Kirkwood Lean Process training program offers skills and solutions in six-part course
“Can we do more with less? Can we do a job faster and better, too? Is there a smarter way to do business?”
Those are the types of questions small business owners and management professionals face all the time. A comprehensive series of classes through Kirkwood Community College aims to focus attention and build skills in the methods of “workplace lean” processes.
One local manufacturer using Lean business processes is Midwest Metal Products of Cedar Rapids. Human Resources Manager Yvonne Hoth says her company “kind of lives and breathes” the strategies throughout the company.
“We build Lean concepts into every aspect of our value stream here. Those efficiencies have allowed Midwest Metal Products to not only sustain ourselves in the current economy, but prosper. It’s a ‘win/win’ for our customers and our company, too,” Hoth observed.
The Kirkwood Lean Process Improvement Specialist Certificate program will prepare people with current techniques and strategies for modern manufacturing and office decisions. Kirkwood Continuing Education trainers will lead participants through six training sessions. Completion of the series will give students an official certification in Lean Process Improvement.
All classes will be held on Tuesday afternoons at the Kirkwood Center on the south side of the main Cedar Rapids campus, 7725 Kirkwood BLVD SW. Courses in the series include:
• Foundations of Lean: What is lean? Where did it come from? How do you use it effectively? Foundations of Lean will help answer all of those question and more. Participants will gain a basic understanding of the history of lean, the elements, rules & tools of lean and how it is used to assist organizations when implementing change. This course will be held in three sessions, Nov. 9, 16 and 30.
• 5S Workspace Organization: “5S” is one of many important tools used within the lean method to help create and maintain order. You will learn how to assess an area and apply a systematic approach to create order and efficiency within a workspace. You will also create systems to help maintain improvements over the long term. This two-session class is set for Dec. 7 and 14.
• Lean Mapping Tools: What is a value stream map? What is a process map? What is the difference between the two? Throughout this class, you will learn the answers to those questions and many more. You will also learn how to create a map, the common language and icons associated with maps, and how to use the maps to create a plan for the future. These principles will be applied in a hands-on project. This course is in two sessions, Jan. 11 and 18, 2011.
• Standardized Work: Creating Consistency for Ensuring Quality: Would you like to work smarter rather than work harder? Learning how to standardize work can help. In this course, you will learn what is standardized work, the importance of standardized work, who should create standardized work, and how to standardize work. This one-session class will be held Feb. 1.
• A3: A Problem Solving Tool: “A3” is a useful method to help solve workplace problems and develop thinking problem solvers in your organization. In this class you will learn about the concepts behind A3 thinking, the parts and development of an A3 document and the uses and benefits of A3s. This one-session class will be held Tuesday, Feb. 8.
• Lean: Real World Application: This final offering will bring Workplace Lean strategies to life in practical situations. In this capstone class, you will continue to study real world Lean applications and learn how to apply the techniques and knowledge. There will discussions about potential challenges, ideas to overcome and necessary roles. This is a two-session course, Feb. 15 and 22.
The courses are taught by a team of instructors with decades of workplace experience in manufacturing and business strategy, plus many more years of training experience in the public and private sectors.
Tuition for the complete series is $995. Individual modules of the series are also available, with tuition from $299 to $99 depending on the sessions desired.
More information on the Lean Process Improvement series and registration is available online at www.kirkwood.edu/ktos .
Information is also available from Program Developer Danielle Allen via e-mail: