The Operations Science Podcast

Building automation is about much more than robots. Success depends on strong planning, smart execution, and systems that can adapt. Michael McHale shares the lessons that helped PSA Systems grow into a fully integrated automation company. Discover why project scoping matters, how AI is reshaping project management, and why experience remains a competitive advantage. This episode is packed with practical insights for manufacturers, engineers, and operations leaders. Learn how better decisions upfront create better outcomes later.   Key Discussion Points 02:10—Why PSA Built a Fully Integrated Automation Business 08:00—Why Project Scoping Determines Success or Failure 12:05—Using AI to Improve Project Management 16:00—The Challenge of Scheduling in Complex Manufacturing 25:40—Can American Manufacturing Compete with China? 29:00—The Reality of Private Equity in Automation 32:00—Why Experience Still Wins in Manufacturing 33:20—Michael McHale's Career Journey   Learn more about the Operations Science Institute: https://opscience.org Join the OSI Insider community: https://insider.opscience.org Get your copy of Operations Science Applied: https://bit.ly/OSA2026   Don't forget to: 👍 Like this video 🔔 Subscribe for more authentic conversations 💬 Comment with your biggest takeaway 📤 Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it #OperationsScience #Manufacturing #Automation #IndustrialAutomation #ProjectManagement #AI #OperationalExcellence #Engineering #Leadership #ContinuousImprovement

Most people think logistics is about tracking a package. But moving rockets, satellites, and oversized freight is a completely different challenge. In this episode of the The Operations Science Podcast, Ed Pound sits down with Ben Martin to explore what it really takes to transport some of the world's largest and most sensitive equipment. Ben shares lessons from aerospace and wind energy, why planning often begins months—or even years—in advance, and how operations leaders manage risk when every detail matters. Key Discussion Points 01:37—Why industrial logistics is different from parcel shipping 06:18—Planning oversized freight and transporting wind turbines 09:28—From wind energy to moving rockets 17:13—Transportation failures and the lessons they teach 20:50—How AI is changing logistics planning 25:23—Why being a generalist is an advantage in operations 29:20—Ben's career journey and life outside of work Want to better understand the science behind operational performance? OSI Insider is a free, self-paced introduction: https://insider.opscience.org Go deeper with Operations Science Applied: bit.ly/OSA2026 #OperationsScience #SupplyChain #Logistics #Aerospace #Manufacturing #Leadership #Transportation #AI #OSI

Manufacturing doesn't become chaotic because people aren't working hard enough. It becomes chaotic when leaders don't understand how variability moves through a system. Fred White spent 13 years flying UH-60 helicopters before moving into manufacturing, eventually becoming the first production manager at Tesla's Gigafactory. He shares what that experience taught him about variability, constraints, flow, leadership, and continuous improvement. Ed and Fred also discuss the end-of-the-month scramble, why pushing people harder doesn't solve capacity problems, and the operational principles that remain true across industries. Key Discussion Points 00:00 Introduction 02:25 From military aviation to manufacturing 03:00 Building Tesla's Gigafactory 05:50 Lessons learned after Tesla 08:55 The end-of-the-month scramble 11:10 Breaking down silos with value streams 13:05 Why doing more with less creates problems 15:05 Operations principles across industries 16:00 Advice for new operations leaders 17:05 AI in manufacturing 18:15 Making continuous improvement stick 25:00 The experience that changed Fred's career Want to better understand why operations behave the way they do? OSI Insider is a free, self-paced introduction to operations science: https://insider.opscience.org Go deeper into variability, flow, and operational performance with Operations Science Applied: bit.ly/OSA2026 Don't forget to: 👍 Like this video 🔔 Subscribe for more authentic conversations 💬 Comment with your biggest takeaway 🔗 Share it with someone who needs to hear this #OperationsScience #Manufacturing #OperationalExcellence #Leadership #ContinuousImprovement #OperationsManagement #SupplyChain #ManufacturingLeadership

Most manufacturers see variability as the enemy. Christopher Morgan has spent decades proving otherwise. As General Manager of Street Furniture Australia, Christopher leads a highly customized manufacturing operation where no two days look the same. Customers constantly request modifications, project timelines shift without warning, and traditional automation often isn't an option. Yet despite all that variability, his team has built systems that deliver predictability, visibility, and higher output. In this conversation, Christopher shares how a simple scheduling change increased output by 30%, why visual management still beats complicated software in many situations, and how limiting work-in-progress helped create a more efficient operation. Whether you're leading a factory, managing projects, or trying to improve flow in any business, this episode offers practical lessons on dealing with uncertainty without losing control. Key Discussion Points 02:30—Why they never retire products 05:00—Why automation doesn't work for their business 07:00—Managing variability as a competitive advantage 08:00—Locking the production schedule & 30% productivity increase 12:00—Confirmed Dispatch Dates & customer lead times 15:00—Velocity over volume philosophy 17:00—The red tubs visual management system 18:00—Black tubs for urgent orders & pink tubs for R&D 21:00—Why exactly 35 red tubs? 23:00—Scheduling by labor hours instead of dollar value 24:00—Finished goods inventory & storage strategy 26:50—Factory layout redesign & continuous improvement 29:00—Building a culture of ownership & employee engagement 32:30—Using AI for scheduling, purchasing & engineering drawings 35:20—Christopher Morgan's career journey 39:00—Hobbies: historical reenactment & Polish saber fencing If this conversation challenged the way you think about operations: 👍 Like this episode 🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on operations, leadership, and continuous improvement 💬 Comment with your biggest takeaway ↗️ Share this episode with someone responsible for improving flow, productivity, or operational performance Ready to make better decisions in uncertain environments? Learn the principles behind flow, capacity, variability, and operational performance in Operations Science Applied: https://insider.opscience.org #OperationsScience #Manufacturing #Leadership #ContinuousImprovement #LeanManufacturing #OperationsManagement #IndustrialEngineering #BusinessLeadership #SupplyChain #Productivity #OSI

Many Lean and continuous improvement programs struggle—not because the tools are wrong, but because organizations overlook the foundation: developing capable people. In this conversation, Abdulrahman Yossri shares lessons from nearly two decades of manufacturing leadership across consumer goods, chemicals, aluminum, and industrial operations. Together with Ed Pound, they discuss why capability building is the key to sustainable operational excellence, how leaders can align teams around shared goals, and why companies should think of themselves as training academies.   Key Discussion Points 02:10 The common challenge across manufacturing 07:15 Why problems are opportunities for improvement 08:10 Lessons from becoming a plant manager 13:00 Why capability building comes before Lean 16:35 The four levels of workforce development 23:00 Solving the skilled labor challenge 28:20 Connecting education to industry 31:00 Using AI without losing expertise 38:00 Final thoughts If this conversation gave you a new perspective on leadership and operational excellence: 👍 Like the video 💬 Share your biggest takeaway in the comments 📤 Pass this along to someone building high-performing teams Want to better understand the science behind operational performance? OSI Insider is a free, self-paced introduction designed to help leaders understand why operations behave the way they do. For a deeper dive, explore Operations Science Applied #OperationsManagement #LeanManufacturing #ContinuousImprovement #OperationalExcellence #Manufacturing #OSI