A Manchester manufacturing training and leadership organisation has launched a new education and coaching programme for businesses to improve productivity, reduce waste and achieve faster growth.
The Manufacturers Network is delivering the Advanced Lean Coach Programme in a new partnership with People Centred Excellence, whose coaching team has worked with international names such as Toyota, Siemens, Black & Decker, Pilkington Glass and Morrisons.
Pioneered by Toyota in Japan, Lean manufacturing focuses on helping businesses to drive continuous process improvement and reduce waste. It increases market competitiveness with sustainable improvements in productivity, delivery, quality and safety.
The programme is designed for senior manufacturing managers and continuous improvement (CI) leaders. It is aligned with the Lean Competency System (LCS) created by Cardiff University’s Lean Enterprise Research Centre. That system is the leading, academically recognised Lean qualification worldwide.
The programme is underpinned by an initial four-day training course, including a manufacturing case study site visit, to deepen understanding of advanced Lean tools, principles and techniques. The learning can then be applied to the redesign of manufacturing business processes, work streams and end-to-end organisational change.
The second stage of the training is about putting that knowledge into practice with support from expert coaches. This will include a ‘real time’ project in the workplace to demonstrate the application of learning in a practical context, show delivery performance improvement and achieve significant return on investment.
Vanessa Stanek, principal practitioner and head of education at the Manufacturers Network said: “The new programme is an important collaboration that aims to provide delegates with access to best-in-class industry expertise. It provides a valuable combination of training and coaching support to increase the knowledge and capability of manufacturing professionals.
“The course will enable participants to drive and sustain the implementation of Lean and continuous improvement principles across their own organisations, their business processes and supply chains. It will benefit their business in terms of waste reduction and offering better value to their customer base.”
Delegates will gain the skills to lead improvement projects and train and coach colleagues to adopt a similar mindset. And they will have the opportunity to put theory into practice by delivering a strategic improvement project of their own to benefit their employer.
Graham Canning, Lean coach at People Centred Excellence said: “The core philosophy of Lean is to open up new ways of growing your business through shared learning, from being more responsive to customer needs through to using less energy and materials.
“There are a host of benefits accruing from this programme for both participants and the manufacturing firms they represent. It will give them the tools to drive strategic change in their organisations, apply technical knowledge and leadership, and link improvement projects to the delivery of business objectives.”
The inaugural programme will cater for up to 10 delegates and is scheduled for delivery on November 6-7 and December 11-12, 2024. It is aimed at all types of manufacturing businesses, including automotive, food and drink, construction, printing, healthcare, aerospace, rail infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, packaging, ceramics and plastics.
Pictured: Vanessa Stanek with Stuart Mitton, a leading Lean coach from People Centred Excellence
