{"id":260,"date":"2026-06-04T15:02:33","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T15:02:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/conexusindiana.com\/industryexchange\/?post_type=articles&p=260"},"modified":"2026-06-04T16:54:25","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T16:54:25","slug":"adopting-new-technology-starts-with-asking-the-right-questions","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/conexusindiana.com\/industryexchange\/resources\/adopting-new-technology-starts-with-asking-the-right-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"Adopting New Technology Starts with Asking the Right Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Home<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Adopting New Technology Starts With\nAsking the Right Questions<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Batesville Tool & Die<\/strong><\/p>

Batesville, IN<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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For the team at Batesville Tool & Die, the big question isn\u2019t, \u201cShould we automate?\u201d but, rather, \u201cWhat should we automate next?\u201d<\/p>

\u201cI tell people we\u2019re spending as much money as we can possibly spend on automation, because it\u2019s got the best return,\u201d says Batesville Tool & Die President Bob Holtel.<\/p>

A contract manufacturer that does much of its business with the automotive industry, Batesville Tool & Die succeeds by offering high-volume, high-speed work with the fewest flaws possible, a value proposition that\u2019s always ripe for automation, Holtel says. Successfully deciding how and when to deploy automation relies on posing the right questions, he suggests.<\/p>

Following are some that the Batesville Tool & Die recommend asking:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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What do we do a lot of today and what will we benefit from for the next 5-7 years?<\/h4>

Pull together a diverse team\/assign a project leader. This could seem like an unexpected priority for tech adoption, but Holtel believes it is an essential question. \u201cHave somebody that\u2019s a good communicator leading the team so you can extract as much information as possible out the group of people who are actually going to use the machine,\u201d he says.\u00a0<\/p>

What\u2019s the goal? Are we looking for efficiency, speed, improved quality, safety or all
of the above?\u00a0<\/h4>

Once you identify the opportunity, start exploring different options for automation. Don\u2019t buy technology for technology\u2019s sake or let a vendor push you into something that won\u2019t deliver a return. Instead, Holtel says, talk to your people, assess your goals and always ask, \u201cWhat are we trying to accomplish?\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cYou\u2019ve got to take a leap of faith at some point. You\u2019ve got to say, \u2018OK. We\u2019re going to go for it.\u201d<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Bob Holtel<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
President, Batesville Tool & Die<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Who are the best team members and who is the best facilitator to lead the project?\u00a0<\/h4>

Nord puts structure around solution hunting when possible. For example, when his team goes to industry trade shows, they meet beforehand to discuss who will research specific problems and solutions. \u201cEverybody has an assignment,\u201d he says. After the show, they discuss what they saw and whether they should learn more.\u00a0<\/p>

Can you show me?\u00a0<\/h4>

Vendors have plenty of good technology to sell you. Your job is to make sure they\u2019re offering something that will do what you need it to do. Holtel says businesses should challenge vendors to \u201cshow me you\u2019ve done something similar before and take me to your customer that has used your technology.”<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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What would the solution look like?<\/h4>

\u00a0Challenge the team to create a vision of your solution. \u201cAsk them, \u2018OK, what\u2019s it look like physically and technology-wise?\u2019\u201d Holtel says. \u201cThen you come up with a proposal, and you start putting it all together.\u201d<\/p>

Test your concept\u2026Will it work?<\/h4>

\u00a0For its automation efforts, Batesville Tool & Die sets up a small-scale testing space that allows team members to see how machines integrate, what\u2019s possible and where the kinks might be. Still, Holtel says, change will always come with some risk. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to take a leap of faith at some point,\u201d he says. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to say, \u2018OK. We\u2019re going to go for it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>

What are our metrics?<\/h4>

Holtel still has notes he wrote when his team started planning one automation project, including metrics scribbled to measure impact. Now he can rattle off numbers and conclude, \u201cIt met expectations.\u201d<\/p>

What\u2019s next?<\/h4>

Constantly look for the next opportunity, Holtel says. \u201cAutomation leads to other automation, right?\u201d he says. \u201cYou build confidence when you do something right and improve what you didn\u2019t like on the last machine\u201d.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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About Batesville Tool & Die<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Batesville Tool & Die, Inc., headquartered in Batesville, Indiana since 1978, is a leader in precision metal stamping and innovative manufacturing solutions. With a global presence and decades of expertise, BTD is dedicated to delivering exceptional quality and driving innovation in the manufacturing industry and operates state-of-the-art facilities with other 75 presses ranging from 50 to 1,200 tons. To learn more, visit www.btdinc.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Successfully determining how and when to deploy automation starts with posing the right questions. Learn about Batesville Tool & Die’s automation journey.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":123,"template":"elementor_header_footer","topics":[7],"class_list":["post-260","articles","type-articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","topics-roadmap-strategy"],"yoast_head":"\nAdopting New Technology Starts with Asking the Right Questions<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Determining how and when to adopt new technology starts with posing the right questions. 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