What is a Kaizen Event?

Kaizen events have been utilized since the 1980's to improve processes within factories, offices, and healthcare facilities.  However, they are often misunderstood and implemented incorrectly.  We have created a very basic and humorous video explaining the basics of kaizen events.  On March 7th, we are holding a one day workshop that covers this topic: Kaizen Events: 5S, Visual Controls, and Mistake Proofing,

Lean Management: What is Catchball?

Our January 2013 newsletter is out, and our topic for the month is Lean Leadership.  One sub-topic within lean leadership is the concept known as catchball.  Anyone who has been involved in a lean transformation knows that a good working relationship and system for communication between upper management, supervision, and front-line workers is critical to success.  Management sets the vision and goals, but the workers actually have the know-how to make improvements to their processes.  Catchball is one technique for making these relationships work.  We've recently created the following video to explain the concept of catchball.

Lean Certification

We are once again offering our Lean Manufacturing Certification training program in Orange County, California beginning next week on August 15th.  We've been running this program since 2003, and it continues to draw a diverse group of participants.  This program, which runs 2 days per month for 4 months, covers all of the major concepts and methodologies within lean thinking: continuous improvement and kaizen, flow and pull, leveling work, standardized work, mistake proofing, problem solving, team facilitation skills, value stream mapping, and breakthrough kaizen events.  If you are unable to attend this program but are still interested in lean manufacturing certification and training, you might consider our online lean manufacturing certification program or our blended-learning (part instructor-led, part online) lean manufacturing certification program.  Our next blended-learning program will take place in San Diego, CA on October 23-25, 2012.  Below is a brief video that talks about our lean training programs.  To learn more about our training programs, visit our Lean Manufacturing Training page.

Lean Training and Certification Program

EMS Consulting Group, Inc. is offering a blended-learning Lean Certification program in San Diego on July 17-19th.  Early registration pricing for this program ends in 3 days; attendees must register by June 17th to receive a $100 discount.  Early registration pricing for this program is $1595.  The program includes 3 days of interactive, instructor-led training plus self-paced online training as well. Participants will learn how to apply each of the principles and tools of lean including Value Stream Mapping, Continuous Flow Manufacturing Cells, Lean Production Control, Level Pull Production, kanban and pull systems, 5S, quick changeover, TPM, problem solving methods, and kaizen events. Certification requires the completion of a lean manufacturing project to reinforce the learning and achieve real results.    For those that prefer a fully instructor-led program, EMS Consulting Group continues to offer an 8-day program; the next fully instructor-led Lean Manufacturing Certification program begins on August 15th.

Below is a short video that talks about EMS Consulting Group's lean certification and training programs including an Online Lean Certification Program: