74 - Roy Vasher, Toyota Supply Chain Mgmt

Episode #74 is a discussion with Roy Vasher, President of RPV Consulting, LLC and is co-author the book Toyota's Supply Chain Management: A Strategic Approach to Toyota's Renowned System.

Roy works closely with a network of consultants to provide lean information technology and supply chain consulting services. Roy developed deep insight and experience on how to integrate Information Technology to support lean processes by serving as General Manager, Information Systems for Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America. He has strong expertise in leading supply chain innovation in a lean supply chain through development of robust processes supported by intelligent use of technology for faultless implementation.

Roy left Ford Motor Company and joined Toyota in 1987 to set up and manage the Information Systems department at Toyota’s first Greenfield North American plant, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky.

In this podcast, we talk about his book and Toyota’s supply chain practices, including the “4Vs”:

* Variety: Determine your variety of offerings based on operational efficiency and market demand
* Velocity: Maintain a steady flow through all processes of the supply chain
* Variability: Manage inconsistencies carefully to reduce cost and improve quality
* Visibility: Ensure the transparency of all processes to enable continuous learning and improvement

For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

73 - Doug Burgess, Xerox Lean Six Sigma

Episode #73 is a conversation with Doug Burgess, Senior VP of Corporate Lean Six Sigma for Xerox. We talk about the Lean Six Sigma approach at Xerox, how they've used it internally and how they have used it to help customers improve processes and eliminate waste. The Xerox corporate website is: http://www.consulting.xerox.com/lean-six-sigma/enus.html

For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

72 - Dr. John Toussaint, Lean and Health Reform

Our returning guest is John S. Toussaint, MD, the CEO emeritus of ThedaCare, and CEO of the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value. In the interest of disclosure, he is a partner in our Lean Enterprise Institute efforts to promote Lean in healthcare.

Dr. Toussaint has been the guest previously for episodes #54 and #62 where he talks about ThedaCare's lean journey.

Dr. Toussaint is very well known for his leadership of the Lean efforts in the ThedaCare system, done under the heading of the ThedaCare Improvement System. ThedaCare has been profiled in the WSJ and many other articles about the quality and cost improvements they have achieved.

In this podcast, Dr. Toussaint talks about the current health reform efforts in Washington -- what is lacking and how Lean can contribute to fixing our broken healthcare system.

For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

71 - Patrick Anderson, Chugatchmiut, Part 2

Episode #71 is the second part of a discussion with Patrick M. Anderson, the Executive Director of Chugachmiut, the Tribal consortium created to promote self-determination to the seven Native communities of the Chugach Region. I met Patrick at a Lean conference last year where he shared their experiences with applying Lean principles to healthcare delivery in Alaska.

Part 1 of the discussion was Episode #53. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

8 - Matthew E. May, "Twitter"

Here is the final part of my podcast discussion with Matthew E. May, author of the book "In Pursuit of Elegance." Here, we chat about Twitter.

For more video podcasts, visit www.leanvideopodcast.org.

Mark Graban

LeanBlog Video Podcast #7 - Norman Bodek, Part 2

This is Part 2 of Norman discussing his personal history with learning about lean, kaizen, and the Toyota Production System. See Podcast #3 for the first part of the discussion. www.leanblog.org

LeanBlog Video Podcast #6 - Matthew May, Pt 3

This podcast is the continuation of an interview with Matt May, author of the Shingo Prize winning book The Elegant Solution: Toyota's Formula for Mastering Innovation.

His new book is "In Pursuit of Elegance: Why the Best Ideas Have Something Missing."

Here, we talk about The Sopranos and In-n-Out Burger, how they are "elegant" in their design.

His website is www.inpursuitofelegance.com.

For more video podcasts, visit www.leanvideopodcast.org

70 - Tamra Kaplan, COO of Long Beach Memorial Medical Center

Episode #70 is an interview with Tamra Kaplan, the COO of Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. We talk about the lean transformation work being done in the hospital and Ms. Kaplan's experience in leading this effort. For an earlier blog post about her promotion to COO and Lean at LBMMC, visit http://ow.ly/gyeX.

For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

69 - Dr. Sami Bahri, D.D.S., "Follow the Learner"

This is an interview with Dr. Sami Bahri, D.D.S., a dentist from Jacksonville, Florida. He is a pioneer in using Lean methods in the management of his dental practice. The book documents his learning journey for himself and his office staff as they learned how to apply Lean in a very non-traditional setting.

His book, Follow the Learner, is available from the Lean Enterprise Institute (www.leanblog.org).

For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

5 - Dr. Sami Bahri, D.D.S., "Follow the Learner"

This is an interview with Dr. Sami Bahri, D.D.S., a dentist from Jacksonville, Florida. He is a pioneer in using Lean methods in the management of his dental practice. The book documents his learning journey for himself and his office staff as they learned how to apply Lean in a very non-traditional setting.

His book, Follow the Learner, is available from the Lean Enterprise Institute. You can also watch an archived webinar that he presented, along with some text Q&A follow ups that were recently posted.

There is also an audio podcast version of this discussion available as episode #69 at www.leanpodcast.org. For audio podcast episodes, please visit www.leanpodcast.org. For video podcasts, visit www.leanvideopodcast.org.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

68 - Ben Harrison, Role of CEO in Lean

Podcast #68 is a discussion with Benjamin G. Harrison, President & CEO of Kaysun, a privately-held manufacturer that, for over 60 years, has designed and manufactured complex, high-tolerance plastic injection molded products and assemblies. In his role as CEO, Ben is the champion for Kaysun's lean strategy and efforts and we discuss his support for lean in this episode. Kaysun was just named Lean Initiative and Plastics Supplier of the Year by Rockwell Collins, so congratulations to them for that award.

For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

4 - Matt May, "In Pursuit of Elegance" Part 2

This podcast is an interview with Matt May, author of the Shingo Prize winning book The Elegant Solution: Toyota's Formula for Mastering Innovation. Available May 19 is his new book In Pursuit of Elegance. Matt's website is www.inpursuitofelegance.com. Come back for a 2nd conversation with Matt next week.

For audio podcast episodes, please visit www.leanpodcast.org. For video podcasts, visit www.leanvideopodcast.org.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

4 - Matt May, "In Pursuit of Elegance", Pt 1

This podcast is an interview with Matt May, author of the Shingo Prize winning book The Elegant Solution: Toyota's Formula for Mastering Innovation. Available May 19 is his new book In Pursuit of Elegance. Matt's website is www.inpursuitofelegance.com. Come back for a 2nd conversation with Matt next week.

For audio podcast episodes, please visit www.leanpodcast.org. For video podcasts, visit www.leanvideopodcast.org.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

67 - Matt May, "In Pursuit of Elegance"

This podcast is an interview with Matt May, author of the Shingo Prize winning book The Elegant Solution: Toyota's Formula for Mastering Innovation. Available May 19 is his new book In Pursuit of Elegance. Matt's website is www.inpursuitofelegance.com. Come back for a 2nd conversation with Matt next week.

There is also a video podcast version of this discussion available as episode #4 at www.leanvideopodcast.org.

For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

66 - Joe Rizzo, AME Annual Conference

SPONSOR:

MIT Professional Education - Short Programs: MIT will be holding three short courses on campus this July focused on various lean concepts geared towards busy professionals (Lean Academy® Course, Lean Engineering Seminar, Lean Healthcare Academy). To learn more visit them on the web at http://shortprograms.mit.edu/lean.

CONTENT:

LeanBlog Podcast #66

This is a discussion with Joe Rizzo, Chairman of the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) Annual Conference, to be held in Covington, Kentucky. The dates are October 19 to 23, 2009. For more info, visit http://www.ameconference.org. In this podcast, Joe talks about his lean background and what to expect if you attend the event.

For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

3 - Norman Bodek, Part 1

This is the first of four video segments with the "godfather of lean" Norman Bodek, President of PCS Press.

For audio podcast episodes, please visit www.leanpodcast.org. For video podcasts, visit www.leanvideopodcast.org.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Detroit Medical Center Ad

Test

2 - Kevin Frieswick, Error Proofing Handwashing

This podcast is a video that Kevin Frieswick and MetroWest Medical Center (Framingham, MA) had originally posted on YouTube, showing a unique device to help error proof the proper washing of hands before entering a patient room. That video is in the podcast and it's followed by portions of an audio podcast that I did with Kevin, the full audio can be found at: http://www.leanblog.org/2009/04/leanblog-podcast-65-error-proofing.html

65 - Kevin Frieswick, Error Proofing Hospital Hand Washing

LeanBlog Podcast #65 is a discussion with Kevin Frieswick, a Lean Process Manager, with MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham, MA. I found Kevin earlier this year when I discovered their YouTube video about innovations at MWMC, which included a unique error proofing device to help encourage handwashing by staff and physicians before entering patient rooms. I recommend you first watch the video here (http://www.leanblog.org/2009/02/error-proofing-handwashing.html) before listening to the podcast. In this podcast, Kevin gives us more details behind the invention of the device and how it has been received in the hospital.

For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

64 - Jamie Flinchbaugh, "Coaching"

Here is LeanBlog Podcast #64, again with Jamie Flinchbaugh, Founder of and Partner with the Lean Learning Center and co-author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to Lean. In this Podcast, we talk about the role of coaching in a Lean transformation effort. What is the difference between coaching toward a solution and coaching to learn a method, for example?

This was also the first attempt at a "video podcast", this is the audio from that. The video, if desired, can be found at this address: http://www.leanblog.org/2009/03/video-podcast-beta-v-10-jamie.html . The video admittedly doesn't add too much to the discussion, but it's an experiment and I'll continue to put audio from the discussions here in the audio podcast series if I do more videos.

For past episodes, please visit www.leanpodcast.org.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

1 - Jamie Flinchbaugh, on Coaching

Jamie Flinchbaugh from the Lean Learning Center (www.leanlearningcenter.com).

LeanBlog Podcast via www.leanblog.org

63 - David "Zuma Dogg" Saltsburg for L.A. Mayor

Very special guest today... very spur of the moment podcast with L.A. mayoral candidate, David "Zuma Dogg" Saltsburg. He is running on a platform is using Dr. W. Edwards Deming's 14 points for management. Very interesting listening -- David paid his own way to a Dr. Deming 4-day seminar in Houston in 1991 and it changed his life. He's talking about Dr. Deming on TV and all the media -- what a great service to Dr. Deming and hopefully to the residents of Los Angeles.

For past episodes, please visit www.leanpodcast.org.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

62 - Dr. John Toussaint, ThedaCare Center

Once again, our guest for Episode #62 is John S. Toussaint, MD, the CEO emeritus of ThedaCare, and CEO of the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value. Dr. Toussaint is very well known for his leadership of the Lean efforts in the ThedaCare system, done under the heading of the ThedaCare Improvement System. ThedaCare has been profiled in the WSJ and many other articles about the quality and cost improvements they have achieved. This is the first of two podcast discussions we recorded (Part 1 is episode #54). In this podcast Dr. Toussaint talks about the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value and some big picture issues related to Lean and healthcare improvement.

For past episodes, please visit www.leanpodcast.org.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

61 - Norman Bodek, Part 2 from #55

Norman Bodek is once again back for episode #61 of the LeanBlog Podcast, talking about his discovery of a unique system in Japan, at Canon, called the "Super Meister" system that trains employees to be able to build an entire copier on their own. This was introduced in Episode #55 of the Podcast. Norman also talks a little more about Gerry Corrigan and his Lean/5S work in Ireland, employee ideas, and his video terminal that allows him to teach people remotely.

For past episodes, go to www.leanpodcast.org.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

The Need for Lean in Defense

From CNN Feb 7 2009

60 - Lt. Randy Russell, Lean in Law Enforcement, Part 2

Podcast Episode #60 is the second part of a two-parter with retired Lt. Randy Russell of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, an innovator in the use of Lean methods for improving law enforcement (Part 1, Episode #51 is here). In this episode, Randy discusses some really interesting examples of how Lean methods are helpful in law enforcement and how 5S or standardized work can help save a life. Very powerful stuff.

Randy’s company, Hyperformance Enterprises, LLC, operates a Lean consulting and training division that can be found online at www.improvementors.com. Randy's interests include waste identification and elimination, process improvement, transactional systems, and strategic alignment. His hands-on experience with Lean in a broad array of settings as the former Chairman of the (47+ member) Jacksonville Lean Consortium and his two decade career as a law enforcement commander and lead security planner for a Super Bowl provides valuable added experience and insights when it comes to dealing with sensitive and complex projects.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

59 - Bob Miller, "Shingo Prize"

Episode #59 of the LeanBlog Podcast is here and our guest is Robert Miller, Executive Director of the Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence. We are discussing the Prize, some of the recent changes made in its criteria, and some future directions for the Prize named after Dr. Shigeo Shingo, of Toyota Production System fame. www.shingoprize.org is their website.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

58 - Steven J. Spear, "Chasing the Rabbit"

Episode #58 of the LeanBlog Podcast brings us Steven J. Spear as our guest. Spear is a Senior Researcher at MIT, a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and is the author of the new book Chasing the Rabbit: How Market Leaders Outdistance the Competition and How Great Companies Can Catch Up and Win. Today, we talk about he started studying Toyota and his new book, which includes examples from many high-performing organizations in manufacturing, healthcare, and other industries - fascinating reading.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

57 - Alfie Kohn, "Punished by Rewards"

My guest for LeanBlog Podcast #57 is Alfie Kohn, an author and lecturer in the fields of education, parenting, and human behavior. His books include Punished By Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A's, Praise, and Other Bribes and The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing. I reached out to Alfie after there was some very good discussion on the blog about Chicago Public Schools giving incentive payments to high school students earning A's, B's, and C's. Many of the arguments that Alfie makes are reminiscent of Dr. W. Edwards Deming and can be applied, more generally, to many organization settings where rewards and incentives are used. I hope you find this interesting and thought provoking. If anything, the Dr. Deming fans will want to listen to the end of the Podcast where Alfie does a dead-on impression of Dr. Deming. To read more articles, Alfie's website is http://www.alfiekohn.org/ .

For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. The podcast is available there in MP3 or AAC formats.

56 - John Shook, "Managing to Learn"

Episode #56 of the podcast is a discussion with John Shook, one of my absolute favorite people in the Lean world. The few times I've seen John present or had the chance to chat in person, I've learned more in that amount of time than from anyone else, so I'm thrilled to have him here. John has a new book, published by the Lean Enterprise Institute, about the "A3" problem solving process called Managing to Learn: Using the A3 Management Process to Solve Problems, Gain Agreement, Mentor, and Lead. John also has a new blog on the LEI website, which is exciting to see. In the podcast, we discuss the story behind the book and some thoughts on how to get started with A3 thinking from scratch in your organization.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

#55 Norman Bodek, Lean in Ireland

Norman Bodek is once again back for episode #55 of the LeanBlog Podcast, talking about his recent trip to Ireland. If you're a fan of Norman, his books and his podcasts, be sure to check out the special charity auction that's running on www.leanblog.org through December 19. You can get a specially autographed CD set of Norman's previous Podcasts along with an autographed book. You'll see links to the auction on the Lean Blog, so visit today. The auction benefits the Josie King Foundation, a group that supports improvements for patient safety in hospitals and healthcare, a very important cause.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Mark Graban Lean Lab Presentation

Test video

#54 - Dr. John S. Toussaint, ThedaCare Improvement System

Our guest for Episode #54 is John S. Toussaint, MD, the CEO emeritus of ThedaCare, and CEO of the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value. Dr. Toussaint is very well known for his leadership of the Lean efforts in the ThedaCare system, done under the heading of the ThedaCare Improvement System. ThedaCare has been profiled in the WSJ and many other articles about the quality and cost improvements they have achieved. This is the first of two podcast discussions we recorded, so check back for the second by visiting and coming back to www.leanpodcast.org. In this podcast Dr. Toussaint looks back at ThedaCare's accomplishments, reflects on their journey, and shares his advice for other hospitals.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

#53, Patrick Anderson, Lean in Native Alaska Healthcare

LeanBlog Podcast Episode #53 is a conversation with Patrick M. Anderson, the Executive Director of Chugachmiut, the Tribal consortium created to promote self-determination to the seven Native communities of the Chugach Region. I met Patrick at a Lean conference where he shared their experiences with applying Lean principles to healthcare delivery in Alaska. I am happy to bring their story to you, here in the first part of a two-part Podcast discussion.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

#52 - Dan Markovitz, Office Lean - Lean Blog Podcast

Podcast Episode #52 is a discussion with a good friend (and sometimes contributor) to the Lean Blog, Dan Markovitz, founder and President of TimeBack Management. TimeBack Management is a corporate efficiency-training firm specializing in the application of Lean manufacturing principles to business processes. The company’s WorkLean program helps knowledge workers reduce the hidden waste in the way they manage information and improves the flow of value to the customer. As such, the WorkLean program supports companies in their Lean journey.

In this podcast episode, we talk about applications of Lean and 5S principles in office and administrative settings.

For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

#51 - Lt. Randy Russell, Lean Blog Podcast

Podcast Episode #51 is the first part of a two-parter with retired Lt. Randy Russell of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Department, an innovator in the use of Lean methods for improving law enforcement. Starting in 2004, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Department starting using Lean as a continuous improvement program. In the podcast, Randy describes their journey and the improvements that have contributed to providing more time for sheriffs and officers for policing that helps protect the community. As in healthcare, the real opportunity for Lean is not using isolated tools in a trivial way, but rather in ways that save lives and provide more time for officers to be out on the streets, instead of dealing with waste. It sounds like a pretty direct parallel to using Lean in a hospital to free up time for nurses to spend with patients.

Randy’s company, Hyperformance Enterprises, LLC, operates a Lean consulting and training division that can be found online at www.improvementors.com. Randy's interests include waste identification and elimination, process improvement, transactional systems, and strategic alignment. His hands-on experience with Lean in a broad array of settings as the former Chairman of the (47+ member) Jacksonville Lean Consortium and his two decade career as a law enforcement commander and lead security planner for a Super Bowl provides valuable added experience and insights when it comes to dealing with sensitive and complex projects.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

#50 - Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh

To celebrate the 50th LeanBlog Podcast, the tables are turned. Guest host Jamie Flinchbaugh chats with me, Mark Graban, about the history of my blog, my podcasts, and how this led into my new book, Lean Hospitals.

This was Jamie's idea (thanks). I normally try not to be the center of attention on the podcasts, letting my guests do most of the talking (so I can learn), so I'm a bit uncomfortable talking about myself... but here it is. Topics include why I started the blog, what I've learned along the way, how I got started with Lean, and how I transitioned into healthcare. You won't learn as much in this as a typical podcast with Jamie, Jeff Liker, or Norm Bodek. But, if you're interested... here you go! We get to the meat of the healthcare discussion and about the book about 20 minutes in.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

#49 Gwen Galsworth - Lean Blog Podcast

Episode #49 is another conversation with Dr. Gwendolyn Galsworth, who you might remember from Episode #26 last year and Episode #45, which was the first part of this conversation. In this episode, we talk about "Visual Displays," a topic from her Shingo Prize-winning book Visual Workplace, Visual Thinking: Creating Enterprise Excellence Through the Technologies of the Visual Workplace. Gwendolyn established Quality Methods International (QMI) in 1991 as a consulting, training and research firm, specializing in the Visual Workplace.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

#48 Bob Emiliani, "Real Lean," LeanBlog Podcast

A returning guest, Bob Emiliani is featured in episode #48 of the LeanBlog Podcast. Bob is the President of The Center for Lean Business Management, LLC. He is a leading authority on Lean management, who since 1995 has focused his efforts on de-mystifying the "black art" of Lean leadership. In this episode, we talk about his "Real Lean" series of books.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

#47 Norman Bodek - Trip to Japan

Norman Bodek is once again back for episode #47 of the LeanBlog Podcast, talking about his most recent trip to Japan (his 68th trip!). He poses the question, "What can we do to leapfrog Toyota?" Norman asks important questions about how we can help people, in any role, enjoy their work, rather than dreading Mondays. Why does Norman think the Canon photocopier plant he just toured is the best he's ever seen? Why does Norman disagree with the phrase, "Work smarter, not harder"??

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

#46 Dean Bliss, LeanBlog Podcast

Episode #46 is a chat with a good friend of the Lean Blog, Dean Bliss, a Lean Improvement Specialist with the Iowa Health System. Like myself, Dean made a transition in from manufacturing into health care a few years back, he'll share some of his experiences and recommendations for how to use Lean in a hospital and how to make that transition. He will also share some stories about how his hospital prioritized what problems to solve with the Lean methodology.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

#45 - Gwendolyn Galsworth, "Visual Displays"

Episode #45 is another conversation with Dr. Gwendolyn Galsworth, who you might remember from Episode #26 last year. In this episode, we talk about "Visual Displays," a topic from her Shingo Prize-winning book Visual Workplace, Visual Thinking: Creating Enterprise Excellence Through the Technologies of the Visual Workplace. Gwendolyn established Quality Methods International (QMI) in 1991 as a consulting, training and research firm, specializing in the Visual Workplace.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

#44 Ralph Keller - AME, LeanBlog Podcast

Episode #44 of the LeanBlog Podcast is a conversation with Ralph Keller, the President of AME, the Association for Manufacturing Excellence. Today, we're discussing AME and their upcoming regional conference in San Diego, to be held June 9 to 11, 2008.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

#43 - Mike Micklewright, "What Would Deming Say?" - LeanBlog

Episode #43 of LeanBlog Podcast is a very special one. My guest is Mike Mickleright, writer, consultant, and performer -- most interesting to me is his impersonation of Dr. W. Edwards Deming. As I wrote about before, I've seen his DVD and Mike agreed to create this podcast with me. We start off talking with Mike about his background with Dr. Deming and how he created the impersonation. Then, we shift into me interviewing Mike as Dr. Deming, asking him some questions on modern quality approaches including Lean and Six Sigma. His website is www.mikemick.com.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

#42 Martin Hinckley - LeanBlog Podcast, Mistake Proofing

This is LeanBlog Podcast episode #42 with Dr. C. Martin Hinckley, of the firm Assured Quality. He is the author of the book "Make No Mistake!: An Outcome-Based Approach to Mistake-Proofing," available through Productivity Press. We'll talk about his book and approaches for teaching people how to develop mistake proofing in processes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

#41 Jeff Liker, Toyota Culture - LeanBlog Podcast

Here is LeanBlog Podcast #41 with Dr. Jeffrey Liker, Professor of Industrial and Operations Engineering at the University of Michigan. Dr. Liker is most recently the co-author (with Michael Hoseus) of Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way and many other books. This is part 3 of our recent series. Today, we talk about the development of managers within a Lean organization.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

#40 UAW and Lean - LeanBlog Podcast

Here is LeanBlog Podcast #40, an interview with a retired UAW/GM employee who wishes to remain anonymous, at this point. We have traded many emails over the past year, about Lean, and I'm impressed with this individual's true passion for Lean and Toyota Production System concepts. We both agree that the "root cause" of many Lean struggles comes back to management's inability to create trust and to give up some control to the employees who actually do the work. The intent here, from my perspective, is not "management bashing," but rather to illustrate that there are some on the UAW side who "get it" and success is going to require true cooperation and sacrifices on both sides.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

LeanBlog Podcast #39 - Jeff Liker, Toyota Culture, Part 2

Here is LeanBlog Podcast #39, once again featuring Dr. Jeffrey Liker, Professor of Industrial and Operations Engineering at the University of Michigan. Dr. Liker is most recently the co-author (with Michael Hoseus) of Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way. This is part 2 of what will be a 3-part podcast series, so be sure to check back. Today, we talk about some of the challenges that organizations face in trying to adopt a Lean Culture.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

#38 Bob Emiliani - LeanBlog Podcast

Here is LeanBlog Podcast #38, our guest today is Bob Emiliani of the Center for Lean Business Management and, most recently, the author of Practical Lean Leadership: A Strategic Leadership Guide For Executives. It's a workbook-style guide that forces you to think through your own leadership approach and your own situation, a book I enjoyed very much. In this podcast, we talk about "lean leadership," "value added behaviors," and some pitfalls to avoid in lean implementations.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

#37 - Jeff Liker (Toyota Culture Pt 1) - LeanBlog Podcast

Here is LeanBlog Podcast #37, once again featuring Dr. Jeffrey Liker, Professor of Industrial and Operations Engineering at the University of Michigan. Dr. Liker is most recently the co-author (with Michael Hoseus) of Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way and many other books.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

#36 Norm Bodek -- LeanBlog Podcast

LeanBlog Podcast #36 once again features our friend and frequent guest, Norman Bodek, noted lean author, consultant, and President of PCS Press. In this episode, Norman talks about his most recent publication, a text by the legendary Shigeo Shingo, called Kaizen and the Art of Creative Thinking - The Scientific Thinking Mechanism, as well as future publications he is working on. This was recorded back in 2007, before the book was published (it has now been out in publication for a few months, I apologize for the delay in getting this podcast released).

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

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Call from the "Lean Line"

#35 David Meier - LeanBlog Podcast

LeanBlog Podcast #35 is another discussion with David Meier, co-author of the book Toyota Talent, written with Dr. Jeffrey Liker. In this podcast, we follow up our previous discussion (Podcast #31) to talk about the upcoming Toyota books, as well as some of the leadership challenges that companies face with working with Lean.

If you enjoy this podcast, I hope you'll check out the rest of the series by visiting the LeanBlog podcast main page at http://www.leanpodcast.org/.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

#34 Chris Harris - LeanBlog Podcast

Finally, another episode of the LeanBlog Podcast. Sorry for the delay in getting new episodes out. Our guest today is Chris Harris, a former Toyota employee and author of the book "Developing a Lean Workforce." For more information, visit www.leanpodcast.org.

#33 Jim Huntzinger - LeanBlog Podcast

Episode #33 of the LeanBlog Podcast is the return of Jim Huntzinger, talking about the most recent Lean Accounting Summit. For more episodes or to give your feedback, please visit www.leanpodcast.org or www.leanblog.org. You can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN
(817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

#32 Norm Bodek- LeanBlog Podcast

LeanBlog Podcast #32 once again features our friend and frequent guest, Norman Bodek, noted lean author, consultant, and President of PCS Press. In this episode, Norman talks about his recent study trip to Japan and what he saw there. If you enjoy this podcast, I hope you'll check out the rest of the series by visiting the LeanBlog podcast main page at www.leanpodcast.org.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Metrics Question Response

Question-on-metrics

A Lean Blog reader calls with a question about how a support organization can measure their contribution to the organization beyond typical cost or quality metrics.

Question-on-cost-planning

Lean Blog reader Bryan calls with a question about how Toyota handles cost planning and those annual cycles.

LeanBlog Podcast #31, David Meier - Toyota Talent

LeanBlog Podcast #31 is a discussion with David Meier, most recently the co-author of the book Toyota Talent, co-authored with Dr. Jeffrey Liker. In this podcast, we discuss the topics from Toyota Talent, including standardized work and how to use the methodology in the right way. We also talk briefly about Toyota's new San Antonio plant. I love David's quote, ""Standardization of work doesn't mean that everybody does it exactly the same way." There will be an upcoming Part 2 of this discussion with David where we talk about upcoming books in the Toyota series, so stay tuned.

If you enjoy this podcast, I hope you'll check out the rest of the series by visiting the LeanBlog podcast main page at http://www.leanpodcast.org/.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

LeanBlog Podcast #30 -- Bob Emiliani

LeanBlog Podcast #30 is an interview with Bob Emiliani, President the Center for Lean Business Management and author of the books Better Thinking, Better Results and Real Lean: Understanding the Lean Management System (Volume One) (and Volume Two). Before starting the CLBM, Bob had a long career at United Technologies, Pratt & Whitney and also has degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Chemical Engineering, as well as a PhD in engineering from Brown University.

Better Thinking, Better Results, which is now out in a 2nd revised edition, has a new epilogue about Wiremold, the subject of the book, and how they have moved away from Lean after their acquisition by another company. In this podcast, we’ll talk about why that happened and what others can learn from the story, in efforts to prevent the dismantling of even the most successful of Lean transformations. You can visit his website at theclbm.com. You can visit the page for this podcast at leanpodcast.org for links to Bob and his books, including the “Real Lean” series.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast. Vist www.leanpodcast.org for the LeanBlog Podcast page with all previous episodes.

LeanBlog Podcast #29 - Dr. Sami Bahri, the Lean Dentist

Episode #29 of the LeanBlog Podcast features our very special guest, Dr. Sami Bahri, "The World's First Lean Dentist." If you're thinking "what can I learn about lean from a Dentist?", please listen in. I think you’ll be amazed and will learn a ton. I’ve really enjoyed the two chances I’ve had to talk with Dr Bahri, including this podcast session and I’ve been very impressed with his approach to lean. He’s gone back to all of the source texts, including Shingo and Ohno and has really had to figure it out for himself, as opposed to following a cookbook approach. I particularly appreciate how he involves his employees and staff… it’s a great example we can all learn from. If you have questions or comments for Dr. Bahri, he’s agreed to a follow on podcast. You can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or visit leanpodcast.org to leave a comment or read some linked articles about Dr. Bahri. His website can be found at www.firstleandentist.com.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast. Visit www.leanpodcast.org for themain LeanBlog Podcast page with all previous episodes and visit the
Lean Blog at www.leanblog.org.

LeanBlog Podcast #28 -- Norman Bodek

LeanBlog Podcast #28 features our friend and frequent guest, Norman Bodek, noted lean author, consultant, and President of PCS Press. This also celebrates the 1 year anniversary of the Podcast, which featured Norman as our first guest. As I've given him credit for previously, the Podcast really was Norman's idea when he said I should do "radio interviews" with him. Thankfully, this has turned into a series of interviews with others that I have enjoyed immensely. I hope you enjoy them as well.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast. Visit www.leanpodcast.org for themain LeanBlog Podcast page with all previous episodes and visit the Lean Blog at www.leanblog.org.

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Stumble It!

LeanBlog Podcast #27 - Jim Baran, Value Stream Leadership

LeanBlog Podcast #27 is the second part of two with Jim Baran, the Owner of Value Stream Leadership, a leading recruiting firm that specializes in Lean talent. In this part of the discussion, we focus more on Lean career paths for Lean leaders and practitioners, how to differentiate yourself and how to progress in your Lean career.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast. Visit www.leanpodcast.org for themain LeanBlog Podcast page with all previous episodes and visit the Lean Blog at www.leanblog.org.

LeanBlog Podcast #26 - Dr. Gwendolyn Galsworth, Visuality

Episode #26 of the LeanBlog Podcast brings us Dr. Gwendolyn Galsworth, of the Visual Lean Institute. She is the author, most recently of the book Visual Workplace, Visual Thinking: Creating Enterprise Excellence Through the Technologies of the Visual Workplace. Ironically enough, we wil be using this audio-only format to discuss visual methods in the workplace and how that ties into Lean and the Toyota Production System. Her book has hundreds of color photos and illustrations of effective visual methods, so if you find this discussion helpful, I hope will follow up with the book. The book is a very inventive and unique approach to visual management and helping people work more effectively. One small thing I really appreciate is how her case studies and examples from factories always have a photo of one of the value-adding associates who was involved in the work.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast. Visit www.leanpodcast.org for the LeanBlog Podcast page with all previous episodes or visit our blog site at www.leanblog.org.

LeanBlog Podcast #25 - Mark Spearman, Factory Physics

For Episode #25, I'm pleased to have Dr. Mark Spearman, Founder and President/CEO of Factory Physics, Inc. (www.factoryphysics.com). You may know Dr. Spearman from his book, co-authored with Dr. Wally Hopp, Factory Physics. If there is ONE operations management textbook to own, this is it (it's well worth the cost). I was fortunate, as an Industrial Engineering undergrad at Northwestern, to take Dr. Spearman's operations course. The introduction given about Lean and the Factory Physics / Little's Law concepts (among others) have served me very well during my career. In the Podcast, we talk about his company, Factory Physics, and the work he is doing today in the manufacturing world.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.
Click here (www.leanpodcast.org) for the main LeanBlog Podcast page with all previous episodes.

LeanBlog Podcast #24 - Jim Womack, State of the Auto World

Episode #24 of the LeanBlog Podcast is the 2nd part of my recent conversation with Jim Womack, of the Lean Enterprise Institute. In this episode, we talk about the state of the auto industry, from the time of The Machine That Changed the World through today. Who does Jim think is in the best shape among the "Detroit Three?" Jim also answers some questions from Lean Blog readers.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at podcast@leanblog.org or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Please visit our websites, www.leanpodcast.org and the Lean Blog main page at www.leanblog.org.

LeanBlog Podcast #23 - Group Health Cooperative

Episode #23 of the LeanBlog Podcast features a panel of Lean leaders from the Group Health Cooperative (www.ghc.org), a consumer-governed, nonprofit health care system that coordinates care and coverage. Based in Seattle, Group Health and its subsidiary health carriers, Group Health Options, Inc. and KPS Health Plans, serve over 500,000 members in Washington and Idaho. GHC has been on a Lean journey, as documented on their "Daily Kaizen" blog (www.dailykaizen.org). Joining us on the Podcast are three of their Lean Leaders:

* James Hereford, Executive Vice President, Strategic Services and Quality
* Dr. Ted Eyan, Medical Director of Health Informatics and Web Services
* Lee Fried, Manager of the Strategic Consulting team at Group Health

In this Podcast, they discuss how GHC got started with Lean, their early "point improvement" succeses, and their transition to a more systemic approach to a Lean management system through their "model line" efforts.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at podcast@leanblog.org or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Click here for the main LeanBlog Podcast page (www.leanpodcast.org) with all previous episodes.

LeanBlog Podcast #22 - Allan Wilson, Factory Logic

Episode #22 of the Podcast is a discussion with Allan Wilson, CEO of Factory Logic, a software company that was acquired by SAP late last year. Allan is now the VP of Lean Manufacturing Operations for SAP. We talk about the role of technology and software in a Lean implementation. In the interest of full disclosure, I worked for Factory Logic a few years back, including time under Allan's leadership, but I have no financial interest in the company or products.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast. Visit www.leanpodcast.org for all episodes.

LeanBlog Podcast #21 - Norman Bodek, "Building People"

LeanBlog Podcast Episode #21 features our friend and frequent guest, Norman Bodek, noted lean author, consultant, and President of PCS Press. In this Podcast, we talk about how Lean should be good for a company's employees, that Lean and the Toyota Production system are really about building people and investing in them rather than laying people off.

Norman's previous Podcast episodes can be found on the Podcast main page, at www.leanpodcast.org.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

LeanBlog Podcast #20 - Kevin Meyer, "Onshoring"

The LeanBlog Podcast is back with episode #20, our guest is Kevin Meyer, the founder of Superfactory Ventures, which can be found at Superfactory.com. You may know Kevin from his popular blog, Evolving Excellence. We'll be talking about a number of lean topics including his upcoming panel moderation at the Kellogg Manufacturing Business Conference, being held in Evanston IL in May.

For more episodes, visit www.leanpodcast.org. Also visit the Lean Blog as www.leanblog.org.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817)776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

LeanBlog Podcast #19 - Jim Womack, "Machine Revisited"

Episode #19 of the Lean Blog Podcast brings the return of Jim Womack. Jim was sitting in Melbourne Australia, where he had been speaking about lean healthcare, a topic that we will discuss in a future podcast. In this podcast, we talk about Jim's reflections on the book The Machine That Changed the World and its recent reissuing by the publisher (with updates). In the podcast, Jim not only talks about Toyota's success, but ways in which Toyota could fail or falter in the future. This is the first part of our discussion, I will release the second part in the upcoming weeks.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

LeanBlog Podcast #18 - Eric Christiansen, "A Deming Company"

Here is Episode #18 of the LeanBlog Podcast. My guest today is Eric Christiansen, the President of a translation services company, OmniLingua (more can be found here on their philosophy as a company, being a self-described "Deming Company.) I was interested in talking with Eric about what it means to be a "Deming Company" and about their implementation of "wiki" tools (ala Wikipedia) for managing their standard work and process documentation.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast. Visit the LeanBlog Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org for all previous episodes.

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LeanBlog Podcast #14 - Dave Gleditsch, Pelion Systems

LeanBlog Podcast #14 is a discussion with Dave Gleditsch, the Chief Technology Officer for Pelion Systems, a leading provider of software for lean manufacturing applications. I first met Dave after I read his Industry Week columns and traded some emails with him. He has a great background in manufacturing and lean, so I think he has an interesting perspective to share on lean and techonology. Don't worry, this podcast isn't a sales pitch for Pelion's software. I think you'll enjoy the discussion.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast. Visit the main LeanBlog Podcast page (www.leanpodcast.org) for all previous episodes.

LeanBlog Podcast #15 -- Jim Huntzinger ,"Training Within Ind

LeanBlog Podcast #15 is a new discussion with a previous Podcast guest, Jim Huntzinger. Last time, we talked about the Lean Accounting Summit. This time, we're talking about the renaissance of the "Training Within Industry" program. We'll talk about the origins of this program, the impact it had on Toyota and the Toyota Production System, and why the program is being bought back in the United States and in lean circles. Jim is also organizing a Training Within Industry Summit, June 5-6 of 2007. Check the Show Notes, down below, for more links to TWI resources and information.

LeanBlog Podcast #16 - Jim Baran, Lean Recruiting

LeanBlog Podcast #16 is the first part of two with Jim Baran, the Owner of Value Stream Leadership, a leading recruiting firm that specializes in Lean talent. I've known Jim for a few years now and he's helped me and some colleagues in the past, he's a great recruiter who really takes some interest in you. If you're looking to make a career change or if you're looking for lean talent, I can personally recommend him.

In our discussion, we talk about the state of the job market for folks with lean experience and what helps a lean candidate stand out in the marketplace.


If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

LeanBlog Podcast #17 - David Meier, "Lean in China"

LeanBlog Podcast #17 is a discussion with a good friend of the Lean Blog, David Meier, a former Toyota Georgetown Group Leader, founder of Lean Associates, and the co-author of the excellent book, The Toyota Way Fieldbook, and the upcoming Toyota Talent, due out in April (both co-authored with Jeff Liker, check out my Podcasts with him here and here). In this Podcast, we talk about David's recent first hand experiences with factories in China. Are there labor shortages? Is there a lot of waste in Chinese factories? Do the Chinese have good management skills at this point? What lean methods did David see in China? We'll cover all this and more.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast. Visit the main LeanBlog Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org for all previous episodes.

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LeanBlog Podcast #14 is a discussion with Dave Gleditsch, the Chief Technology Officer for Pelion Systems, a leading provider of software for lean manufacturing applications. I first met Dave after I read his Industry Week columns and traded some emails with him. He has a great background in manufacturing and lean, so I think he has an interesting perspective to share on lean and techonology. Don't worry, this podcast isn't a sales pitch for Pelion's software. I think you'll enjoy the discussion.

Currently, my Podcast host is having trouble with the streaming player that normally appears here. But, the Podcast has been released in iTunes and you can save the file or listen (on most computers) by using the link below. I'll add the streaming player when it's available again.

MP3 File (Right Click to Save-As)

Show Notes and Approximate Time, Episode #14

• 2:00 What prompted you to write your first column?
• 2:30 The real issue was a poor definition of what lean really is, lean has some very concrete things for improving and innovating.
• 3:30 It's not just cost cutting, it's about maximizing customer value with the minimum required resources.
• 4:20 At American Standard, lean helped save the company, but it also became a platform for growth
• 5:00 Do traditionally cost driven people automatically focus on lean as only a cost cutting tool?
• 6:00 In the boardrooms, the real cost is gross margin expansion -- impacting the top line AND the bottom line (lean and six sigma are great tools for that). You can't just cut costs on the path to growth.
• 7:00 How first introduced to lean concepts?
• 9:20 Had a lot of lean experience at HP in the 1980's, worked with Shingo, Hall, Schonberger, etc. Had to try to interpret the original Shingo "Green Book."( A Study of the Toyota Production System from an Industrial Engineering Viewpoint)
• 10:40 Hall's book Zero Inventories
• 11:00 Dave working with Shigeo Shingo
• 12:00 More about Dave's experiences with lean at American Standard
• 15:20 What is Pelion Systems? What services and technology do they offer?
• 18:40 Pelion had the first web kanban portal
• 19:10 What business problem is Pelion helping to solve?
• 20:45 Can technology help speed up or further a culture change?
• 24:00 You have to look at more than manufacturing, but also at how different parts of the companies work together.
• 25:20 What about the The Toyota Way principle about technology? "Use only reliable, thoroughly tested technology that serves your people and processes." What about the anti-technology bias that tends to exist in the lean world?
• 30:15 What about companies who have been burned by ERP or technology promises in the past? Does that make it challenging for a software company today? What about technology vendors who seem to promise a "silver bullet" solution for manufacturers?
• 35:00 Is the software industry learning from past rollout mistakes? Are companies using the technology evolving?
• 35:25 How Pelion operates with a clear customer charter, business case, etc.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast. Click here for the main LeanBlog Podcast page with all previous episodes.

LeanBlog Podcast #13 brings us part 2 of our discussion with James P. Womack of the Lean Enterprise Institute, the author of many books including the classic (published 10 years ago) Lean Thinking and the more recent Lean Solutions. Part 1 can be found by going to www.leanpodcast.org

In the second podcast, Jim discusses the state of manufacturing in China, including some factors to consider when competing with China, or setting up shop in China. Jim talks about the tradeoffs between manufacturing for export versus manufacturing in China for the local market.


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LeanBlog Podcast #12 brings us a special guest, James P. Womack of the
Lean Enterprise Institute, the author of many books including the
classic (published 10 years ago) Lean Thinking and the more recent
Lean Solutions. We ended up talking for about 40 minutes, so I'm
going to split the discussion into two podcasts. In this first part,
we focus more on China's adoption (or lack of adoption) of lean
practices. In the second podcast, Jim talks more about general trends
for China and for those considering doing business in China. Please
visit www.leanpodcast.org for more podcasts in our series.



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Here is LeanBlog Podcast #11, once again with Norman Bodek of PCS Press and the author of many books, including Kaikaku: The Power and Magic of Lean. In this Podcast, we discuss a topic posed by a podcast listener, Bruce from Akron Ohio: how do you educate your top leadership about lean? Norman and I discuss the perspectives of CEOs and executives toward lean, change, and their organizations and some examples of lean problem solving approaches. It's a long podcast (about 40 minutes), so I'd suggest you check out the show notes to find times of specific topics if you want to jump around.


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Here is LeanBlog Podcast #10, again with Jamie Flinchbaugh, Founder of and Partner with the Lean Learning Center and co-author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to Lean. In this Podcast, we respond to an audio question from blog listener Bruce from Akron OH. The topic is how to educate your organization's leadership about lean and how to get them excited about your lean efforts.


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LeanBlog Podcast Episode #9, is a discussion with David Mann, the author of the excellent book Creating A Lean Culture: Tools To Sustain Lean Conversions. In this Podcast, we will talk about Steelcase's experience with the their lean efforts and the realization that they required a "Lean Management System" for supervisors, managers, and leaders. We'll talk about what that means, why it's a critical feature of their Lean System and how to start making the transition to being a "lean leader."


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