27Jan 2025 by Jennifer Ayers
5S Gemba Walk – Feb 20th

5S Gemba Walk – Feb 20th

Learning Tours
Oregon Tool has invited us out for an onsite visit to see their 5S program in action.  What we’re doing… To gain a deeper understanding and generate new ideas for implementing 5S in your facility, observing how other organizations have successfully applied these principles can be invaluable. Oregon Tool has generously invited NWHPEC members for a Gemba Walk at their facility. This event, similar to an in-person Special Interest Group meeting, will include introductory remarks, a walkthrough to observe their 5S practices (including sustaining tools), followed by a group discussion. Date: Thursday, Feb 20th Time: 2-3:30pm Location: Oregon Tool 4909 SE International Way, Portland, OR 97222 (Map link) Interested? Members can email [email protected], include name, email, job title.  Initially limited to two attendees per company. PPE: Close toed shoes are…
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01Jan 2025 by Jennifer Ayers
Leader Standard Work – Feb 7th (virtual) FULL

Leader Standard Work – Feb 7th (virtual) FULL

Application~, Beginner~, Classes, Leadership~
Class Description The Feb 7th class is full; reach out if you're interested in this topic so we can hold another class if there is enough interest. It's time to learn and apply Leader Standard Work to your daily routine! The true purpose of leadership is to empower and develop your employees so they can achieve awesome things.  To accomplish this, you need a standard way of working that will allow you to maximize your efficiency and impact while fulfilling your most important duty to your people.As the whirlwind takes over our day, we quickly lose control of our priorities.  Once we fall into firefighting mode, our ability to improve and sustain processes and activities becomes secondary.  This is where Leader Standard Work (LSW) comes into play.  LSW is the…
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23Dec 2024 by Jennifer Ayers
Coaching for Engagement – March 7

Coaching for Engagement – March 7

Application~, Classes, Developing People~, Leadership~
Class Summary The true role of a leader is a coach. This includes coaching to develop, coaching to improve, and coaching to engage. Engagement comes when people feel supported and trusted to make decisions and to accept failures as learning opportunities. This class focuses on teaching the foundational skills required to create engagement within your team. When done effectively, coaching for engagement helps develop capability and creates motivation to innovate, improve, and solve problems. This course will teach you a different approach to conversations, ones that focus on development vs. just sharing information. This ultimately translates into a team that is motivated, engaged, and empowered to drive improvement and solve problems.Join us for this interactive four hour in person class to learn the critical coaching skills that allow you to…
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22Dec 2024 by Jennifer Ayers
Lean 101 (6-week virtual series) starts Jan 22 (FULL – both sessions)

Lean 101 (6-week virtual series) starts Jan 22 (FULL – both sessions)

Beginner~, Classes
Lean 101 - Winter 2025 series starting soon... Our Winter sessions are full. Reach out if you are interested in taking our Spring series which will start up mid-April. 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…
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22Dec 2024 by Jennifer Ayers
Value Stream Mapping Workshop – Jan 7,9,14,16 (1/2 days, in person) FULL

Value Stream Mapping Workshop – Jan 7,9,14,16 (1/2 days, in person) FULL

Application~, Classes, Intermediate~
Availability: FULL; reach out to be placed on the waitlist This 16-hour workshop 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. While analyzing one of Stumptown Coffee Roaster’s value streams, participants will document the current state, identify and document a future state, and create specific steps to help Stumptown move toward their ideal future state. This is an excellent opportunity to learn and practice one of the key Lean tools.  The focus of the VSM will be order to shipment of one of their product lines. Key Concepts:• Understand how to see the flow of value across a value stream• Visualize functional areas of work and how they interact•…
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05Nov 2024 by Jennifer Ayers
Book Club – Bringing Scientific Thinking To Life – weekly, Nov 15-Dec 13

Book Club – Bringing Scientific Thinking To Life – weekly, Nov 15-Dec 13

Book Club
Join our next Book Club. We'll be reading Bringing Scientific Thinking To Life: An introduction to Toyota Kata for next-generation business leaders (and those who would like to be) by Sylvain Landry. This is a fun, casual way to read and discuss a thought-provoking book and participate in some great conversations along the way.  Purchase the book and join us. Jennifer will send you the official reading schedule after you register. We'll be reading 23-31 pages per week. Bringing Scientific Thinking to Life offers a powerful framework for organizations and individuals looking to cultivate a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. Landry delves into the Toyota Kata methodology, showcasing how scientific thinking can be applied to tackle everyday business challenges and transform problem-solving capabilities. Through real-world examples, practical tools, and…
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05Nov 2024 by Jennifer Ayers
Benchmarking Tour: Danner Boots – Nov 19th (FULL)

Benchmarking Tour: Danner Boots – Nov 19th (FULL)

Events, Learning Tours
Using SQDPM to drive visibility and improvement Host company: Danner Boots/LaCrosse Footwear Danner is known in the industry for its high quality, rugged footwear, which is a result of their strong commitment to customer value. This commitment is deeply rooted in their approach to engaging and inspiring employees to actively participate in continuous improvement. Tour Summary: During this tour they will spotlight their key performance areas and examples of how they are engaging operators to drive improvement: Safety best practices Quality system (Rework/Defect Tracking/Six Sigma Events_)_ Delivery (Operator based maintenance/Preventative Maintenance Tracking) Cost (Efficiency Tracking/Kaizen Events) Morale (Employee suggestion system and surveys) Date: Tuesday, Nov 19, 2024 Time: 8:00am - 11:45am Location: 18201 NE Portal Way, Portland, OR 97230 (Map link) Registration required: Email [email protected], include name, email, job title. …
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