Manufacturing performance and frontline productivity are set to be targeted under a new global partnership between Argon & Co and QAD | Redzone, which aims to support manufacturers in improving shopfloor execution across factory operations worldwide, according to Argon & Co.
Argon & Co announced the partnership, saying it brings together its transformation-led consulting capabilities with Redzone’s connected workforce technology, which is currently deployed across more than 2,000 factories.
The consultancy described the agreement as its first global strategic partnership focused on transformation-led operational consulting.
According to Argon & Co, the collaboration comes amid increasing pressure on manufacturing organisations to lift productivity, driven by labour shortages, rising input costs and rising operational complexity.
The firm said that while many manufacturers have invested in automation and continuous improvement initiatives, translating those investments into sustained frontline performance remains an ongoing challenge.
“Manufacturers have more operational data and technology than ever before, but many still struggle to turn that into consistent performance on the shopfloor,” said Paul Eastwood, Managing Partner APAC at Argon & Co.
“Too often, improvements fail to stick, and digital investments struggle to deliver measurable results at scale,” he said, adding that the opportunity lies in combining operational insight with execution disciplines to sustain performance over time.
Under the partnership, Argon & Co said its Manufacturing Optimisation and Daily Execution system (MODE) will be integrated with Redzone’s AI-powered connected workforce platform. The companies said the combined approach is designed to provide real-time visibility of factory performance, standardise operational practices and embed capability within frontline teams.
Redzone President Ken Fisher said the partnership was intended to strengthen manufacturing outcomes by pairing technology with operational expertise.
“Redzone’s mission is to transform manufacturing by empowering the frontline to win every day and that mission demands more than great technology,” Fisher said. “It requires world-class coaching by people who have actually worked inside a factory,” he said, adding that Argon & Co’s consulting expertise and global reach were key factors in the collaboration.
Argon & Co said the integrated offering would combine connected workforce technology with operational disciplines including daily management systems, structured problem solving, leadership routines and capability development programs.
Eastwood said the partnership would also aim to build on existing Redzone deployments. “Redzone has already built a significant client base in the US, and there’s a reason for that, it delivers results,” he said.
“By combining Redzone with Argon & Co’s MODE operating system, we can help existing Redzone clients unlock even greater factory performance, while enabling manufacturers implementing Redzone for the first time to embed stronger operational disciplines and productivity improvements from day one.”
The partnership will initially focus on manufacturers in the food and beverage, consumer goods, industrial manufacturing and process industries, with rollout planned across Europe, North America, Asia Pacific and the Middle East, according to Argon & Co.
