SME Offers Value Stream Mapping Course
DEARBORN, Mich., March 19: The Society of Manufacturing Engineers
(SME) and the Greater Boston Manufacturing Partnership (GBMP) announced today that they have developed a course for manufacturing professionals focused on the technique of Value Stream Mapping. The event will take place at Jotul North America in Gorham, Maine on May 1-2, 2007.
Taught by Pat Wardwell, Shingo Prize Winner and National Chair of Oversight for the new Lean Certification process, this hands-on, two-day course teaches students how to document and quantify material and information flow within their organizations using a reliable method known as "Value Stream Mapping". The course explains how to capture and document the current material and information flows for a process and provides guidance on how to envision, map and plan for improvements to the current flows.
Using a process at Jotul, students will practice drawing value stream maps using a standard set of symbols. As part of the learning, key questions are raised to encourage students to employ continuous improvement thinking and "reliable methods" when developing "future condition" value stream maps for the case study company. The class provides excellent instruction on how to "see", document and communicate process flow from a continuous improvement point of view and provides a standard methodology for moving from the current condition to an improved future condition.
The course includes:
o Key points of Continuous Improvement and their relationship to Value Stream Mapping o Material &Information Flow using a Value Stream Map - looking at the big picture o Symbols and Key Metrics of Value Stream Mapping o Jotul : Developing Current, Ideal and Future condition maps o Key points to consider when developing Ideal and Future condition maps
This introductory course is intended for individuals who already have a basic understanding of continuous improvement and are seeking a proven way to identify, document and communicate improvement opportunities within their organizations. It is especially relevant for managers or improvement team leaders who would like to learn a simple, powerful way to "see" and analyze material and information flow in order to help the organization envision and
plan for changes to the current condition.
For more information:
To register for this event, call Phil Ciccarelli at (617) 287-7737. Registration is $595 per person or $495 for SME, Maine Metal Products Association or Greater Boston Manufacturing Partnership members. The course includes workbooks, lunch and breaks each day. Video footage from the event will be used for new SME educational video.
About Jotul North America:
Jotul North America was founded in Maine in 1980 and today employs over 70 people. The parent company, Jotul AS, was founded in Norway in 1853 and Jotul stoves have been imported in the U.S. since the turn of the century.
About SME:
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers is the world's leading professional society supporting manufacturing education. Through its member programs, publications, expositions and professional development resources, SME promotes an increased awareness of manufacturing engineering and helps keep manufacturing professionals up to date on leading trends and technologies. Headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, SME influences more than half a million manufacturing practitioners and executives annually. The Society, which celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2007, has members in more than 70 countries and is supported by a network of hundreds of technical
communities and chapters worldwide, including nine chapters in Canada. To
learn more about SME, please visit our web site at www.sme.org.
