Gemba Academy Podcast: Lean Six Sigma | Toyota Kata | Productivity | Leadership GA 609 | Leveraging Overall Equipment Effectiveness with Caleb Wilczynski
Dec 4, 2025
Caleb Wilczynski, a design and manufacturing engineer recently certified as a Master Black Belt, shares his journey through continuous improvement and OEE implementation. He discusses transforming neglected machines which saved his company significant costs. Caleb emphasizes the importance of using data to understand performance metrics rather than placing blame. He also delves into the challenges of driving change within an organization, all while staying engaged on the factory floor and planning to share his insights widely. Expect insights on DMADV and the value of experimentation!
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Mistakes Reflect Management Systems
- Ishikawa's quote reframes mistakes as management responsibility most of the time.
- Caleb uses it to stress training and clear work instructions over blaming operators.
Early Career: Empty Improvement Promises
- Caleb joined a company that talked about improvement but never implemented suggestions.
- That contrast sparked his commitment to practical continuous improvement.
Small Machines, Big Savings
- Caleb fixed six frequently failing machines and measured months of data to quantify the problem.
- His improvements cut manpower and tooling costs by over $40,000–$50,000 annually.
