What do you do when your fab shop isn’t broken—but you know it could be better?

In this episode, Alfonso Aramburo joins us from Southern California to talk about the work he does turning around underperforming manufacturing companies. But his approach isn’t about flashy strategy or instant fixes—it’s about people, process, and product, in that order.

Alfonso breaks down the three core problems most shops face, why culture is the engine that drives real improvement, and how small, consistent action wins out over big, clunky systems every time.

This episode is for the shop owners trying to get out of fire-fighting mode, the leaders stuck in the weeds, and the folks who know their team could run smoother—but aren’t sure where to start.

You'll learn:

• The three issues every struggling fab shop has in common
• Why communication—not tools—is the real problem
• How to build a process system without SOP overload

Timestamps: 01:06 – Welcome to MakingSparks 03:10 – Alfonso’s background in lean manufacturing and turnaround leadership 06:15 – The only 3 problems shops ever really have 08:22 – Why leadership is usually the real people problem 13:00 – Building trust by creating safe space for growth 17:32 – How culture actually drives performance 21:01 – When to start building processes (and how to keep them simple) 26:13 – Using single-point lessons to document and sustain change 30:11 – The DMAIC framework and why most fixes fail from the start 34:52 – Aligning your team before adding a new product or service 39:00 – Why misalignment between departments tanks your product quality 45:11 – Final thoughts on capability, communication, and long-term growth

Resources: Lights Out podcast by MakingChips: https://makingchips.com/show/lights-out/ By The Numbers with Mike Payne: https://makingchips.com/show/buy-the-numbers/