Bonus Episode: How to Build a Culture Around Standards with SOPs with Brian Meyers

In this bonus episode, Tom Hughes visits FAT American Manufacturing in Kalamazoo, Michigan, to talk with Brian Meyers, one of the most prolific GembaDocs users in the world.

In just over a year, Brian’s team have created more than 2,000 SOPs - and actually uses them every day.

This episode dives into how FAT American turned standard work from a chore into a cornerstone of culture. Expect real talk about ownership, respect, and how documenting the little things unlocks big results.

"You're buying back your time by having a standard because you can just say go, here's the SOP, go check it out and follow through with it." - Brian Meyers

Key Topics:

1. Making SOPs a Priority

• Why SOPs need to be part of daily conversations and celebrations
• How FAT American turned documentation into a shared responsibility

2. Building Culture Through Standards

• How morning meetings feature new SOPs
• Using standards to respect people and set them up for success

3. Buying Back Time

• The real cost of repeating instructions
• How visual SOPs cut onboarding time and boost clarity

4. Common Challenges

• Managing thousands of SOPs and avoiding duplication
• The importance of clear deployment and naming systems

5. Lessons for Every Manufacturer

• Make standards visual, not verbal
• Think like a new hire
• Don’t just create SOPs - live them

Links and Resources:

• Explore GembaDocs (https://gembadocs.com) for your SOP, skills training and lean needs.

Connect with Us:

• GembaDocs LinkedIn
• Tom’s LinkedIn
• Lean by Doing Podcast by Brian Meyers
• Fat American Manufacturing's website

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