Jennifer Ayers, Author at NWHPEC

29Mar 2026 by Jennifer Ayers

5S Workshop (Kaizen-style) April 21-22 – FULL

Application~, Beginner~, Classes, Foundational~

Invest two days that will make a lasting impact! This immersive 5S Workshop combines hands-on learning with real-world results. Attendees will kick off with a half day of targeted 5S training, then apply their knowledge through a one-and-a-half-day kaizen event in Danner’s Recrafting Department. You’ll experience the full power of the learn-do model—developing practical 5S skills, driving measurable improvement, and gaining insights you can take back to strengthen your own workplace. Completion of Lean 101/Introduction to Lean or equivalent experience is required to participate in this action-packed, kaizen-style event. Dates: Tuesday April 21st and Wednesday, April 22nd 2026 Time: 7:30am-4:30pm Location: Danner Factory Store (Recrafting Department): 12021 NW Airport Way, Portland OR Cost: $400 per person Key Concepts: Understanding that 5S is a problem exposure tool Defining the 5 S’s…

15Mar 2026 by Jennifer Ayers

Webinar: From Chaos to Clarity – May 12th

Events, Webinar

From Chaos to Clarity, Simplifying process design with 2P In her session on 2P, Process Preparation, Alex Brown (Clemco, CI Manager) brings the kind of grounded energy that turns theory into movement. She shows how teams can shift from reactive firefighting to proactive design by creating clarity before the first bolt is tightened or the first unit is built. 2P blends kaizen, visual thinking, and simulation to reduce risk and drive right-first-time outcomes. Alex breaks it down into a practical, usable structure, from preparation and team selection through simulation and implementation. Real examples. Interactive dialogue. Clear takeaways you can apply immediately to process, layout, or product design. About our presenter: Alex started in crating, building pallets and protecting shipments. She advanced to machine builder and project assembly. She strengthened her…

09Mar 2026 by Jennifer Ayers

Benchmarking: AI in the Workplace – March 19th

Benchmark Request, Member Sharing

January Benchmarking Discussion: Gemba Walks Join us online at The Bench for engaging roundtable discussions where members can connect, collaborate, learn, and share best practices. We’ll dive into specific topics each time we gather. March’s online benchmarking session will be an open discussion focused on how organizations are exploring, applying, and learning from AI in their continuous improvement work. Whether you’re experimenting with automation and analytics, curious about practical use cases, or ready to share your own lessons and tools, bring your questions and insights to tap into the collective experience of the group. This is an open “SIG-like” roundtable discussion. 📅 Date: Tuesday, March 19, 2026 ⏰ Time: 2pm (PST) 📌 Venue: Online via Zoom Open to all NWHPEC members Registration link

13Feb 2026 by Jennifer Ayers

Benchmarking: Employee Engagement Surveys – Feb 18th

Benchmark Request, Member Sharing

January Benchmarking Discussion: Gemba Walks Join us online at The Bench for engaging roundtable discussions where members can connect, collaborate, learn, and share best practices. We’ll dive into specific topics each time we gather. This special online benchmarking session will be an open-ended discussion around Employee Engagement Surveys. Who do you use? How do you communicate? What do you do with the results? How do you move the needle? Bring your questions and experiences to tap into the collective wisdom of the group. This is an open “SIG-like” roundtable discussion. 📅 Date: Wednesday, Feb 18, 2026 ⏰ Time: 3pm (PST) 📌 Venue: Online via Zoom - Open to all NWHPEC members - contact Jennifer for the calendar invite/Zoom link

13Feb 2026 by Jennifer Ayers

Benchmarking: 5S – Feb 17th

Benchmark Request, Member Sharing

January Benchmarking Discussion: Gemba Walks Join us online at The Bench for engaging roundtable discussions where members can connect, collaborate, learn, and share best practices. We’ll dive into specific topics each time we gather. February's online benchmarking session will be an open-ended discussion around 5S (or 6S) programs. Whether you're curious about how to initiate, implement, standardize, sustain, or just want to share your expertise... bring your questions to tap into the collective wisdom of the group. This is an open “SIG-like” roundtable discussion. 📅 Date: Tuesday, Feb 17, 2026 ⏰ Time: 1pm (PST) 📌 Venue: Online via Zoom Open to all NWHPEC members Registration link

11Dec 2025 by Jennifer Ayers

Lean 101 (6-week virtual series) starts Jan 20th – FULL new Jan 22nd class has limited spots

Beginner~, Classes

Lean 101 - Winter 2026 series starting soon... The Tuesday class is full, we are running a concurrent session on Thursdays from 9-10:30 Pacific. Spots are filling fast 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…

10Dec 2025 by Jennifer Ayers

Webinar: How North Coast Container Built a Culture of Collaborative Engineering – Jan 29th

Webinar

Yokoten in Action: How North Coast Container Built a Culture of Collaborative Engineering Webinar summary: North Coast Container's Engineering Summit is a multi-faceted collaboration initiative which has evolved from just three engineers meeting informally to a comprehensive organizational learning system. In this webinar, you will learn about their unique Engineering Summit approach that combines weekly virtual meetings with quarterly in-person sessions, creating a powerful learning ecosystem for their multi-plant organization. Hear how they leverage Gemba walks, vendor presentations, and Problem Countermeasure Boards (PCMBs) to accelerate problem-solving and drive continuous improvement across all facilities. Join us to explore the remarkable benefits this program brings: An environment of open sharing on ideas and problems, increasing the speed of problem resolution Dramatically shortened learning curves for new engineers Real-time access to decades of…

Author: Jennifer Ayers