n Episode 9 of Lean Coffee Talk, Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh begin with World Cup observations that turn into a broader discussion about process measures, results, technology, officiating, and why referees are rarely the primary reason a team loses.
Over coffee—cold brew for Mark and a pour-over for Jamie—they examine Toyota’s work with coffee farmers in Thailand. Through irrigation improvements, standardized work, experimentation, and a long-term focus on quality, the farmers raised their coffee’s cupping score from commercial grade to specialty quality.
The conversation then moves to automation in the auto industry. Mark and Jamie discuss Hyundai’s plans to deploy Boston Dynamics’ humanoid Atlas robots, worker concerns about job security, and the potential to use automation for work that is dirty, dangerous, or dull. They also examine the misleading appearance of cause and effect when GM lays off more than 1,000 workers while adding 50 robots.
They then turn to Ford’s long-running struggle to make quality a lasting priority. What does it mean to build a quality culture? How much responsibility belongs to manufacturing, engineering, product design, or leadership? And why must engineers go to the gemba to understand whether a product is realistically—and robustly—designed for production?
Finally, Mark and Jamie critique Burger King’s attempt at a quality turnaround, including its new “Your Way Champion” role. Is this another attempt to inspect quality into the product, or a useful shift in management attention toward customers and execution? They also consider the risks of advertising an improved customer experience before the operating system can deliver it consistently.