Wlei - Lean Enterprise Institute's Podcast

In this edition of The Management Brief, Mark Reich sits down with Geoff Miller, CEO of Grand Rapids Chair, to discuss his company's lean transformation journey. Geoff shares how the adoption of hoshin kanri and A3 problem-solving has helped the company maintain strategic focus and build organizational capability. Geoff offers a candid reflection on his leadership transformation, underscoring the importance of perseverance and continuous learning, even in the face of significant disruption.  Key takeaways include: Hoshin Kanri enabled Grand Rapids Chair to build stability in critical daily management measures like safety, quality, and reliability. The catchball process for cascading strategic goals fostered alignment and buy-in across the management team. A3 problem-solving empowered employees across departments to tackle large, complex challenges and drive meaningful change. Sustaining a lean transformation requires personal commitment from leadership to model the problem-solving mindset and tools. Developi

In this edition of The Management Brief, LEI President Josh Howell sat down with Charlie Murphy, Senior Vice President at Turner Construction, to discuss the company's remarkable lean transformation journey. Charlie shares how the organization leveraged core lean principles and practices to drive a dramatic improvement in safety performance and build a culture of continuous improvement. Key takeaways include:  Turner's safety performance improvement, from a recordable incident rate of 5 per 200,000-man hours down to under 1, driven by fact-based problem-solving and a rigorous management system. Building problem-solving capability and implementing hoshin kanri connected high-level priorities to daily problem-solving and operational improvements. The shift from "relentless" to "co-learning" safety incident reviews fostered a more collaborative, fact-based approach to addressing safety issues. Standardizing daily management systems and empowering middle managers were critical steps in scaling lean practices acr

In the latest edition of the Design Brief, we sit down with Jay Hill, the Vice President of Advanced Technology at GE Healthcare, to discuss the company's approach to product development in the complex healthcare technology space.   Jay offers insights into:   GE Healthcare's deep engagement with clinicians at all stages of product development, from needs identification to prototype evaluation.   The "lead program integrator" role and its importance in managing the integration of complex, multi-disciplinary healthcare systems.   GE Healthcare's structured approach to monitoring technology trends and matching them with clinical problems to inform their product roadmap.   Exciting applications of AI in healthcare, from automating workflows to supporting clinicians in making better diagnostic and treatment decisions.   Advice for medical students and early-career clinicians on embracing the evolving relationship between their practice and advancing technologies. 

In the latest issue of The Management Brief, host Mark Reich sits down with Marcia Brey, the Vice President of Logistics at GE Appliances. Marcia shares her extensive career journey at GE Appliances, spanning roles in design, customer service, distribution, quality, and eventually leading the company's lean enterprise transformation.  Key points discussed include: Marcia's initial exposure to lean principles like value-stream mapping and kaizen events while leading the warehouse network. Her transition to plant manager of a complex refrigeration factory and the importance of daily management and engaging the team to solve problems. The creation of GE Appliances' lean enterprise team in 2016 to implement new processes and drive strategic alignment using hoshin kanri. How hoshin kanri is used to cascade objectives, enable cross-functional collaboration, and develop leadership skills through reflection. Marcia's advice for leaders struggling to implement strategy and daily management systems, emphasizin

In this episode of the WLEI Podcast, we're joined by Dr. Carlos Frederico Pinto (aka Dr. Fred), a medical oncologist with over 30 years of experience leading transformative changes in cancer care. Dr. Pinto shares insights on using lean thinking to dramatically improve patient outcomes and access to care. Some highlights from the conversation include: How redesigning patient pathways allowed breast cancer patients to receive all necessary tests and treatments in a single visit.  Dr. Fred's current work with public healthcare institutions in Brazil reducing wait times for prostate cancer patients from over 1,000 days to less than two weeks. The importance of daily management and developing leaders with the right behaviors and values to drive lasting change. Dr. Fred's upcoming book, "The Systems Architect Manifesto," which shares his insights on organizational transformation.

In this episode of the WLEI Podcast, we sit down with Jose Ferro, the founder of the Lean Institute Brasil and co-author of LEI's new book Daily Management to Execute Strategy: Solving problems and developing people every day. José shares his insights on how companies can effectively connect their high-level strategy to frontline operations and the importance of developing a problem-solving culture.  Some key takeaways from the conversation include: Daily management is a structured process to align an organization's strategy with its day-to-day work. Solving problems at the operational level is fundamental to an effective daily management system and developing people. Leader behavior can enable effective problem-solving and destroy effective problem-solving. A clearly defined help chain connects frontline daily management to managerial-level daily management and provides systematic support to frontline operations. The approach to implementing daily management should be tailored to each organization's

In this episode of the WLEI podcast, we speak with Karen Khachikyan, CEO of Expper Technologies, and Mineh Badmagharian, the clinical and product development leader. They shared the remarkable story behind Robin, a robot designed to provide emotional support and comfort to pediatric and geriatric patients in hospitals and care facilities.   What stood out most was the team's relentless focus on truly understanding their end users - the children, seniors, and medical staff who interact with Robin. Insights from the discussion include:  The importance of understanding your customer. The team spent years carefully observing how children reacted to different iterations of Robin, refining details like the robot's age and favorite animal to create a personality kids would love.  Integrating the technical and clinical needs. The two teams weren’t always aligned, but they found creative solutions by keeping the user experience as the north star.   Understanding the human element of robotics. - Perhaps most inspirin

In this episode of the WLEI podcast, we explore the LPPD principle: Understand Before You Execute. Too often, companies commit to a product design before assessing their customers’ needs, leading to development churn and failed products. The conversation examines how to avoid that trap by precisely identifying customer needs before development and features a case study of a company that did just that. However, people did not engage in this conversation. Artificial intelligence, specifically Google’s NotebookLM, generated the entire discussion based only on this six-minute video clip. The result is astonishing. Tune in and share in the comments what you thought of the conversation.

In this episode of WLEI Podcast, we welcome Sandrine Olivencia, author of Build to Sell and expert in applying Lean principles to software development. Sandrine shares her journey from waterfall to Agile and eventually to Lean Product and Process Development (LPPD), which she sees as a more holistic and sustainable system for building great products and lasting businesses. The conversation explores:    The importance of Gemba and why leaders at all levels need to stay closely connected to customers and the problems they face.  How Lean thinking can help companies avoid “feature frenzy mode” and maintain a clear focus on delivering customer value.  Why even mature tech companies often struggle to develop people and the steps leaders can take to build a culture of problem-solving and continuous improvement.   Practical advice on where to start implementing Lean principles, including Sandrine’s three key strategies for building a more product-led company.   The limitations of so-called “founder mode” and “ma

In this episode of the WLEI podcast, we speak with Regis Megina, a software industry veteran who has undergone a journey from Agile to Lean. Regis shares insights on:   How he transitioned from early frustrations with waterfall development to embracing Agile and Extreme Programming  The challenges he faced in spreading these new ideas, and why he ultimately sought a deeper understanding of Lean principles  Regis' current work applying Lean Thinking to startups and scale-ups, including creating educational materials and training programs  The importance of continuous learning, technical mastery, and developing team capabilities - rather than just focusing on process improvement tools.  For more insights into Lean Thinking applied to product development, subscribe to the Design Brief newsletter. 

In this episode of the WLEI podcast, LEI speaks with prolific author and business leader Art Byrne.  During the discussion, Art shares his decades-long journey leading lean transformation, from running kaizen events with the first wave of ex-Toyota consultants in the US to leading manufacturer Wiremold to record profitability. For a decade, Art wrote 100 "Ask Art" columns, answering the lean community's most pressing questions. He has compiled the best of those into a new book, The Lean Turnaround Answer Book: 40 Years of Lean Observation.  Our conversation covered:  The transformative impact of implementing the Toyota Production System to improve efficiency, quality, and customer service. The critical role of leadership and involving top executives in driving successful lean transformations through setting stretch goals and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. The challenges of traditional accounting methods in a lean environment and the need to transition to lean accounting practices. The strategi

In this episode of the WLEI podcast, LEI speaks with software industry veteran Robert Martin. Robert is one of the original signers of the Agile Manifesto and the author of several influential books, including Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship.  During the conversation, Robert shared insightful perspectives on some of the biggest challenges facing software development today. From the demographic problem of perpetual inexperience to his pioneering approach to development dubbed "software craftsmanship" that aims to promote quality work, Robert covered a wide range of issues impacting the industry. Some other topics discussed include: Balancing speed and quality in development and emphasizing a quality-first mindset. The benefits of test-driven development, such as providing freedom to change code safely. AI's potential impacts and appropriate uses of AI-generated code. Be among the first to get the latest insights from LEI's Lean Product and Process Development (LPPD) thought leaders and

In this episode of the WLEI podcast, Jim Womack and John Krafcik share the origin story of the term "lean." Jim led the MIT global benchmarking study of the automotive industry, which led to the seminal book The Machine That Changed the World, and John was one of the principal researchers. Jim went on to co-author a similarly influential book, Lean Thinking, and founded the Lean Enterprise Institute. John Krafcik became an executive in the auto industry, serving as CEO of Hyundai America and Waymo. The discussion closes by turning from the past to the future with updates on Waymo's autonomous driving technology. This conversation took place at LEI's Lean Summit in March 2024. Special note: Are you keen to explore how technology such as autonomy will reshape the future workplace? Join us at "The Future of People at Work Symposium" July 18-19 in Detriot, MI, to learn about these challenges from business luminaries like Jim Womack and Jeff Liker and collaborate with peers to address them. Click here to learn mor

In this episode of the WLEI podcast, LEI speaks with Dr. Jackie Gerhart and Dr. Christopher Longhurst. Dr. Gerhart is a family physician and VP of clinical informatics at Epic Systems, while Dr. Longhurst is the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Digital Officer at UC San Diego Health.  In the discussion, we explore:  How health systems are using AI to improve patient outcomes. The potential for AI to reduce clinicians' cognitive burden, allowing them to reconnect with patients. What educators should consider when training the next generation of doctors who will begin their careers with access to AI. Special note: As this conversation demonstrates, the workplace is rapidly changing, fueled by technological advancements like AI, shifting generational expectations, and evolving customer demands.  Join LEI at "The Future of People at Work Symposium" July 18-19 in Detriot, MI to learn about these challenges from business luminaries like Jim Womack and Jeff Liker and collaborate with peers to address them. Click her

In this episode of the WLEI podcast, LEI speaks with Alan Goodman, professor and department chair of quality engineering at Milwaukee Area Technical College. Alan spent his career in operations at GE before becoming a professor. The podcast explores his recent work to teach young students lean skills to prepare them for careers after school. In the discussion, we explore:  Alan's background in lean and how he's transferring his skills to students through a program he's grown from a one-week online course to a year-round initiative.  Getting students interested in lean concepts through interactive games and how to apply these lessons to adult learning. Alan's vision to partner with companies to create a pipeline for students to enter the workforce from school. Methods Alan incorporates new technologies like AI and gamification into his teaching methods to foster creativity and critical thinking.    If you'd like to support Alan's work, check out https://cityonahillmke.org. 

In this episode of the WLEI podcast, we speak with Ben Armstrong, Executive Director of MIT's Industrial Performance Center, and Jim Morgan, Senior Advisor at the Lean Enterprise Institute. They share perspectives from Ben's extensive research on the history and future of US manufacturing and Jim's first-hand knowledge of developing new products and production processes.    In our discussion, we explore: The rise and decline of America's manufacturing expertise and how the decoupling of design and production has impacted innovation. Challenges currently facing small and medium manufacturers, and what investments they should consider. The role of industrial policy and government support in spurring new growth in US manufacturing. Emerging technologies like AI and how they could transform manufacturing operations going forward. This podcast was delivered to subscribers of The Design Brief, LEI’s newsletter devoted to improving organizations’ innovation capability. It is the second of four in a series on proces

Electrification has given rise to new American automotive ventures such as Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid Motors. Aside from the powertrain, these companies are innovating the driving experience through breakthrough performance and by deeply integrating software into vehicle architecture.   These disruptions demonstrate exciting possibilities but raise a challenge: how can companies innovate while upholding customer expectations of quality?  In an episode of the WLEI podcast, LEI sat down with industry veteran and Lucid Motors’ Vice President of Quality Jeri Ford to explore that question. Jeri has over 30 years of experience in the automotive industry, having held leadership roles at Ford and Rivian before joining Lucid.  The conversation explores:  How product development impacts quality downstream in manufacturing and supply chain.  The importance of collaboration between functions to achieve quality objectives.  Balancing speed and quality in bringing new vehicles to market.  Adapting processes for the integrati

In this episode of the WLEI podcast, LEI speaks with Emily Swaney and Alli Kulp from OhioHealth. Emily is the senior director of OhioHealth's lean promotion office, leading the organization's continuous improvement team. Alli is a senior advisor in the lean promotion office and previously worked as a registered nurse. In our discussion, we explore:  The lean journey at OhioHealth since 2006 and their goal of creating a culture of 35,000 problem solvers.  OhioHealth's strategic goal deployment process and how they cascade goals throughout such a large healthcare system.  How lean daily management and problem solving are implemented at the frontlines through huddles and visual boards.  Tools OhioHealth has developed to assess lean leadership behaviors and the management system to drive progress.  Emily and Alli will lead a learning session on creating leadership assessment tools to foster development at the Lean Summit on March 19-20 in Carlsbad, CA. 

In this episode of the WLEI podcast, we speak with Dennis Wade from Oakland University and Lisa Eshbach, PhD from Ferris State University. They share their universities' programs that provide hands-on lean learning experiences for students through collaboration with industry partners.  In our discussion, we explore:  The backgrounds and roles of Dennis Wade and Lisa Eshbach in academia and their work connecting students to real-world lean projects.  The models used at Ferris State University and Oakland University for experiential learning projects, including course-based projects and paid internships.  The impact of these programs on students' development of lean skills and tools, as well as skills like collaboration and problem-solving.  Examples of projects undertaken by students, such as a kanban system for an eye clinic supply room and creating a food pickup process for a university food pantry.  Dennis and Lisa will lead a learning session on connecting industry to academia at the Lean Summit on March

In this episode of the WLEI Podcast, our guests are Jennifer Trask and Brittney Heatherington from MillerKnoll. Trask is the Director of the MillerKnoll Performance System (HMPS) for business processes and dealer network, while Heatherington is a continuous improvement coach for the dealer network.  In our discussion, we explore:  MillerKnoll’s methodical approach to people development.  How MillerKnoll has built a culture of operational excellence throughout its value stream from its factories to its dealers.  How MillerKnoll successfully engages dealers in problem-solving by coaching at the gemba. The importance of approaching problems situationally versus applying a fixed solution.