CEOInterviews.AIGA 491 | What Leads to High Morale with Kerrie Jordan

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Ron Pereira0:00

80% of respondents said their company is prioritizing training for new technologies, which shocked me. If you're not upskilling, you could be left behind. Today I'm excited to welcome Kerrie Jordan from Epicor. We dive into their Voice of the Manufacturing Worker report, which surveyed frontline workers about morale, challenges, and what they want. Show notes at gimap podcast.com for episode 491.

Carrie, welcome to the show. How are you?

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Kerrie Jordan2:08

Hi Ron, thank you so much for having me. I'm doing well. We persevered to make this happen. I had to reschedule a couple times, but I was looking forward to it. Glad we could make it happen.

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Ron Pereira2:30

Yeah, yeah. Where are you calling from?

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Kerrie Jordan2:32

I'm in Richmond, Virginia.

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Ron Pereira2:35

Okay, cool. All right, Carrie, you know the drill—right out of the gate we like to start with our guest sharing a quote. So what do you have?

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Kerrie Jordan2:42

All right, so for me I actually have two, and they might be more phrases than quotes. The first one is: 'Take messy action.' I'm prone to procrastination, so messy action is better than no action. It helps me put aside fears and just get started. The second is: 'Know the edges.' I encourage my teams to be agents of change, be aware of boundaries, and once you understand the edges, you can better identify what problem needs to be solved to achieve the desired outcome.

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Ron Pereira4:36

Very cool. I love that one. All right, tell us about Carrie—your background and a little bit about Epicor.

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Kerrie Jordan4:46

Sure. I've been in the software technology space for nearly 20 years. I started in PLM (product lifecycle management), moved into supply chain management, then ERP, and now AI solutions. I lead product management teams at Epicor. For example, we're working with a global metal fabricator to track and reduce carbon emissions, and with a premium automotive organization to use IoT and AI for predictive maintenance and efficiency. Epicor helps manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and others future-proof their businesses with industry productivity solutions.

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Ron Pereira8:56

Very cool. So the main thing I wanted to dive into is the Voice of the Manufacturing Worker report. What's it about, who created it, and who was surveyed?

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Kerrie Jordan9:20

Sure. Over September to December 2022 we interviewed 600 frontline manufacturing professionals. We wanted to understand the challenges and opportunities at the worker level, not just the C-suite. We asked about what drives them, their morale, and what they see.

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Ron Pereira10:49

I've seen Gallup polls showing massive disengagement globally. Did you see similar findings, and how can we improve?

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Kerrie Jordan11:32

Great question. We found 52% said morale was high, which was higher than I expected. High-morale companies were described as very modern, investing in technologies like big data, robotics, AI, augmented reality, and 3D printing. Flexible work schedules, work-life balance, building things with their hands, and being part of something bigger also contributed to high morale.

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Ron Pereira15:15

Let me circle back on flexible work schedules. In manufacturing, customers need products by Friday—so how does that work?

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Kerrie Jordan15:35

Exactly. We asked about top challenges, and the number one was high cost of raw materials. That manifests for workers when they have to work with lower-quality materials, harder, with fewer resources, reducing schedule flexibility. If you're not investing in workers to be more efficient, it's a challenge.

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Ron Pereira16:58

I have an anecdotal feeling: since COVID, the work-from-home movement is strong. Younger workers demand it. But manufacturing workers have to be on-site. What repercussions do you see?

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Kerrie Jordan18:03

The future of work is shifting. There are roles that lend themselves to remote work, but others require being there. We'll need hybrid communication tools and investments to bridge the gap. Incentives to bring people to the shop floor and foster collaboration are important. Personality also plays a role.

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Ron Pereira20:44

Absolutely. So what are some success stories of companies overcoming these issues, not just in factories but workplaces in general?

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Narrator21:19

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Ron Pereira21:52

Like what are some things we can be doing to make our workplaces better?

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Kerrie Jordan21:59

Great question. Flexible work schedules can be created through technology investment or supply chain diversification. More paid time off was strongly requested. Listening to staff and taking action on feedback is key. Non-monetary perks like snacks in the breakroom also have a big impact.

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Ron Pereira23:49

I love that. Upskilling is a big topic. What feedback did you hear on that?

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Kerrie Jordan24:12

Upskilling was a big focus. 80% of respondents said their company is prioritizing training for new technologies. That tells me if you're not upskilling, you could be left behind. Popular methods include on-site/on-the-job training, online platforms, tuition reimbursement, and paid time off for training.

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Ron Pereira26:17

People want to grow and learn. It's demotivating if they don't have that. And now with AI, it's a step change. We recently did a webinar on using ChatGPT for statistical analysis. It's here, and businesses must cooperate or risk being left behind.

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Kerrie Jordan26:56

Absolutely. AI like generative AI will require a lot of upskilling. It's the future of workplace technology, especially in manufacturing.

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Ron Pereira28:19

It's like the invention of the combine or the computer. I'm curious to see GDP differences between countries that resist or embrace it.

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Kerrie Jordan29:43

Yes. And as you host webinars, what kinds of professionals are using ChatGPT?

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Ron Pereira29:55

We had about 100 people from the Six Sigma and lean world, managers and practitioners. Change is difficult for some, but our movement is trained to deal with uncertainty and experiment.

And that's great. AI is here, we can channel it for good. It will be used for both good and evil, but that's nothing new.

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Kerrie Jordan31:36

Yeah, I think we can do our part.

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Ron Pereira32:13

Well, hey, this has been fun, Carrie. Any final words of wisdom for listeners who want to make their workplace better?

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Kerrie Jordan32:27

Yes. Continue to prioritize technology and sustainability. We found that 60% of workers would take a pay cut to work for a more technology-driven or sustainable factory. That shows it matters. Invest in your people through technology, flexible work schedules, and upskilling. Take messy action and know the edges.

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Ron Pereira34:02

Right. In lean, we talk about a threshold of knowledge—you have to step into the unknown and experiment. It's the same here.

Great. If folks want to connect with you, what's the best way?

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Kerrie Jordan35:10

Find me on LinkedIn as Kerrie Jordan, or visit epicor.com. The survey is available on our blog. Reach out to me—I'm happy to chat about manufacturing, the survey, or the weather.

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Ron Pereira35:49

Perfect. We'll link everything in the show notes. Thanks, Carrie.

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Kerrie Jordan36:07

Thank you so much, Ron. This was a lot of fun.

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Ron Pereira36:13

Take care.

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