The Link

9/13/2012
IOWA NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION

Iowa Lean Consortium bringing John Shook, Nationally-Recognized Lean Consultant, to Iowa October 2-3

Des Moines, Iowa (September 12, 2012) The Iowa Lean Consortium (ILC), partnering with the Lean Enterprise Institute out of Cambridge, MA, is providing a forum for Iowa businesses and organizations to engage in two powerful days of learning. October 2 and 3, professionals from all sectors of our economy are invited to the Vermeer Global Pavilion in Pella to engage in a variety of interactive roundtables and workshops focused on Creating a Collaborative Problem Solving Culture.

On Tuesday, October 2, Lean enthusiast and CEO of the Lean Enterprise Institute, John Shook, will present on the topic of Creating a Problem Solving Culture. This address will be followed by round table discussions for all attendees to share lessons learned and challenges faced in creating a place where everyone tackles problems and develops solutions as a team for their business or organization.

Tuesday afternoon, attendees of all levels of Lean experience will learn about the A3 Problem Solving Process, which drives problem solvers to address the root causes of problems and gain long-term results.

On Wednesday, October 3, attendees can choose to attend one of these three all-day workshops:

* Hoshin/Strategic Planning: How to systemize the strategic planning process across functional areas, involving dialogue between senior managers and project teams

* Improvement Kata: How to make process improvement more sustainable and continuous

* Optimizing Flow in the Office and Service Process: Learn how to have measurable impact from lean strategies in non-production areas of companies, creating meaningful results in office and service environments

"Being a member of the Iowa Lean Consortium has given us the opportunity to gain exposure to Lean professionals from a variety of organizations. By attending the ILC offerings, we have created a network and relationships that we can tap into for specific lean topics that come from "real" cases. Lean is a journey and we are all in this together, we are all looking for a better way," says host company Vermeer's President/CEO Mary Andringa.

Attendees can choose one of the two days or attend both. Registration for Tuesday is free for Iowa Lean Consortium members and $250 for non-members. Registration for a Wednesday workshop is $125 for members and $250 for non-members. For non-ILC members, registration can be applied to Iowa Lean Consortium membership dues upon joining within 30 days of the event. Interested individuals can register online at www.iowalean.org.

The ILC is a dynamic, member-driven non-profit dedicated to advancing Lean in all sectors of the economy. It is a leading resource to Iowa companies who seek to improve their organizational effectiveness and efficiencies. The ILC is for executive engagement to front-line managers, and beginning to advanced practitioners. In addition to manufacturing and consumer product companies, Lean initiatives are highly successful across all industries including healthcare, education, government, and service organizations.

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(Contact: Tamara Kenworthy, 515-314-6568)