Workshop: Leading a Lean Transformation

About 30 individuals from the VPF areas (and beyond) are currently participating in a workshop led by Elliot Weiss (Darden) and Austin English (RCF Associates and former student of Elliot).  This workshop uses business case studies and “learning by doing” to convey the principles of lean.

One technique of lean is learning to identify waste, or non-value added activities.  Once you start looking for it, you can find it anywhere and everywhere!  Here are some examples from both work and home:

• Driving back and forth to school activities or meetings


• Disorganized closets, garages, storage areas


• Holding on to excess inventory


• Distraction of email alerts and phone


• Printing and subsequent filing of electronic documents


• Walking to the printer or copier


• Excessively long lines due to poor store layout

If you’d like to learn more about everyday applications, read The Lean Anthology, A Practical Primer in Continual Improvement, by Rebecca Goldberg & Elliot Weiss.  Or better yet, participate in the workshop!  More sessions to be offered soon.