Who Owns the Problem? My Conversation with David Craig
On Maintenance & Manufacturing Insights, I talk with David Craig — founder and CEO of Prodigy IQ Technologies and a 20-year manufacturing veteran — about why most plants don't have a detection problem, they have a handoff problem, how an 18-hour shift led to 4,000 defective parts, and why AI is a multiplier, not a magic fix.
Plants invest millions in equipment and technology to keep production running. So what happens when a machine sends a warning and nobody takes action? That's one of the questions I got into with David Craig, founder and CEO of Prodigy IQ Technologies, on this episode of Maintenance & Manufacturing Insights. David brings more than 20 years in manufacturing, maintenance, quality, and operations, and his message stuck with me: technology can identify problems, but people and processes have to solve them.
The Hidden Cost of Poor Communication
Maintenance, production, quality, and logistics all have critical jobs — and when information gets lost between those teams, things go wrong fast. David shared a story about a technician who had worked an 18-hour shift and missed a critical step during a tool change. The result was a damaged die and 4,000 defective parts. As he put it, most plants don't have a problem detecting issues. They have a problem making sure someone takes responsibility for fixing them.
AI Is a Multiplier, Not a Magic Solution
We also talked about AI and how it's changing manufacturing. David sees it as a multiplier — it makes good systems work better. It can help teams catch equipment problems early, sharpen preventive maintenance, manage spare parts, and make faster decisions. But it can't fix poor communication or unclear responsibilities on its own. You still need people who understand the equipment, know the process, and act when something goes wrong.
Building a Better Manufacturing Future
What I enjoyed most was how practical David is. Improving manufacturing doesn't always mean buying more technology. Sometimes it means listening to the people doing the work, tightening up procedures, and making sure everyone knows what they own. Through Prodigy IQ Technologies, that's exactly what he helps companies do. And since we're both car guys, we found time to talk classic cars and his 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass restoration, too.
Watch & Listen
Hear my full conversation with David Craig:
