Send us Fan Mail

Can Lean tools & techniques be applied successfully in all walks of life? Which Gemba would you like to visit to develop your knowledge and experience? From design offices to premier league football, Team TRIL discuss and debate if lean thinking is transferrable, and if so, what analogies can we draw from typical lean manufacturing?

S4 P12 Our final podcast of this series is full of interesting discussion and plenty of laughs

As well as Lean Leadership in elite sports such as football and rugby, find out how John got on with his problem solving activity and why fresh eyes is so important. Russell's sharing of knowledge around Atul Gawande and his Checklist Manifesto. Even what happened to Alan's Amazon delivery!!

Our channel aims to explore the world of leadership, lean manufacturing, operational excellence and continuous improvement, by sharing our decades of experience in this field. Trained by Japanese Master Engineers from Toyota (2nd Generation Ohno trained) and Honda, we want to share our knowledge, experience and failures so you don't have to!

If you're enjoying what we do and want to keep up to speed with the latest episodes, then don't forget to subscribe, click the bell notification icon, and share with anyone else you know who may be interested

We are available on all your favourite streaming platforms so it’s easy to get your lean fix!

You can even email us at therestislean@gmail.com

We also have a Leadership Interview Series which involves members of Team TRIL engaging with global lean leaders who are willing to share their experiences and challenges

Whether you’re a business leader, lean practitioner, or simply curious about what makes organisations thrive, #TRIL delivers stories and lessons that inspire action.
Tune in and discover why, when it comes to leadership and lean, the rest is just noise

The #TRIL Team are:
John Dee. DEE Enterprise Excellence Ltd. www.dee.uk.net
Alan Lothian. 3A Business Excellence Ltd. www.aaabel.co.uk
Russell Watkins. Sempai Ltd. www.sempai.co.uk

Send us Fan Mail

Suffering with long lead times, poor productivity, quality, or delivery performance? Struggling to make your improvement efforts stick?

Learn from those with over nearly 30 years experience in the field. Japanese trained from Toyota & Honda

#TheRestIsLean goes live with our annual pilgrimage to the NEC for #SUBCON 2026. The second of 2 episodes recorded at the 2-day event which showcases some of the best products and companies that support global manufacturing

This episode involves our live interactive podcast event on the topic of "Why Lean Fails and How to Avoid It."

A fantastic audience as ever for this one and it never failed to disappoint

#TeamTRIL get up to their usual exploits of sharing their views, experiences, and their failures that have allowed them to develop and learn through their 25+ year careers

Most importantly they share some pointers on where to start on your journey, and what's most important to have in place before you start! Apologies for some sound quality, mainly attributable to Alan's microphone wandering!!

Big thanks to Sam Wibrew and Mark Allen Group for allowing us to attend another great show, and for allowing #TeamTRIL to be part of it once again

Our channel aims to explore the world of lean manufacturing, operational excellence and continuous improvement, by sharing our decades of experience in this field. Trained by Japanese Master Engineers from Toyota (2nd Generation Ohno trained) and Honda, we want to share our knowledge, experience and failures so you don't have to!

If you're enjoying what we do and want to keep up to speed with the latest episodes, then don't forget to subscribe, click the bell notification icon, and share with anyone else you know who may be interested

Remember also that we are now available on all good (and some not so good) streaming platforms

We also have a Leadership Interview Series which involves members of Team TRIL engaging with global lean leaders who are willing to share their experiences and challenges.

The #TRIL Team are:
John Dee. DEE Enterprise Excellence Ltd. www.dee.uk.net
Alan Lothian. 3A Business Excellence Ltd. www.aaabel.co.uk
Russell Watkins. Sempai Ltd. www.sempai.co.uk

Remember that if you want to get involved with your questions, comments, and tips of your own then don't forget to email the podcast at therestislean@gmail.com or drop us a comment below.

Send us Fan Mail

The Rest is Lean (#TRIL) Leadership Series of Podcasts brings you powerful conversations with professionals from across the globe, sharing real-world experiences in lean manufacturing and leadership

Each episode dives into the principles, challenges, and successes that shape modern organisations—told by those who live them every day

This episode welcomes Mark Hemming. Mark is a transformational business leader who has led major operations at Amazon, Eurocell, and HelloFresh, delivering large-scale growth, innovation and operational excellence. Having managed businesses of significant scale across multiple countries, he now advises organisations through Hemming Advisory, helping leaders navigate growth, complexity and change with a strong focus on people-centred leadership

Russel takes charge for this 2-part Podcast with part two covering a lot of ground.

Conversations include the importance of purpose, people, and process. Find out what Mark thinks is his 'Superpower', and his future book 'The Tapestry of Leadership'

From industry veterans to innovative thinkers, our guests reveal practical insights, cultural shifts, and leadership strategies that drive transformation

Whether you’re a business leader, lean practitioner, or simply curious about what makes organisations thrive, #TRIL delivers stories and lessons that inspire action.
Tune in and discover why, when it comes to leadership and lean, the rest is just noise

If you're enjoying what we do and want to keep up to speed with the latest episodes, then don't forget to subscribe, click the bell notification icon, and share with anyone else you know who may be interested

Remember that we are also available on all good (and some not so good) streaming platforms!
You can even email us at therestislean@gmail.com

The #TRIL Team are:
John Dee. DEE Enterprise Excellence Ltd. www.dee.uk.net
Alan Lothian. 3A Business Excellence Ltd. www.aaabel.co.uk
Russell Watkins. Sempai Ltd. www.sempai.co.uk

Send us Fan Mail

The Rest is Lean (#TRIL) Leadership Series of Podcasts brings you powerful conversations with professionals from across the globe, sharing real-world experiences in lean manufacturing and leadership

Each episode dives into the principles, challenges, and successes that shape modern organisations—told by those who live them every day

This episode welcomes Mark Hemming. Mark is a transformational business leader who has led major operations at Amazon, Eurocell, and HelloFresh, delivering large-scale growth, innovation and operational excellence. Having managed businesses of significant scale across multiple countries, he now advises organisations through Hemming Advisory, helping leaders navigate growth, complexity and change with a strong focus on people-centred leadership

Russel takes charge for this 2-part Podcast with part one covering a lot of ground.
Conversations include old school book-throwing, the importance of honesty and integrity with your employees, and how tiring leadership can be!

From industry veterans to innovative thinkers, our guests reveal practical insights, cultural shifts, and leadership strategies that drive transformation

Whether you’re a business leader, lean practitioner, or simply curious about what makes organisations thrive, #TRIL delivers stories and lessons that inspire action.
Tune in and discover why, when it comes to leadership and lean, the rest is just noise

If you're enjoying what we do and want to keep up to speed with the latest episodes, then don't forget to subscribe, click the bell notification icon, and share with anyone else you know who may be interested

Remember that we are also available on all good (and some not so good) streaming platforms!
You can even email us at therestislean@gmail.com

The #TRIL Team are:
John Dee. DEE Enterprise Excellence Ltd. www.dee.uk.net
Alan Lothian. 3A Business Excellence Ltd. www.aaabel.co.uk
Russell Watkins. Sempai Ltd. www.sempai.co.uk

Send us Fan Mail

Global Manufacturing Expertise & The take that Man. Our annual pilgrimage to the NEC for SUBCON 2026. One of 2 episodes recorded at the 2-day show which showcases some of the best products and companies that support global manufacturing

This episode involves a whistle-stop tour of both Subcon2026 and SmartManufacturingWeek where TeamTRIL meet some fantastic company owners and their employees, along with some fellow panel members including:

Sophie Hall - Warren Services
Ian Joliffe - SMMT (Society Motor Manufacturers & Traders) Industry Forum
Taye Reid - The Levyne Group
Mathieu Phejar - The Tailored Growth

Big thanks to Sam Wibrew & Phoebe Hendry of Mark Allen Group for allowing us to attend for another great show, and for allowing TeamTRIL to be part of it once again

If you're enjoying what we do and want to keep up to speed with the latest episodes, then don't forget to subscribe, click the bell notification icon, and share with anyone else you know who may be interested.
Remember also that we are now available on all good (and some not so good) streaming platforms!

The #TRIL Team are:

John Dee. DEE Enterprise Excellence Ltd. www.dee.uk.net
Alan Lothian. 3A Business Excellence Ltd. www.aaabel.co.uk
Russell Watkins. Sempai Ltd. www.sempai.co.uk

Send us Fan Mail

Back to our usual episodes and this one will really help you really get under the skin of a company in a relatively short space of time. So if you're new to a business, or a lean change agent then this episode is for you!

Russell shares his recent trip to the Northern Ireland Lean Cluster including some fantastic companies embracing the '2 Second Lean Movement'

John shares his problem solving exploits on his decking (or not!)

Team #TRIL also get to grips with those thinking they can 'Hack' Lean. Can you really??

If you're enjoying what we do and want to keep up to speed with the latest episodes, then don't forget to subscribe, click the bell notification icon, and share with anyone else you know who may be interested

Remember also that we are now available on all good (and some not so good) streaming platforms!

The #TRIL Team are:
John Dee. DEE Enterprise Excellence Ltd. www.dee.uk.net
Alan Lothian. 3A Business Excellence Ltd. www.aaabel.co.uk
Russell Watkins. Sempai Ltd. www.sempai.co.uk

Send us Fan Mail

The Rest is Lean (#TRIL) Leadership Series of Podcasts brings you powerful conversations with professionals from across the globe, sharing real-world experiences in lean manufacturing and leadership

Each episode dives into the principles, challenges, and successes that shape modern organisations—told by those who live them every day

This episode welcomes Delphine Fillot, Group SVP Quality & Customer Excellence at Forvia

Forvia is a global automotive component manufacturer created by combining the expertise of 2 other automotive manufacturing powerhouses, Faurecia and HELLA

Delphine's experience as a lean leader in global industrial and technology groups spans almost 30 years. From days as a process engineer to awarding-winning leader, Delphine lives Lean - both tactically and strategically - every day. Her passion for excellence, and engagement of people, is truly energising

Having known each other for over 25 years since their time at Converteam (now GE Vernova) both Alan & Delphine share their experiences, and take a deep-dive into Delphine's career, her learning and development, and why Lean is so important to her and the teams she works with

A fireside chat well worth listening to!

From industry veterans to innovative thinkers, our guests reveal practical insights, cultural shifts, and leadership strategies that drive transformation

Whether you’re a business leader, lean practitioner, or simply curious about what makes organisations thrive, #TRIL delivers stories and lessons that inspire action.
Tune in and discover why, when it comes to leadership and lean, the rest is just noise

If you're enjoying what we do and want to keep up to speed with the latest episodes, then don't forget to subscribe, click the bell notification icon, and share with anyone else you know who may be interested

Remember that we are also available on all good (and some not so good) streaming platforms!

You can even email us at therestislean@gmail.com

The #TRIL Team are:
John Dee. DEE Enterprise Excellence Ltd. www.dee.uk.net
Alan Lothian. 3A Business Excellence Ltd. www.aaabel.co.uk
Russell Watkins. Sempai Ltd. www.sempai.co.uk

Send us Fan Mail

Engaging people and gaining 'Buy-in' from employees. That's the main topic of this episode of The Rest Is Lean Podcast

Join John, Russell & Alan for our usual 30minute ramble as we discuss our Lean experiences. Discussions include:

• Are there really that many 'negative' employees when it comes to Lean Transformation?
• Pros/Cons of including the most negative people in your improvement efforts.
• Unionised environments - Always include the Shop Steward?
• Finding the 'Well meant intent'.
• Perseverance - How long do you spend?
• Who to have in your cross-functional Lean Dream Team......and much more

If you're enjoying what we do and want to keep up to speed with the latest episodes, then don't forget to subscribe, click the bell notification icon, and share with anyone else you know who may be interested

Remember also that we are now available on all good (and some not so good) streaming platforms!

The #TRIL Team are:
John Dee. DEE Enterprise Excellence Ltd. www.dee.uk.net
Alan Lothian. 3A Business Excellence Ltd. www.aaabel.co.uk
Russell Watkins. Sempai Ltd. www.sempai.co.uk