Why do Lean tools fade away in so many organizations? And what actually makes improvement stick?

In this episode of KPI Fireside, host Keith Norris sits down with Marcial Portillo, a global operations and continuous improvement leader with more than 30 years of experience improving manufacturing and supply chain performance across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Marcial currently leads deployment of Spirax’s operational excellence framework across its global supply network.

🔻 Why Lean tools without cultural foundation eventually fade away

🔻 Blending Shingo principles with a global operational excellence framework

🔻 Defining expected behaviors for every pillar and element of deployment

🔻 Leadership standard work and the importance of going to the Gemba

🔻 Structuring tiered meetings (Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3) to drive engagement

🔻 Measuring behaviors alongside SQDCP metrics

🔻 How daily management improves communication and problem escalation

🔻 Using KPIs and KBIs to reinforce systems and culture

🔻 The role of presence, authenticity, and consistency in sustaining change

🔻 Building dashboards that track maturity, financial impact, and culture

🔗 Connect with Marcial Portillo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcial-portillo-54388188/

🔗 Learn more about KPI Fire: https://www.kpifire.com/

🎙 Hosted by Keith Norris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithnorris/

What separates organizations that struggle from those that truly win?

In this episode of KPI Fireside, host Keith Norris sits down with Jennifer Ralston. As CEO & Founder of HKPO and the HKPO Veterans Academy, she empowers organizations to innovate, execute, and sustain excellence. From Lean Six Sigma transformations at the American Red Cross to global strategic planning and culture assessments, Jennifer shares practical insights on cascading strategy, measuring what truly matters, and building trust-driven organizations.

🔻 Why strategic alignment is the foundation of strong culture

🔻 How to cascade strategy so every employee knows their role

🔻 The difference between SOPs and true standard work

🔻 Trust and respect as core cultural principles

🔻 How to run an effective strategy refresh session

🔻 Why organizations measure too much—and how to measure what truly matters

🔻 How leadership behaviors shape accountability

🔻 Why variation is the enemy—and how to eliminate it

🔻 Empowering transitioning service members through the HKPO Veterans Academy

🔗 Connect with Jennifer Ralston on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeralston/

📘 Sign up for free Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Training for Veterans: https://gohkpo.com/training/

🔗 Learn more about KPI Fire: https://www.kpifire.com/

🎙 Hosted by Keith Norris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithnorris/

Is AI coming for your job—or just the parts of it you never liked doing in the first place?

In this episode of KPI Fireside, host Keith Norris sits down with Reed Shell, a project management leader with more than 30 years of experience in enterprise delivery and transformation. Reed teaches project management and artificial intelligence at the University of Utah and advises organizations on applying AI responsibly without losing human accountability.

🔻 Why quality must be integrated throughout a project—not inspected in at the end

🔻 How focusing on value instead of plans accelerated delivery before Agile was formalized

🔻 Lessons from Nike’s culture and why culture drives execution speed

🔻 Why respect for people is foundational to Lean and transformation

🔻 The real risk of AI: automating broken processes

🔻 Why value stream mapping and Lean thinking will be even more critical in an AI-driven world

🔻 AI as an “overly ambitious intern” that removes low-value work

🔻 Why change management is the missing ingredient in most AI rollouts

🔻 The autopilot analogy: AI handles the instruments, humans still fly the plane

🔻 How leaders can help teams embrace technology instead of fearing it

🔗 Connect with Reed Shell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reedshell/

📘 Learn more about Reed's Work: https://www.bluehippoconsulting.com

🔗 Learn more about KPI Fire: https://www.kpifire.com/

🎙 Hosted by Keith Norris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithnorris/