Friday, August 24, 2012
Getting Lean for Your Company and Your Career
Lean philosophy has a customer-focused mindset that aims to build value and eliminate waste. It is a continuous cycle of improvement, standardizing positive changes and then re-evaluating for further development. The term was first used in a MIT Masters thesis in the 1980s, but the principles come from Japanese manufacturing. For more of an overview, Oakland University's Pawley Lean Institute offers a
free one hour webinar with more information and a general background on
lean thinking.
The lean philosophy doesn't only apply to manufacturing. The
Environmental Protection Agency provides information no only on lean
manufacturing, which can have environmental benefits, but on the
advantages of lean government. Lean principles can be applied to
patient flow in health care facilities. In explaining the 8 wastes, a
core concept in lean thinking, PLI gives examples from manufacturing and
general office operations. The article Does everything really matter?
Using 5S for guidance by PLI professor Dr. Shannon Flumerfelt discusses
how educators can use lean tools, as well.
The Pawley Lean Institute -- now located at the Macomb-OU INCubator --
was established in 2002 with a $1 million contribution by Dennis Pawley,
an OU alumnus and former executive vice president of manufacturing for
Chrysler Corporation. PLI offers undergraduate, graduate, and training
courses. Two programs begin soon: |
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Lean operations are based on
pull, not push. |
Startup Lean
The Macomb-OU INCubator is
offering a new Startup Lean program, running September 11, 18 and 25,
2012, as part of the OU Lean Diversification Program. Regular scheduled sessions: 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Startup Lean is designed to help startups get off on the right foot by
learning how to use valuable Lean principles to be as efficient,
creative and successful as possible from day one to full business
maturity. In this class you will learn: about Lean principles, how they
can help startups, how to increase your value-added time, shorten your
product development and supply-chain processes, measure actual progress
and ask customers what they really value. Attend this class to learn how
to leverage human creativity, become agile and make your processes more
efficient, which will ensure more value-added time to do what you love
to do - being an entrepreneur and helping our great state of Michigan.
The Startup Lean program is currently open for registration, which can be completed at the Oakland University Professional and Continuing Education website.
The CRN for this course is 90073.
A 15% discount is available is Michigan Lean Consortium members. Enter Coupon Code CELD30000M before proceeding to payment. Proof of membership will be required after registration.
Please e-mail macINC@oakland.edu for further inquiries.
Lean Green Belt Certificate
The Macomb-OU INCubator is
offering the six-part series Lean Green Belt Certificate program,
running October 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 and December 11, 2012, as part of the
OU
Lean Diversification Program. Regular scheduled sessions: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Participants in the Green Belt Certificate program will gain the ability
to tackle targeted concerns within a company's value stream or
operations, apply Lean principles to focused areas of the business and
recommend ideas for culture change.
The Green Belt Certificate requires 44 hours of classroom and online
coursework. During the course, you will complete a Green Belt-level
project that demonstrates the concepts of Lean and makes an impact on
the business model. A certified Green Belt should be able to facilitate
Lean projects and apply Lean principles that complement your current
role in your company.
The Lean Green Belt Certificate program is currently open for registration, which can be completed at the Oakland University Professional and Continuing Education website.
The CRN for this course is 90084.
Fully grant-subsidized spots are available to qualified companies for the full tuition amount of $600. Please follow this link to apply, or contact macINC@oakland.edu for further inquiries.
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