The Operations Science Podcast

Who is actually running your plant, and how do you know if your leadership structure is working? Alex Allen draws on years of experience working virtually every job on a factory floor to explain how leaders can transform operational performance by testing for shop-floor authority and fixing the underlying management system. Alex and Ed Pound discuss his simple diagnostic test of issuing direct ver...

What happens when you're trying to hit a deadline while dealing with weather, regulations, hardware lead times, testing, and other sources of uncertainty? Josh Elvander draws on years of experience in aerospace, robotics, and technology startups to explain how leaders can manage complex operations when the work itself is difficult to predict. Josh and Ed Pound discuss risk management, team structu...

Building automation is about much more than robots. Success depends on strong planning, smart execution, and systems that can adapt. Michael McHale shares the lessons that helped PSA Systems grow into a fully integrated automation company. Discover why project scoping matters, how AI is reshaping project management, and why experience remains a competitive advantage. This episode is packed with pr...

Most people think logistics is about tracking a package. But moving rockets, satellites, and oversized freight is a completely different challenge. In this episode of the The Operations Science Podcast, Ed Pound sits down with Ben Martin to explore what it really takes to transport some of the world's largest and most sensitive equipment. Ben shares lessons from aerospace and wind energy, why plan...

Manufacturing doesn't become chaotic because people aren't working hard enough. It becomes chaotic when leaders don't understand how variability moves through a system. Fred White spent 13 years flying UH-60 helicopters before moving into manufacturing, eventually becoming the first production manager at Tesla's Gigafactory. He shares what that experience taught him about variability, constraints,...

Most manufacturers see variability as the enemy. Christopher Morgan has spent decades proving otherwise. As General Manager of Street Furniture Australia, Christopher leads a highly customized manufacturing operation where no two days look the same. Customers constantly request modifications, project timelines shift without warning, and traditional automation often isn't an option. Yet despite all...

Many Lean and continuous improvement programs struggle—not because the tools are wrong, but because organizations overlook the foundation: developing capable people. In this conversation, Abdulrahman Yossri shares lessons from nearly two decades of manufacturing leadership across consumer goods, chemicals, aluminum, and industrial operations. Together with Ed Pound, they discuss why capability bui...

Most operations teams spend too much time arguing about lead times. Customers want products faster. Sales wants shorter lead times. Operations pushes back. But what if the real goal isn't lead time at all? Kim Shelby shares how her team shifted from fixed lead times to due-date quoting. The result was better customer communication, stronger operational performance, and more reliable delivery commi...

Construction projects rarely fail because of one big mistake. More often, they collapse under misalignment, unrealistic schedules, procurement delays, poor sequencing, and operational variability that no one planned for. Construction manager and mechanical engineer Milton Griffiths shares lessons from greenfield and brownfield infrastructure projects, discussing how contractors, procurement teams,...

When you’re managing operations where a single mistake can cost millions—or put lives at risk—process discipline stops being theoretical. Josh “Tree” Dittmar shares lessons from two worlds where operational excellence is non-negotiable: semiconductor manufacturing and U.S. Navy flight operations. From planning multi-million-dollar semiconductor capacity years in advance to coordinating aircraft la...

Global supply chains don’t fail all at once. They fail slowly—through fragile systems, poor data discipline, supplier consolidation, regulatory bottlenecks, and operational decisions that look efficient until disruption exposes the cracks. Kate Kowalczuk has spent her career operating inside that reality. From pharmaceuticals and medical devices to chemicals and consumer products, she’s worked acr...

What does it take to scale continuous improvement across multiple plants, cultures, and operating realities—without turning standardization into bureaucracy? Andre Scarance shares what global manufacturing leaders often learn the hard way: improvement doesn’t scale through tools alone. It scales through alignment, clear mental models, disciplined business systems, and leadership that makes improve...

Most organizations don’t struggle because they lack talent. They struggle because they move too slowly, operate in silos, and avoid the hard changes everyone already sees coming. This conversation goes deep into what happens when you bring FMCG-level execution discipline into a pharmaceutical environment—and why most teams resist it at first. Adil Belrhzal shares how he built a fast-growing pharma...

Chris Morehouse leads operations across seven manufacturing plants where labor is tight, margins are real, and leadership consistency directly shapes performance. What makes this conversation especially valuable is Chris’s grounded perspective: Lean transformation does not begin with tools—it begins with standards, leadership routines, and a shared understanding of what good looks like. From susta...

Big transformation programs rarely fail because of technology alone. They fail when teams optimize systems instead of outcomes. Marta Moreira Rodriguez shares what nearly 25 years in transformation leadership has taught her about turning complexity into measurable business value—across ERP modernization, CRM workflows, ServiceNow, AI agents, process redesign, and enterprise-scale change. What stan...

Electric vehicles are accelerating faster than ever. But there’s a massive operational challenge most people aren’t talking about. What happens to the batteries when they reach end-of-life? This conversation explores the systems, strategy, and leadership required to build large-scale battery recycling operations, from the ground up. From navigating uncertainty in a brand-new industry to balancing...

What does operational excellence look like when the product you manufacture directly impacts a person’s dignity and quality of life? In this conversation, Mindaugas Valkavicius shares what it takes to lead 200+ frontline operators in a high-sensitivity environment—where safety, quality, and service aren’t abstract metrics, but daily commitments. From ramping up capacity during the pandemic to cons...

Global supply chains don’t fail all at once. They bend, stretch, and quietly test every assumption you’ve made about planning, inventory, and timing. In this conversation on the Operation Science Podcast, Vitoria Vellani shares what it actually looks like to manage demand planning and import operations in Brazil—where long lead times, currency swings, port congestion, and seasonal demand collide....

When a deeply entrenched operating habit jeopardizes $14–15B in revenue, you don’t get a second chance to get it right. This conversation with former Intel manufacturing leader Zane Rakes reveals how a shift in perspective—powered by Operation Science—transformed one of the most complex production environments on earth: semiconductor manufacturing. From “bear traps” of runaway WIP to a trim, predi...

Managing global medical device projects is no small feat—especially when teams span multiple time zones and cultures. In this episode of the Operations Science Podcast, host Ed Pound interviews Diana Dimitrova, Senior Project Manager, who shares her proven strategies for leading complex programs that bring life-changing drug delivery devices to market. Discover how Diana: ✅ Coordinates cross-func...

In this episode of the Operations Science Podcast, host Ed Pound speaks with Ricardo Monge, a seasoned program manager specializing in medical device manufacturing. Ricardo shares his experiences orchestrating complex, multimillion-dollar project transfers across borders—merging technical rigor with human influence. You’ll learn: ✔ How to balance strategic timelines with tactical operations ✔ Best...

In this episode of the Operations Science Podcast, host Edward Pound sits down with Oscar Sroor, a global operations leader based in Bordeaux, France, to explore what it really takes to achieve sustainable operational excellence. With experience spanning manufacturing, medical devices, FMCG, and global supply chains, Oscar shares his journey from classic lean initiatives to leading large-scale bus...

In this episode of the Operations Science Podcast, host Ed Pound sits down with Stefano Relli, an international leader in continuous improvement at a global precision optical lens manufacturer. Together, they break down the real-world challenges of running a make-to-order, high-variability production system and how balancing a push-pull system can transform flow, efficiency, and customer responsiv...

In this episode of The Operations Science Podcast, host Edward Pound sits down with Santiago Camacho, a global supply chain leader with over two decades of experience in manufacturing and operations. Currently spearheading the setup of a new Greenfield site in Portugal for Coloplast, Santiago shares a candid look at the realities of modern supply chain leadership. From balancing demand forecasts a...

In this episode of Operation Science, host Ed Pound sits down with Silindile Sitole, a leader in supply chain and operations who ensures millions of lenses travel seamlessly from Asia to Africa. From navigating time zone gaps and language barriers to optimizing freight methods and managing over 50,000 SKUs, Silindile shares her journey of resilience, precision, and leadership in one of Africa’s mo...