Combined with lean technologies, our lean enterprise practice addresses the workforce issues present in developing the lean enterprise. Drawing on organizational effectiveness and high performance workforce principles, our project managers complete VPMEP's professional offering for building the "House of Lean".

Take our fast, free Manufacturing Systems Best Practices Mini-Assessment or Lean Enterprise Mini-Assessment to find out how your company's practices rank among those of other manufacturers.

Introductory Lean Workshops
VPMEP's lean manufacturing workshops are offered by NIST-MEP certified instructors, and are available on-site. Lean Manufacturing workshops can also be used to acquire CEU credits through Virginia Tech.

• Principles of Lean Manufacturing 101 (with live simulation) - Through a mix of classroom and live simulation, participants learn to reduce cycle time up to 90%, improve on-time shipments up to 90%, reduce WIP up to 90%, improve quality up to 50%, and reduce floor space up to 75%. By the end of the session, participants will have transformed a traditional manufacturing or office environment into one focused on lean concepts.
• Value-Stream Mapping for Lean and Six Sigma - As a management tool, a team made up of mid-level managers and executives learn to take a snapshot, and create a map of their current-state (information and product flow). From this, Lean and Six Sigma concepts are applied to identify areas where manufacturing/office performance can be improved.

• Visual Workplace Organization - This workshop helps to transform the factory into a self-explaining, self-regulating, and self-improving work area where what is supposed to happen does happen on time, every time. This workshop is ideal for plant managers, supervisors, office personnel, shop floor associates, and shop floor teams.
• Set-Up Reduction (with live simulation) - This workshop teaches the fundamental principles of set-up reduction based on the pioneering work of Dr. Shigeo Shingo, and his Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) system of set-up reduction. This workshop walks participants through the six-step, set-up reduction process.
• Cellular/Flow Manufacturing (with live simulation) - This workshop takes attendees through the five-step process for designing and implementing work cells for either assembly, or machining applications with heavy emphasis on case studies.
• Pull/Kanban Systems (with live simulation) - This workshop teaches participants how to design and implement a visual, customer-driven pull material replenishment system. Attendees will learn how to implement repetitive pull systems, set up point-of-use material storage, interface with planning systems, and set lot sizes with capacity, not economic order quantity theory.
• Total Productive Maintenance - Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) means tapping into the "hidden capacity" in unreliable, and ineffective equipment. Learn how manufacturers have improved productivity, quality, customer service, and safety levels by reducing unplanned downtime by as much as 40% to 60% through this operator-based maintenance program.
• Lean Performance Measurements - Capturing the right measures is of vital importance to the success of your lean transformation. During this workshop, you will learn an array of tools and techniques for evaluating your lean initiatives.
• Standardized Work / Poka-Yoke Workshop - Having all work done in the same manner, devoid of waste, is a foundation concept of lean manufacturing. It is difficult to set up a cell or reduce changeover time if the processing steps are left up to the discretion of individual workers. This workshop introduces the concepts of standardized work. This is one of the best ways to currently perform an operation or processing step.

General Kaizen Event
This "train & do" event is designed to introduce the concepts of Kaizen (continuous improvement). Participants are introduced to the kaizen methodology and the tools used to measure, analyze, and improve any process. At the end of the event, real measurable improvements in productivity, inventory, floor space, and lead-time reduction will result from the team's efforts.

Lean Supply Chain Management
VPMEP utilizes our Supplier Lean Integration Management (SLIM) process, a modular approach to rapidly develop and deliver solutions that extend the value stream improvements to your business partners. Our proven methods provide project management and consulting expertise to lean out your extended value streams. Combined with our partner organizations in the NIST MEP network, we can deliver consistent solutions to improve overall performance, reduce costs, and improve profitability of your supply chain, worldwide.

Links

• Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME)
  AME is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1985. AME provides to its members an educational opportunity to learn leading-edge techniques and a forum whereby members stay abreast of new and developing management and operational techniques.

• Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI)
  LEI's global mission is to be the leading educators for society in maximizing value and minimizing waste. To accomplish this goal, LEI develops and advances lean principles, tools, and techniques designed to enable positive change.

• Lean Enterprise Research Centre
  The Lean Enterprise Research Centre (LERC) was formed in 1994, bringing together the benchmarking and lean production work of Daniel Jones (together with James Womack of MIT) and the work on supplier development and materials management of Peter Hines.

• Lean On-Line Glossary of Terms
  This on-line resource provides a list of lean manufacturing related terms and definitions.

• Manufacturing Technology Center (MTC)
  MTC in southwestern Virginia is a consortium of five community colleges and is funded by VPMEP, the Commonwealth, Virginia's Center for Innovative Technology, and federal grants. It provides workforce training and manufacturing modernization services in southwestern Virginia.

• National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)
  The National Association of Manufacturers was founded in 1895 to advance a pro-growth, pro-manufacturing policy agenda. More than a century later, the NAM continues to be the leading voice for manufacturers in the United States.

• Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing
  The Shingo Prize recognizes companies that excel in productivity and process improvement, quality enhancement, and customer satisfaction. It is administrated by Utah State University College of Business.

• Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)
  For the first time, the auto industry has a common definition for lean operation, as SAE has published "Identification and Measurement of Best Practice in Implementation of Lean Operation" (SAE J4000), a new document which can be used to identify and measure implementation of lean operation in manufacturing companies. They have also published "Implementation of Lean Operation User Manual" (SAE J4001), which provides instruction for evaluating levels of compliance to SAE J4000.

• Superfactory
  Superfactory is an online resource for knowledge, resources, tools, and communities enabling manufacturing excellence. They also publish several e-newsletters with over 45,000 manufacturing executive subscribers worldwide.

• Technology Applications Center (TAC)
  TAC at Old Dominion University is funded by VPMEP and CIT. It primarily provides faculty-based engineering services to manufacturers for product and process prototype development and testing in the Hampton Roads area and across Virginia.

• University of Kentucky Lean Manufacturing Program
  The UK Center for Robotics and Manufacturing Systems offers a comprehensive program of assistance to companies in all phases of implementing lean manufacturing. Program elements include consultation, workshops, education and training courses, and in-plant workshops designed so that follow-up activities may be conducted by company facilitators.

• Agile Networking
  By George Metes, John Gundry, and Paul Bradish
• Becoming Lean: Inside Stories of U.S. Manufacturers
  By Jeffrey K. Liker
• Beyond Japanese Management: The End of Modern Times?
  By Paul Stewart
• Breaking the Cost Barrier: A Proven Approach to Managing and Implementing Lean Manufacturing
  By Stephen A. Ruffa and Michael J. Perozziello
• Bringing Out the Best in People
  By Aubrey C. Daniels
• 5S for Operators: 5 Pillars of the Visual Workplace
  By Hiroyuki Hirano
• The Goal
  By Eliyahu Goldratt
• Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation
  By James P. Womack and Daniel T. Jones
• Lean Transformation: How to Change Your Business Into a Lean Enterprise
  By Bruce Henderson and Jorge Larco
• Learning to See
  By Mike Rother and John Shook
• The Machine That Changed the World
  By James P. Womack, Daniel T. Jones, and Daniel Roos
• Poka-Yoke: Improving Product Quality by Preventing Defects
  By NKS/Factory Magazine
• Running Today's Factory : A Proven Strategy for Lean Manufacturing
  By Charles Standard and Dale Davis
• The Visual Factory: Building Participation Through Shared Information
  By Michel Grief