Lean Manufacturing is a strategy for achieving significant improvement in performance through elimination of waste in the total business process. GRCC�s Training Solutions, in partnership with The Right Place Inc., offer community members the learning foundation to transform their organization. This certification program has been designed by practitioners, Lean leaders and academicians as a beginning�of the endless pursuit of continuous improvement. This comprehensive, world-class manufacturing, learning system will help you manage the magnitude of cultural change accompanying the Lean conversion process, no matter where you are in the journey.

How the Program Works

The Lean Champion will earn a certification after completing 17 classes, and a viable Lean Implementation Project for their organization. Participants must achieve an 80% competency score in all classes and complete homework assignments. Each course is designed to enable participants to take the skills and tools from each module and apply them to business processes that drive bottom line results.

Commitment Level

Prior to acceptance into the certification program, your organization must agree to sponsor your efforts. Sponsorship includes time at project meetings, funds and a Value Stream to which you can apply the principles and measure improvements so you can start creating a Continuous Improvement Culture. Time commitment is also a key element of your success in the Lean Champion Program.

Why Choose Our Lean Champion Program?

• Our program requires management commitment: sponsors from upper management are involved in reviewing the project component of the program.
• Early in the program, the champion and sponsor initiate and follow a lean project process for real improvement in your operation.
• Because this is a local program, you save the costs of travel and lodging and through the improvement project there is the possibility of realized gains.
• Training effectiveness is measured in three ways: in-class assessment for knowledge, homework is assigned for application, and a customized project for implementation.
• Besides the measures of training effectiveness, the content of this program is aligned with the Shingo Criteria for Manufacturing Excellence

Core Sessions Dates

Go to GRCC's Training Solutions Lean Workshops for a schedule of dates and time.

Registration Deadline for Certification: August 27, 2009.
Classes may be taken individually without certification.

If you would like additional information about the program please call Dan Keyes at (616) 234-3400. For Course Objectives and Outcomes, go to GRCC's Training Solutions Lean Workshops and click on any of the listed workshops.

Lean focuses on removing waste (wasted time, wasted motion) from any process. Benefits from applying Lean principles are available to any business of any size, in any industry.

The Power of Lean helps companies successfully:
• Eliminate waste
• Reduce scrap and rework
• Reduce process variation
• Increase capacity
• Reduce lead time
• Reduce costs
• Increase productivity
• Increase profit
• Improve cash flow
• Compete with confidence

In partnership with the Michigan Manufacturers Association, The Right Place, Inc./MMTC-West is offering a four-part series of workshops to give your organization the resources you need to successfully implement proven lean techniques that give you the Power of Lean.

Who should attend:
Plant managers, engineers, shift foremen, quality personnel and those charged with implementing positive change

Pricing per session:
$95 for MMA members
$195 for non-members

Location:
RPI/MMTC-West
161 Ottawa NW, Ste. 411, Grand Rapids

Time:
8:00 a.m. to noon

• Provides a thorough knowledge and understanding of world class supply chain management practices and their role in developing and maintaining competitive advantage;
• Provides experience in viewing supply chain situations from the perspective of suppliers to and customers of manufacturers;
• Provides an introduction to the tools and applications used in supply chain process evaluation and re-engineering;
• Provides experience and feedback in the use of both qualitative and quantitative data analysis; and
• Provides a knowledge baseline documenting supply chain management best practices.

This series will be offered in two 15-week modules. Module One delves into marketing and supply chain management concepts. Module Two concentrates on supply chain management processes.

The program's structure is based upon the graduate-level Supply Chain Management concentration in The Eli Broad Graduate School of Management at Michigan State University, The Broad School's Supply Chain Management Program is consistently ranked as one of the best in the country.

January 15 - December 10, 2009. Steelcase University Learning Center, Grand Rapids. Download the brochure for more information. (PDF, 168 KB)