Your Wealth Is Hiding in Waste (Lean Transformation Reality)

Your Wealth Is Hiding in Waste (Lean Transformation Reality)

From Lean Made Simple: Transform Your Business & Life One Step At A Time! by Lean Made Simple

March 2, 2026 · 44 min

About this episode

Ryan Tierney discusses the challenges faced during a Lean transformation at Sperrin Metal with Alastair Luke.

Ryan Tierney (Lean Made Simple) sits down with producer Alastair Luke (Attention X) shares the brutally honest truth about what’s really happening six months into the Lean transformation at Sperrin Metal.Customers haven’t seen the benefits yet.Lead times have got worse.The factory is still operationally chaotic.And it’s been the most difficult thing he’s ever done.In this open and unfiltered conversation, Ryan explains what it actually looks like when you try to transform a 63-year-old manufacturing company.🟢 What it feels like to take responsibility for 100 people overnight🟢 Why Lean sometimes makes things worse before they get better🟢 The decision to reduce 48 types of sheet metal down to 9🟢 Why they’re questioning absolutely everything🟢 How defects are silently destroying profit🟢 What “your wealth is in your waste” really meansThis isn’t a highlight reel.This is what Lean looks like mid-transformation.If you think Lean is quick, easy or automatic, this episode will challenge that belief.⸻➡️ Book a Lean Made Simple tour: https://www.leanmadesimple.com/book-a-tour➡️ Order the book, LEAN MADE SIMPLE: 12 PROVEN STEPS FOR CREATING A VIBRANT LEAN CULTURE…

People in this episode

Host: Ryan Tierney

Guest: Alastair Luke

Topics covered

  • Lean transformation
  • manufacturing
  • operational chaos
  • waste management
  • lead times
  • profit loss

Keywords

  • Lean transformation
  • manufacturing
  • waste
  • lead times
  • defects
  • profit
  • sheet metal

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Sperrin Metal, Lean Made Simple, Attention X

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