The world needs more homes. The world also has too much plastic. Perhaps the only thing those two problems have in common is that they’re hard to solve.

Atlas Building Composites, a spinout of MIT, is on a mission to address both problems with a single solution. The company has developed an AI-powered robotic manufacturing platform capable of turning single-use plastics into…

According to Shigeo Shingo, a subtle but important distinction exists between problem-solving and continuous improvement.

I grew up in manufacturing with the idea that problem solving was standardization kaizen: a means to return flagging process performance to an established standard. For example, when a machine suddenly began producing defects, a team gathered, progressively…

Difficult decisions don’t end once you’ve made them. The biggest challenges come with execution risk. Does your decision get carried out the way you wanted it to? The key to successful execution is good change management.

If you want to make a successful executive decision, communicate the rationale for the decision to the broader organization. Lay out the context for your…