· Calendar of Events ·

A Lean management system is more thanjust tools—it’s a complete approach to running an organization in a way thatmakes work better for everyone. It brings together key elements like clearpurpose, strong people systems, visual management, accountability, leaderstandard work, work standards, and problem-solving. When these pieces worktogether, they create the right behaviors for a Lean culture—where teamscollaborate, problems get solved quickly, and continuous improvement becomessecond nature. It’s not about working harder; it’s about building a system thatsupports better decision-making, smoother workflows, and a more engaged team.

Join us for this 12-hour workshop, spread out over four weeks to provide a fully immersive experience where you design your pilot program, tweak, or revamp your existing LMS.

Summary

In this workshop, we’ll use a series of hands-on exercises to build a piece of the LMS, experiment with it, receive coaching support, and repeat the process as you build a complete lean management system. If you already have a system, this workshop will position you to assess your current LMS and make improvements.

What you will learn

• The importance of the Lean Management System (LMS) – the Why, the What & the How
• Essential elements of an effective LMS
• How to build a Lean Management System
• Common mistakes to avoid
• Next steps

What you will do

• Build your own LMS prototype in breakout sessions
• Share your progress, questions, and insights with the group
• Avoid the pitfalls that hinder the effective launch of a Lean Management System
• Build skills to share these techniques with others

Who should attend? Leaders at any level of the organization from front line team leaders, to lean champions, to CEOs. Bringing teams that encompass a cross-section of leadership in your company is especially effective.

Logistics

• The workshop has both in person and online sessions, includes 12 hours of instruction over three, 4-hour sessions.
• Each session includes practical, actionable “Go-Do Challenges” that will bring your team
• together to apply what you learn to build, pilot, and launch a Lean Management System.
• Attendees are asked to bring specific work-related data and information which they will work with during and after the workshop.
• Online follow-up support (up to 1 hour).

Dates: April 2, 16, 30th
Time: 8am-noon
Location: 

April 2nd: Oregon Association of Nurseries, 29751 Town Center Loop W, Wilsonville, Oregon;

April 16th: Online via Zoom

April 30th: likely in person, will survey the first 10 registrants

Technology (virtual): Computer/laptop. A second monitor can be helpful, but not required. You will need to be on-screen, so please use a device with a webcam and a mic. Multiple people can join from a
conference room with a webcam, but registration is required for each attendee.
Member Cost: $350 ($500 for non-members)

Registration: Email [email protected] with the name, company, and role/title of each participant. (Note: Invoices will be sent out to your company representative by 3/21  Cancellations will not be refunded after 3/24.  If you need to drop the class after that date, it’s in your best interest to recruit someone else from your company to take your place.) 

Facilitator Bio:
Mike Orzen has been a lean learner for over 25 years and is considered a pioneer of lean and technology. His passion is lean thinking applied to problem solving, coaching, and mindfulness. Mike is a recipient of the Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence, a faculty member of the Lean Enterprise Institute, and fellow of the Shingo Institute. He is also a certified yoga instructor and dedicated meditation practitioner.

We will be mapping one of Tosoh's parts from order release to shipment.

Click here for more details. Registration will open for non-members after March 24th.  No competitors.  Contact Jennifer to register.

Members get together regularly to share best practices within Maintenance. Some meetings are virtual, some are in person.

Contact [email protected] if you're interested in attending.

We will be mapping one of Tosoh's parts from order release to shipment.

Click here for more details. Registration will open for non-members after March 24th.  No competitors.  Contact Jennifer to register.

Contact [email protected] if you're interested in attending.

NWHPEC members are invited to join our Safety SIG. We will dive deeper into best practices for creating a world-class safety culture.

A Lean management system is more thanjust tools—it’s a complete approach to running an organization in a way thatmakes work better for everyone. It brings together key elements like clearpurpose, strong people systems, visual management, accountability, leaderstandard work, work standards, and problem-solving. When these pieces worktogether, they create the right behaviors for a Lean culture—where teamscollaborate, problems get solved quickly, and continuous improvement becomessecond nature. It’s not about working harder; it’s about building a system thatsupports better decision-making, smoother workflows, and a more engaged team.

Join us for this 12-hour workshop, spread out over four weeks to provide a fully immersive experience where you design your pilot program, tweak, or revamp your existing LMS.

Summary

In this workshop, we’ll use a series of hands-on exercises to build a piece of the LMS, experiment with it, receive coaching support, and repeat the process as you build a complete lean management system. If you already have a system, this workshop will position you to assess your current LMS and make improvements.

What you will learn

• The importance of the Lean Management System (LMS) – the Why, the What & the How
• Essential elements of an effective LMS
• How to build a Lean Management System
• Common mistakes to avoid
• Next steps

What you will do

• Build your own LMS prototype in breakout sessions
• Share your progress, questions, and insights with the group
• Avoid the pitfalls that hinder the effective launch of a Lean Management System
• Build skills to share these techniques with others

Who should attend? Leaders at any level of the organization from front line team leaders, to lean champions, to CEOs. Bringing teams that encompass a cross-section of leadership in your company is especially effective.

Logistics

• The workshop has both in person and online sessions, includes 12 hours of instruction over three, 4-hour sessions.
• Each session includes practical, actionable “Go-Do Challenges” that will bring your team
• together to apply what you learn to build, pilot, and launch a Lean Management System.
• Attendees are asked to bring specific work-related data and information which they will work with during and after the workshop.
• Online follow-up support (up to 1 hour).

Dates: April 2, 16, 30th
Time: 8am-noon
Location: 

April 2nd: Oregon Association of Nurseries, 29751 Town Center Loop W, Wilsonville, Oregon;

April 16th: Online via Zoom

April 30th: likely in person, will survey the first 10 registrants

Technology (virtual): Computer/laptop. A second monitor can be helpful, but not required. You will need to be on-screen, so please use a device with a webcam and a mic. Multiple people can join from a
conference room with a webcam, but registration is required for each attendee.
Member Cost: $350 ($500 for non-members)

Registration: Email [email protected] with the name, company, and role/title of each participant. (Note: Invoices will be sent out to your company representative by 3/21  Cancellations will not be refunded after 3/24.  If you need to drop the class after that date, it’s in your best interest to recruit someone else from your company to take your place.) 

Facilitator Bio:
Mike Orzen has been a lean learner for over 25 years and is considered a pioneer of lean and technology. His passion is lean thinking applied to problem solving, coaching, and mindfulness. Mike is a recipient of the Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence, a faculty member of the Lean Enterprise Institute, and fellow of the Shingo Institute. He is also a certified yoga instructor and dedicated meditation practitioner.

Throughout 2025 we will be meeting on the 3rd Fridays at 9am (Pacific).  NWHPEC members can reach out to Jennifer if you're interested in joining. 

Agendas may be pre-defined, or they may be ad-hoc.  We’ll discuss this at the end of each meeting, and I’ll communicate it in advance.  If we have an opportunity to do an in-person demo, I’ll make an adjustment to timeslot.

What do we talk about at the Training SIG?

Over the past few years, we’ve tackled topics like: adult learning, creating engaging virtual sessions, online learning (software and training development), onboarding programs, train the trainer (including TWI Job Instruction), and much more.  We’ve met in person to experience and provide feedback on trainings like: Lean 101 with Chocolate Chip Cookies and Train the Trainer.  We’ve created a resource board and are open to sharing our training plans and training resources we’ve discovered or developed.  This group is made up of passionate learning and development professionals who love to talk about challenges, brainstorm training ideas, and demo their training for feedback.

What is a Special Interest Group?

Special Interest Groups, or SIGs, are member-started, led, and disbanded.  They start with an individual who is interested in learning from and connecting with others on a particular topic.  The focus is on learning together, sharing together, and supporting each other on the given topic.  After the SIG has learned all they planned to learn, they decide if they want to continue meeting or disband.  SIGs are a great way to leverage the combined experiences and knowledge within NWHPEC!

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 highly regarded, virtual 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.  This session is focused on people in admin/information flow positions and includes many real-world examples from a wide variety of work environments. 

Date: Weekly April 21 - May 27, 2025 from 10-11:20am (Pacific) 

Cost: $150 for NWHPEC members, $250 for non-members

No refunds will be issued for cancellations within one week of the class start date.  Payment by check or ACH preferred; credit card payments will incur a service fee of 3.5%.

Invoices will be sent to your company representative by April 14th.

Email [email protected] to register.  Include name, role/position, and email address.