Robot-Lean: Synthesizing Automation and Lean Manufacturing w/ Alex Webster

Alex Webster, Founder and CEO of SDMS Robotics, shares his unconventional journey from film school graduate to CNC machinist and ultimately to robotics entrepreneur. In this conversation, Alex pulls back the curtain on the real-world challenges facing machine shops today, from labor shortages to high operational costs of floor space. He also illustrates how success in modern machine shops isn’t just about adding robots to existing processes. It’s about rethinking and reshaping those processes to find a balance between traditional lean principles and the forward-looking opportunities automation creates.