Lean Built: Manufacturing Freedom

Jay begins by talking about selling a machine, and when it's better to go direct versus using a dealer, with broader implications regarding alignment, control, and the hidden costs of outsourcing parts of your business. From there, the discussion shifts into shop operations: flow vs. batching, tool changes, and where efficiency actually comes from in real production environments. Jay and Andrew challenge common assumptions, showing how context matters: sometimes batching wins, sometimes ergonomics matter more than cycle time, and often the biggest gains come from reducing friction for the operator, not chasing theoretical efficiency. Plus: the perfect keyboard, how to get that most out of a conference or summit, and more.

Jay and Andrew begin with a deceptively simple question: what actually makes a company “lean”? Starting with a quote from Shigeo Shingo, they challenge the common misconception that lean is just Kanban, and explore the deeper reality that lean is less about specific tools and more about principles, tradeoffs, and context.From there, Andrew shares a deep dive into labor tracking and ERP data, uncovering how much work was happening that never made it into cost calculations, and why “door-to-door” time matters more than overly segmented tracking. Jay pushes back with the tension every shop feels: data is only valuable if it leads to action, and too much friction in systems can break team buy-in entirely.The episode then shifts into Andrew’s current challenge: producing tight-tolerance parts that his team can’t fully verify in-house. They take a candid look at outsourcing vs. vertical integration, the true cost of CMM capability, and the uncomfortable position of shipping parts you can’t independently validate. Jay talks about why he bought a CMM earlier than expected, what he regrets, and how fast feedback loops can change everything.

Andrew shares insights with Jay from a recent lean-focused shop tour with Paul Akers. The conversation goes to the hidden dangers of batch processing vs. one-piece flow, why takt time can matter more than cycle time, how to identify and eliminate waste at the micro-task level, and why “don’t solve problems until they exist” is often the best strategy They also explore practical challenges like line balancing, inspection differences (CMM vs. vision systems), and the surprising complexity of measuring quality in manufacturing. Plus, a candid discussion on whether shop tours actually scale, charging for tours vs. giving them away, and turning knowledge into a valuable product instead of a free commodity.

Why do some people naturally notice problems while others don’t? Andrew introduces ideas from the book Living Sensationally, exploring how different sensory personalities affect how workers perceive disorder and opportunities for improvement.Andrew also shares the results of his shop’s first full week of 8 a.m. morning meetings followed by shop-wide 3S, complete with funky music and a noticeable surge in improvement activity. Jay and Andrew discuss how creating space for small improvements can build momentum, and why the real goal of cleaning isn’t cleanliness, but exposing hidden problems. They also compare notes on using AI in manufacturing environments, including Andrew’s first experiments with Claude to automate CNC workflows and program an Andon status light for his workstation. Does AI have a lot of promise as a technical collaborator? Does it also have a lot of frustrations? You bet.

Andrew shares a recent experiment in his shop: installing a full Sonos sound system and changing the structure of morning meetings and 3S time to give employees more room to pursue real improvements. Meanwhile, Jay discusses several new internal tools he has built, including an AI-powered quoting system and digital production boards designed to replace traditional analog shop boards.The conversation also includes the difference between Two Second Lean and traditional TPS-style lean, how AI is changing the speed of experimentation inside businesses, the hidden problems with too many meetings in manufacturing organizations, and what shop tours can teach you (and why you should never show up as a tourist.

A tornado tears through Bloomington, leading Andrew and Jay to discuss practical leadership during real-world emergencies. From there, the conversation shifts back to the shop floor: chip conveyors on Brother machines, production layout tradeoffs, palletized workholding vs. one-piece flow, and the realities of automation. They explore the pros and cons of high-density fixturing, robot-fed cells, and Okuma’s compact MU-600V five-axis machine with part handoff capability.The second half moves into the accelerating world of AI in manufacturing. Jay shares how he’s using Claude to rapidly build internal software tools, while Andrew talks through vibe-coded machine monitoring dashboards and real-time shop visibility systems. They wrestle with simplicity vs. data overload, operator-focused visual management, and what the next wave of AI-powered shop tools might look like.

In this special guest episode, Andrew sits down with Russell Watkins, co-founder of Sempai. Andrew first met Russell at the Gemba Summit in Belfast, where Russell delivered a keynote titled “10 Lightbulb Moments from Working with Toyota Japan and UK.” After cornering him at lunch with a notebook full of questions, Andrew knew this had to become a podcast conversation.They explore:What Russell learned apprenticing under a direct student of Taiichi Ohno and why he was told to “stop reading and start doing”Why you don’t learn lean from books alone (but why books still matter)How to actually observe work on the Gemba, and why empty workstations don’t tell the full storyThe danger of “putting lipstick on a pig” by optimizing rework instead of eliminating the need for itWhy “Fix What Bugs You” works and where it falls short without strategic directionA practical introduction to Hoshin Kanri (policy deployment) for small manufacturersHow to connect shop-floor improvements to real business needsThe power of visual defect analysis—even without formal data systemsFour simple questions that reveal the strength (or weakness) of your SOPsHow to handle the 20-70-10 dynamic when rolling out lean initiativesWhy humility and “opening the kimono” as a leader builds trust and cultural momentumThis conversation bridges the gap between the Two Second Lean community and traditional Toyota Production System thinking, offering practical insight for small and mid-sized manufacturers who want to move beyond local optimization and align improvement with long-term business survival.Links:The explainer on Hoshin Kanri/policy deployment that Russell mentioned

Jay and Andrew unpack a provocative quote from Shigeo Shingo: “If you don’t know why defects are occurring, make some defects.”It sounds like lean heresy at first. But they explore why some defects are treasures and others are just carelessness. The real question: are you reacting to problems under pressure or deliberately creating space to uncover them before they cost you?Along the way, they talk about a cantaloupe-sized rat’s nest choking a dust collector, moving machines and uncovering years of accumulated waste, the power (and danger) of acronyms in lean culture, and practical Fusion CAM workflows for maintaining standards across machines.

The way you treat people in business often matters more than the deal itself. Andrew and Jay talk about what happens when something breaks, an emergency hits, or you need a favor...and why companies that build goodwill get help while others get ignored. Drawing on real shop experience, customer behavior, game theory, and a Godfather analogy, they challenge the idea that business is a zero-sum game and argue that collaboration, trust, and shared wins quietly determine who survives and who doesn’t.Before that they catch up on what’s happening in their shops, covering recent machine work, air and power challenges, and small automation ideas to reduce wasted effort. They talk through using AI for internal software, quoting, and understanding business data; they also talk through websites, first-mover advantage, practical 3D printing workflows, and more.

What does a good lean elevator pitch sound like? Why do small, well-intentioned improvements end up causing problems later (hint: it helps to document things)? And how do owners listen closely to customers without losing sight of the long-term direction they’re trying to steer the business toward?In this episode of Lean Built, Jay and Andrew talk through those questions. Along the way, they discuss why intermittent problems are usually the result of stacked variables, not single root causes, why experience and judgment still matter even as systems and data improve, and much more.

Andrew and Jay walk through a situation a lot of shop owners have faced: a brutally tight print that can be machined but can’t be verified with confidence. At least not without the right metrology, systems, and alignment with the customer.Instead of rushing a quote or ghosting the RFQ, this is the kind of situation you have to handle like an owner. In other words, slow down, ask uncomfortable questions, protect the relationship, refuse to roll the dice on quality.Andrew and Jay dig into that and a lot more, from CMM alignment war stories to probing macros, SMED, automation vs. operator error, and why a shop full of green lights doesn’t always mean things are healthy. The thread running through all of it is simple: speed, precision, and profit are decided long before the spindle starts turning.

Jay and Andrew talk through everyday shop systems that seem simple until they aren’t: HVAC, shutdown routines, checklists, timers, and light automation. They compare notes on where “smart” solutions help and where they quietly create new problems, especially when reliability, safety, and human behavior matter more than elegance.

Andrew and Jay talk about why relationships matter a lot in business. Sometime more than products, systems, or raw talent. They dig into the practical value of local relationships for staying informed and connected as decisions get made around you. From there, the conversation ranges across manufacturing, housing, leadership, parenting, and team dynamics. They also discuss when a product is finished enough to release, why over-tinkering stalls progress, and the role of people who know when to stop refining and move things forward. The episode closes with a clear-eyed look at AI in business: where it’s useful, where it falls short, and why responsibility still sits with the owner.

As 2026 begins, Andrew and Jay take a look at one of the most dangerous traps for founders and small shop owners: becoming the hero who always steps in to save the day.Andrew introduces a personal document he titled “Andrew Is Fired,” a deliberate decision to remove himself from roles that feel productive but quietly limit growth. The conversation explores why constantly “going above and beyond” can actually be a form of selfishness, how undocumented processes turn leaders into bottlenecks, why clarity around ownership matters more than raw effort, and more.

In this end-of-year episode, Jay and Andrew unpack all kinds of things:Why business owners are wired to over-promise at the buzzerThe difference between employee thinking and owner thinkingCalendars, automation, and why “the best calendar is sometimes no calendar”Paying people well, shutting down between Christmas and New Year’s, and using PTO wiselyNet terms, cash flow, and refusing to be a bank for bigger companiesWhy some founders need to sign checks or take tech support calls to stay groundedThe danger of over-optimizing leadership—and losing the human sideTracking improvement with marbles instead of spreadsheets

What happens when a rush job collides with holiday shipping chaos and failure isn’t an option?In this episode, Andrew walks us through a real-world manufacturing crisis involving last-minute customer demands, specialty tooling delays, weather-related shipping failures, and nonstop overtime.Along the way, Jay and Andrew cover: the true cost of rush orders (beyond the invoice), why duplication and redundancy matter in high-stakes work, when it makes sense to say yes and when it’s wiser to walk away, managing time and expectations, customer communication under stress, and more.

Jay and Andrew discuss real-world shop challenges like air quality, ventilation, coolant selection, and bandsaw blade performance. The conversation expands into capacity planning, why running at 100% utilization is a hidden liability, and how maintaining margin and flexibility allows shops to respond quickly when customers need help.Along the way, they touch on safety systems that fail when alerts are too distant from the problem, lessons from catastrophic industrial accidents, and why local, thoughtful gestures like good donuts or quality coffee build stronger vendor and customer relationships than generic (or just plain bad) corporate gifts.

Tiny improvements won’t move the company forward unless leaders also make the big decisions. Lean is life-changing, but you can’t lean your way into a clear vision. You have to choose it. That means looking honestly at customers, pricing, equipment, automation, space, and your team, and fixing what really bugs you at the highest level. That lesson is at the crux of this jam-packed episode which also covers: visual controls that save mental energy, smarter checklists that stop cultural drift, and a simple light-curtain jig that turns a tedious sewing task into an effortless one.

It's Cyber Monday, and Andrew and Jay dive into year-end strategy, the real cost of Black Friday sales, and why deep discounts often hurt more than they help. They also discuss how lean manufacturing practices literally saved an entire 60,000 sq ft facility after a major fire. Elsewhere, Andrew shares the importance of using LinkedIn with intention, how handwritten notes beat (or should be combined with) AI transcription for capturing insights, and why business owners must prioritize end-of-year tasks before the December panic hits. Jay breaks down inventory strategy, shop-floor safety improvements, and the hard truth about tax planning, CPAs, and executing (not just dreaming) your business vision.Books mentioned: Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits!: 4 Keys to Unlock Your Business Potential by Greg CrabtreeTax-Free Wealth by Tom Wheelwright

Andrew opens with a simple shop-floor idea that changed how their teams celebrate progress: a six-inch clear tube filled with colored marbles. That playful visual turns into a deeper conversation between Jay and Andrew about the power of collective improvement, the limits of mental capacity as organizations grow, and the art of estimating through Fermi numbers. They move from marbles to antennas, from CNC stencils to parabolic reflectors, and from daily shop habits to long-term business planning.The episode also takes a serious turn as they take a blunt look at succession planning, wills, and preparing your company and family for emergencies. Jay adds insights from Pico La, including the lessons of shared leadership, clear org charts, and building resilient systems that survive beyond any one person.

When Jay asks what machine someone should buy to start a small job shop, Andrew gives a direct answer: without committed, repeatable work, he wouldn’t buy anything. But both Jay and Andrew do offer their recommendations, and that opens a broader conversation about the unstable economics of prototypes, customers who send sketches instead of CAD, and why certain jobs are better routed to services like Xometry or Upwork.From there, Jay and Andrew compare Haas and Brother machines—control systems, tool changers, rigidity, multi-axis capability, and real reliability differences. Andrew explains why he favors the Brother S700 for multi-sided work and describes the problems he’s seen with chain-style ATCs, including misloads that can send tools straight into the table.Around that, Andrew talks about his experience at Boombastic, the new generation of talent showing up there, and who else might benefit from attending.

In this episode, Andrew and Jay take a walk down memory lane. What starts as Andrew revisiting old shop photos turns into a conversation about the hidden value of reflection in a culture obsessed with constant improvement. The two discuss how looking back fuels gratitude, strengthens company culture, and reminds teams that today’s “normal” was once hard-won progress.They also share practical ideas for visualizing improvement over time, from “Lean scoreboards” to posting employee innovations without turning healthy pride into toxic competition. Later, Jay tells the story of an unexpected visit from a high-profile YouTuber and how Lean principles can impact any business from machining to media production.The episode wraps with a fun tangent into dive watches, trust (or mistrust) in AI tools, and Amazon’s not-so-Prime delivery promises.

Fresh off the Gemba Summit in Belfast, Andrew shares lessons from across the pond with Jay. What starts as a deep dive into lean culture at the Titanic Belfast turns into a candid conversation about scaling small businesses, visiting your vendors, and rethinking what it means to “fix what bugs you.”Andrew and Jay unpack how lean principles evolve when your company outgrows the two-second mindset. Andrews tells about conversations with Toyota UK’s Alan Weir, British Rototherm’s Oliver Conger, and Tom Hughes of GembaDocs. They also discuss the practical takeaways from Greg Crabtree’s Simple Numbers and Jerry Wright’s The Insanity Trap.

How do you lead your company through the chaos and cadence of a production year without burning out your team or yourself? In this episode, Jay and Andrew unpack Andrew’s “Four Quarter Business Rhythm” document, his framework for understanding seasonal production cycles, planning proactively, and preparing his team to thrive when it's go-time. From practical PTO policies to government fiscal-year quirks, from proactive inventory planning to Lean Day Trello boards, from baseball stats to busted CNC foot pedals, this episode is packed with leadership lessons, hard-earned shop wisdom, and actionable strategy.

Andrew and Jay dive into the art of optimization, from shaving seconds off CNC cycles to teaching kids the power of one-piece flow. Andrew shares how tuning a Brother machine saved 13 hours across a 5,000-part run and reflects on when optimization really pays off. The two discuss lean principles in action, shop tours, and the balance between efficiency and creativity before discussing the value of fractional expertise. From hiring a CPA who acts like a dashboard of financial sensors to bringing in part-time specialists who reveal blind spots and move the needle in tens of thousands, they show how smart leaders multiply impact by paying for precision, not guesswork. Along the way, they trade golf analogies, business lessons, and more.

In this episode, Jay recounts the story of a stolen trailer from his tiny home business, leading into a broader discussion on trust, theft, and logistics nightmares. Andrew follows with reflections on manufacturing safety, freight failures, and the unexpected lessons of customer service—both good and bad.

Jay and Andrew kick off with a quick story about “the yips” — that sudden moment when everything you know just disappears — and use it to launch into a deeper discussion about what makes great shops tick.They unpack why even pros break down under pressure, how systems and habits keep you grounded, and why finishing what you start matters more than chasing shiny new projects. From compressor failures to confusing control panels to the “95% Rule,” this episode is packed with real shop-floor lessons on leadership, lean thinking, and culture.

Running a business means living in the tension between control and chaos—and this week, Jay and Andrew talk about both. From tariffs and supply chain headaches to the quirks of wire EDM and CO₂ lasers, they explore how shops adapt when material costs, sourcing, and technology throw curveballs. Along the way, they swap stories about spotless autobody shops, frustrating e-commerce platforms, website crashes, and even backup internet solutions.Whether it’s stocking obscure steels, streamlining websites for Black Friday, planning redundancies that actually matter, or rethinking lean practices like “water spiders,” Jay and Andrew show how business owners can navigate uncertainty without losing sight of customer experience.

This episode of the Lean Built Podcast starts in the shop but ends up on stage. Andrew and Jay begin by discussing machining decisions—when to model details in CAD versus when to let CAM and shop standards handle them, edge breaks, chamfers, and the balance between aesthetics and efficiency.But midway, the conversation takes a turn into music...concert stories, 90s Christian rock, ska bands, artistry, and musical creativity. Along the way, they draw parallels between toolpath textures and vinyl warmth, and talk about some of the influences that formed them into the men they would become.

What’s better: a locked-down, push-button system or total control over every parameter? In this episode, Andrew and Jay wrestle with that question across the shop floor and beyond. They start with Haas’ robotic pallet loader and the limits of locked waypoints, then branch into the bigger design dilemma—do customers really want simplicity, or do they crave flexibility? Along the way they swap stories about return policies that backfired, the surprising psychology of premium pricing, whether renting high-dollar workholding could make sense, and why clear communication matters more than working faster. It’s a conversation about autonomy, design trade-offs, and the real economics of running a modern shop.

Jay and Andrew unpack the recent sale of Heller to DN Solutions and what it reveals about brand value, culture shifts, and the economics of high-ticket, low-volume machines. They move from industry news to the shop floor, comparing palletized workholding with soft jaws, weighing costs against flexibility, and sharing how small changes can unlock significant productivity gains.Along the way, they discuss intellectual property fears, the reality of knockoffs, and why continual improvement is often the best defense. Jay shares behind-the-scenes lessons from developing new vise palettes and running beta tests, while Andrew emphasizes the importance of building trusted feedback networks. They also look ahead at sensor-driven machining, acoustic analysis, and AI applications that could reshape how shops optimize tool life and performance.