Innovation in Action

Nitya Iyer and Sanja Monteiro, ASQ Innovation TC
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This podcast is for anyone who wants to learn more about what is happening in innovation today and for anyone who wants to make Innovation happen. We talk with innovators who are making contributions globally, across business, academia, government, and not-for-profit entities. The podcast is brought to you by the ASQ Innovation Technical Community, which is part of the American Society for Quality. "Innovation is something new that makes people happy." - Peter Merrill

  1. 11/14/2025

    Democratizing Innovation: New Quality Tools for Every Worker with Mark Alarik

    How do you make quality and continuous improvement part of everyone's job, not just the quality department's?  In this episode, we sit down with Mark Alarik, a continuous improvement project strategist and ASQ-certified LSSGB (Lean Six Sigma Green Belt) with over 20 years of experience driving transformation across manufacturing, tech, healthcare, and more. Mark breaks down how to make quality everyone's job, not just a single department's. We dive into the power of systems thinking, "driving out fear" to create psychological safety, and why frontline worker insights are critical for innovation. Mark also shares a practical vision for replacing static SOPs with a dynamic "Quality Operating Procedures" (QOP) platform to embed continuous improvement directly into the daily workflow. Join us for a masterclass (change to an insightful conversation) on turning continuous improvement from a siloed function into an everyday reality for every single worker.

    17 min

  2. 08/26/2025

    Innovative Onboarding: Quality Tools and Strategies for Hiring Managers with Tracy Owens

    In this episode, Tracy Owens, Lean Six Sigma and innovation expert at Ohio State, shares how hiring managers can use quality tools to accelerate onboarding and foster early innovation. He discusses balancing structured training with flexibility, adopting impactful onboarding tools, measuring success, and applying human-centered design to enhance the new hire experience. Tracy also highlights strategies for inclusivity and building cross-functional collaboration to nurture a systems-thinking mindset from day one. Practical insights for leaders aiming to create agile, engaged, and innovative teams.

    24 min

  3. 05/03/2025

    Systems Thinking for Innovation with Mark Alarik

    In this episode, Mark Alarik, Continuous Improvement Project Strategist and Manager at GM Alarik, talks about the concept of systems thinking for driving innovation. Mark shares the foundational principles of systems thinking and explains how understanding the whole system—not just individual parts—can lead to more effective, future-ready solutions. He discusses how organizations can identify hidden constraints, unlock untapped value, and leverage cross-departmental collaboration for innovation. Mark also addresses the leadership mindset needed to remove systemic barriers and embrace transformation, especially during times of crisis. Drawing on over 20 years of experience across multiple industries, he highlights real-world examples and offers strategies for leaders to foster a culture of collaboration and innovation.

    22 min

  4. 12/16/2024

    Innovation in the Legal Sector with Jackie Jolly

    In this episode, Jackie Jolly, Senior Manager of E-Discovery Technology and Quality Management at Fox Rothschild LLP and Chair-Elect of the ASQ Innovation Division, dives into innovation in the legal sector. Jackie unpacks the critical differences between the practice of law and the business of law, discusses the current challenges facing the legal industry, and explores how innovation management principles can help address these issues. She also shares valuable insights about her experience working in the legal industry as an innovation professional and highlights opportunities for driving meaningful change.

    25 min

  5. 08/31/2024

    Artificial Intelligence and Innovation with Ron Young

    Leading international Knowledge Management expert, Ron Young, joins us again for a stimulating conversation about Artificial Intelligence and the intersect with Innovation and Knowledge Management. We break down the differences between knowledge, intelligence, and learning in humans and machines, and hear Ron's perspective about the future implications of AI. Ron also provides insights on recent developments with ISO standards on AI and Knowledge Management, and shares about the EU AI Act of 2024.

    28 min

  6. 07/08/2024

    A first look at the Innovation Management Standard, ISO56001, with Peter Merrill

    In this episode Peter Merrill, founding member of the ASQ Innovation TC and project lead on the Innovation Standard ISO 56001 shares an inside look into the Innovation Management Standard that is due to be published in September. Peter talks about the structure of the standard, its application for serial innovation, and the steps required to become certified.

    25 min

  7. 03/18/2024

    Organizing for Innovation with Lana Eilertson and Ashley Dickens

    Lana Eilertson and Ashley Dickens, co-leads of the Innovation Network at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), share about their unique process of organizing their teams for innovation. Listen in as they talk about fostering an innovation culture, encouraging a "how might we" mindset. Lana and Ashley provide insight into how they created collaborative cross-functional partnerships not only within TVA but also with external partners across industry and academia. Tune in to hear about their learnings and successes in engaging senior leaders in innovation activities.

    25 min

  8. 12/21/2023

    Adjacent Innovation with Dan Jones

    In this episode Dan Jones, Quality Manager at BSH Home Appliances and past chair of the ASQ Innovation Division, talks about the concept of adjacent innovation, the idea of creating demand for innovation through breakthrough innovation. Dan provides insights into what current challenges we might be able to address that breakthrough innovation has brought with it, and shares how sustainability and Right First Time can help us deliver impactful adjacent innovations.

    25 min
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About

This podcast is for anyone who wants to learn more about what is happening in innovation today and for anyone who wants to make Innovation happen. We talk with innovators who are making contributions globally, across business, academia, government, and not-for-profit entities. The podcast is brought to you by the ASQ Innovation Technical Community, which is part of the American Society for Quality. "Innovation is something new that makes people happy." - Peter Merrill

Information

  • Creator
    Nitya Iyer and Sanja Monteiro, ASQ Innovation TC
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2025
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Nitya Iyer and Sanja Monteiro, ASQ Innovation TC
  • Show Website
    Innovation in Action