Ep86 Summer Series: Capability before complexity – Thinking skills outperform tools

One of the biggest myths in modern operations is that performance problems can be fixed with better tools. Dashboards, automation and system upgrades promise clarity, but often amplify the very capability gaps holding organisations back.  Drawing on insights from guests on previous episodes of Exc…

Ep85 Summer Series: Disruption, Priorities, and Unexpected Clarity

After five intense weeks in Sri Lanka filled with family, friends, and nonstop catch-ups, Ishan is recording this episode in Thailand – off schedule and completely off script! This part of the journey was meant to slow things down. Instead, the last three days turned into a masterclass in disruptio…

Ep84 Summer Series: People, not tools, are the real engine of excellence

When organisations want to lift performance, they usually reach for new tools, new systems, new dashboards. But here’s the truth: tools don’t change culture — people do. Excellence has never been a technology problem. It’s always been a people game.  Over the past couple of years of Excellence Unl…

Ep83 Summer Series: Automation without discipline Is expensive chaos

In this special summer edition of Excellence Unlocked, Ishan brings some of the best insights from past guests – starting with a critical lesson for manufacturers, warehouses, and supply chain leaders everywhere. Yes, automation can reduce labour costs. Yes, it can drive efficiency. But done badly?…

Ep82 New Year, Better Systems

As the clock ticks down to midnight, Ishan looks ahead to the fresh start that 1 January brings and the goals we so often set with the best intentions Lasting progress comes not from ambition alone, but from the systems, habits, and processes built into everyday life and work. Whether the goal is i…

Ep81 The Power of the Pause: Celebrating Wins That Drive Excellence

When is there a better time than on Christmas Eve to reflect on the power of celebration? In the rush to deliver projects, transformations, and results, it’s easy to move straight on to the next challenge without pausing to reflect. Ishan explores why stopping to recognise progress, acknowledge ach…

Ep80 The hidden power of a tidy, intentional workplace

True efficiency isn’t about adding more bells and whistles; it’s about ditching the clutter that’s slowing you down. The big idea is simple: when your workspace and processes aren’t a scavenger hunt, everything runs smoother. Enter the 5S approach—sort, set in order, shine, standardise and sustain—…

Ep79 The lean origin story: how greatness gets built

Continuous improvement didn’t appear out of nowhere; it evolved over more than a century of problem-solving and innovation. The story begins in the early 1900s with Henry Ford, who reshaped manufacturing through the moving assembly line, standardised work and the relentless removal of waste.  Afte…

Ep78 Unlocking excellence by seeing what others overlook

A casual fruit-picking weekend proves that powerful lessons in business excellence often come from the simplest places. Today, Ishan turns that moment into three principles that drive meaningful improvement: seeing familiar processes with fresh eyes, pursuing opportunities others overlook, and appl…

Ep77 How KAIs, not KPIs, unlock daily excellence

Standards on paper mean little when teams model what they see, not what they’re told. Many organisations remain stuck in “third gear,” weighed down by disengagement, reactive leadership and KPIs (key performance indicators) that only surface issues after the fact. Ishan unpacks how KAIs (key activi…