Steve Michaelson | The HVAC Bin System That Cut Morning Prep to 15 Minutes

Tom Howard sits down with Steve Michaelson, director of operations at Lee's Air, Plumbing and Heating, to break down the install-bin system that reduced morning prep from as much as two hours to about 15 minutes.Steve explains how vendor-managed inventory, 5S organization, transparent SOPs, and frontline feedback can cut waste without slowing technicians down. They also revisit how Steve adapted the system while overseeing supply chain at Google, where the work earned a Feat of Engineering award.In this episode: Build repeatable install systems around the technician Track parts without making installers manage inventory Find and reward employee-led cost savings Remove bottlenecks from everyday workflows Create a forgiving culture for calculated risksConnect with Tom Howard Linktree: https://linktr.ee/howarddeals Website: https://howarddeals.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@howarddeals Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realtomhoward TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@realtomhoward X: https://x.com/dealshoward