Happy Halloween!

I grew up without Halloween. In Germany, we celebrate All Saints’ Day. For us October was always a time to be thankful for the harvest, which is one reason for feasts like Oktoberfest. Halloween, however, is an American tradition that came to Germany through American sitcoms.

Shops began selling costumes, props, and candies, and kids started trick-or-treating. Initially, I thought, “Halloween? That’s not our tradition.” But during my 1998 internship in the U.S., I learned about Halloween and started to enjoy it. I even went trick-or-treating with a friend and his kid and enjoyed pumpkin pie. The more I learned, the more I liked it. When my kids arrived, we made it a family tradition. I even researched how to bake a proper pumpkin pie. Did you know Halloween shares origins with All Saints’ (All Hallows’ Eve, from Catholic Ireland)?

This anecdote shows that sometimes we need to change, adjust, and adapt to find something good. But it’s important to question, research, and optimize. This philosophy is crucial in volatile times, questioning both old habits and new ideas.

This brings me to Kaizen, a concept I learned from my time in a Japanese company: always change, always improve, every day, in small steps. One improvement during a skilled labor shortage is to simplify things for your staff. Allowing suppliers to bring any robot brand onto your shop floor is like buying pumpkin-shaped candies without embracing Halloween. Reduce complexity by identifying strategic partners who can support you quickly and reliably. And since pumpkins are orange, you can guess which supplier I suggest.

Now, let’s look at upcoming events

On November 7th, there’s a KUKA Software Event in Augsburg. More details here .

Highlights from this month

I had my first “Shopfloor Gossip” live stream with Alexander Seuz, discussing cultural diversity with a focus on China. Missed it? Find the recording here .

Considering automating your production workflow? I compared forklifts and AMRs in a Robotics 101 post here .

I was quieter this month as I reconsidered my activities. With LinkedIn’s algorithm changes, I lost over 90% of my traffic, so I decided to focus on my existing followers - you. I’m keen to interact more and adjust my content based on your feedback. Drop me a note or comment.

My new format, Shopfloor Gossip, offers a great chance for a virtual coffee talk.

Streaming is high effort. I’m planning the next episode and another talk with Alexander soon. Let me know if this format interests you and which topics you’d like covered. I’m also considering offering the audio as a podcast. Leave a comment if you see value in that.

That’s all for now. Enjoy your Halloween traditions with friends and loved ones.

Cheers!

Andreas