Before diving into this article, we highly recommend reviewing our guide, "CNC Machine Security: The Dangers and Management of USB Devices". The USB port on your CNC control remains a critical vulnerability—even in air-gapped environments. Cyber threats to manufacturing operations have grown increasingly sophisticated, with ransomware such as Black Basta posing … [Read more...]
FMG No. 16 – How Experimentation Fuels Innovation
I recently needed to get a fix, it's been a while since I built anything (physical). I've been pretty active with software, thanks to AI, but my long tenure of building prototypes and tinkering with electronics has been on vacation. We've continued to build and improve upon our smart edge technology, however Pete and Kevin have been doing most of the heavy lifting. I decided … [Read more...]
FMG No. 15 – Let’s Solve Your Toughest Challenge Together
I've been thinking about this idea for a while, and how to go about getting an answer, then I realized the Five Minute Gemba is the best option I have available! Last year we made a push to get more customer feedback, which we display on our home page. Reading the comments from satisfied customers really made us all feel incredible. We celebrated every single one. We are … [Read more...]
CNC Machine Security: The Dangers and Management of USB Devices
I introduced a new feature for this article, since it is quite a bit longer than our usual articles. The information covered here is very important, but maybe you don't have time to read it right now and you want some quick advice. If this is you: This article "almost wasn't". While working on the original, I had an idea. I wanted to explore whether OT-Max could directly … [Read more...]
FMG No. 14 – Making Wise Decisions, Early and Often
In 2024, we measured company performance with the most detail since I started Managed Solutions in 1997. Why? We preach measurement and we make measurement possible. But to neglect ourselves slows down what might be possible for both us and our customers! To build on this internal effort, I began reading “Measure What Matters” by John Doerr. It’s about OKRs (Objectives … [Read more...]
2025 Relaunch of the Five Minute Gemba
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...]