Manufacturing Experience.
Process Discipline.
Practical AI.
Step Next Training was founded by Kevin Kunkle after a career spent improving how manufacturers engineer, sell, train, manage information, and get work done.
The approach is simple: understand the process first, then use AI where it actually makes the work better.
Manufacturing experience
Process Improvement, Six Sigma & Data Analytics
Professional Trainer & former Director of Training for a large international company
Currently operates two businesses using AI agents across major staff functions
This Started Long Before AI.
Kevin began his career with one of the world’s largest engineering companies and has spent 28 years working in and around manufacturing. For 18 years, his work has focused heavily on process improvement, Six Sigma, data analytics, systems, and making complex operations work better.
AI changed the tools. It did not change the fundamentals of good process improvement.
Manufacturing & Engineering
Experience grounded in real engineering, manufacturing, operational, and customer-facing workflows.
Process & Data
Eighteen years applying process improvement, Six Sigma, analytics, and business systems to operational problems.
Training & Adoption
Professional training experience including serving as Director of Training for a large international company.
Built Systems That Changed How the Business Worked
The foundation behind Step Next Training comes from building and managing real operational systems—not from experimenting with AI tools.
Enterprise Systems Without Operational Downtime
Managed Data Analytics and ERP/PLM/CRM environments supporting sales, engineering, and customer support, including Microsoft 365, Salesforce, ENOVIA, and other business systems—with zero operational downtime during managed transitions.
Hundreds of Live Dashboards
Built and managed hundreds of active dashboards across multiple companies, turning operational and business data into information teams could actually use to make decisions.
Engineering Hours Cut in Half
Built 80/20 engineering processes that streamlined work and reduced billed engineering hours per job by approximately half.
Focused Sales Through 80/20 Analysis
Built processes to identify underrepresented customer opportunities and help sales teams focus attention on high-value customer segments, contributing to increased sales.
Configuration to BOM
Developed 2D and 3D assembly configurator approaches that translated customer requirements directly toward Bill of Materials creation.
Now the Same Process Thinking Is Being Applied With AI.
Step Next Training’s AI approach comes from actually building and operating AI-enabled workflows—not simply teaching companies how to prompt a chatbot.
Automated Manual Creation
Online configurator workflows that turn customer and product inputs into structured manual creation.
Complex BOM Automation
Automated Bill of Materials creation for complex industrial products.
Closed-Loop Marketing
Marketing process flows that collect results and feedback, then use that information to adjust future marketing strategy.
HR Hiring Funnels
Structured hiring workflows for candidate intake, evaluation, routing, and follow-up.
Requirements Management
Systems for collecting, structuring, managing, and moving requirements through operational workflows.
Social Media Automation
Systems that create and populate social-media accounts and content workflows.
Customer Follow-Up
Automated systems that manage customer follow-up and reduce opportunities being lost through inconsistent communication.
AI-Operated Businesses
Kevin currently operates two businesses where AI agents perform significant recurring staff functions.
Process First. AI as Part of the Process.
After years of improving manufacturing processes, business systems, analytics, engineering workflows, and training programs, one lesson kept repeating: technology does not fix a process that has not been understood.
AI makes that lesson even more important. It can dramatically accelerate good work—but it can also accelerate waste, confusion, and bad decisions.
Step Next Training was created to help manufacturers start with the business problem, understand the process, determine where AI actually belongs, and prepare the people who will operate it.
Understand the Work
Start with the workflow, people, constraints, decisions, and measurable problem.
Apply the Right Technology
Use process improvement, automation, AI, or a combination based on what the process actually needs.
Build Internal Capability
Train the people who will use, manage, measure, and continue improving the process.
Three Ways to Move Forward
Choose the path that best matches where your company is today.
We know AI matters, but we’re not sure where to start.
Identify the processes and opportunities most worth addressing first.
Explore the AI AssessmentWe already know which process needs to improve.
Design, build, test, and implement the better workflow.
Start ImplementingWe need our people prepared for AI.
Build practical AI capability for leaders, employees, and internal process experts.
Explore TrainingNot sure which one fits? Talk with Kevin.
Call Kevin Now