Process Improvement Practioners Show
Are you leading change in your organization? Struggling with inefficiencies, bottlenecks, or outdated processes? Welcome to The Process Improvement Practitioners Show (PIPS)—your go-to podcast for mastering business process improvement, operational excellence, and change leadership.
Hosted by an experienced transformation leader with over 30 years of expertise, this podcast unpacks the real-world challenges and proven strategies for driving impactful change. Whether you’re a seasoned process improvement professional or just getting started, you'll gain actionable insights on Lean, Six Sigma, Agile, and more—without the jargon overload.
Expect deep dives into problem-solving, leadership mindsets, case studies, and the latest trends in process optimization, digital transformation, and continuous improvement. We cut through the corporate buzzwords to deliver practical tools, expert guidance, and real-world success stories—so you can streamline operations, boost efficiency, and create lasting business impact.
Join us on this journey to become a true process improvement wizard. Subscribe now and start making change happen!
Process Improvement Practioners Show
Episode 11: How to Perform a Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
Welcome to the episode nobody wants to sit through but everybody needs.
Today we tackle one of the heaviest (and most valuable) tools in the process-improvement toolbox: the Failure Mode and Effects Analysis — FMEA.
Think of it as the colonoscopy your process never asked for but desperately needs. It’s long, occasionally uncomfortable, and you’ll see things you can’t unsee… but it just might save the patient.
In this episode I walk you through:
- Why FMEA is worth the heroic effort (and how to sell it to your sponsor)
- The exact inputs you need before you dare schedule the first meeting
- Every column in the FMEA template explained (with the gotchas most books forget)
- Real-time facilitation tips so you don’t lose two weeks of your life arguing over whether something is a 4 or a 5
- How to pick the right scoring scale (1-10? 1-5? 1-3-9? I give you my vote and why)
- A live, hands-on example (watch the YouTube version to see the spreadsheet in action)
- How to turn your finished FMEA into measurable proof that your improvement project actually delivered value
If you’ve ever been dropped into a process that’s on fire and nobody can tell you where the risks actually are… this episode is your fire extinguisher.
Video version (with the full live FMEA build): https://youtu.be/XS6xuTNVw14
Leave your war stories, tips, or “I survived an FMEA” scars in the comments — I read every one.
Onwards and Upwards!
