

Incremental: The Continuous Improvement Podcast
Devin Bodony and Uriel Eisen
"Incremental: The Continuous Improvement Podcast" is a weekly show where business owners share their journey implementing continuous improvement. Explore Lean Mfg, TPS, 5S, Value Stream Mapping, Kaizen, JIT, Kanban, and more. Gain inspiration, practical advice and join the hosts on their journey of discovery and learning. Experience the benefits of continuous improvement and lean transformation for your business.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 20, 2023 • 44min
The inertia of existing systems, and why we keep slogging through the mud
In this Concepts Edition episode Uriel and Devin discuss:- The perfect balance of ignorance and knowledgability to allow one to start a business- Inertia of existing systems in businesses and the challenges inherent in trying to change them- The time and place for different types of automation- Source of defects, and how you can use that rubric to find issues before they surface instead of after the fact- What counts as an improvement? Ongoing business activites that appear to be improvements but are actually not Please follow us on Instagram and share your improvements and tag us.www.instagram.com/incrementalci In this podcast we discuss concepts from Lean Manufacturing, the Toyota Production System, and general business management to improve our businesses. Thanks for listening! Please drop us a note with any and all feedback! If you have parts you need machined, reach out to Devin@lichenprecision.com and follow on Instagram www.instagram.com/lichen_mfg If you need CNCed Buckles, check out www.austeremfg.com and follow at on Instagram www.instagram.com/austere_manufacturing CI has an Instagram www.instagram.com/incrementalci

Jul 14, 2023 • 49min
Episode 42. Improved improvement board
In this episode Devin and Uriel talk about some of the improvments they made over the past week and the thinking behind each.
8 Lean wastes - Over production, Over Processing, Excess inventory, Defects, Transportation, Wasted motion, Waiting, Wasted human potential
Some of the improvements include:
- Custom height gauge stylus
- Sharpie and caliper holder
- Flip station parts
- New 3D printed gripper fingers that don't require post processing
- New 3D printer!
- Improved improvement board!
Please follow us on Instagram and share your improvements and tag us.www.instagram.com/incrementalci In this podcast we discuss concepts from Lean Manufacturing, the Toyota Production System, and general business management to improve our businesses. Thanks for listening! Please drop us a note with any and all feedback!
If you have parts you need machined, reach out to Devin@lichenprecision.com and follow on Instagram www.instagram.com/lichen_mfg If you need CNCed Buckles, check out www.austeremfg.com and follow at on Instagram www.instagram.com/austere_manufacturing

Jul 12, 2023 • 51min
Episode 41. A3! A3! A3!
In this Concepts Edition episode Uriel and Devin discuss:
- Delaying Decisions
- A3
- The balance of careful planning vs. trying this to test
- Minimizing cost of flow
- Treating entire shop as a cell, or each machine as a cell?
Please follow us on Instagram and share your improvements and tag us.www.instagram.com/incrementalci
In this podcast we discuss concepts from Lean Manufacturing, the Toyota Production System, and general business management to improve our businesses.
Thanks for listening! Please drop us a note with any and all feedback!
If you have parts you need machined, reach out to Devin@lichenprecision.com and follow on Instagram www.instagram.com/lichen_mfg
If you need CNCed Buckles, check out www.austeremfg.com and follow at on Instagram www.instagram.com/austere_manufacturing
CI has an Instagram www.instagram.com/incrementalci

Jul 7, 2023 • 47min
Episode 40. Layers of Lean
In this episode Devin and Uriel talk about some of the improvments they made over the past week and the thinking behind each.
8 Lean wastes - Over production, Over Processing, Excess inventory, Defects, Transportation, Wasted motion, Waiting, Wasted human potential
Some of the improvements include:
- Flip up clamp for longer straps at Austere MFG
- Updated Work Order slips to highlight need for material certs and inspection reports
- Pull tester for load rating verification
- Successful use of G54.2 probing and code output
- Kanban 3D printed production tooling
- All shop lighting on one switch
Please follow us on Instagram and share your improvements and tag us.www.instagram.com/incrementalci In this podcast we discuss concepts from Lean Manufacturing, the Toyota Production System, and general business management to improve our businesses. Thanks for listening! Please drop us a note with any and all feedback!
If you have parts you need machined, reach out to Devin@lichenprecision.com and follow on Instagram www.instagram.com/lichen_mfg If you need CNCed Buckles, check out www.austeremfg.com and follow at on Instagram www.instagram.com/austere_manufacturing

Jul 5, 2023 • 39min
Episode 39. Parallelism, but not that Parallelism
In this Concepts Edition episode Uriel and Devin discuss:
- Thinking about converting sequential precesses to parallel processes
- Seeing negative space
- Focusing on eliminating Movement and Waste primarily
- All improvements are good. But you need to be aware of your time horizon for ROI
- SMED is important because it allows you to produce things in the order in which they're needed
- A3 reports
Please follow us on Instagram and share your improvements and tag us.www.instagram.com/incrementalci
In this podcast we discuss concepts from Lean Manufacturing, the Toyota Production System, and general business management to improve our businesses.
Thanks for listening! Please drop us a note with any and all feedback!
If you have parts you need machined, reach out to Devin@lichenprecision.com and follow on Instagram www.instagram.com/lichen_mfg
If you need CNCed Buckles, check out www.austeremfg.com and follow at on Instagram www.instagram.com/austere_manufacturing CI has an Instagram www.instagram.com/incrementalci

Jun 30, 2023 • 33min
Episode 38. Are small improvements a waste of time?
In this episode Devin and Uriel talk about some of the improvments they made over the past week and the thinking behind each.
8 Lean wastes - Over production, Over Processing, Excess inventory, Defects, Transportation, Wasted motion, Waiting, Wasted human potential
Some of the improvements include:
- CAM templates for standardized workholding
- Uriel went on vacation and everything kept working!
- Loft expansion, more sqft
- Color coding mismatched oven controls
- Endmill flat grinding SOP
- Reinforcing Trunnion joint
Please follow us on Instagram and share your improvements and tag us.www.instagram.com/incrementalci In this podcast we discuss concepts from Lean Manufacturing, the Toyota Production System, and general business management to improve our businesses. Thanks for listening! Please drop us a note with any and all feedback!
If you have parts you need machined, reach out to Devin@lichenprecision.com and follow on Instagram www.instagram.com/lichen_mfg If you need CNCed Buckles, check out www.austeremfg.com and follow at on Instagram www.instagram.com/austere_manufacturing

Jun 28, 2023 • 33min
Episode 37. Behind every big batch is a long setup
In this Concepts Edition episode Uriel and Devin discuss:
- SMED. Single Minute Exchange of Dies
- Fundamental principles of SMED, assessing your processes
- Internal vs. External Setup processes. Distinguishing and converting
- Some examples of transitioning internal to external setup in our own businesses
Please follow us on Instagram and share your improvements and tag us .www.instagram.com/incrementalci
In this podcast we discuss concepts from Lean Manufacturing, the Toyota Production System, and general business management to improve our businesses.
Thanks for listening! Please drop us a note with any and all feedback! If you have parts you need machined, reach out to Devin@lichenprecision.com and follow on Instagram www.instagram.com/lichen_mfg
If you need CNCed Buckles, check out www.austeremfg.com and follow at on Instagram www.instagram.com/austere_manufacturing CI has an Instagram www.instagram.com/incrementalci

Jun 21, 2023 • 35min
Episode 36. Upgrading workholding and streamlining paint
In this episode Devin and Uriel talk about some of the improvments they made over the past week and the thinking behind each.
8 Lean wastes - Over production, Over Processing, Excess inventory, Defects, Transportation, Wasted motion, Waiting, Wasted human potential
Some of the improvements include:
- Adding paint racks and shelving
- Reprogrammed cams to eliminate defects
- Moved paint scale
- Lebeled webbing racks
- Added a second pneumatic vise to smooth workflow
- Upgraded machine valve mounting plate
- Bought four more Schunk KSC manual vises to standardize programming and workholding
- Moved toolsetter on R450
- Lichen Precision Started nogiating a lease on a new space
Please follow us on Instagram and share your improvements and tag us.www.instagram.com/incrementalci In this podcast we discuss concepts from Lean Manufacturing, the Toyota Production System, and general business management to improve our businesses. Thanks for listening! Please drop us a note with any and all feedback!
If you have parts you need machined, reach out to Devin@lichenprecision.com and follow on Instagram www.instagram.com/lichen_mfg If you need CNCed Buckles, check out www.austeremfg.com and follow at on Instagram www.instagram.com/austere_manufacturing

Jun 14, 2023 • 38min
Episode 35. Information is inventory too
In this Concepts Edition episode Uriel and Devin discuss:
- Information inventory. Look for it to find your bottlenecks
- Austere Doubled their throughput!
- Production levelling is key when using Kanban
- Kanban for paint, and how to keep the mill running
- Small things are big when they Compound
- Employee satisfaction and retention. The things that matter to bring on an employee are different than retention
- Reducing production time. Most metal cutting processing are only in cut 1.5% of the time they're on the production floor
Please follow us on Instagram and share your improvements and tag us.www.instagram.com/incrementalci
In this podcast we discuss concepts from Lean Manufacturing, the Toyota Production System, and general business management to improve our businesses.
Thanks for listening! Please drop us a note with any and all feedback!
If you have parts you need machined, reach out to Devin@lichenprecision.com and follow on Instagram www.instagram.com/lichen_mfg
If you need CNCed Buckles, check out www.austeremfg.com and follow at on Instagram www.instagram.com/austere_manufacturing CI has an Instagram www.instagram.com/incrementalci

Jun 9, 2023 • 59min
Episode 34. Assembly Jig Issues, Optimize for learning
In this episode Devin and Uriel talk about some of the improvments they made over the past week and the thinking behind each.
8 Lean wastes - Over production, Over Processing, Excess inventory, Defects, Transportation, Wasted motion, Waiting, Wasted human potential
Some of the improvements include:
- Assembly jig issues and modifications
- Job tracking changes to address missed shipments
- Sewing Jig feedback
- Finished our new tool tag implementation
- New drop off routine for automated part unloading
- Finished trunnion table machining
- Austere bought a Freddy!
Please follow us on Instagram and share your improvements and tag us.www.instagram.com/incrementalci In this podcast we discuss concepts from Lean Manufacturing, the Toyota Production System, and general business management to improve our businesses. Thanks for listening! Please drop us a note with any and all feedback!
If you have parts you need machined, reach out to Devin@lichenprecision.com and follow on Instagram www.instagram.com/lichen_mfg If you need CNCed Buckles, check out www.austeremfg.com and follow at on Instagram www.instagram.com/austere_manufacturing


