Fiesta Tableware Company

Seth A. Cheuvront

Operational Technology Architect

Understanding the Business beyond Technology

Throughout my career in information technology, I have had the privilege of working across diverse industries, including finance, emergency management, civil engineering and manufacturing. Over the past five years, manufacturing has become my professional focus, exposing me to organizations where products evolve from initial concepts into finished goods, often within the same facility.

From design and sales to administrative operations and the plant floor, IT occupies a unique position: understanding how nearly every department operates. Yet, in my experience, this responsibility often falls on increasingly lean teams expected to support growing operations while delivering enterprise-level transformation. This reality has fundamentally shaped my approach to technology leadership.

Leading through Learning and Involvement

Early in my career, a CEO in the financial industry offered advice that has remained with me: ‘Learn as much as you can. Be a resource.’ That simple statement continues to influence how I approach leadership.

As my career progressed from working alongside executive teams to becoming part of one, I recognized that effective leadership requires more than strategic decision-making. It requires understanding the people, processes and challenges behind those decisions.

In technology, that sometimes means stepping away from your desk. Whether troubleshooting a network connection mounted 10 feet high on the manufacturing floor or working alongside a technician to resolve an operational issue, I believe leaders should never consider themselves above the work their teams perform daily.

This does not diminish the importance of delegation. It does, however, reinforce a culture of shared responsibility, accessibility and continuous learning. A leader’s value is not measured by distance from daily operations, but by the ability to connect strategic vision with operational reality.

Building a Sustainable Path to Modernization

Both manufacturing organizations I have served relied on legacy systems that, while functional, increasingly struggled to meet modern business expectations.

One of the greatest obstacles to modernization is the familiar mindset: ‘If it works, do not fix it.’ However, maintaining functionality does not necessarily mean maintaining efficiency.

At Fiesta Tableware Company, our modernization efforts have encompassed telecommunications, internet connectivity, networking infrastructure, cybersecurity and the systems supporting eCommerce, order processing, retailer connectivity and fulfillment.

These improvements did not happen overnight. They required evaluating existing infrastructure, identifying dependencies, prioritizing investments and implementing meaningful changes incrementally.

  A leader’s value is not measured by distance from daily operations, but by the ability to connect strategic vision with operational reality.  

Successful transformation does not require replacing everything simultaneously. It requires understanding where the organization is today and developing a sustainable path toward where it needs to be.

Improving Operational Efficiency through Automation

Manufacturers continue to face workforce challenges while pursuing greater operational efficiency. Technology and automation increasingly help bridge that gap, but they also introduce new responsibilities for IT departments.

For lean teams, documentation, cross-training and process improvement are essential. One phrase I frequently encounter is, ‘This is how we have always done it.’

Often, these processes were developed around limitations of legacy technology. When modernizing, we must question not only how a process works, but why each step exists.

What is the intended outcome? Can unnecessary steps be eliminated? Could integration or automation accomplish the same objective more effectively? These conversations can initially feel uncomfortable, but they frequently uncover opportunities for meaningful improvement.

Automation should not simply replicate outdated processes. It should help organizations rethink them and optimize.

Strengthening Cybersecurity beyond Technology

As manufacturing environments become increasingly connected, cybersecurity must remain central to every modernization initiative.

Firewalls, intrusion detection and endpoint protection are important, but technology alone cannot establish a strong security posture.

Consistent patch management, regular audits, clearly documented policies and employee education are equally critical. These foundational practices help organizations reduce risk while maintaining operational continuity.

Working within a manufacturing facility more than a century old also reinforces that security requires adaptability. Protecting infrastructure in complex, evolving environments demands creativity, persistence and continuous evaluation. For manufacturing IT leaders, cybersecurity is ultimately about protecting the organization’s ability to operate.

Small Teams, Lasting Impact

Manufacturing remains at the heart of American industry. From the vehicles we drive to the products in our homes, manufacturing touches nearly every aspect of daily life—including the dinnerware that brings families together around the table.

My experience across different manufacturing environments has reinforced that technology leadership cannot exist exclusively behind a desk.

It requires being present, understanding the business, empowering employees, and continuously challenging established processes.

Lean IT departments should not be defined by their limitations, but neither should success depend on asking people to accomplish the impossible. Sustainable transformation comes from strategic investments, collaboration, knowledge sharing and a willingness to adapt.

The next generation of manufacturing innovation will not be defined solely by the size of an organization’s IT department, but by the leaders who turn limited resources into extraordinary results.