The Lean Solutions Podcast

What You'll Learn in This Episode:In this episode, Catherine McDonald and Shayne Daughenbaugh welcome Michael Parent to discuss SIPOC, one of the most effective tools for understanding and improving business processes. Michael explains how SIPOC (Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, Customers) helps teams define process boundaries, identify stakeholders, and maintain focus on delivering customer value.The conversation explores different approaches to building a SIPOC, including why Michael prefers starting with the customer before mapping the process itself. They also discuss how SIPOC fits into Lean and Six Sigma problem-solving, how it helps prevent scope creep, and why it serves as a strong foundation for process mapping, stakeholder engagement, and continuous improvement efforts.Whether you're leading a process improvement project or trying to better understand how work flows through your organization, this episode provides practical guidance on using SIPOC to create clarity and alignment from the start.Key Takeaways:1. SIPOC provides a high-level view of a process and helps clearly define project scope and boundaries.2. Keeping the customer at the center of the discussion ensures improvement efforts remain focused on delivering value.3. SIPOC serves as a powerful starting point for process mapping, stakeholder analysis, and continuous improvement initiatives.4. The most effective SIPOCs involve the right mix of stakeholders and subject matter experts while avoiding unnecessary complexity and scope creep.Links:mparent@sixsigma-consulting.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/parent-michael/https://www.findleansolutions.com/summit-2026/https://www.findleansolutions.com/

What You'll Learn in This Episode:In this episode, Catherine McDonald and Shayne Daughenbaugh discuss the practical realities of capturing, creating, and deploying Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in fast-growing organizations. Drawing from Shayne’s experience leading SOP standardization across multiple locations, they explore how businesses can create consistency while maintaining a human-centered approach.The conversation highlights why SOPs are more than compliance documents. They serve as the foundation for customer experience, employee training, and continuous improvement. Shayne shares a step-by-step framework for identifying priority processes, working with subject matter experts, and leveraging video recordings and AI tools to simplify documentation and accelerate SOP creation.If your organization struggles with inconsistent processes, scattered documentation, or SOPs that nobody uses, this episode offers practical strategies for building documentation that is both useful and sustainable.Key Takeaways:1. SOPs should create consistency across locations to deliver a reliable customer experience.2. Video-based process capture preserves valuable expertise, context, and real-world best practices better than traditional written documentation.3. AI and transcription tools can significantly speed up SOP creation while reducing administrative effort.4. SOPs are most effective when treated as living documents that support continuous improvement, not just compliance or record-keeping.Links: Lean Solutions Summit Lean Solutions Website

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:In this episode of the Lean Solutions Podcast, Andy Olrich and Catherine McDonald explore what happens after the strategy day is over. Once goals are set, how do organizations move from planning to real execution? They highlight the challenges of managing too many goals and the necessity of engaging teams in the strategy process. They unpack why teams often struggle—not because they lack ideas—but because they have too many priorities and not enough clarity on where to start. The discussion focuses on practical frameworks for filtering, prioritizing, and executing goals in a way that aligns strategy with daily work.Key Takeaways:Teams don’t struggle from a lack of ideas—they struggle from too many priorities.Don’t start where it’s exciting—start where it’s expensive.Use structure to remove subjectivity.Links: Lean Solutions 2026 SummitLean Solutions Website⁠⁠Click Here For Catherine McDonald’s LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠Click Here For Andy Olrich’s LinkedIn⁠⁠

What You’ll Learn: The second half dives deeper into the people side of continuous improvement. Dave explains how Nemawashi and intentional conversations help build alignment, trust, and momentum. Listeners learn why asking thoughtful questions—like “who else should we talk to?”—can naturally expand buy-in and lead to better decisions. The episode wraps with reflections on leadership, learning, and staying connected within the Lean community.Key Takeaways:How Nemawashi helps build buy-in naturallyWhy asking “who else should we talk to?” strengthens decisions and alignmentHuman, Pet, and Animal Nutrition Company: WebsiteClick Here for Dave Kippen's LinkedInLean Solutions Website

The Lean Solutions Podcast hosts start off season 5 by addressing a common challenge: setting goals is easy, but making them stick is not. They emphasize that meaningful goal setting requires clarity, alignment, and intention, warning that vague goals and misaligned priorities often lead teams off track. From the start, they frame goals as something that must connect directly to daily work and organizational purpose.They go on to highlight the importance of systems like leader standard work and visual management to support consistent execution. The hosts stress accountability rooted in psychological safety, regular check-ins, and a focused set of three to five goals supported by leading indicators. The episode concludes with a call to action for listeners to put these ideas into practice and ensure their goals align with both their organization’s objectives and culture.