Manufacturing Talk Radio

Host Lewis Weiss interviews Jim Tompkins about his career path from industrial engineering academia and the Army to founding Tompkins Solutions and later launching Tompkins Ventures, a matchmaking firm that connects manufacturers with partners for logistics, procurement, technology, automation, AI, and organizational development, typically offering recommendations without consulting fees and earning a success fee when solutions are implemented. Tompkins discusses how manufacturers can focus on core competencies while outsourcing non-core functions, the challenges of maintaining quality in outsourcing, and VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity) as the operating reality for global supply chains. He explains reshoring as a risk-mitigation hedge tied to adaptability, digital twins, scenario planning, AI, and automation, and outlines four factors for what to reshore: value density, demand volatility, IP sensitivity, and automation potential.   00:00 Welcome and Introductions 00:40 Tim’s Career Origi