The Lean Solutions Podcast

The wait is over....Its finally time for Season Two!  Listen in for background on The Lean Solutions Podcast, as well as impact metrics from this past year.  Season Two kicks off this Tuesday with Dr. Joe Sprangel.  Season Two includes video and audio for every episode.  Tune in every Tuesday with some returning and some new guests.  Find all episodes on your favorite podcast platform or go to www...

In this episode, I am presenting our teams approach to lean product and process development events.  This was a presentation I gave at the LPPDE virtual conference last month.  You may be wondering why we haven't been posting regular episodes...we are preparing to launch season two this next year.  Stay tuned for more amazing podcasts as we kick off the new year.  About the LPPDE: The Lean Product...

In this episode of The Lean Solutions Podcast, I met with Craig Tedrow, Tina Pietrangelo, and Mark Schmidt to discuss the current workforce challenges in hiring and retaining employees.  About the Guests: Craig Tedrow is an experienced Continuous Improvement Professional with a demonstrated history of working in the automotive, aerospace, and defense industry. Skilled in Training Coordination, Con...

In this episode, Mike Ettore and I discuss leadership concepts from the military and how they can help in the corporate world.   What You'll Learn: Trust-Based Leadership Marine Corps Core Value Military Leadership concepts in the corporate world About the Guest: Mike has served in leadership roles for over 45 years. He’s earned a reputation for being an exceptionally effective leader and is known...

I am still travelling.  In this episode, I replay a webinar with Ernie and Tracey Richardson as we discuss their book, 'The Toyota Engagement Equation' and the many learnings from working with Toyota over 30 years.

I am currently travelling so I wanted to post this throwback episode where I discuss the fuel needed to spark and maintain a continuous improvement culture.  Enjoy.

This past week, Lean Solutions was a proud sponsor for the AME international Conference in Dallas. Craig Johnson and I were there to attend, exhibit, network, and record some great interviews for the podcast. During this episode, I was able to catch up with the Conference Chair, Dan McDonnell, as well as many other attendees and speakers of the conference.  We discussed learnings, takeaway's, and...

In this episode, Elisabeth Swan and I discuss the intangibles when it comes to leading others.  Elisabeth is the president of Swan Consulting & Associates, Inc., and co-founder of the Just-In-Time Café. She’s the co-author of the Problem-Solver’s Toolkit: A Surprisingly Simple Guide to Your Lean Six Sigma Journey, and has been helping clients drive change for decades. She’s a Master Black Belt...

In this episode, Craig Johnson and I discuss the importance of structured problem solving and the power of a robust training program.   What You'll Learn: Why should organizations adopt a structured problem solving process?  Some of Craig's favorite problem solving tools. Why should people pursue lean training? What does good lean training look like? What does the future of lean training look like...

In this episode of The Lean Solutions Podcast, Kevin Gausch and I discuss lean applied in different industries.  Specifically, the construction industry. His knowledge and stories help explain how lean can be applied outside manufacturing when practitioners truly understand the principles of continuous improvement.  About the Guest: As a Certified Manager of Quality and Organizational Excellence t...

In this episode, I am playing a recording of my speaking event last week at Lean Leadership Week for Lean Frontiers.  Lean Leadership Week is an annual gathering of those seeking to learn, implement, and sustain successful lean transformations in order to address some of the most common challenges in lean organizations. The Summit highlights companies who are addressing these challenges through Le...

In this episode I was able to have Bob Emiliani back for a second time to discuss many topics to include his views on 'Fake Lean.'   What You'll Learn: What is Fake Lean? Findings of an Ongoing Root Cause Analysis on Lean Transformation Failures Research studies Bob is currently working on What is Bob's favorite topic to discuss? About the Guest: Dr. Bob Emiliani is an accomplished author whose wo...

In this episode, Paul Deane and I discuss his three core pillars to an operational excellence journey.    What You'll Learn: Three Core Pillars of an operational excellence journey. The biggest drivers for an organization to adopt Lean. The biggest challenges organizations face when embarking on a Lean journey. Paul's biggest 'win' he has seen organizations achieve having implemented effective Lea...

Today is a replay of a conversation I had with Nigel Thurlow,  a leading expert on Lean and Agile approaches. Nigel advises companies on successful transformation strategies and how to achieve effective and lasting change. As the chief agile at Toyota connected, he established the Toyota agile Academy and is also the co-author of The Flow System. In this episode, Nigel and I talk about Agile, how...

In this episode, Paul Dunlop and I discuss the importance of daily management systems and structures as well as the digitalization in and of lean management systems.  This is Paul's third time on the show.  What You'll Learn: The importance of Daily management systems and structures Digitization in / of Lean The importance of leader standard work About The Guest: Paul brings with him over 20 years...

In this episode, Dr. William Harvey and I discuss the most important skills he was able to transfer from his time in the United States Marine Corps to his corporate career in lean management. We discussed everything from goal setting to leadership skills and kaizen.   What You'll Learn: As it relates to goal setting, what influenced Dr. Harvey at an early age to set challenging personal goals? An...

In this episode, I was able to catch up with the attendees and speakers of the Michigan Lean Consortium Annual Conference that took place last week in Traverse City, Michigan.  This was an in–person event and the engagement was AMAZING.  Some of the highlights include discussions with keynote speakers Richard Sheridan and Mark Graban, among many other attendees.   Michigan Lean Consortium: http://...

In this episode, Patrick's guest is George Trachilis, P.Eng. Patrick and George discuss the Harada Method and how it can benefit individuals and organizations.  About the Guest: George Trachilis lives in Canada and consults remotely and throughout the world. He started his career at Motor Coach Industries in 1994 where he received Lean coaching in Just-in-Time manufacturing , and Total Quality Man...

Katie Anderson is back for another episode where we talk about her chain of learning and the importance of leaders doing the little things.  Katie is an internationally recognized leadership coach, consultant, author and professional speaker. Katie is best known for her focus on helping individuals and organizations lead with intention. Katie is also the author of “Learning to Lead, Leading to Lea...

In this episode, Jonathon Andell and I discuss his involvement with Motorola when Six Sigma was first introduced.  Jonathon was a young engineer at Motorola at that time and shares some great memories about his learnings early on. We also discuss how Lean and Six Sigma has shaped his problem solving approach over the years and he shares his biggest factors impacting effectiveness of lean transform...

Dawn Holly Johnson is a returning guest on The Lean Solutions Podcast.  Back in episode 46, we discussed operational excellence and, at that time, Dawn was getting ready to release her book, What CEOs Need to Know: The #1 Reason Startups Fail and All Organizations Underperform.  Well, now that Dawn has released her book, I am excited to catch up and learn how things have been going. What You'll Le...

Due to my travel schedule this week, I wanted to share a throwback to a conversation I had with Paul Akers this past year. Paul is an author, entrepreneur and the founder and president of FastCap, a product development company specializing in woodworking tools and hardware for the professional builder. In this episode, Paul and I go over how Lean can be applied to improve your work environment and...

In this episode, I talked with Jim Huntzinger about the importance of Lean Accounting Management within any organization.  Jim helps listeners dig into their own accounting systems to ensure they are making decisions based on correct costing data.  What You'll Learn: How did you get involved with lean accounting? How did the Lean Accounting Summit come into being? How do lean accounting and proces...

In this episode, Dan Davis and I discuss what its like to manage a continuous improvement culture in a large global company.  We talk about both successes and challenges of being in this role. Dan also provides the listeners with some tips and tricks to help other leaders develop their own CI culture. What You'll Learn: What it's like to manage The Center of Excellence for Continuous Improvement f...

In this episode, I talk with Muhammad Khurram from Pakistan about Lean Daily Management Systems.  Muhammad and I discuss the importance of daily management to support sustainment of improvement initiatives for any lean journey What You'll Learn: Lean Daily Management – LDM System is the key to sustain a Lean Culture What are the objectives of a good Lean Daily Management System? Key Elements for a...