# S7E30 Steve Riley | Small Improvements, Big ROI: Lessons from the Factory Floor

- Show: [Being an Engineer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer)
- Published: 2026-07-17
- Length: 36m
- Episode: 30
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-07-17-s7e30-steve-riley-small-improvements-big-roi-lessons-from-the-factory-floor

## Summary

Steve Riley, Chief Organization Officer at Bespoke, discusses how to sustain continuous improvement (CI) and 5S practices in manufacturing environments. He explains Bespoke’s digital process for creating custom shadow boards from photos and shares practical tips for tool organization, such as using masking tape to track usage frequency. Riley emphasizes that leadership support and visual standards are critical to preventing CI initiatives from fading after their initial launch.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-07-17-s7e30-steve-riley-small-improvements-big-roi-lessons-from-the-factory-floor#t=0) Introduction and Background
- [3:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-07-17-s7e30-steve-riley-small-improvements-big-roi-lessons-from-the-factory-floor#t=204) Bespoke's Digital Shadow Board Process
- [11:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-07-17-s7e30-steve-riley-small-improvements-big-roi-lessons-from-the-factory-floor#t=660) Case Study: Automation and Lights-Out Manufacturing
- [18:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-07-17-s7e30-steve-riley-small-improvements-big-roi-lessons-from-the-factory-floor#t=1109) Why Continuous Improvement Projects Fail
- [27:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-07-17-s7e30-steve-riley-small-improvements-big-roi-lessons-from-the-factory-floor#t=1638) Practical Tool Organization Tips
- [34:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2026-07-17-s7e30-steve-riley-small-improvements-big-roi-lessons-from-the-factory-floor#t=2058) Future Tech and Contact Info

## Topics

- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Factory operations & automation](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/factory-operations)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Bespoke (company)
- McKinsey (company)
- MOPA fiber laser (tool)
- Pipeline Design & Engineering (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Bringing Lean Manufacturing to Life Through Visual Workspaces w/ Steve Riley](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-12-30-bringing-lean-manufacturing-to-life-through-visual-workspaces-w-steve-riley) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [SOPs , Kaizen Events and Other Keys to Operational Excellence w/ Dave Crysler](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-11-07-sops-kaizen-events-and-other-keys-to-operational-excellence-w-dave-crysler) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [The Brightest Generation: New Leadership in Manufacturing w/ Paul Brauss](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2021-03-16-the-brightest-generation-new-leadership-in-manufacturing-w-paul-brauss) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [The $5 Automation Project Hiding in Your Shop | Ep. 50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lights-out/2026-09-25-the-5-automation-project-hiding-in-your-shop-ep-50) (Lights Out)
- [Adapting to Change: Manufacturing Leadership Excellence w/ Dan Burgos](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2022-04-05-adapting-to-change-manufacturing-leadership-excellence-w-dan-burgos) (The Manufacturing Executive)

## Citing this page

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