Agenda & Presenters

Details:  Hands on learning and practice of the Improvement Kata routine while playing with a deck of cards! This 4-hour workshop is a full dive into the entire Improvement Kata routine.

Details:  Nothing can stop people when they’re engaged and empowered to use their creativity and solve problems that are important to them. Imagine what it would be like to keep those problems from returning! The Wheel of Sustainability is a proven system to do just that

Details:  This presentation will cover how to incorporate Lean tools to increase safety while reducing waste. It will explain how wasteful operations often increase safety risks and the methodologies you can incorporate to identify and remove harmful waste.

Details:  In a world in love with complex and expensive solutions, Lean can offer you hope if you apply it correctly.

Details:  This hands-on workshop offers participants the opportunity to learn and apply the principles of Hoshin Planning, including the use of an X-Matrix to establish top-level goals, a strategic A3 for plant-level supervision, and actionable steps that can be implemented on the shop floor. By equipping attendees with both the mindset and tools necessary for effective planning, this workshop aims to enhance strategic thinking and drive organizational success.

Details:  Learning to See is the first step to grasping the Current Conditions. Value Stream Mapping is a foundational tool when Learning to See but traditionally more complex than the average learner needs in the beginning. In this workshop you will learn what a 6 box Value Stream Map is and how to apply it to your situation. By the end of this workshop, you will be ready to apply this 6-box method to your own work and help others in your organization to see and solve their value stream problems.

Details:  In this interactive workshop, participants will gain a holistic view of the continuous improvement process and its connection to standardized work which, in combination, form the core of workplace excellence.

Details:  “You’ve done a great job.” “I love your work.” How does it feel when someone says something like that to you? Not bad. We all appreciate being acknowledged. The paradox is that as much as we’re all uplifted and energized by authentic praise, we don’t always see ourselves as the source of it.

Details:  Leading a Lean Organization whether a manager or CEO requires skills and behaviors unseen in traditional organizations. Without leadership support, any lean transformation will suffer. How can you as a leader help ensure your team has the resources and systems in place for success? What do you need to do differently to help lead your team forward? What does it mean to be a Leader of a Lean Organization?

Details:  Increasing job satisfaction is no easy feat. In this session, we’ll hear about lessons learned while coaching Unit-Based Teams (UBTs), and the factors that helped some of these frontline-driven process improvement teams succeed while others struggled.

Details:  Any successful Lean initiative exposes hidden problems by lowering the water level. However, many of the exposed technical problems languish due to the inability to identify root cause. Convergent problem solving provides a quick and effective roadmap to identify root cause and develop targeted corrective actions.

Details:  In this presentation, we will share how the State of Vermont has moved away from belt certification to a badge-based training program to enable more personalized learning aligned with individual goals, interests, and schedules. We will discuss how we are applying the Dreyfus Model of Skill acquisition to our new training program, as well as the different mechanisms we have developed for keeping people engaged in continuous improvement outside of training.

Details:  As companies seek to reduce waste and improve operational efficiencies very few organizations look at processes outside of their typical manufacturing space. Sit in to learn the basics of Lean Warehousing with easy to apply tactics to make things flow better and extract waste.

Details:  If you’ve ever wondered how to engage people to participate in meetings, projects, Kaizen events, and other critical situations, this is the session for you!

Details:  Change is the only constant in today's fast-paced work environment. Join us for "Embrace the Squiggle," a compelling session that explores how to successfully adapt to change in the workplace. This session will equip you with the tools and mindset needed to navigate organizational shifts, technological advancements, and evolving job roles.

Details:  A review of how not-for-profits and government organizations can apply the principles of the Toyota Kata Culture by Rother & Aulinger to achieve their strategic objectives.

Details:  During this highly interactive Session, Bob will share his thoughts on the principles of Lean methodology and distinguish between what is considered Lean and what is not. The goal of this is to stimulate critical thinking and encourage participants to ask questions.