Lean Series

Introduction to Lean: Eliminating Waste for Maximum Efficiency

Lean methodologies provides a structured approach to reducing waste and optimizing processes in any industry. This session covers key principles, including:

• Identifying and eliminating the eight forms of waste
• Applying the 5S method to maintain an organized, efficient workspace
• Reducing batch sizes and improving inventory management
• Utilizing point-of-use storage for smoother operations
• Implementing pull systems to enhance workflow
• Leveraging cellular/flow manufacturing for streamlined production
• Embedding quality at the source to minimize defects

Live simulations offer real-world insights, demonstrating how lean concepts transform operations for lasting improvement.

Value Stream Mapping & Cellular/Flow: Optimizing Operations in Any Industry

Value Stream Mapping (VSM) visually represents material and information flow, helping organizations analyze inefficiencies and design a lean future state. Learn VSM principles, draw maps of current workflows, and apply lean concepts to create improved processes. This session covers both shop floor and administrative applications, ensuring a comprehensive approach.

Cellular/Flow Manufacturing streamlines operations by linking manual and machine processes for maximum efficiency. By balancing workflows, organizations achieve continuous product flow and meet customer demand seamlessly. The workshop emphasizes standardized work and work balancing, providing strategies to reduce waste and enhance productivity.

These techniques empower businesses to optimize workflows, improve responsiveness, and drive lasting operational improvements.

Building a Lean Culture: The Key to Sustainable Transformation

A successful lean transformation requires more than tools—it demands a strong lean culture to ensure long-term success. Many lean champions may lack formal leadership experience, making it essential to develop skills that engage employees and drive meaningful change.

This session explores the foundations of lean culture, covering leadership development, personal and interpersonal effectiveness, team dynamics, and organizational change strategies. Participants will gain insights into measuring success and sustaining continuous improvement across the organization.

By fostering a lean mindset, companies can create an environment where efficiency, collaboration, and innovation thrive.

A well-organized, clean, and standardized workplace sets the foundation for manufacturing improvements. 5S principles streamline operations by removing unnecessary items, improving communication, and boosting productivity. Learn how to integrate visual workplace techniques to create an optimized work environment.

Quick Changeover, rooted in Single Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED), helps companies significantly reduce or eliminate changeover time. Using the four-step Changeover Improvement Process, organizations can implement no-cost/low-cost solutions to accelerate equipment transitions and maximize uptime.

Applying these methods ensures smoother workflows, greater efficiency, and sustained operational improvements. Ready to transform your processes?

Reducing inventory increases the need for optimal equipment performance. Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) helps organizations enhance overall equipment effectiveness by minimizing downtime and maximizing efficiency.

Learn to assess machine utilization, engage operators as primary maintenance resources, and apply preventive and predictive maintenance strategies to sustain productivity. This session also covers autonomous maintenance, project planning, performance measurement, and lean project design—equipping you to drive continuous improvement across any industry.

The on-site project implementation and mentoring component is what sets the UW-Stout Lean Series apart. After completing workshops, participants apply lean tools to real business challenges with guidance from assigned mentors based on topic and location.

This hands-on project brings immediate benefits to the company, allowing attendees to identify waste and implement improvement plans. The final session provides a unique opportunity to present findings, receive expert feedback, and engage in best practice discussions.

To maximize impact, each participant may bring up to two owner/management representatives to observe presentations and gain insights from other projects. This interactive experience solidifies lean principles and prepares attendees to lead ongoing improvements.

Series Registration

Fee includes refreshments, lunch, workshop materials and on-site project mentoring.

Substitutions may be made prior to the start of the program.

Cancelation of registration completed more than 10 business days prior to the program start will receive a full refund. Any cancelation within 10 business days will forfeit a $30.00 processing fee. 

I have attended a multitude of classes around Lean Manufacturing and its predecessors and have found this to be the best I have attended in my career. I do believe the instructors and their passion for the information were the real difference between this class and classes I have attended in the past. I spent the previous 30 years adding inventory and WIP to try and avoid late deliveries to customers, but within this course I found that I was using that added inventory to hide other manufacturing issues (i.e. equipment downtime, training levels of operators, etc.). Along with that I truly learned the effect that communication has in regard to developing a lean culture and how we can positively impact that. This, along with an array of smaller, but no less important, practices I learned thru this class have revived my excitement around the lean manufacturing process and have me confident that I can (and will) have a large impact on our profit line using the ideas learned from these classes.

Del Hoover, Process Engineer

Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance.  For arrangements please notify Manufacturing Outreach Center at moc@uwstout.edu.