MSQPC announces new training opportunities for small businesses

Monday, 14 March, 2022

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Monday, 3/14/22) – The Mid-South Quality Productivity Center (MSQPC), a champion of excellence since 1988, is excited to announce three new training opportunities to help the small businesses of the Greater Memphis Chamber improve the quality and productivity of their workforces.

Bill Bleau, who has 40 years of quality management experience and is a Master Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma (LSS), has developed and will lead these new additions to the course offerings of MSQPC in 2022:

• Problem Solving. In this course, participants will learn the skills and framework needed to solve today’s process-related problems. The course will cover how to find the true root causes of problems and quickly apply solutions to minimize the disruption and frustration they cause. They will also learn how a storyboard can help an entire organization resolve problems – an approach that has been used within manufacturing, transactional, HR, and accounting processes with significant positive results. Commitment: 1 Class Day. Cost: $299 per person.
• Lean “Gemba” Walk. This training session will be completed on-site and with your selected team members. Over 1-2 hours, the Lean Leader will “walk” the area with the team members, collect information, and ask job-related questions of process operators. The data will then be analyzed and a summary report will be provided that assesses various opportunities to improve the processes of the team. Recommendations can include lead-time reductions, increase value contributions, reduced floor space, reduced inventories, reduced labor, and increased customer satisfaction. Commitment: 3 hours (approximate). Cost: $600 per company.
• Lean Office (Basics). This training gives participants an understanding of the principles, tools, and potential business impacts of using the “Lean” philosophy in front-end processes. Participants will learn the Lean Office Toolbox, including 5s, Kanban, Visual Management, Team Boards, Value Stream Mapping inventory analysis, Lean Waste, and teamwork). This is hands-on training, including templates, examples, handouts and games. The training is designed to give participants everything they need to implement Lean Office methods, whether they’re new to Lean, need a refresh, or are in the process of implementing Lean strategy. Commitment: 1 Class Day. Cost: $299 per participant.

To learn more about the courses, visit MSQPC.com.

Media Contact: Ryan Poe, director of communications, Greater Memphis Chamber.

About William “Bill” Bleau: Bill Bleau has provided quality leadership domestically and internationally for the past 40 years, at different times holding management-level positions at Mitsubishi Power Products Inc., Indigo Ag, Smith & Nephew, TKE Elevators, Firestone Steel Products, and Phillips Medical. He is also a Master Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma (LSS) training has trained well over 600 students in LSS and facilitated the completion of more than 160 LSS project teams. He is also a former instructor for the American Society for Quality, where he taught and developed course material for more than 15 years.

About the Mid-South Quality Productivity Center (MSQPC): Formed in 1988 through a partnership between the Greater Memphis Chamber and Southwest Tennessee Community College, the Mid-South Quality Productivity Center is a cutting-edge resource center devoted to improving quality and productivity in organizations throughout the Mid-South. MSQPC provides innovative consulting, training and public workshops, Baldrige National Quality Award assessments, benchmarking trips to world-class organizations, and teleconferences featuring nationally renowned quality-productivity experts, among other offerings. For more information about MSQPC, visit MSQPC.com.

About the Greater Memphis Chamber: One of Memphis’ oldest institutions, dating back to 1838, the Greater Memphis Chamber is a privately funded nonprofit that serves as the region’s lead economic development organization and the “Voice of Memphis Business” at the local, state, and national levels. The Chamber’s mission is to relentlessly pursue prosperity for all — through economic and workforce development, pro-growth advocacy, and by providing support and resources to its investors, including many of the region’s largest employers. For more information about the Chamber, visit memphischamber.com and memphismoves.com. Also, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, and sign up for our weekly newsletter, the Memphis Fourword.