Hardware Is Forever

When decision-making is limited to a few voices, mistakes multiply and progress stalls. In this final episode of our series on Deming’s 14 Points of Management, we explore his 14th Point and why involving everyone in the organization is key to reducing risks and making bold moves. Amtech CEO Jay Patel explains how engaging every team member leads to smarter decisions, creates innovation, and keeps your entire company aligned for transformation. We also discuss how establishing a clear, long-term vision and setting measurable goals ensures continuous improvement and lasting success. Deming introduced this point to challenge the top-down decision-making model, where only a few leaders drive change while others are left out. He understood that excluding people leads to disengagement, missed opportunities, and poor decisions. By involving everyone, you tap into the collective creativity and insight of the entire team, creating a culture of cooperation to push your organization forward without unnecessary friction. Featuring Jay Patel.

This episode explores the importance of on-the-job training, which is point six of Dr. W. Edwards Deming’s Fourteen Points of Management. Jay Patel, CEO of Amtech, shares insights on how consistent and effective training is crucial for long-term success. We discuss the need for proactive planning and customer visibility to ensure that staff are well-prepared and training resources are utilized efficiently. We explore the distinction between education and training, highlighting that education explains the ‘why,’ while training demonstrates the ‘how.’ This episode covers practical strategies for developing robust training programs, balancing overhead costs with operational efficiency, and continuously improving processes to codify lessons learned. Join us to understand how on-the-job training can enhance productivity, ensure quality, and nurture a culture of continuous improvement. Featuring Jay Patel

In this episode of "Hardware is Forever," we explore the fifth of Dr. W. Edwards Deming's Fourteen Points of Management: Constantly improving the system of production and service. Jay Patel, CEO of Amtech, joins us to discuss the imperative of systematic improvement for achieving high-quality and profitable outcomes. Jay emphasizes that while cost-cutting might offer short-term gains, the continuous refinement of production processes, driven by data rather than intuition, is key to long-term success. We discuss tackling extreme variations first to bring processes under control and then using statistical methods to guide improvements, and Jay talks about the importance of teamwork, effective leadership, and a proactive mindset in creating a culture of relentless improvement. Join us as we explore practical strategies and the critical role of the Deming Cycle in building a robust, innovative production system. Featuring Jay Patel.

We're diving deeper into Dr. W. Edwards Deming's 14 Principles of Management, focusing on his third point, "Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality." In this episode, Jay Patel, CEO of Amtech, explores the critical shift towards building quality into the product from the outset, rather than relying on inspections at the end of the process. Jay discusses the implications of this principle for operational excellence and customer satisfaction, and how waiting until inspection means waiting for failure. He shares insights on integrating quality into every step of the production process, how this shift affects leadership (as ever, Deming's points start with leadership!), and the potential challenges businesses face when changing their quality assurance strategies. Join us for a conversation that sheds light on a more effective and proactive approach to quality and quality management. Featuring Jay Patel.

In today's episode, Amtech CEO Jay Patel explores why a measured, sometimes slower approach to decisions, business leadership, and even life, often leads to more successful results...faster. We discuss the benefits of taking the time to gradually build one program on top of another, the risks of rushing too quickly, and how to find the right balance in the process. Especially where hardware and electrocircuitry are concerned, these perspectives help us help our customers more sustainably - see if they'll help you too. Join us and gain insight into how to increase the chances of success for your upcoming projects. Featuring Jay Patel