Fall means back to school… for our Lean and Total Productive Maintenance Manager Certification Program (LMAC and TPMC) participants as well. We recently checked-in with the program facilitators to see how things are going so far.
Lean Manager Certification (LMAC):
Jim Vatalaro, lead LMAC instructor and one of our Lean consultants/subject matter experts, explained that the main purpose of week 1 is to address the key components of strategy deployment, current state value stream mapping, and to clarify the focus of participants’ in-plant application work.
With a full session (15 participants, representing 5 industries), the projects offer much opportunity, including areas of focus on: increased capacity; reduced manufacturing down time; and improved value stream effectiveness, equipment effectiveness, on-time delivery, and quality.
Jimmy summarized by saying that LMAC week 1 is:
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- Functional – business case-focused: participants worked with him to articulate their project charters
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- Transformational: individuals initially mandated to attend, regardless of industry, began to see value and relevance in the impact their learning and implementation can have to their processes and organizations…they became enthusiastic about participating. They realized LMAC is not just for manufacturers!
- Progressive: the individualistic approach began to morph into a team approach as participants networked and formed LMAC teams
Matthew L., IE Manager at Mars Petcare had this to say about the initial training week – “Very eye opening to see and learn new tools. …we are all on the same CI journey and these tools are applicable to any setting.”
We’ll learn more about how participants applied the tools and techniques they’ve learned to their initial application areas when we check in as the program continues.
Total Productive Maintenance Manager Certification (TPMC):
Ellis New, lead TPMC instructor, passionate TPM consultant, and overall equipment reliability zealot, shared that the main purpose of week 1 is to provide a holistic view of TPM. TPM is introduced as an overall equipment process reliability system consisting of 8 pillars, involving all employees – it’s much more than just a maintenance program and the Autonomous Maintenance pillar it’s often associated with. Ellis allowed participants to see that TPM is the enabler of operational excellence within their organizations.
Ellis explained that, armed with a clearer understanding of TPM, participants are better able to identify where TPM-related activities can take place in their value stream. They use this knowledge to solidify their certification projects as they prepare to begin application activities in TPMC’s week 2.
Brian B., TPM Coordinator at MI Windows & Doors shard this about the first week of the program – “I gained invaluable insight in the first week that will allow me to teach TPM to others so they will walk away with a clearer understanding of what TPM is.”
We look forward to hearing from Ellis in the coming weeks for details on projects selected and progress being made. With industries represented including pet care, vinyl window manufacturing, and heavy steel machining and forming, the feedback will no doubt be diverse and informative.
For information on the Certification Programs: please click on the buttons below for program dates and details:
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TPM in Your Organization
Interested in taking a macro look at technical and social TPM opportunities in your organization? CLICK HERE for a copy of our TPM Scan and rank your current state.
If you’re like most, while your intentions are a 5, your current baseline activities are more in the 1 or 2 range. All good! It just means there’s opportunity for improvement. We can help…call or email if you’d like to learn more.