Build a storyline and strategy for how advances in manufacturing technology and systems can solve world problems in the future. Use the course content from this week and conduct your own research to support your strategy. Build your case using a DMAIC approach.

People, Process, and Technology of Advanced Manufacturing

There's no getting around it: the future of manufacturing is in technology. This is a socio-economic dilemma that must be discussed regarding its impact on society, not just in the U.S., but around the world. There is a policy "top-down" discussion that must be had regarding where people are going to work (and what work looks like), and how to get everyone the skills required to succeed in a high-tech model. From a "bottom-up" perspective, you must embrace what this means to you, your career, and your company/industry's future from a People, Process, and Technology standpoint, and the shift in what's happening.

What you've been taught so far in this program is that technology by itself isn't an answer, but that doesn't mean that its importance can't shift as technology does: so far, machines have only been able to perform discrete functions (as discussed in the last section) rather than performing higher-level activities, and as this shifts, its role in the People/Process/Technology balance shifts as well. This means that your understanding of this balance will become more, not less important in the future.