Quality Time With MoreSteam

In this episode of Quality Time with MoreSteam, we are honored to have Peter Ward join the show. Peter is Chair of the Lean Enterprise Institute, Professor Emeritus of Operations Management at The Ohio State University, and a Shingo prize winner. During this episode, we explore Peter’s incredible journey in Lean and Six Sigma. Peter shares how he helped bring Lean and Six Sigma into the business school, launched the Master of Business Operational Excellence (MBOE) program, and reflects on his Shingo Prize-winning research. We also discuss how Lean principles have evolved and their impact across industries today. It’s a great conversation on operational excellence and continuous improvement!   In this episode, you will hear about: 2:48 - Teaching Lean at Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business 9:03 - How teaching Lean at Ohio State influenced other colleges and universities 12:02 - The significance of being “embedded” 15:46 - Teaching Six Sigma at Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business 20:56 - The first Master’s program in Operational Excellence 25:28 - The Center for Operational Excellence at The Ohio State University 28:20 - Peter’s role as chair of the Lean Enterprise Institute 34:04 - Incremental improvements and disruptive change 40:04 - Winning the Shingo Prize 49:46 - Peter’s proudest accomplishment   Additional Resources: Peter Ward on LinkedIn Peter Ward's Ohio State University Profile Peter Ward at the Lean Enterprise Institute MoreSteam's Website Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter MoreSteam on LinkedIn MoreSteam's YouTube Channel Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn   Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube iHeart

In this episode of Quality Time with MoreSteam, host Dan Swartwout strikes a chord with Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt Kevin Keller. It’s a dynamic deep dive into the world of process improvement! Kevin hits all the right notes as he shares insights from his corporate career and his encore as a consultant, teacher, and coach. As a frequent headliner at MoreSteam’s monthly webinars, Kevin covers topics that will have you humming along to the tune of operational excellence. Together, Kevin and Dan explore topics such as: Statistical Hypothesis Testing: Making data-driven decisions that hit all the right beats to improve processes. Control Charts: Keeping quality in harmony and reducing variability. Response Surface Methodology: Orchestrating product performance through systematic experimentation. Understanding Variability: Why hitting the right tempo in reducing variability is key to operational success. With practical examples and real-world applications, this episode is music to the ears of anyone interested in process improvement, statistics, and Lean Six Sigma methodologies. Tune in for an engaging conversation that makes complex statistical concepts accessible and actionable. And don’t miss how Kevin’s hall-of-fame career in barbershop music has shaped his approach to teamwork and continuous improvement – because when it comes to process excellence, it’s all about finding the perfect harmony! In this episode, you will hear about: 1:24 - Meet Kevin 2:26 - How Kevin got involved in Lean Six Sigma 3:58 - How Kevin got involved with MoreSteam 5:30 - Consulting work as a Master Black Belt 7:00 - How Kevin uses continuous improvement principles in his personal life 8:26 - The MoreSteam webinars hosted by Kevin 10:23 - Improving operations by understanding variability in manufacturing processes 15:10 - What is CPK 16:20 - Statistical hypothesis testing and its role in process improvement 17:54 - Simplifying statistical concepts to make statistical insights more impactful 21:44 - The importance of valid statistical inferences in business decision making 24:13 - The skill of communicating as a Master Black Belt 25:32 - How control charts assist in maintaining process quality 31:30 - Response surface methodology 34:41 - Kevin’s hall of fame career in Barbershop music   Additional Resources: Kevin Keller on LinkedIn MoreSteam's Webinars Kevin Keller's November 20, 2024 Webinar Kevin Keller's December 18, 2024 Webinar MoreSteam's Website Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter MoreSteam on LinkedIn MoreSteam's YouTube Channel Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn   Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube iHeart

Walt Disney once said, “We don’t make movies to make money. We make money to make more movies.” We think Dino Tripodis would agree with that. On this episode of Quality Time With MoreSteam, Dino joins the show to discuss the making of DOWN TO THE FELT, the largest independent film ever produced in Columbus, Ohio. Michael Weston, Michael Stahl-David, and Scottie Thompson have starring roles in DOWN TO THE FELT, and Dino is a writer and producer of the film. Dino is also a comedian, podcaster, and Columbus, Ohio radio legend. On this episode, you will discover how creativity meets efficiency as Dino and host Dan Swartwout explore the art of producing a high-quality film on a $1.5 million budget. That may sound like a lot of money, but the average Hollywood movie has a budget between $50-$100 million. Dino shares entertaining insights and anecdotes about balancing artistic vision with practical constraints. Whether you're a film enthusiast or passionate about optimizing processes, this episode offers valuable lessons and inspiration for anyone looking to achieve excellence on a budget. Oh, did we mention that Dino and Dan have been friends for over 25 years? Yeah, this is a fun listen. In this episode, you will hear about: 2:18 - Dino's podcast, Whiskey Business 5:07 - Dino's history in show business 11:12 - Introduction to DOWN TO THE FELT 12:40 - Writing the movie 16:01 - Raising money to make the movie 19:44 - Other movies Dino has been involved with 24:38 - Ensuring quality without a Hollywood budget 29:44 - The American Film Market 32:36 - The filmmaker as an entrepreneur 39:08 - Improving efficiency while making a movie 43:14 - Getting better as a team 46:49 - Getting the team on the same page 48:57 - The importance of feedback 55:10 - Indicators of quality 62:06 - Saving money 64:22 - DOWN TO THE FELT on social media   Additional Resources: Down To The Felt Movie Website Whiskey Business Podcast Dino Tripodis on LinkedIn Dino Tripodis on IMDB Down To The Felt on IMDB MoreSteam's Website Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter MoreSteam on LinkedIn MoreSteam's YouTube Channel Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn   Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube iHeart

On this episode of Quality Time With MoreSteam, we serve up a delightful blend of culinary creativity and cutting-edge efficiency! MoreSteam eLearning project manager Brian Bross joins the show. Brian is a software engineer with a flavorful past as an executive chef in some of the most notable restaurants and organizations. Brian and Dan will whisk you away on a journey through the bustling world of restaurant kitchens, where lean principles aren’t just about trimming the fat but also about crafting the perfect recipe for success. Discover how Brian sliced through the challenges of waste reduction, stirred up customer satisfaction, and seasoned processes with efficiency – all while keeping the kitchen team engaged and inspired. Brian explains how lean methodologies can spice up supply chain management, maintain top-notch quality control, and foster innovation in menu development. And if you think lean is just for kitchens, think again! Our guest will share insights on how these savory strategies can be a recipe for success in any industry. Quality Time With MoreSteam sets the table with a hearty serving of laughs, lessons, and lean insights that are sure to leave you hungry for more! Oh, and dad jokes.   In this episode, you will hear about: 3:00 - Brian's educational background 4:00 - How Brian got involved with cooking and the restaurant industry 8:49 - Brian's experiences with cooking and understanding Lean principles 9:44 - Challenges Brian faced in implementing Lean principles during his culinary career 11:49 - Reducing waste in the kitchen 14:06 - Process improvement and pizza 18:57 - Lean principles improving food quality (standard work) 20:44 - Supply chain management in a restaurant 22:39 - Lean principles supporting innovation 25:20 - Applying lessons from the restaurant industry to other industries 29:37 - Cooking at MoreSteam 32:07 - Dad jokes   Additional Resources: MoreSteam's Website Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter MoreSteam on LinkedIn MoreSteam's YouTube Channel Brian Bross on LinkedIn Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn   Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube iHeart

MoreSteam recently presented its 22nd Best Practices For Operational Excellence Conference. Practitioners and thought leaders from various industries attended the conference to discuss the latest strategies and tools for enhancing operational excellence. MoreSteam Peg Pennington is one of those industry leaders. Although not an industry leader, Quality Time With MoreSteam host Dan Swartwout attended the conference, too. In this episode, Dan and Peg reflect on their time at the conference. They discuss the presentations, workshops, and networking opportunities that made the conference such a success. Plus, this episode answers the burning question: Are continuous improvement professionals better comedy writers than generative AI?   In this episode, you will hear about: 0:11 - Introduction to the MoreSteam Best Practices For Operational Excellence Conference 1:15 - Josh Howell from the Lean Enterprise Institute and John Shook 3:16 - Our wonderful host, The Wendy's Company 6:23 - Thomas Jefferson University 7:32 - Professor Nate Craig and Artificial Intelligence 9:45 - Greif 12:53 - The American Society for Quality 14:15 - Bill Walton, CEO of Ardagh Glass Packaging North America 16:54 - Emmanuel Aouad from Episode 9! 19:34 - Baptist Health South Florida 22:15 - General Motors 22:38 - Continuous Improvement Comedy Writers 26:56 - Medtronic 28:00 - Reflections on the BP4OpX Conference 29:59 - How the conference has grown 31:23 - Interacting with MoreSteam at the conference   Additional Resources: The American Society for Quality (ASQ) ASQ CEO Sid Bhatnagar (Sid B.) on LinkedIn Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI) LEI President Josh Howell on LinkedIn MoreSteam's Website Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter MoreSteam on LinkedIn MoreSteam's YouTube Channel Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn   Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube iHeart

Explore Generative AI and its impact on process improvement! On August 13, 2024, Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt Ken Robinette delivered a presentation to the ASQ Columbus Section titled "Revolutionizing Process Improvement with the Power of Generative AI and Large Language Models." In this episode of Quality Time With MoreSteam, host Dan Swartwout brings you some highlights from Ken’s presentation. Whether you're a seasoned practitioner or new to the field of operational excellence, this episode offers a fascinating (and fun!) glimpse into the future of continuous improvement.   In this episode, you will hear about: 0:55 - A description of Ken’s Presentation 1:58 - What is Generative AI? 5:26 - AI continues to evolve 6:47 - How you can use AI at your job 8:11 - How organizations are using AI 10:44 - How experimenting with AI can make you more effective 12:59 - How Ken uses Generative AI 15:38 - Keeping pace with technology 21:00 - How MoreSteam is using Generative AI   Additional Resources: MoreSteam's Website Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter Ken Robinette on LinkedIn ASQ Columbus Section Event Page MoreSteam's Webinar: Accelerating Process Improvement with AI MoreSteam on LinkedIn MoreSteam's YouTube Channel Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn   Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube iHeart

In this episode of Quality Time With MoreSteam, Lean Six Sigma Maser Black Belt Maria Fry joins the podcast to discuss all things Mast Black Belt. Maybe you’re curious about what a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt does. Maybe you’re interested in earning your Master Black Belt. Maria talks about all this and more. As both a teacher and consultant, Maria performs at the highest levels of continuous improvement and operational excellence. In her conversation with Dan, Maria shares both her experiences and advice. Topics include communicating with stakeholders, mentoring other continuous improvement professionals, and stealth Sigma. (Yes! Stealth Sigma!) “What problem are we solving? Who's your audience? And then you fit the approach to make it most effective in that organization.” Thanks for the advice, Maria. Our approach was asking MoreSteam’s own Lindsay Van Dyne to also join this episode. Maria believes you must “know your audience.” At Quality Time With MoreSteam, we do!   In this episode, you will hear about: 3:24 - Maria’s start as a Master Black Belt 4:35 - Black Belt versus Master Black Belt 9:09 - How Maria describes her job outside the world of continuous improvement 10:25 - A Master Black Belt’s organizational impact 13:23 - The Master Black Belt as a consultant 15:55 - Communicating with stakeholders within an organization 18:05 - The modern certification requirements 19:53 - The Master Black Belt Curriculum 23:22 - A potential Master Black Belt’s preparations and considerations 26:40 - Conversations leading up to Master Black Belt certification 28:33 - People, process, and culture: know your audience! 33:07 - Advice for potential Master Black Belts 33:58 - Maria organically names the episode   Additional Resources: MoreSteam's Master Black Belt Certification Maria Fry on LinkedIn Lindsay Van Dyne on LinkedIn MoreSteam's 2024 Best Practices in  Operational Excellence Conference MoreSteam's Website EngineRoom Data Analysis Software Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter MoreSteam on LinkedIn MoreSteam's YouTube Channel Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn Sigmapedia   Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube iHeart

Have you ever had Tikka Masala Ice Cream? Karina Dubé has. In fact, she made it! Whether it’s ice cream or continuous improvement, Karina understands the importance of experimentation. As Director of Product - EngineRoom® for MoreSteam, Karina also understands the importance of statistics in continuous improvement. “You have measurements that you want to make and metrics you want to hit,” Karina noted. In this episode, Karina and Dan talk about ice cream, statistics, and how quality professionals use EngineRoom to make things better. “I love hearing feedback from any types of users, positive or negative,” Karina said. “I like hearing the negative feedback, too. We always want our own continuous improvement.” Well said, Karina. However, we doubt you will have any negative feedback to this episode of Quality Time with MoreSteam!   In this episode, you will hear about: :30 – Karina’s educational background 5:30 – Using statistical tools in process improvement 7:19 – Prioritizing what data to analyze 9:25 – Features of EngineRoom data analysis software 11:00 – An overview of Discrete Event Simulation 12:18 – Using Process Playground for Discrete Event Simulation 13:36 – The visual reporting capabilities of EngineRoom 16:04 – EngineRoom and data integrity 17:43 – Karina’s role as a product manager, software developer, and creator 24:17 - Ice cream! 26:52 - Some of the process improvement tools in EngineRoom 29:16 - EngineRoom training and support 30:19 - Machine learning and Root Cause Analysis 32:51 - Final thoughts   Additional Resources: EngineRoom Data Analysis Software EngineRoom Tutorials Karina's Webinar - The Future of RCA: Machine Learning-Driven Root Cause Discovery Karina on LinkedIn MoreSteam's 2024 Best Practices in  Operational Excellence Conference MoreSteam's Website Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter MoreSteam on LinkedIn MoreSteam's YouTube Channel Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn   Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube iHeart

“If you don’t hate waste, why are you here?” That’s how Omar Mora views continuous improvement. “You hate the waste,” Omar said. “It has to be that kind of feeling.” Omar Mora is an industrial engineer, a certified Six Sigma Black Belt, and the founder of Blackberry & Cross. As the business development manager for Costa Rica-based Blackberry & Cross, Omar specializes in working with companies in Central America to build their operational excellence infrastructures. On this episode of Quality Time with Moresteam, Omar and Dan talk about some of Omar’s first continuous improvement projects, building F1 pit crew efficiency, and the value of experimentation. Omar Mora hates waste. After this episode, you will, too. In this episode, you will hear about: 1:12 – Omar’s first continuous improvement projects 2:52 – One of Omar’s most memorable continuous improvement projects 5:37 – Continuous improvement and experimentation 9:10 – The fear of failure should not prevent you from experimenting 13:10 – The unstoppable desire to improve 16:34 – Continuous improvement is not maintenance 19:25 – How Omar uses continuous improvement principles in his own small business 24:19 – Using EngineRoom® data analysis software 30:11 – How EngineRoom eliminates waste 31:57 - Voice of the Customer   Additional Resources: Omar Mora on LinkedIn Blackberry & Cross MoreSteam's 2024 Best Practices in  Operational Excellence Conference MoreSteam's Website Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter MoreSteam on LinkedIn MoreSteam's YouTube Channel   Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube iHeart

Lean Six Sigma helps people solve problems. Lean Six Sigma makes things work better. But did you know that Lean Six Sigma can also inspire great art? Emmanuel Aouad makes fun, upbeat music about continuous improvement, with hit songs like 8 Wastes, 5 S, and Gemba Walk. (We play Gemba Walk during this episode!) In this episode, Emmanuel joins the podcast to talk about music, critical to quality characteristics and voice of the customer, and using AI for process improvement. Emmanuel will be speaking at MoreSteam's Best Practices in Operational Excellence Confernce, which takes place September 18-20, 2024. The week before that, Emmanuel will be inducted into the Wabash Athletics Hall of Fame!! And then later this year, Emmanuel will release the first-ever playable rap album!! Without question, Emmanuel has one of the coolest kanban boards in the world.   In this episode you will hear about: 1:09 - The Wabash Athletics Hall of Fame and the MoreSteam Best Practices in Operational Excellence Conference 2:31 - Emmanuel's music about Lean Six Sigma 6:27 - How Emmanuel uses continuous improvement principles while making music 8:52 - The Gemba Walk song 10:39 - How Emmanuel chooses topics for his songs 12:03 - Voice of the customer and critical to quality characteristics 15:31 - Using AI in continous improvement 19:10 - Level Up: the world's first playable rap album 23:00 - Emmanuel's inspiration for Level Up 24:43 - How Emmanuel designed the game 28:07 - How you can play Level Up   Additional Resources Emmanuel Aouad on LinkedIn Level Up: The Playable Rap Album MoreSteam's 2024 Best Practices in  Operational Excellence Conference Accelerating Process Improvement with AI Webinar MoreSteam's Website Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter MoreSteam on LinkedIn MoreSteam's YouTube Channel   Subscribe to Quality Time with MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube iHeart