Jeff Fuchs is the director of the Maryland World Class Consortia (http://www.mwcmc.org/), and will speak at the California Continuous Improvement Forum in Sacramento on Oct. 7 about how businesses, ag
The California CI Forum is a unique opportunity to learn how Continuous Improvement has been successfully implemented across the country.
Rocklin, CA (PRWEB) September 17, 2014
Lean consortium leaders from Iowa and Maryland will inspire California businesses and organizations to build an internal culture focused on efficiency at an interactive “California Continuous Improvement Forum” on October 7 in Sacramento, sponsored by the Continuous Improvement Network, Institute for Quality Public Services, California Government Operations Agency and Sierra College Center for Applied Competitive Technologies (CACT).
The half-day program, from 11:30 am to 4:30 pm will be held at the Stanley Mosk Library & Courts Building, 914 Capitol Mall in Sacramento CA. The fee to attend is $70, registration is available at http://cacinetwork.com/, and Megan Rainey, Executive Director, Institute for Quality Public Services, can be reached at 916-502-2216 for more information.
According to Carol Pepper-Kittredge, Sierra College CACT, the Forum will provide practical tips based on proven models. “This is a unique opportunity to learn how Continuous Improvement has been successfully implemented across the country,” said Pepper-Kittredge.
Speaker Teresa Hay McMahon, founder of the Iowa Lean Consortium, has over 25 years of public agency experience and will describe the formation of the Iowa private public partnership that adopted Lean methods to positively impact economic development. “The Iowa Business Council, with members such as Rockwell Collins, Inc., Pella Corporation and John Deere, identified issues impacting business and reducing the state’s competiveness,” said McMahon.
“Permitting was a hot issue and companies offered to share Lean methodology with the environmental agency as well as pay for an outside consultant to conduct a Kaizen event,” said McMahon. “As a result, the agency eliminated a backlog of 600 air quality permit applications and reduced the permit processing time from 62 to 6 days. When Continuous Improvement was applied to the waste water treatment construction permit process, turnaround time shrunk from 28 to 4.5 months.”
At the California Forum, McMahon will motivate participants by explaining what makes Lean different from previous initiatives. “Through our experience, I can demonstrate what Lean can do for public agencies,” said McMahon. “The power of Lean is that it requires creativity over capital, engages employees who do the work and generates dramatic results. I’ll also suggest what can be done to get past the skeptics. With the support from industry, the State of Iowa established an Office of Lean Enterprise to overcome objections that Lean tools and approaches wouldn’t work in a government setting.”
Speaker Jeff Fuchs is the director of the Maryland World Class Consortia, a non-profit organization that since 1996 has helped over 110 businesses, agencies and non-profits understand and apply Lean principles. As a result of members improving their operations and achieving performance excellence, they have also strengthened state and regional economies, explained Fuchs.
“The Maryland World Class Consortia has observed that the most successful Continuous Improvement programs involve everyone in the organization making small improvements daily,” said Fuchs. “Taking a singular approach such as only using Kaizen events will only take an organization so far. The key is to identify the right tool for the right problem, define the scope and apply an approach that can be taken to scale throughout the organization.”
At the California Continuous Improvement Forum, Fuchs will explain how the consortium of employers in Maryland works together in an open and sharing community. “What sets our consortium apart is our dedication to helping members build a culture of Continuous Improvement rather than focusing on Lean tools,” said Fuchs. “Participants share their experiences, offer tours and support one another.” The consortium also conducts assessments twice per year for members and offers recommendations to help them refine their efforts.
The forum is being offered through a partnership of the Institute for Quality Public Services, Continuous Improvement Network, California Government Operations Agency, Rex Moore Electrical Contractors & Engineers, Cooper Oats Air Conditioning, and Sierra College CACT.
About Sierra College CACT
Sierra College Center for Applied Competitive Technologies (CACT) is focused on Advanced Manufacturing and is funded through the Workforce and Economic Development program of the California Community College Chancellor’s Office. Since 1992, the Sierra College CACT has provided customized employee training for organizations, manufacturers and technology businesses throughout Northern California. Additional information is available from Carol Pepper-Kittredge, CACT Director, Sierra College at 916-660-7801 or training(at)sierracollege.edu.
