As the VP of Corporate Strategy at Tacony, Nick Hinman's focus is on maximizing the customer experience while ensuring the business continually improves. Over the years, he has become an expert in all things lean, culture, and value.

In this episode of Zen and the Art of Manufacturing, Bryan Sapot and Nick sit down to talk about building the house. What does that mean exactly? Well, to build an exemplary company, you need to start by creating a road map and then begin laying the foundation. Using data to improve, a great culture, transparency, are all things to be established for the company upfront. 

Listen in as Nick share's his experience with firefighting and how manufacturers can transition from constant firefighting to something more sustainable. And, finally, Bryan and Nick discuss focusing on the small wins, building trust throughout the organization, and daily morning meetings, all contributing to the success of your improvement efforts.

Nick mentioned a few books at the end of his episode that have laid a foundation for his expertise in lean and one that he was currently learning to get insight into effective leadership, all of which can be found below:

• Book: Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio
• Book: The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt
• Book: Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy Seals Lead and Win

If you would like to talk to Nick about any of the topics discussed in today's episode, you can reach out to him via LinkedIn. For more information regarding the improvements Tacony has made in their plants, read how Tacony increased efficiency from production to the supply chain, increasing lead time by 150%.

Enjoy this podcast? Hit the share button, subscribe for free if you're not already a regular listener, and give us a quick review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Help us create calm and improve flow in manufacturing!

For a full description of this episode of Zen and the Art of Manufacturing featuring Nick Hinman, read "The Foundations of Lean with Nick Hinman".