One course of Optima’s three-course TWI Certification Program, this one-day workshop focuses on developing the skills required to train employees effectively so that they can perform their job tasks correctly, completely and independently. Based on the TWI JI training approach, you will: • Learn the 4-step training technique to effectively train new and existing employees to […]
4-Day Lean Leader Workshop
This 4-day interactive Lean Leader workshop will cover the relationships between lean tools, organizational leadership, and organizational culture. By exploring these relationships and practicing the skills we share each day, your leaders and your organization will begin behaving and thinking “lean”. While the workshop emphasizes tools and techniques, significant time will be spent on how […]
Leader Standard Work for LEAN LEADERSHIP
By Christian Wolcott
What is your standard as a Manager or a Leader? Some insight; in vibrant, progressive organizations that strive to integrate continuous improvement with running the business, you need to be both an effective manager and leader fundamentally becoming a Lean Leader. The challenge is creating a standard that comprises both sets of skills and approaches. […]
Lean Yardstick
By Steven Hirt
Thinking about how the Lean Business System and its principles can influence your business is paramount and a key component of establishing your True North. Lean, although filled with tools, is by its very nature a people system. At its very foundation is respect for people. This does not mean just “being nice”, it means […]
Industry 4.0
Leadership of any organization is charged with determining ‘its’ future – where it is headed, how to address it and when – whether to come in early, late, or miss it. Scott Anthony, a Harvard professor once said: “Signs suggesting the looming need for transformation aren’t always obvious, and they are never unmistakable until it’s […]
Paint Your People Gold
By Christian Wolcott
People closest to the work have the best ideas of how and what to change. Let’s examine this simple yet powerful statement. First people, which ones are we talking about? The employees. Which employees? The hardworking folks that directly handle and build the products and provide the services your customers receive. They are the people […]
Creating a “One Company” Culture
By Steven Hirt
In meeting with a new president of a company over a cup of coffee this morning, it dawned on me how hard creating a “one company” culture really is. Reflecting over my years of helping organizations envision, develop and execute strategy, I considered how difficult it is to make these simple words reality. I don’t think […]
Standard Work – MN Continuous Improvement Consortium event
Standard Work is repeatable, safe and reliable operations, with all tasks organized in the best known sequence using the most effective combination of people, material, machines and methods. In essence, it is the single best documented recipe for accomplishing work. It builds on tribal knowledge and best practices, tips, tricks and workarounds that hard-working people […]
SIC – Short Interval Control
Short Interval Control is a process that involves identifying and implementing effective counter-measures to improve performance in repeated cycles. Through the observation of a given indicator, we can highlight the variation, which would otherwise have been ‘greyed out’ by averaging, using shorter intervals. Short Interval Control meetings are performed multiple times per shift utilizing good […]
Problem Solving
In the powerful world of continuous improvement, PROBLEMS are to be celebrated! Join us for Breakfast as we chat about PRACTICAL PROBLEM SOLVING. We will quickly examine tools and techniques that make for more effective problem management. Problem Perception – Can we articulate in an objective way? Clarify the issue and “the Gap” – Can […]