Our Solutionology podcast shares behind-the-scenes stories of projects and problem-solving using a digital mindset. In Episode #25, Carl Douglass, DI Lab CEO, and Brian Douglass, DI Labs COO, have an in-depth discussion about quality with Hannah Kinder, DI Labs Production Manager.

Quality can be a touchy subject in additive manufacturing because it often seems ambiguous and expectations can be wildly different between each client and project. Brian states that quality, which is considered a deliverable, and a digital mindset, which is a state of constant transition, can feel like oil & water. That’s because when people think of quality, they think of standardization and repeatability - not constant change.

As the industry continues to evolve and mature, having a digital mindset is critical to our success, especially when it comes to quality. DI Labs is in a constant state of transition to new levels of performance, capabilities and standards of quality. As Hannah said in the wrap-up, change is inevitable especially if you want to be better. And we always do.

Listen to the full episode to learn more.

Chapters & Episode Topics:
00:00 Intro
01:02 Structure of quality
01:27 Digital mindset and quality - oil and water
03:15 Quality is a tradeoff
04:06 Definitions of quality
05:50 Culture supports quality
07:51 Our ISO9001 onboarding process
11:53 Understanding client expectations
15:45 How quality drives scrap rates
18:59 Scrap from 10-25%
19:11 Current improvements

More Solutionology Stories Podcast Episodes: https://dilabs.cc/podcast/

What is a digital mindset, and how does it add value to the product development, design, management & manufacturing process?

In Episode #24 of the Solutionology Podcast Carl Douglass, P.E. and Brian Douglass from DI Labs dig into this topic.

Brian starts by providing a simple definition of a digital mindset from the DI Labs perspective. "A digital mindset is a way for us to stay flexible throughout a process or project... so that we're not locked into a preconceived bias... it's the ability to create rapid changes and store them in a quick and lightweight format like digital..."

Carl then quotes an article from the Harvard Business Review by Tsedal Neeley and Paul Leonardi called, "*Developing a Digital Mindset." Under the section "Change as a Constant" he reads:

According to change management theory, organizations move from a current state to a transitional state and then on to a future state... In a digitally driven world, however, there is no endpoint to the transitional phase.

This excerpt resonated with Brian and Carl due to the never-ending state of transition, which is a mindset they embrace. Listen to the full episode to hear more.

**Find the full article here.

At DI Labs, we've been applying a digital mindset for a long time and now help clients build it into their programs and products, leading us to what's next! Stay tuned to learn more about the custom-designed Solutionology Sessions we'll be offering to companies interested in mobilizing their teams with a digital mindset.

More about DI Labs: dilabs.cc
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What does it mean to have a digital mindset and how does it open up possibilities in product development and manufacturing? On this episode of the Solutionology Podcast, Carl and Brian share DI Lab’s journey in creating a consumer product line that has grown exponentially by leveraging the power of a digital mindset and manufacturing process. It allowed us to approach the market without the constraints of traditional manufacturing, accelerate our product launch, and give us a competitive edge through customization.

We started by solving a very specific problem which quickly revealed unexpected market demand and an opportunity to create a wide spectrum of products and variations. Our technology tools include the HP Multi Jet Fusion for printing and the AMT PostPro for finishing.

00:00 Intro
00:34 Welcome - we’re in a different space
01:13 Product owners and manufacturers
01:51 Product development & testing
02:36 Solving a problem
05:21 Mass customization workflow
07:17 Segmenting the market for variations
08:57 Maximizing value with a digital mindset
09:56 The tools needed
10:57 What we’ve learned