Lean by Doing

Kevin Brady flew in from Ireland to spend a week touring lean companies with us, and we sat down to hear the story behind one of the best lean tours in Ireland.Kevin spent 15 years as a design engineer before taking a production manager role at Applied Concepts, a small Irish company that builds sandblasting equipment and a tractor PTO-driven compressor that found an unexpected market blowing out slurry lines. It took him nearly two years to get the owner on board with lean. Their starting point was a “before” video of a cluttered shop, along with a challenge to see what he could do in a year.They started with morning meetings and 3S time. The results speak for themselves. Kevin designs and builds nearly everything in-house, from the mezzanine floor to the signs, holders and parking spots for blast pots. As Kevin puts it: “The easy thing is to clean up a mess. The hard thing is to clean up a culture.”Applied Concepts runs a lean tour every second Wednesday. If you’re ever in Ireland, put it on your list.#LeanManufacturing #2SecondLean #ContinuousImprovement #3S #LeanByDoing

Ryan Tierney and the guys talk about Lean Tours and the benefits (or harm) of feedback.#leanmanufacturing

Ryan Tierney and the guys discuss customer friction and how to remove it from the process. This will reduce the burden on your customers and your team!

Ryan Tierney from Lean Made Simple traveled from Ireland to visit Lean By Doing and other companies throughout the area. The guys discuss the differences they saw in lean practices, rethinking their processes, and the lean culture that has begun here in the Midwest.

Joel from our customer service team talks about his trip to the Siouxland Lean Consortium 2026 and what he learned from several lean tours in Iowa.

Edwin Proper visits all the way from Australia to see our operation, give feedback and help us problem-solve. He shares the good and the areas he sees for improvement after being with us for two weeks.

Joe sits down to talk about his incredible change from before Lean to now and encourages anyone out there to do the same!Chapters00:00 Introduction and Fresh Perspectives04:03 Joe's Transformation Journey07:21 The Shift in Leadership Dynamics10:10 Empathy vs. Compassion in Leadership13:04 The Importance of Mentorship16:19 Unlocking Potential in Employees19:15 Leadership Styles and Personal Growth22:10 Challenges and Learning from Failures24:57 Conclusion and Call to Action

The great people from Die Co. stopped by for a lean tour, and Brady Neuhart sat down to talk about their new lean implementation in an employee-owned company.

Chapters00:00 Introduction to Lean Transformation and Employee Ownership03:13 The Journey of Lean Implementation at Dyco06:09 Financial Literacy and Employee Engagement09:33 Overcoming Resistance to Change12:20 Building a Culture of Ownership and Accountability15:16 Guiding Principles for Employee Owners18:09 The Role of Leadership in Lean Transformation21:28 Connecting Work and Family24:22 Conclusion and Future Aspirations31:08 Introduction to Leadership Insights31:31 The Lean Leadership Action Guidebook Overview

In this conversation, Brian and Joey discuss their evolution as leaders and their different styles. They explore the challenges of setting a clear vision, balancing strategy with execution, and the need for continuous improvement in leadership approaches. The dialogue emphasizes the significance of fostering a supportive environment that encourages employee engagement and growth while maintaining high standards.Chapters00:00 Introduction02:55 Transformation and Environment06:01 Leadership Styles and Approaches11:38 Vision and Clarity in Leadership17:46 Balancing Strategy and Execution23:37 Challenges in Leadership and Culture29:38 Actionable Takeaways and Conclusion

This week on the Lean by Doing Podcast, Brian talks with Chris Hamilton about how our Lean implementation has changed his work, confidence, and daily life.Get a FREE Lean Resource Kit with tools for your Lean implementation!https://www.leanbydoing.com/resource-kit-sign-up