Driving Innovation: Q&A with Janet Dickinson

Embarking on a journey spanning over two decades in the manufacturing industry, Janet Dickinson, COO of Endeavor 3D, and Phil Arnold, CEO of Endeavor 3D, have forged a dynamic partnership that continues to drive the company toward success. Starting as a traditional manufacturing company, Endeavor 3D saw an opportunity to become a leader in the contract additive manufacturing industry.

While interviewing Janet Dickinson about this transformative process, she provided an inside look at the unique background that positioned her as a successful Chief Operating Officer at Endeavor 3D. Her strategic vision and leadership have not only shaped the company’s trajectory but also positioned Endeavor 3D as a trusted partner for customers seeking cutting-edge additive manufacturing solutions.

A.) I am one of the original members of Endeavor 3D, handpicked by our founder Phil Arnold after decades of working together. Originally the Chief Information Officer, the change to Chief Operations Officer was natural because of the blend of technology in operations. He chose me because of my broad background in manufacturing. I’ve worked in just about every department you could work in from accounting, IT, and operations to sales, marketing, and customer service. When we transitioned from being a traditional manufacturer to an additive manufacturer, there was a lot of change management. My diversified experience allowed me to navigate this change more effectively and make decisions that set the company up for success. Another reason why Phil chose me for this role was because he knows my success rate of going through challenges within an organization and how to create change to build success.

A.) You must visualize all the different pieces moving together in harmony. This includes people, workflows, and technologies. It requires you to have a 30,000-foot view of what’s going on within the company while simultaneously diving into the details of individual workdays.

Another key factor to being a successful COO is keeping communication open across each department. When I used to work in IT, all the customers were internal. This experience has allowed me to understand the needs of each individual across multiple departments. As a leader in an organization, you need to set the example. That is why working my way up from being in customer service to holding my current position as COO has allowed me to see the needs of our employees from their perspective.

A.) As we move forward, we will continue to build upon the technologies and partnerships that best support our customers. In fact, our first company norm is happy customers, meaning we strive to be a better partner, not just a provider. Having established this as a key focus, one of our major goals is to enable our customers to integrate AM deeper into their product development and production processes. We envision a digital warehouse on behalf of our customers so that we can simplify the process and quickly deliver parts when needed.

This makes additive manufacturing a sweet spot for the supply chain industry because it shortens the time-to-market and promotes product life management. At Endeavor 3D, we will continue to help promote faster lead times across every stage of the product lifecycle from prototyping to production.

A.) As an avid traveler, I have an entourage of friends I travel the world with. However, as much as I love traveling, I still live in the house I grew up in. It has been such a blessing being able to raise my kids in the same neighborhood I got to experience as a child.

Another bonus fun fact about me is my Predictive Index Personality type is a guardian. Whether it’s family, friends, or employees, I have always felt inclined to look after those around me. I believe this has helped me tremendously with my current role as COO at Endeavor 3D.