Manufacturing

472 Articles

GA 165 | Lean in the Auto Collision Industry with Chris Norris

By Jessica Bush - June 1st, 2017

This week’s guest is Chris Norris, a lean practitioner in the auto collision industry. Chris explained how he’s applied lean at several different companies, and what he’s learned over the years. An MP3 version of thi

GA 160 | The Power of Job Methods with Steve Brenneman

By Jessica Bush - April 27th, 2017

Today’s episode is a presentation by Steve Brenneman, CEO of the Aluminum Trailer Company, from this year’s TWI Summit in San Diego. In this powerful and informative talk, Steve shares how they use Job Methods, one of the c

GA 159 | Lean and Profitability with Jim Lancaster

By Jessica Bush - April 20th, 2017

Today’s guest is Jim Lancaster, CEO of Lantech. Ron and Jim discussed Lantech’s fascinating history and lean journey, including the obstacles they’ve faced over the years. An MP3 version of this episode is available f

GA 155 | Toyota Kata and the Power of Networking with Christopher Ferrier

By Jessica Bush - March 23rd, 2017

This week’s guest is Christopher Ferrier, who we met up with at the TWI/KataCon conference in San Diego, California. Ron and Christopher talked about Toyota Kata, the power of networking, ultramarathons, and more. An MP3 version

GA 154 | The Real Meaning of Lean with Art Byrne

By Jessica Bush - March 16th, 2017

This week’s guest is Art Byrne, author and highly respected lean leader. Ron and Art discussed Art’s lean journey, including his days as CEO of Wiremold. You won’t want to miss this one! An MP3 version of this episod

GA 153 | From Tiffany & Co. to Toyota with Josh Sanchez

By Jessica Bush - March 9th, 2017

This week’s guest is Josh Sanchez, a continuous improvement practitioner with a fascinating background. Josh worked for Tiffany & Co. before landing a job at Toyota, and is now transitioning into a healthcare role. Ron and J

McProcess

By Steve Kane - February 17th, 2017

I recently saw the movie “The Founder”— the story of Ray Kroc and the McDonald’s empire. The movie does a good job of illustrating what one can do with the right opportunity, enough drive, and a lot of moral flexibility. We’l

GA 150 | How to Respect Diversity with Mike Brett

By Jessica Bush - February 16th, 2017

This week’s guest is Mike Brett, a lean thinker from the UK. Ron and Mike talked about the diversity of Mike’s company, their journey with Hoshin Kanri, and a special lean card game that Mike created. An MP3 version of this

GA 149 | How to Teach TWI with Jamie Parker

By Jessica Bush - February 9th, 2017

This week’s guest is Jamie Parker, an avid lean thinker and past podcast guest who recently participated in our first live training class. Jamie and Ron reflected back on the class, which centered around  the Job Instruction co

GA 148 | How to Create Your Vision with Paul Hill

By Jessica Bush - February 2nd, 2017

This week’s guest is Paul Hill, a longtime lean thinker with a diverse background. Ron and Paul discussed implementing lean from different angles and the challenges that can arise. An MP3 version of this episode is available for

GA 147 | How to Succeed at Value Stream Mapping with Beau Keyte

By Jessica Bush - January 26th, 2017

This week’s guest is Beau Keyte, an author and performance improvement coach with an impressive background. Ron and Beau discussed both editions of The Complete Lean Enterprise, the evolution of Value Stream Mapping, and more. An

How Do I Teach My Team?

By Steve Kane - January 20th, 2017

I like to think that a large part of a leader’s job is to teach, coach, mentor and inspire.  And, working for people who do this well is often a great experience.  The trouble is that there is typically little, if any, training

GA 146 | How to Innovate with Geoff Cox

By Jessica Bush - January 19th, 2017

This week’s guest is Geoff Cox, a Production Manager for a high-tech laser measurement company. Ron and Geoff talked about innovation, specifically how Geoff and his team go about generating and implementing new ideas. An MP3 ver

GA 145 | How to Grow as a Lean Leader with Edward Gemin

By Jessica Bush - January 12th, 2017

This week’s guest is Edward Gemin, a lean consultant with a background in the automotive and appliance industries. Ron and Edward discussed Edward’s lean journey, including past projects and other lean experiences. An MP3 v

GA 142 | How to Engage People with Jess Orr

By Jessica Bush - December 22nd, 2016

This week’s guest is Jess Orr,  a Six Sigma Black Belt at WestRock, a large packaging company. Ron and Jess discussed Jess’s Toyota background and the importance of employee engagement. An MP3 version of this episode is a

GA 141 | Practicing Continuous Improvement in Japan with Zuhara Chavez

By Jessica Bush - December 15th, 2016

This week’s guest is Zuhara Chavez, an Industrial Engineer and PhD student. Zuhara is currently living in Japan, researching mapping tools and other continuous improvement concepts.  Ron and Zuhara discussed her work, what cont

GA 139 | How to Use Job Breakdowns with Kyle House

By Jessica Bush - December 1st, 2016

This week’s guest is Kyle House, a lean practitioner with a TWI background. Ron and Kyle explored the Job Breakdown aspect of Job Instruction, specifically how to use the breakdowns and why they’re helpful. An MP3 version

GA 138 | How to Use Kata to Create Service Excellence with Karyn Ross

By Jessica Bush - November 24th, 2016

This week’s guest is Karyn Ross, an author and lean practitioner who specializes in applying continuous improvement in a service context. Ron and Karyn discussed Coaching Kata, the role of creativity, her book, and much more.  

Lean Virtual Collaboration

By Steve Kane - November 18th, 2016

By Steve Kane In my previous role in the medical device manufacturing industry I was involved in Job Instruction and Job Relations.  Both were incredibly valuable to the organization.  A few months ago Gemba Academy took on the proje

GA 137 | How to Approach TWI with Roger Bilas

By Jessica Bush - November 17th, 2016

This week’s guest is Roger Bilas, a lean practitioner who specializes in TWI. Ron and Roger discussed the three components of TWI, the order they should be learned in, and more. An MP3 version of this episode is available for dow

GA 133 | How to Create a Visual Workplace with Dr. Gwendolyn Galsworth

By Jessica Bush - October 20th, 2016

Today’s guest is Dr. Gwendolyn Galsworth, an author and consultant who specializes in the visual workplace. Gwendolyn shared her fascinating background with us and explained the importance of visuality. This in-depth conversati

GA 132 | How to Apply Lean to Puzzle Manufacturing with Don Scott

By Jessica Bush - October 13th, 2016

Today’s guest is Don Scott of Buffalo Games, a puzzle and board game company. Don described his take on continuous improvement as well as the challenges that pertain to this unique industry. An MP3 version of this episode is

GA 131 | How to Develop a Well-Rounded Approach to Lean with Chad Vincent

By Jessica Bush - October 6th, 2016

Today’s guest is Chad Vincent, a Lean Leader with an extremely diverse background and a lot of coaching experience. Ron and Chad discussed Chad’s work applying lean in several different industries, and what he has learned

GA 130 | How to Succeed at Every Stage of Your Lean Journey with Greg Williams

By Jessica Bush - September 29th, 2016

Today’s guest is Greg Williams, Chair Elect of AME and Director of Enterprise Excellence at Aera Energy LLC. Greg shared some of the stories and valuable wisdom he’s accumulated from his impressive lean background. There i

GA 129 | How to Apply Lean to Agriculture with Jeff Duarte

By Jessica Bush - September 22nd, 2016

Today’s guest is Jeff Duarte, of Duarte Nursery. Located in Hughson, California, Ron and Jeff discussed Duarte Nursery’s lean journey and what they’ve learned so far. An MP3 version of this episode is available for do

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