Jennifer Ayers, Author at NWHPEC

30Jul 2024 by Jennifer Ayers

Lean 101 (6-week series) starts Sept 10th (Class is FULL)

Join us on a journey to discover the basic elements of lean principles and see the impact they make when you put them into practice. This course consists of six, one-hour classes focused on the foundational elements of lean. During this course, you will learn more about the history/background of lean, why these principles are important to creating a culture of excellence, standard work, 8 wastes, 5S, PDCA, and visual management. Each week will include instruction, discussion, and simulations followed by small project assignments between each class to help you practice the concepts in your own environment.Lean 101 is a beginning-level course that teaches participants the basic concepts of Lean Thinking. It is suitable for those who work in office or manufacturing environments and includes many real-world examples from a…

30Jul 2024 by Jennifer Ayers

Lean Leadership Skills to Engage the Heart, Head, and Hands (3H) – Starts Sept 18th (FULL)

Application~, Classes, Developing People~, Leadership~

A day in the life of a Leader can be challenging. Leaders are faced with pressures from the business (quality, delivery, productivity) along with the often highly emotional demands of managing people. Your people are the foundation and critical link to the success of your business. To be an effective leader, one must first develop an understanding of and a system for building and maintaining relationships (engaging the heart 💜). Culture begins with us. If we are not primed to emulate the core values and culture of our organization, we can’t expect our team members to consistently perform and respond to situations and problems in ways we expect by engaging their critical thinking skills (using their head 😊). Unleashed potential is a hidden gem within your team/organization. The leading indicator for morale and engagement is the willingness of our employees to step…

30Jul 2024 by Jennifer Ayers

Lean Happy Hour – Sept 19th

Events

It's time to connect, socialize, and network while enjoying some tasty food and beverages! Our "westside" Happy Hour is scheduled for Thursday, Sept 19, 2024 from 4-6:30pm. Please join us! This is a great opportunity to get to know others in the consortium better and to geek out on lean topics. Location: Lazy Days Brewing Co. 4505 SW Watson, Beaverton RSVP link

30Jul 2024 by Jennifer Ayers

Benchmarking Tour: Hardwood Industries – Aug 28th

Events, Learning Tours

Host company: Hardwood Industries is a value-added wholesaler and distributor of quality hardwood lumber and related products and services, dedicated to providing superior customer service and rewarding employment. “Here, our customers always come first, regardless of their size, their volume of business or their location. No sale is too small, too difficult, or too large for us. We always focus on the question, “Does it work for our customer?” As a result of this philosophy, we have built long-term relationships with loyal customers, and we continue to develop new, satisfied customers.” Tour Summary: Hardwood Industries began their Continuous Improvement journey in 2012. They continue to focus on small, 1-degree shifts every day that improve overall performance. This has led to the creation of documented training modules for critical tasks and functions, and utilizing…

13Jun 2024 by Jennifer Ayers

Sustaining Lean: Peer Insights – July 24

Member Sharing, Webinar

Sustaining Lean Are you curious about what it takes to SUSTAIN a Lean Culture? Join us for a webinar where members share their experiences and best practices on sustaining lean and continuous improvement within their organization. Event: Sustaining Lean: Peer InsightsDate/Time: July 24th, 11:30-12:30pm (Pacific)Platform: Online via ZoomCost: Free for NWHPEC members In this member-to-member sharing session, you'll gain valuable insights directly from your peers who have successfully navigated the challenges of maintaining lean practices over the long term. This interactive webinar is designed to foster an open exchange of ideas, strategies, and practical solutions that you can introduce in your own organization. What You'll Learn: Real-World Success Stories: Hear about their journey in sustaining lean improvements and the tangible benefits they've achieved. Overcoming Challenges: Discover effective tactics for addressing common obstacles such as employee resistance,…

13Jun 2024 by Jennifer Ayers

The Bench – July 22

Benchmark Request

To increase the opportunities for each of our members to collaborate, share, and learn from each other we are inviting you to join us at The Bench on the 22nd of each month. Two benchmarking topics: Choose to discuss 1) Gaining Executive Leadership Sponsorship (Engaging Execs) or 2) Problem Solving (we split into breakout rooms) The Bench is an open-forum exchange of best practices. In July, we’ll split into self-assigned groups and focus on the list of topics below. 1) Gaining Executive Leadership Sponsorship - Let's talk about how to engage your executives in your CI journey. What has worked? What hasn't? 2) Problem Solving – What methods do you use? How do you grow this important skill? What are your wins/challenges? Date: July 22, 2024 Time: 2-2:55pm (Pacific) Registration: available for NWHPEC members…

28May 2024 by Jennifer Ayers

Value Stream Mapping

Application~, Foundational~, Intermediate~

This two-day class is beneficial for those looking to learn how to document, analyze and improve the flow of information or materials required to produce a product or service for a customer. We will be mapping a process chosen by our host company, this is not a simulation. This can be applied in manufacturing, office, or service. Key Concepts: Understand how to see the flow of value across a value stream Visualize functional areas of work and how they interact Identify waiting and waste in workflows Resolve misperceptions across different departments Build a description of your desired future state and determine the next best step to get there Pre-requisite: Completion of the Introduction to Lean/Lean 101 class or a similar class/experience is required. Audience: Learners with some lean background and knowledge of…

Author: Jennifer Ayers