Winona State University Outreach and Continuing Education Department

Winona State University Outreach and Continuing Education Department All companies and organizations have waste, most of which is largely invisible. Waste has many forms, including wasted effort, waiting (waiting for approvals, waiting for information, back orders), processes that are needlessly complex, time wasted searching, unproductive meetings, having to solve the same problems ov...er and over again, dealing with mistakes, lack of necessary information, interpersonal and interdepartmental conflict, and so on. Generally what is visible are the symptoms of problems and waste. The real causes lie deep in processes and system factors. All of the waste burns up organizational resources but adds no value to services rendered to customers, clients, or other stakeholders.

Lean methods can find and eliminate surprisingly large amounts of organizational waste, freeing up "new found" capacity. Resources which were unknowingly being wasted due to poorly designed processes, physical layout, distribution of work, and other system factors, can be "freed up" and deployed in value-add ways to better serve, even delight, customers, and in new and innovative ways to attract new customers.

Do you need to do a better job of satisfying customers and attracting and keeping new customers? Of reducing conflict and raising employee morale? Of increasing the quality and speed of delivery of your services? Of making fewer mistakes and preventing a lot of problems that absorb the time and energy f some of your most experienced or talented employees? All of these issues can be effectively addressed by becoming a Lean Organization.

Instructor:
Mary Gander, Ph.D. currently teaches management at Luther College in Decorah, IA. She has developed and taught many seminars and workshops in Lean Operations Management for business and industry, as well as in government and non-profit agencies and organizations.

Cost: $130