Problem Solved: The IISE Podcast

Across industries, teams are solving massive, complex challenges — but too often, those breakthroughs stay hidden inside their organizations. The IISE Innovation Cup, sponsored by the University of Tennessee Knoxville, changes that. It gives teams a global stage to showcase measurable results, real-world impact, and the power of industrial and systems engineering in action.

In this episode of Problem Solved, we take you inside the Innovation Cup- what it is, why it matters, and what great innovation truly looks like.

You’ll hear from:
 • Tom Mazzone, Innovation Cup committee member, on why the Cup exists and how it elevates ISE work
• Aniket Ramekar (Mayo Clinic), on the digital door-sign project that transformed clinical workflows
• Rishabh Bhandawat (Smurfit WestRock), on optimizing spare-parts inventory
• Bill Harrington, Innovation Cup committee member, on the criteria that separate a good project from a great one

Whether you work in healthcare, manufacturing, supply chain, aerospace, or continuous improvement, this episode will inspire you to look at your systems in a new way — and maybe even submit your own project.

Learn more about the IISE Innovation Cup.

Bill Harrington's unedited interview on IISE Innovation Cup judging criteria:
https://youtu.be/fHlwnq74Hqw

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Learn more about The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE)
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Problem Solved Executive Producer: Elizabeth Grimes
Interested in contributing to the podcast or sponsoring an episode? Email egrimes@iise.org