My guest for episode 196 is Jim Huntzinger, founder of Lean Frontiers. Today, we're talking about the Training Within Industry methodology and his new website WhatIsTWI.com.

We are discussing topics including what a typical TWI “journey” looks like for an organization, how TWI is such a fundamental Lean concept/method, and some examples of how TWI is helping organizations in various industries, including healthcare. What's the latest in the seven years since our first podcast on this topic?

For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/196.

Previous podcasts and related links:

• #8: (10/31/06) Jim Huntzinger, Founder of the Lean Accounting Summit

For earlier episodes of my podcast, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.  

Podcasts Sponsored by KaiNexus

Joining me for episode #195 is my friend Steve Montague from LifeWings. Steve and I met initially through our shared interest in Lean and, like Ron Pereira, we discovered we both lived in Keller, Texas (I've since moved to San Antonio). Steve is a retired Navy pilot and currently flies for a major commercial airline. He's also been involved, through LifeWings, in the movement to bring aviation safety practices (and culture) to healthcare via "Crew Resource Management" or "TeamSTEPPS." He's also been on the forefront of combining Lean and TeamSTEPPS, something we both agree is a great idea. In honor of National Patient Safety Awareness Week, we talk about topics including: - Steve's background with CRM in aviation and healthcare - Why CRM isn't just about checklists, but also learning how to "communicate more assertively" in the cockpit or operating room... - How Lean and CRM / TeamSTEPPS fit together conceptually - How standardization and iterative improvement fit together There's so much we could talk about, so we barely scratched the surface on this topic. If you have questions, we can do another podcast. Please post them as comments on this post. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/195 -- go there for some links and material that Mark wrote to share with the listeners (and he'll have a guest post soon that expands on the thoughts in the podcast). Please leave a comment and join the discussion about the podcast by visiting the blog page for this episode. For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. You can also listen to streaming episodes of the podcast via Stitcher: http://landing.stitcher.com/?vurl=leanblog If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at [email protected] 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.

My guest for episode #194 is Paul Piechota, Director for the Center for Competitive Change at the University of Dayton School of Engineering. Piechota has authored over 30 publications with such titles as Transforming the Enterprise, Getting to the Future First!, and Establishing a Method for Process and Culture Change in the Military. His most recent publication is the book titled, Keeping Your Business in the U.S.A.: Profit Globally While Operating Locally. In this episode, we'll talk about topics including how the university is using Lean and Six Sigma to improve their own operations, how they are getting students involved, and their attempts to engage professors to improve their work in the classroom. This all follows up a blog post I wrote about their press release on this topic. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/194 -- go there for some links and material that Mark wrote to share with the listeners (and he'll have a guest post soon that expands on the thoughts in the podcast). Please leave a comment and join the discussion about the podcast by visiting the blog page for this episode. For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. You can also listen to streaming episodes of the podcast via Stitcher: http://landing.stitcher.com/?vurl=leanblog If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at [email protected] 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.

My guest for episode #193 is Mark Jaben, MD, talking about our brains, Lean, and change. Mark has been a guest blogger for me before and it's great to talk to him today about his research and experiences. In our conversation, Mark talks about "the troublesome features of our brain's operating system" (such as our "hidden brain"), how the A3 problem solving process fits with the way our brains work, and how to deal with "resistance" to change. Mark has also helped talk to some healthcare organizations about KaiNexus and we both presented at a conference last year. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/193 -- go there for some links and material that Mark wrote to share with the listeners (and he'll have a guest post soon that expands on the thoughts in the podcast). Please leave a comment and join the discussion about the podcast by visiting the blog page for this episode. For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. You can also listen to streaming episodes of the podcast via Stitcher: http://landing.stitcher.com/?vurl=leanblog If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at [email protected] 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.

Joining me for podcast #192 is John Torinus, author of the excellent book, The Company That Solved Health Care: How Serigraph Dramatically Reduced Skyrocketing Costs While Providing Better Care, and How Every Company Can Do the Same. John is the chairman of Wisconsin-based Serigraph Inc., a graphics parts manufacturer with ownership in ten plants in the U.S., Mexico, China and India with over $130M in annual sales. John has served as business editor and columnist at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

John is collaborating with the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value for a new workshop: “Solving the Employer Healthcare Crisis,” to be held in Phoenix on January 28 (and hopefully again in the future).

In this episode, we talk about how Serigraph has kept healthcare costs under control while improving the health of their employees. How do concepts of consumer choice, data transparency, and focusing on preventive care help to “engage all employees in the healthcare challenge”? For example, 90% of their diabetic employees have their disease “under control” as compared to about 30% nationally. What is this “grass roots revolution” in healthcare?

For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/192.

For earlier episodes of my podcast, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.  

Podcasts Sponsored by KaiNexus

Joining me for podcast #191 is my friend and fellow LEI faculty member Mike Orzen (@MikeOrzen), co-author of the Shingo Award-winning book Lean IT: Enabling and Sustaining Your Lean Transformation. I recently crossed paths with Mike in Columbus, Ohio, because we're both mentoring students in the Ohio State University MBOE program. We have a lot in common, it seems!

Mike is also collaborating with the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value for a new workshop: “Leveraging Information, People & Systems in Healthcare,” to be held in Phoenix on January 28 and 29.

In this episode, we talk about topics including an overview of “Lean IT,” how Lean is different compared to manufacturing and other service settings, how healthcare organizations can benefit from Lean IT, and the potential for kaizen and continuous improvement in IT.

For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/191.

Mike and I wrote an article in 2011 on using Lean to meet the IHI “Triple Aim” goals in healthcare (PDF link).

For earlier episodes of my podcast, visit the  main Podcast page, which includes information on how to  subscribe via RSS  or  via Apple Podcasts.

Podcasts Sponsored by KaiNexus