A Day in The Life of a Consultant

In this episode of the Connected Shopfloor Podcast, host Marco Tschan welcomes a specialist who truly understands what happens when the high-level theory of the boardroom meets the gritty reality of the machine. Mike Lane is a veteran of the manufacturing world with over 17 years spent in the trenches of management consulting.

Having optimized operations for global giants like Accenture and Hitachi, Mike’s expertise spans across aerospace foundries, paper mills, and international food and beverage plants. While he is a master of the "nuts and bolts" of performance, focusing on OEE, Lean, and Root Cause Analysis, his secret weapon is actually his background in HR and Sales. This unique combination gives him a distinct edge in tackling the most difficult part of any industrial transformation: changing human behavior.

The conversation dives deep into the "hard truths" of operational change, beginning with a provocative look at why so many "perfect" Lean systems eventually fail. Mike shares his perspective on whether manufacturing actually suffers from technical problems, or if these are simply leadership issues disguised as technical ones. Drawing from his extensive experience conducting DILO (Day In The Life Of) studies, Mike reveals the most common "lies" we tell ourselves about how we spend our time on the shop floor and discusses how much an employee’s behavior truly changes the moment they know they are being observed.

As the episode unfolds, Marco and Mike explore the sensory side of consulting, discussing how a seasoned expert can judge the health of a factory by sound alone. They also tackle the tension between traditional methods and the digital frontier, questioning if the psychological power of a physical whiteboard is being lost in the era of iPads and "Smart Factories." This episode is a masterclass in practical manufacturing wisdom. It concludes with a powerful reflection on Industry 4.0, examining why, even 20 years into the future, we might still be struggling with the same basic human communication issues despite our advanced AI.