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Manufacturers Make StridesAuthor: Martin Griffiths
Manufacturers Make Strides is a podcast about people in manufacturing and the paths theyve taken. Martin speaks with guests from across the manufacturing world about their careers, the challenges along the way, and the strides that keep the industry moving forward. New episodes every other Tuesday Language: en Genres: Business, Management Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Breaking the Firefighting Cycle in Manufacturing with Samantha Benbow
Episode 23
Monday, 6 April, 2026
Manufacturing process improvement often focuses on what happens on the shop floor, but what if the constant firefighting in manufacturing is actually caused by issues that begin much earlier in the process? In this episode, we sit down with Samantha Benbow, founder of Benbow Consultants, whose career spans heavy steel production, IT and process design across complex organisations, and hands‑on experience inside fast‑moving manufacturing environments.We dig into how manufacturing teams stay stuck in firefighting because they only fix visible problems instead of stepping back to understand the upstream processes and cultural patterns that created them.This conversation covers:The upstream process failures that create recurring shop floor problemsWhy culture and communication reveal operational health within minutesHow process mapping exposes hidden inefficiencies and quick winsWhy SMEs often choose software before understanding what they needThe importance of listening without judgement when diagnosing problemsHow small upstream adjustments prevent major downstream issuesWhat manufacturers should fix before adding AI or new technologyIf you enjoy the episode, follow the show for more conversations from across the manufacturing world.Connect with Samantha:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthabenbowBenbow Consultants: https://www.linkedin.com/company/benbow-consulting-limited/Free ResourceIf you want to see how upstream issues may be affecting your own production, try the Factory Firefighting Check. It highlights friction points, repeat issues and early signs of instability that often sit behind day to day firefighting.Download: https://www.metisautomation.co.uk/factory-firefighting-check/
