Quality Time With MoreSteam

About Quality Time With MoreSteam

On Quality Time with MoreSteam, a variety of guests will join host Dan Swartwout to discuss continuous improvement, operational excellence, and business-related issues. You can find new episodes of Quality Time with MoreSteam on moresteam.com.

Publisher

Dan Swartwout

Category

business · education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

19 Mar 2024

Latest episode

13 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

68 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   13 Oct 2026

   Digital Twin For Continuous Improvement With Michael Schank

   On this episode of Quality Time with MoreSteam, author and entrepreneur Michael Schank joins the show. Michael spent 13 years at Accenture and 10 years at EY before leading Process Excellence for the US Consumer Bank at Citibank. In that role, he had responsibility over elements of process mapping, business process improvement, and a specific Lean team. Later, Michael wrote the book Digital Transformation Success. He is also the founder and CEO of Insight Twin, a company that leverages AI to build a digital twin of an entire organization. After revealing a startling statistic about the success of transformation projects, Michael breaks down his Process Inventory framework with host Dan Swartwout. Process Inventory is the list of things that people actually do. From there, Michael discusses the concept of "digital twin," which is a new topic for Quality Time with MoreSteam. A digital twin of an organization is a virtual replica of everything an organization actually does. Put those two ideas together, and transformation leaders know exactly who owns what. Everyone from the Lean team to IT to risk management works off the exact same picture of the business. Why is that important? Did you hear about the medical device company that paid consultants $92 million for an ERP overhaul that resulted in the company losing $2 billion in market value? If you haven't, Michael's got the details. This episode explores how Process Inventory and digital twin connect to the tools you already use, like fishbone diagrams, the five whys, and DMAIC. As a Process Excellence veteran, Michael understands continuous improvement. He also understands leadership, storytelling, and what it takes for continuous improvement to… well… continuously improve! As always, because this is Quality Time with MoreSteam, there are fun detours into 80's teen comedies, Three's Company episodes, and the optimum laughs-per-minute in a standup comedy set. We're talking about digital twin! So double your pleasure, double your fun, and download this episode to learn how a shared language around process can save your next transformation project from becoming the cautionary tale on a future podcast. In this episode, you will hear about: 1:22 - Michael's background in consulting, banking, and process excellence 2:40 - 70% of transformation projects fail to meet their goals 4:17 - What a Process Inventory actually is 7:45 - Vertical alignment versus horizontal alignment 9:37 - What a digital twin is and where the concept came from 12:20 - The $92 million ERP disaster that cost a company $2 billion in market value 15:30 - How digital twin relates to process modeling 17:56 - Building trust with employees during a Process Inventory interview 19:02 - Digital twins in different industries, like banks and hospitals 23:02 - Michael's time as Head of Process Excellence at Citibank 29:04 - Writing Digital Transformation Success 35:08 - How Michael discovered Process Inventory 38:24 - Keeping Lean, risk, and technology teams on the same page 39:18 - What causes continuous improvement programs to stall 41:52 - Insight Twin and AI 46:39 - Laughs per minute Additional Resources: Michael Schank on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-schank/) Insight Twin (https://insighttwin.com/) Michael's book "Digital Transformation Success" The Insight Twin Playbook (https://insighttwin.com/playbook) MoreSteam's Introduction to Process Modeling Webinar QTWM: Simulating Success with Dr. Lars Maaseidvaag QTWM: Solving Healthcare Bottlenecks with Process Modeling MoreSteam's YouTube Channel Quality Time With MoreSteam on Facebook Quality Time With MoreSteam on Instagram Quality Time With MoreSteam on LinkedIn MoreSteam's Website (https://www.moresteam.com/) Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter (https://www.moresteam.com/morenews) MoreSteam on LinkedIn Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam: Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube

2. 

   29 Sept 2026

   James Hancock on Trust, Leadership, and Continuous Improvement

   On this episode of Quality Time with MoreSteam, James Hancock joins the show to talk continuous improvement, leadership, and what it really takes to earn trust on the plant floor. James leads operational excellence across North America for Greif. He's a math-loving Lean Six Sigma Black Belt who knows the tools and metrics, but he also understands that data alone doesn't always change people's minds. Effective improvement work requires listening, understanding the situation, and earning the trust of the people doing the work. That idea runs throughout James's conversation with host Dan Swartwout. They discuss why continuous improvement leaders can't walk into a situation assuming they already understand what's going on, how an engineering background can shape problem-solving, and why learning to meet people where they are matters just as much as knowing which tool to use. James shares some of the projects and experiences that shaped his approach, including the Black Belt project which still influences how he solves problems today; an award-winning improvement project at Printpack; and the use of a Plinko board to help an A3 project click. A3 Reports are designed to condense critical project information into a clear, visual format that supports problem-solving and decision-making. The conversation also gets into a persistent challenge in manufacturing: institutional knowledge. James talks about recognizing the health of a culture, the difference between coaching and training, and how his leadership approach has changed as his responsibilities have grown. And for something genuinely different, James is both an Eagle Scout and a third-degree black belt in karate. Yes, he's a Black Belt with a black belt! There's a direct line between what James learned through martial arts and Scouting and the discipline required to lead people through change at work. Whether you're practicing karate or developing continuous improvement capability, you have to put in the reps, be prepared, and prove yourself before earning the trust needed to lead others. That focus on capability and culture also shows up in Greif's broader Lean Six Sigma program. The organization has worked to build a global community of problem-solvers by combining training with real project work, coaching, recognition, and continued Black Belt development. Listen to this episode of Quality Time with MoreSteam to hear James's perspective on statistics, leadership, culture, and why successful continuous improvement depends on people as much as processes. In this episode, you will hear about: 0:28 - James's takeaways from BP4OpX 2:12 - James's background and path to Greif 4:48 - The Lean Six Sigma Black Belt project that shaped how James still solves problems 7:12 - Using a Plinko board to make an A3 project click 9:03 - The innovation award project at Print Pack and lessons on measuring success 12:11 - How an engineering background shapes CI leadership 15:14 - What the MBOE program at Ohio State taught James about people 18:48 - The Kobe Bryant problem and meeting people where they are 20:30 - The difference between a coach and a trainer 24:24 - How karate and getting reps apply to continuous improvement 27:04 - Being an Eagle Scout and leading with be prepared 29:47 - The recurring challenge of institutional knowledge in manufacturing 34:56 - Reading the health of a culture on day one 38:05 - Adjusting leadership instincts as responsibilities grow 40:14 - Advice for anyone considering a black belt or the MBOE program 43:51 - What still excites James about CI work after all these years 46:21 - Just win, baby Additional Resources: James Hancock on LinkedIn MoreSteam's YouTube Channel Quality Time With MoreSteam on Facebook Quality Time With MoreSteam on Instagram Quality Time With MoreSteam on LinkedIn MoreSteam on LinkedIn Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn Why Lean Six Sigma Projects Matter Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube

3. 

   15 Sept 2026

   Six Sigma Pioneer Mike Carnell on Leadership, Data, and AI

   Lean Six Sigma pioneer Mike Carnell joins this episode of Quality Time with MoreSteam. One of the most respected and longest-tenured continuous improvement practitioners, Mike shares the moment that set his path. After the Marine Corps, he started at Motorola, where he saw a problem that had lingered for 19 years get fixed in three days. At that moment, Mike decided that he wanted to be the problem solver. Since then, Mike's resume includes deployments in over 40 countries and direct working relationships with legendary CEOs such as Jack Welch. From that extraordinary career, Mike says he learned something simpler and harder to fake than any leadership technique or management trend: integrity, the most important characteristic of good leadership. Mike has some memorable stories from his decades in continuous improvement. In addition to leadership stories from Jack Welch, he shares the story of a platinum smelter in South Africa that everyone warned him not to touch because it might explode. Of course, that's the problem Mike wanted to solve. He spent four months sorting through data and figured out the solution involved turning one valve. That simple fix to a potentially explosive problem generated $100,000 in benefits during a worldwide platinum shortage. If you want to hear more from Mike, an earlier in-depth interview with MoreSteam CEO Bill Hathaway captures his experiences during the early development of Six Sigma at Motorola. He also explains how the methodology evolved, spread to other organizations, and eventually incorporated Lean thinking. Read the interview and explore the history of Lean Six Sigma. Mike and host Dan Swartwout also discuss AI in continuous improvement. Drawing from a recent presentation he gave to the ASQ Buffalo Section, Mike shares a statistic that should make any quality professional think twice: a leading AI tool was running at just 86% accuracy. That's a 14% error rate, nowhere near six sigma. Mike's take is simple. Read the output, but check the numbers and don't trust AI without independent verification. Even though Mike embraces the math behind Lean Six Sigma, he can still read a room. Listen to this episode and you'll be better at both. In this episode, you will hear about: 0:24 - Mike's introduction to Lean Six Sigma 3:08 - Mike's introduction to MoreSteam 4:04 - Continuous improvement deployments across the world 9:44 - How Mike works with leaders 10:53 - Working with Jack Welch 17:13 - The common trait of successful leaders 18:10 - Lessons learned from Mike's time in the Marines 20:09 - Mike's thoughts on "quick wins" 20:47 - Fixing the unfixable smelter 25:06 - Mike's AI presentation to ASQ Buffalo 27:07 - Verifying the accuracy of AI output 30:23 - Standup comedy and continuous improvement 31:19 - Being able to read the room 34:00 - The need for rigorous statistical analysis 38:47 - MoreSteam and Mike Additional Resources: Mike Carnell on LinkedIn Carnell Holdings (https://csinternationalconsulting.com/) Mike Carnell AMA on Reddit MoreSteam's Website (https://www.moresteam.com/) MoreSteam's YouTube Channel Quality Time With MoreSteam on Facebook Quality Time With MoreSteam on Instagram Quality Time With MoreSteam on LinkedIn MoreSteam on LinkedIn Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube

Who has been a guest on Quality Time With MoreSteam

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Michael Hathaway
• Dr Mary Reich Cooper
• Michael Anderson
• Raquel Chase-Kelly
• James Perry

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

103,443

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

9 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 54 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

63

Social presence

0

YouTube

82

Engagement

32

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Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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