May 27, 2026
When AI started pushing the buttons, Ferris State grad Deron Jackson hit the books
After 40 years on the production floor, Deron Jackson watched automation change everything around him. Robots replaced manual labor. AI took over machinery. On many lines, he said, operators now do little more than push a button.
At 58, he decided to get ahead of it.
Jackson, a single father and food manufacturing worker, earned a Lean Systems Certificate from Ferris State University this spring, his third credential across a 25-year educational journey.
"Nothing stays the same in manufacturing," Jackson said. "Downsizing manual labor through advanced technology — robots and AI — can run production systems faster and consistently, 24 hours a day."
Jackson built his knowledge of lean operations for more than four decades in automotive and food manufacturing, working as a machine operator and learning production systems from the ground up. The decision to formalize that experience came through conversations with Ferris State University adviser Lisa Eshbach.
"I took a leap of faith that I was the right candidate for the online program," Jackson said.
Lean manufacturing is a management philosophy that focuses on maximizing customer value while minimizing waste. The Lean Systems Certificate prepares participants to learn and apply lean concepts to process improvement situations in a variety of industries. The certificate prepares students to increase productivity in any industry, from the operating room to the manufacturing floor.
Students explore concepts like the core Lean System Principles including value stream mapping, leveling process stability, standardized work, root-cause problem, lean culture and skills development, and leadership through experiential projects with industry partners.
Potential careers in logistics, management analyst, quality/production control, purchasing, and supply chain management are obtained in organizations such as banks, hospitals, manufacturing, and non-profits.
Jackson pursued the certificate, he said, to prove that as a single father, there are no limitations or expiration dates on learning.
His path to Big Rapids spans three institutions. He earned an associate degree in general business from Grand Rapids Community College in 2001, returning to school in fall 1998 after dropping out in his early 20s. A bachelor's in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Business Management from Grand Valley State University followed in winter 2011, completed as a night student who leaned on campus tutoring to fill gaps from his earlier education.
Ferris State carried a personal connection before he ever enrolled. His younger brother and sister graduated from the university together in winter 1998.
"Ferris State University was already a family connection from the start," Jackson said.
He said the certificate positions him as a more valuable employee — one with credentials that now match the expertise he built more than four decades on the floor.