Some Podcast Episodes on Operational Excellence
We just started a new term at NU. I’m teaching a class I love: Operations Excellence. A student in the class was asking for some podcast recommendations to complement the material.
The podcasts I listen to sometimes cover operations directly but mostly indirectly. I should probably listen to a few more Operations and Supply Chain podcasts.
Anyway, below is my list of some episodes that touch on operations. I’ll likely make some of these part of some assignment.
A surprising number included friends. Also, these episodes cover more than just operations. If you have others you like or suggest, let me know.
a16z. The Machine that Made the Vaccine. This is the operational story of Moderna. I remember it as an awesome podcast. There was good talk about throughput, operational excellence, and building the right platform. If you want more on this topic, How I Built This also had an episode from the founder of Moderna.
Invest Like the Best. Avi Goldfarb & Ajay Agarwal. My friends Sara Hoormann and Ganesh Ramakrishna pushed this one. These are the authors of one of my favorite AI books, Prediction Machines, talking about their latest book. A good part of this interview talks about how factories in the past were organized around the power sources of the time (centralized). It took a long time to reorganize when electricity was widely available. They claim the same thing will happen with AI. I’m looking forward to reading this book— I love the intersection of operations and AI.
a16z. Factory of the Future. An interview with an entrepreneur worried about all the manufacturing expertise that will retire in the next two decades. The podcast has a few good manufacturing stories and an interesting point that variability and delays can be half the costs in a supply chain.
Mik + One. Razat Gaurav. This is from my friend and former boss. This interview is about applying ideas from Goldratt’s The Goal and the Supply Chain to software and product development. Planview (where Razat is CEO) is doing great work in this area.
Leaders in Supply Chain and Logistics. David Simchi-Levi. This is also from my friend and former boss. He gives several concrete examples (like Home Depot) from his work at his MIT Lab.
Transform Talks. Kristen Daihes. Kristen is another friend who I worked with closely and is now VP of Global Supply Chain at Mars Wrigley. This podcast talks about digital twins, how they reduced overpacking, and understanding the root cause of late shipments.
Data Stories. Irv Lustig. This is another from a friend, but probably not my former boss. (Things at IBM were quite matrixed, so he could have been my boss.) Irv provides good examples of how Optimization improves operations at the US Census Bureau and airlines.
B2B. Reed Hastings. This is the story of Netflix. I like this because it talks about operational excellence in a non-manufacturing company. There are many interesting ideas in this interview.
Founders. Henry Ford: My Life and Work. Good info on Ford’s focus on creating a low-cost auto. This episode touches on what led to the famous moving assembly line— the need to make a cheap car.
Resoundingly Human. Merck Animal Health Edelman Prize. Merck was a finalist for the INFORMS Edelman Prize. This episode touches on operations in a complex high-tech animal medicine factory.
Founders. #61 Macolm McLean: The Box. Alex Scott would be upset with me, and I’m a bit embarrassed that I never read this book. The podcast is a quick substitute. The standard container is taken for granted now. But its story is fascinating. And it was thinking about operational details that led McLean to the idea.
Leaders in Supply Chain and Logistics. Leading Transformation and Redefining the Logistics Sector. This was a good podcast about why American Eagle was starting a 3PL and what advantages that may bring. Since the podcast, there have been a few bumps in the road. It’s still worth a listen as a bold idea.
a16z. Systems Leadership. This is about the book Brains and Brawn. There is a good operational story about how Instacart evolved to pick and pay for grocery products more efficiently. Based on the podcast episode, the book made me think about David Simchi-Levi’s book, Operations Rules.
Founders. #28 Wright Brothers. The operations angle to this story is about the attention to detail and quality. There is also a great story about being scrappy, hustling, and experimenting to get it right.
Supply Chain Executive on Supply Chain Network Design. Good story about IKEA. I love and know the supply chain network design space well, so this may not apply to some.
How to Take over the World. Napoleon. The whole podcast is about historical figures who had an oversized impact on the world. The Napoleon episode accidentally touches on operations. He was obsessed with speed and supply lines. If he were short on items (like cannons), he would work to activate a supply chain in any way possible— find extras and start manufacturing sites. There are also good lessons on leading from the front and keeping morale high with action.