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PODCAST: Data is a Critical Element for Manufacturing Excellence

ByDatanomix Team

John Joseph, CEO/Co-Founder of Datanomix, sits down with the MassMEP team to share how Datanomix empowers today’s manufacturing workforce.

Some Highlights from the Podcast:


The Datanomix Backstory

John Joseph and Greg McHale have worked at four companies for many years. They are both WPI graduates and have developed a great working relationship and friendship. 

When starting Datanomix in 2017, they looked for data sources that needed translating for a set of customers. They were introduced to manufacturers in New Hampshire and Massachusetts and spent time learning how they ran their businesses and where they needed analytics in their daily decision process. They applied their research and expertise in software development to a data source derived from CNC machines to form Datanomix for discrete manufacturing. 

“Manufacturing is in my DNA. I spent two years in a machine shop and came from a manufacturing family. I have seen onshoring, offshoring, and now reshoring, and I understand how it’s created competitiveness for US manufacturers. I go back to my routes when I think about the great people running manufacturing in our country and what value Datanomix can provide them.”

—John Joseph, Former CEO, Datamomix


Gathering Feedback to Develop the Datanomix Automated Production Intelligence™ Platform

It took John and Greg about two years of engaging with manufacturing focus groups to develop and refine the product based on feedback before going to market. They spent countless hours listening to how manufacturing professionals communicate, what data they were trying to collect, and learning what analytics they needed most. They focused on providing visual factory aids in the product that would give immediate indicators if something was going in the right or wrong direction—encouraging action instantaneously. Ultimately, they developed a software package that drops into factories and creates immediate value. And customers continue to help evolve and improve the product experience to this day. 

“We deliver data to customers in real-time, which is a very different experience than what they had implemented before.”


The Evolution of the Internet of Things (IoT) in Manufacturing

Manufacturers are looking for data and insights from the production floor and to take immediate action where needed. As a result, manual data collection is replaced by real-time sensing information. 

“Over the last six years, we’ve seen a significant evolution where manufacturers use digital information to run their businesses far more frequently than they have in the past.“

The Increased demand for manufacturing in the US is creating backlogs that run months. Manufacturers have capital (i.e., machines and people) that need optimization for maximum productivity and profit; data is critical. It’s the backbone of a business. However, many medium-sized manufacturers have a core competency of making components and little experience in analytics. 

“If you can’t see it, you can’t measure it, and you can’t act on it. We help manufacturers see what they couldn’t before.“


How does Datanomix provide a cultural transformation?

Employees embrace digital information; they become steeped in it. Data is now the backdrop for conversations. It educates a broad and diverse audience. Communication with technology develops new skills and improves how management leads their people. 

Critical points for implementing data and analytics to help people succeed:

  • Technology helps bridge the gap between the experienced workforce with tribal knowledge and the new diverse, and often more digitally-skilled worker.
  • Timely information served to decision-makers will effect change, improve communication,  and result in factory improvements. 
  • A cultural shift occurs when visual factory information is up on TVs on the factory floor. 

“The assumption is that the employees that work for us want to do a good job, so how do we help them and show them they are doing a good job every day?“


Learn more about MassMEP and its Workforce training funds. 

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