Toyota Archives | Gemba Academy

Why Proper Root Cause Analysis Matters

By John Knotts - April 8th, 2026

The post below was written by Gemba Academy Master Black Belt Candidate Noah Waech. Noah was also recently on our podcast. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us, Noah! Root cause analysis can be one of the simplest and mo

GA 619 | Don’t Walk By a Mess with Chad Bareither

By Jessica Bush - February 12th, 2026

This week’s guest is Chad Bareither. Ron and Chad discussed making culture changes in the workplace, powerful aspects of Japanese culture, the importance of cleaning up, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available

GA 615 | Radical Product Thinking with Radhika Dutt

By Jessica Bush - January 15th, 2026

This week’s guest is Radhika Dutt. Ron and Radhika discussed OKRs, Toyota Kata, the target mentality, the OHLA puzzle framework, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you&#

GA 613 | Revealing Hidden Truths with Billy Taylor

By Jessica Bush - January 1st, 2026

This week we’re ringing in the New Year with Billy Taylor. Ron and Billy discussed strategy and KPAs, hidden truths, clarity, being hard on the process, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download her

GA 605 | The Katalyst Framework with Katie Anderson

By Jessica Bush - November 6th, 2025

This week’s guest is Katie Anderson. Ron and Katie discussed Katie’s most recent book, the Katalyst framework she created, her experiences leading trips in Japan, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available

GA 604 | Creating a Culture of Problem Solvers with Sarah Tilkens and Leah Roe

By Jessica Bush - October 30th, 2025

This week’s guests are Sarah Tilkens and Leah Roe. Ron, Sarah, and Leah discussed the problem solver revolution, building trust in yourself and others, working with younger generations, and more. An MP3 audio version of this epis

GA 602 | Clues from the Factory Parking Lot with George Pesansky

By Jessica Bush - October 16th, 2025

This week’s guest is George Pesansky. Ron and George discussed taking gemba walks, what we can learn from factory parking lots, the Kano model, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In thi

GA 600 | Reflecting on Six Hundred Episodes with Ron Pereira

By Jessica Bush - October 2nd, 2025

This week we’re celebrating our 600th episode. Our Director of Studios Greg Nickell asked Ron about the company’s growth over the years, the challenges we’ve faced, what we hope the next generation will take away from

GA 560 | Flow Engineering with Steve Pereira

By Jessica Bush - December 26th, 2024

This week’s guest is Steve Pereira. Ron and Steve discussed flow engineering, Steve’s latest book, the relationship between value, clarity, and flow, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download

GA 552 | Identifying the Real Problems with Bill Krolicki

By Jessica Bush - October 31st, 2024

This week’s guest is Bill Krolicki. Ron and Bill discussed data analytics, automation, the PDCA cycle, knowing if you’re winning or losing, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In t

GA 549 | Toyota Kata at Jack Henry with April Bell

By Jessica Bush - October 10th, 2024

This week’s guest is April Bell. Ron and April discussed how Jack Henry uses Toyota Kata, the power of making predictions, managing remote teams, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In t

How Micro-Goals Helped Me Conquer a Hill (And Can Help You Too)

By Ron Pereira - September 3rd, 2024

I went for a 2-mile run with my 13-year-old son yesterday. I do quite a bit of cardio work several times a week, but I rarely run, so I was curious about how I’d do. I’m happy to report it went quite well. Both of us made it throug

GA 542 | The Digitization of Work with Ron Crabtree

By Jessica Bush - August 22nd, 2024

This week’s guest is Ron Crabtree. The two Rons discussed the concept of digital transformation, or digitization, including what it entails, how to navigate these transformations, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is

GA 529 | Living Out Your Beliefs with Kurt Sears

By Jessica Bush - May 23rd, 2024

This week’s guest is Kurt Sears. Ron and Kurt discussed continuous improvement at Dollar Shave Club, happiness versus joy, the power of living out your beliefs, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for down

GA 527 | The Five Functions of Business with Zack Estes

By Jessica Bush - May 9th, 2024

This week’s guest is Zack Estes. Ron and Zack discussed Zack’s coaching business, applying lean in non-manufacturing contexts, the five functions of business, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for

GA 526 | Managing Expectations with Jason Henderson

By Jessica Bush - May 2nd, 2024

This week’s guest is Jason Henderson. Ron and Jason discussed what managing expectations looks like, scientific thinking, dealing with negativity, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In

Enhancing Organizational Efficiency through Supplier Process Improvement

By John Knotts - April 19th, 2024

In an increasingly interconnected business ecosystem, the performance of an organization is not solely determined by its internal processes but also by the efficiency and reliability of its suppliers. The concept of working closely wit

GA 524 | Connection Before Correction with Royden Johnson

By Jessica Bush - April 18th, 2024

This week’s guest is Royden Johnson. Ron and Royden discussed lean in South Africa, connection before correction, 5S, authority, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you&#

GA 523 | The Cleveland Clinic Improvement Model with Tim Pettry

By Jessica Bush - April 11th, 2024

This week’s guest is Tim Pettry. Ron and Tim discussed outside perceptions of Toyota, Cleveland Clinic’s journey with continuous improvement, and Tim’s unusual workshop at the upcoming Shingo Conference. An MP3

GA 522 | Continuous Improvement at Jack Henry with April Bell

By Jessica Bush - April 4th, 2024

This week’s guest is April Bell. Ron and April discussed how Jack Henry uses continuous improvement, specifically Toyota Kata. They also explored quantifying waste in an office setting, and the intersection of tools and scientifi

GA 520 | Applying Scientific Thinking in Untraditional Contexts with Michael Lombard

By Jessica Bush - March 21st, 2024

This week’s guest is Michael Lombard. Ron and Michael discussed deliberate versus random practice, homeschooling, youth soccer, and what it’s like using scientific thinking in those environments. An MP3 audio version of thi

GA 518 | Building a Culture of Continuous Improvement with Jim Huntzinger

By Jessica Bush - March 7th, 2024

This week’s guest is Jim Huntzinger. Ron and Jim discussed what it means to build a culture of continuous improvement, what the future of continuous improvement looks like, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is availa

GA 505 | Values vs. Principles with Steve Kane

By Jessica Bush - December 7th, 2023

This week’s guest is our own Steve Kane. Ron and Steve discussed Toyota Kata, coaching (specifically Steve’s coaching style), running certification programs, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is availabl

Harmonizing Organizational Excellence: A Fusion of Agile, Deming, and Toyota Principles

By Steve Kane - November 24th, 2023

In the quest for organizational excellence, many companies turn to established frameworks and philosophies to guide their journey. Among the prominent ones are the Agile Manifesto, Deming’s 14 Principles, and the Toyota Productio

GA 499 | OT Cybersecurity in Manufacturing with Jeff Reinke

By Jessica Bush - October 26th, 2023

This week’s guest is Jeff Reinke. Ron and Jeff discussed OT Cybersecurity, its role in manufacturing, dealing with hackers and ransomware, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this epi

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