Problem Solved: The IISE Podcast

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum HSPI QuickTakes Sessions This episode of Problem Solved was recorded live at the Healthcare Systems Process Improvement (HSPI) Conference, straight from the Problem Solved LIVE booth! Throughout the week, we spoke with healthcare engineers, executives, students, researchers, exhibitors, and improvement leaders about what’s shaping the future of hea...

If you haven't streamed the full episode yet, make sure you don't miss it. Optimizing for Meaning: What Industrial Engineering Teaches Us About Balance and Burnout In this thoughtful and refreshingly honest conversation, Aly Kamel, an industrial and management engineering student at the Arab Academy for Science and Technology, explores how core industrial engineering principles like input-process-...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum Optimizing for Meaning: What Industrial Engineering Teaches Us About Balance and Burnout We talk a lot on Problem Solved about optimizing systems, improving processes, and designing better organizations. But what happens when the system you’re trying to design… is your own life? In this thoughtful and refreshingly honest conversation, Aly Kamel, an...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum This week’s episode is a special bonus preview of what’s coming next on Problem Solved . We’re heading to the Healthcare Systems Process Improvement Conference with Problem Solved LIVE, where we'll have an onsite booth. We'll be capturing real-time insights from attendees, speakers, and leaders across healthcare systems engineering. Hear what’s com...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum HSPI Keynote Spotlight: Inside conversations with Dr. Patterson and Lennox Wildman" In this special HSPI Keynote Spotlight episode of Problem Solved , listeners are invited inside conversations with Dr. Emily Patterson and Lennox Wildman, two leaders shaping the future of healthcare systems improvement. The episode explores how technology, workflow...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum Elections are one of the most complex systems we rely on. They're decentralized, human-driven, time-critical, and under constant scrutiny. And while hundreds of decisions are made under the surface, most of us only see the final result. In this episode of Problem Solved , IISE’s Keith Albertson sits down with Dr. Natalie Scala of Towson University...

Elections are one of the most complex systems we rely on. They're decentralized, human-driven, time-critical, and under constant scrutiny. And while hundreds of decisions are made under the surface, most of us only see the final result. In this upcoming episode of Problem Solved , IISE’s Keith Albertson sits down with Dr. Natalie Scala of Towson University to explore the systems behind the ballot...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum From Classroom to Career: Young Professional Lessons from the First Five Years The first five years of your career can feel like a crash course in the real world. One moment you’re confident in your coursework, and the next you’re navigating ambiguity, imposter syndrome, and expectations no syllabus ever prepared you for. In this episode of Problem...

The first five years of your career can feel confusing, unstructured, and overwhelming — even for high-performing industrial and systems engineers. In this trailer for an upcoming episode of Problem Solved , IISE Young Professionals Jess Aujla, Helen Siegrist, and Gordon Quach share candid reflections on what it really feels like to move from the classroom into the workforce — from losing the stru...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum 🎅✨ Here’s the problem: Santa’s operation defies all logic. One night. Billions of deliveries. Zero defects. A global supply chain that never misses a deadline. So…what if Santa is an industrial and systems engineer? In this festive special of Problem Solved , IISE members and volunteers share short, creative voice memos imagining how Santa’s Nort...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum Across industries, teams are solving massive, complex challenges — but too often, those breakthroughs stay hidden inside their organizations. The IISE Innovation Cup, sponsored by the University of Tennessee Knoxville, changes that. It gives teams a global stage to showcase measurable results, real-world impact, and the power of industrial and syst...

Go behind the scenes of the IISE Innovation Cup , one of the most impactful showcases of industrial and systems engineering innovation. Hear from: • Tom Mazzone – Why the Cup exists • Aniket Ramekar – Gold Award winner • Rishabh Bhandawat – Silver Award winner • Bill Harrington – What judges look for Discover how teams across industries are solving complex challenges — and what it takes to stand o...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum Large language models aren’t just improving — they’re transforming how we work, learn, and make decisions. In this upcoming episode of Problem Solved , IISE’s David Brandt talks with Bucknell University’s Dr. Joe Wilck about the true state of LLMs after the first 1,000 days: what’s gotten better, what’s still broken, and why critical thinking matte...

Large language models aren’t just improving — they’re transforming how we work, learn, and make decisions. In this upcoming episode of Problem Solved , IISE’s David Brandt talks with Bucknell University’s Dr. Joe Wilck about the true state of LLMs after the first 1,000 days: what’s gotten better, what’s still broken, and why critical thinking matters more than ever. Sponsored by Autodesk FlexSim L...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum Process, People, and Purpose: Operations the Chick-fil-A Way Behind every lightning-fast drive-thru order at Chick-fil-A is a carefully designed system supported by real people who care — and continuous improvement that never stops. In this episode of Problem Solved , Elizabeth Grimes talks with Sam Hartman, multi-location Owner/Operator, and Matt...

Here’s the problem — running a restaurant that serves thousands with consistency and care isn’t easy. At Chick-fil-A, every second counts, and every process is engineered for excellence. In this Problem Solved trailer, Chick-fil-A owner Sam Hartman and Matt Riley , VP of Enterprise Solutions, share how they build systems that balance speed, quality, and human connection. 🎙️ Full episode coming Nov...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum Here’s the problem: Artificial intelligence is evolving faster than most organizations can keep up — and the risks of falling behind are real. In this episode, futurist and ethnographer Mike Courtney , CEO of Aperio Insights , joins IISE’s David Brandt to unpack how AI is reshaping the way we work, think, and lead. Together they explore: Why AI can...

Here’s the problem: AI is evolving faster than most organizations can keep up — and the risks of falling behind are real. In this episode, futurist and researcher Mike Courtney , CEO of Aperio Insights , joins IISE’s David Brandt to explore how industrial and systems engineers can lead through the AI revolution. From balancing innovation with ethics to building systems that keep “humans in the loo...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum Much of the world around us—our workplaces, products, and public spaces—was never designed with everyone in mind. That oversight can create barriers, limit performance, and even put people at risk. But when ergonomics meets universal design, inclusion becomes innovation. In this episode of Problem Solved: The IISE Podcast , we hear from two leading...

What does it mean to design without limits? In this trailer for Problem Solved: The IISE Podcast , past AES president Bobbie Watts and current president Anuja Patil preview their upcoming conversation on how ergonomics and universal design are shaping the workplace of today and tomorrow. From the curb cut effect to AI-enabled tools, discover how design choices can reduce injuries, improve performa...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum What happens when an athlete applies industrial and systems engineering principles to her training? In this inspiring bonus episode of Problem Solved: The IISE Podcast , Anwaar Zyoud shares how she earned her black belt in just one month, rose to the national team of Jordan, and competed on international stages all while discovering the power of IS...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum What do food security, taekwondo, and industrial engineering have in common? They’re all part of the stories featured in the ISE Impact Short Video Contest—a creative initiative inviting students and professionals to explain the value of industrial and systems engineering (ISE) in just one minute. In this episode of Problem Solved: The IISE Podcast...

Many students have never heard of Industrial & Systems Engineering — and even fewer understand the incredible impact it has on the world. This episode of Problem Solved: The IISE Podcast explores a creative solution to that challenge: the ISE Impact Short Video Contest , which invites students and professionals to explain ISE’s value in just 60 seconds. You'll hear from: Dr. Ana Muriel , assoc...

Learn more about IISE's Emerging Technology Forum What if the way we think about problems is holding us back from solving them? Tom Wujec — designer, technologist, and multiple-time TED speaker — joins Problem Solved to explore how visual problem solving can help industrial and systems engineers tackle challenges of every size, from simple process fixes to wicked problems like climate change and A...

Join us for our conversation with Tom Wujec - designer, technologist and multiple TED speaker known for his work in visual collaboration and wicked problem solving. -Why do traditional approaches often fail when problems get more complex? -Tom has shared his visual framework with Fortune 500 companies around the world, and now he shares it with us. See his visual work unfold in action by watching...