Welcome back! After a hiatus, I am excited to reintroduce the Five Minute Gemba newsletter. As we step in to 2025, I want to share some reflections, news, and set the tone for the new year for the newsletter and beyond. Reflections on 2024, LLM Influence Last year I discovered a powerful ally, what I dubbed my "best $20 a month employee" aka ChatGPT. I then started working … [Read more...]
About Joe Hackman
Unlocking Potential with CIMCO Teachware
In the ever-evolving world of manufacturing and CNC machining, staying ahead of the curve isn’t just an advantage—it’s a necessity. One of the most powerful tools for training, documentation, and procedural clarity is CIMCO Teachware. Originally designed to enhance education and training programs, this versatile platform offers much more than meets the eye. What is CIMCO … [Read more...]
CMMC 2.0 and the Encrypted Shop Floor: How OT-Max Helps You Meet Compliance
In recent years our experience bridging the gap between IT and OT has been called upon often. As time goes on, rules change, standards change, and we're all required to adapt. It's often not simple answers, there is a lot of interpretation about how to achieve some of the loftier requirements. One of them just got a heck of a lot easier, CMMC 2.0 and your shop floor … [Read more...]
28 Years Later: A Journey of Gratitude and Growth
It’s hard to believe, but 28 years ago, I was unemployed for the first time since the month after graduating high school. It was December, and I’d just stepped away from my role at Sherwin-Williams to join a friend’s IT services business. But as I dug into what a 1099 arrangement really meant, I saw a different path. A fork in the road appeared—one of those moments that shape … [Read more...]
CIMCO Editor Training and Educational Resources Revisited
So much has changed in 10 years This has been for us a very popular page, however due to huge changes in the CIMCO Editor world, it was time to revise it. What has changed since 2014? Multiple new versions, with the latest being 2024 and version 2025 just around the corner! A super fast new Simulation Kernel and Solid Simulation within Editor to compliment backplot. … [Read more...]
Unified Name Space (UNS): Future-Proofing Manufacturing for the AI Era
In manufacturing, data isn’t just information—it’s a potential treasure trove of insights. With advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and neural networks become more approachable, preparing to manage and integrate data effectively today is crucial. At Managed Solutions, we’ve built our reputation bridging IT and OT systems including ERP and MES … [Read more...]