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Comment by HeyLaughingBoy | Hacker News Reader

Every job in my 30-year career has been at companies that manufacture something. I have to say that what you're planning is a really big ask. I mean, you could make an entire career out of any one of those areas you mention. e.g., Supply Chain Management is a pretty popular Master's degree program. It might be better to choose one and learn what you can.

But first, why? What's your position at this company? It seems like you're trying to improve something, but perhaps first spend six months at the company and understand how and why they work before looking at areas to improve?

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Agree and every topic they list is an entire discipline/career in itself!

Your seriously asking why should someone try to learn more? To live curiously, have growth, engage in lifelong learning.

This response is negative gatekeeping.

I didn’t take the OP that way. I think it’s a gentle suggestion that each topic has far more depth than might first be apparent. As someone who has a tendency to want to dive in and learn everything possible about a subject in a short period of time, I appreciate the reality check.

He literally suggests waiting 6 months. I don't think damping enthusiasm like that is helpful coaching.

Any subject worth learning has depth to it. Nothing worth knowing can be fully understood in a short period of time. That doesnt mean you cant start today.

Six months to understand and learn. If you’re completely new to MFR and Supply Chain, it will take you about that long to start understanding how to think and ask the proper things. This is also about how long it will take to build up rapport with the shop floor crew.

Six months should give you time to fully unwind the dependencies of everything. And learn the history and context of decisions.

You will be working with guys who have been welding metal longer than you’ve been alive. Guys who have machined parts longer than the internet has been around. This is a deep, deep field. Six months is pretty quick.

Did you deliberately gloss over this part?

> before looking at areas to improve?

Without knowing how a process works and why it's there, it's all but impossible to understand how to improve it.

I'm sorry I jumped on your post earlier since you clearly meant it in a positive way. I agree that listening to your colleagues and understanding then business you've joined should be your top priority.

The thing is that the original post never said they wouldn't do this. The post asked for resources and industry best practice. For all we know they would use this information with discression and practically.

You touched a nerve because I get deeply frustrated by the attitude in manufacturing where process knowledge is not readily shared like in software. The reality is that many business are not best practice.

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