employees should embrace the concept of continuous improvement to make a positive impact on the organizational workflow. Future manufacturing leaders will need to have a good understanding of safety/OSHA regulations; quality control/lean manufacturing principles; ISO compliance; procurement; and logistics, including shipping and receiving. I encourage employees to volunteer for projects outside one’s main responsibility to gain exposure to other manufacturing areas to be well-rounded to meet the challenge of becoming an operations leader.  

If an employee wants to have a career in operations, it requires exposure to as many departments as possible, from supply chain, logistics, procurement, etc. to truly understand the organizational core competencies to make good business decisions as a manufacturing leader. Operations is the lifeblood of any manufacturing operation; without it, nothing else exists.  

Why should employees take part in continuing education or education benefits and upskilling?

Tuition reimbursement is one way that organizations are able to invest in their employees. It is truly an investment when companies are willing to help pay employees’ tuition and the results pay dividends by employees’ willingness to build a career at the organization.  

What skills should people have who want to go into management or leadership roles at a manufacturing plant?

I want to start off by saying that “people are a company’s most valuable asset.” Without people, you have no business, so a positive trait of a successful leader is how he or she treats their employees. It is important to keep top talent satisfied, especially as a manufacturing leader. A successful leader should know how to inspire his or her team and be prepared to remove any barrier that prevents the team from being successful. The ability to motivate individuals with different personalities is a skill that goes a long way in developing a successful team. Most frontline leaders have the technical skills to be successful leaders, but many leading a team make rookie mistakes thinking that everyone has the same personality and motivation. Understanding human behavior from a team development standpoint goes a long way in building the possible. Anyone deciding on a career should have a basic understanding of Microsoft Office, especially Excel, because analyzing reports will be a big part of the job.   

With the push to more high-tech or applied manufacturing, what type of upskilling should employees consider pursuing?

Employees will require a thorough understanding of technology because many manufacturing companies are investing in robotic applications, and interacting with computer applications is a major part of their job. Human Machine Interface (HMI) will be the primary way employees interact with the equipment in the production process. Labor-intensive jobs will slowly fade away and move to high-tech and/or applied manufacturing positions so employees will be required to meet this challenge.    

With major manufacturers seeking to bring manufacturing back to the U.S., entry-level manufacturing jobs will be on the rise, organizations will be required to compete through the use of technology, specifically artificial intelligence applications to gain a competitive advantage. It is important that recent college graduates understand and embrace new technology and manufacturing techniques.   

About Purdue Global

Purdue Global is Purdue’s online university for working adults who have life experience and often some college credits. It offers flexible paths for students to earn an associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, based on their work experience, military service and previous college credits, no matter where they are in their life journey. Purdue Global is a nonprofit, public university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and backed by Purdue University. For more information, visit https://www.purdueglobal.edu.