Where to look for good help Seattle WA

Today's pressure to produce products faster with fewer defects and at a lower price can seem overwhelming. What should you do — lean, Six Sigma or something else — and how do you afford it? There is help out there and we will highlight a group that is accessing that help and show you where to look for assistance.

A small group gathered in Jasper, Ind., in January 2003 and formed the Southern Indiana Network for the Advancement of Manufacturing (SI-NAM). This group of diverse Indiana-based companies joined together to learn how to improve their bottom lines. This group has grown and meets 10 times a year to share and discuss experiences and learn from manufacturing specialists.

These meetings provide the information needed to make an intelligent decision about which improvement tools can provide the results they are looking for. This year's meetings focused on Six Sigma, Lean Strategy, Developing and Implementing Effective Solutions in the Workplace, Lean Product Development, Training Within Industry, and Value Stream Mapping.

The group has built on SI-NAM as a base and accessed Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) (www.mep.nist.org) grants to provide on-site training. The MEP nationwide network, funded by federal, state, local and private resources, provides small and medium-sized manufacturers' expertise from manufacturing and business specialists.

MEP is administered through Purdue University — Technical Assistance Program (TAP) in Indiana. With Purdue University TAP's assistance three area companies (Jasper Desk, Sirs Industries and Jasper Chemical Coatings) joined together in a training consortium and accessed a grant for a nine-day program that included Lean 101, 5S/Workplace Organization, Value Stream Mapping, Quick Changeover, and Total Productive Maintenance.

The training included classroom instruction, simulation and implementation on the production floor. It is the implementation on the production floor that really shows the significant improvements that can be made in a real world setting.

The training that was delivered by Purdue University TAP/MEP was funded through a grant administered by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development in partnership with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. Dubois County Area Development Corporation (DCADC) and Vincennes University Jasper Campus (VUJC) were also involved, and credit from VUJC was earned by those completing the training. All this sounds complicated, but with Purdue TAP's help writing the grant and working with all groups involved, it was a very painless and simple process for the three companies receiving the grant.

Now the SI-NAM group is advancing again by gaining a TAP/MEP account manager based in Jasper and servicing several counties in south-central Indiana. Working together with Purdue University TAP/MEP, Jasper Chamber of Commerce, Vincennes University Jasper Campus, Dubois County Area Development Corporation, and the South Central Regional Partnership, a dedicated full-time MEP account manager will be able to concentrate efforts to help local companies improve.

Much more can be accomplished by working together and accessing the resources in place nationwide. Please take what we have accomplished and build on it, also let us know what you are doing so we can learn from you too.

"It's exciting to think about the possibilities for SI-NAM, with a full-time TAP/MEP account manager in the area. Participation will grow, as will knowledge sharing and increased competitiveness. One of the basic tenets of lean manufacturing — and one of the cornerstones of this network, is 'stealing shamelessly!' We hope numerous new companies that have been using lean principles for several years will join the group and be open to sharing what they know to help shortcut the learning curve for others," says Dietra Rosenkoetter, senior account manager, Purdue TAP/ MEP and SI-NAM facilitator.

"The Jasper Chamber of Commerce is excited to be part of the group that has brought both the SI-NAM group and the Purdue TAP office to this area of southern Indiana. It is through collaborative efforts such as these that we strive to provide the means to network our companies and to bring them quality training seminars and possibilities for grants," says Nancy Eckerle, the executive director of the Jasper Chamber of Commerce. "We realize the woodworking industry is operating in a different work atmosphere than they were a few years ago — and because the woodworking industry has been our 'heartbeat' for such a long time — the Jasper Chamber of Commerce is striving to bring these companies a variety of ways to remain competitive and to succeed in this ever-changing work environment."

Bob Grewe, president of the Dubois Area Development Corporation, says the initiative is instrumental in helping area manufacturers compete.

"Considering the tremendous competitive pressures that area manufacturers continue to address, the Dubois County Area Development Corporation viewed an investment in the local Purdue Technical Assistance Field Office as the optimal initiative to assist industries identify and expand competitive advantages," he says. "Additional investment from the six-county South Central Indiana Regional Partnership helped to secure the necessary financial resources to establish the TAP Field Office."

David Snow, director, Manufacturing Extension Partnership Purdue TAP, sees the partnership as a way to impact the global competitiveness of manufacturers in the area.

"A Purdue Technical Assistance Program office in Jasper will result in increased Purdue manufacturing services and impact in the region with the goal of improving the global competitiveness of these firms. The partnership we are developing creates a much closer association to the progressive minded economic leaders in the region and more strategic links to Purdue," Snow says. "We see this (Jasper Office) partnership as a starting point for getting more Purdue resources into SW Indiana and working cooperatively to grow business and industry."

Working with industry to provide training and education is nothing new for Vincennes University.

"Vincennes University has a rich history of partnering with employers, agencies and other institutions to deliver the education and training services that are needed in Indiana," says Dr. Alan Johnson, dean, Vincennes University, Jasper Campus. "VUJC is contributing office facilities to house the TAP representative and will respond to identified training needs by offering courses that fall within its specialties."

—Ed. note: David Jackson has held various titles including laboratory technician, formulator, senior chemist and general manager for two wood coatings companies. Jackson currently is the general manager for Jasper Chemical Coatings in Jasper, Ind. He also has steered the committee of SINAM since inception and is the current president of the Jasper Chamber of Commerce board of directors.