Great Question

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Great Question offers news and information for people who make, store and move things and those who manage and maintain the facilities where that work gets done. Manufacturers from chemical producers to automakers to machine shops can gain insights into the technologies, economic conditions and best practices that can influence how to run facilities to reach operational excellence.

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Behind the Curtain

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Longtime manufacturing process engineer and trainer John Dyer discusses operational excellence and continuous improvement with Professor Mohamed Saleh, a Lean, Six Sigma and continuous improvement expert. Between them, they share nearly 60 years of continuous improvement expertise. IndustryWeek partners with Dyer and Saleh to bring their insights to manufacturing professionals.

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Behind the Curtain
On the contrary, many disciplines can excel as lean facilitators. Qualities such as humility, critical thinking and the ability to work as a team are key, regardless of one's ...
July 21, 2026
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Great Question
In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Clay Martin, CEO and founder of recruiting agency Isla Talent, describes how manufacturers can address labor shortages...
July 16, 2026
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Behind the Curtain
Don't believe it, say the hosts of Behind the Curtain: Adventures in Continuous Improvement, who argue that lean applies to any process with inputs, outputs, suppliers and customers...
July 13, 2026
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Behind the Curtain
Every culture presents its own challenges, say the hosts of Behind the Curtain: Adventures in Continuous Improvement. For that reason, a cookie-cutter approach to implementing...
July 7, 2026
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Behind the Curtain
In this episode of Behind the Curtain: Adventures in Continuous Improvement, hosts John Dyer and Dr. Mohamed Saleh continue their exploration of symptoms that indicate an organization...
June 29, 2026
Dennis Scimeca
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Great Question
What IndustryWeek learned from John Deere, Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, Viridi and LG while producing Smart Manufacturers.
June 25, 2026
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Behind the Curtain
In this episode of Behind the Curtain: Adventures in Continuous Improvement, hosts John Dyer and Dr. Mohamed Saleh continue their discussion of common signals of a lean initiative...
June 23, 2026
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Behind the Curtain
In this episode of Behind the Curtain: Adventures in Continuous Improvement, hosts John Dyer and Dr. Mohamed Saleh point to symptoms within your daily management system—specifically...
June 15, 2026
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Great Question
Holland & Knight’s Patrick Childress outlines where negotiations stand, proposed changes to the treaty, and what the outcome of those negotiations could mean for automotive manufacturer...
June 11, 2026
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Behind the Curtain
If "tool worship" is part of your lean transformation, it may be in trouble. But that's not the only worrying sign to watch out for.
June 9, 2026
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Behind the Curtain
Process mapping is a powerful improvement tool—but only when it reflects reality. Too often, ego, reputation management and fear prevent teams from exposing uncomfortable truths...
June 1, 2026
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Great Question
The global contract manufacturer's chief supply chain and procurement officers discuss how they work together to shape strategy.
May 28, 2026
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Behind the Curtain
Safety is already foundational to 5S, argue the hosts of Behind the Curtain: Adventures in Continuous Improvement, who say 6S may signal a weak safety culture.
May 27, 2026
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Behind the Curtain
While 5S is a powerful lean tool, done wrong it becomes nothing more than "cosmetic theater" and fuels employee resistance.
May 18, 2026
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Great Question
In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Ben Johnston of Kapitus breaks down the rollout of the new tariff refund portal and its potential impact on manufacturers...
May 14, 2026
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Behind the Curtain
If you think problems disappear in mature lean organizations, you'd be wrong. What changes is how organizations react to those problems and how leaders' roles evolve.
May 11, 2026
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Behind the Curtain
Has your organization fallen prey to the three threats of lean maturity models? Dr. Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer discuss maturity model risks in this episode of Behind the Curtain...
May 4, 2026
Robert Schoenberger
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Great Question
Was the most interesting innovation at this year's automation fair realistic or just another fad?
April 30, 2026
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Behind the Curtain
Dr. Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer, hosts of Behind the Curtain: Adventures in Continuous Improvement, discuss why the question 'When can we say we are lean?' is so concerning if...
April 27, 2026
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Behind the Curtain
Consider standard work as a baseline for improvement, not a prison, say the hosts of Behind the Curtain: Adventures in Continuous Improvement.
April 20, 2026
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Behind the Curtain
Podcast hosts Dr. Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer continue to explore difficult questions around lean, Six Sigma and continuous improvement, focusing their attention on the belt certificati...
April 13, 2026
Bryan Croft, Simply Stamps
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Great Question
CEO Bryan Croft talks engineering challenges, exacting requirements and how many iterations it took to create the perfect rubber stamp for lunar orbit.
April 9, 2026
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Behind the Curtain
If you're talking continuous improvement and want to spark passionate debate, try this question: Which is better—lean or Six Sigma? Our podcast hosts tackle this turbulent topic...
April 6, 2026
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Behind the Curtain
One hint: It’s rarely an individual worker. Have you examined your system design lately?
March 30, 2026