Webcast Archive
Did you miss some or all of a webcast? We have recorded several of the webcasts and you may view the on-demand rebroadcast at your convenience.

 

Training a Green Collar Champion - Program Overview
Combining Lean and Green practices is fast becoming one of the foremost methods to cut costs, increase productivity, implement sustainable practices, retain jobs and engage new customers, all while minimizing the impact on the environment.

Join Judy Wlodarczyk for this half-hour overview of the new CONNSTEP "Training a Green Collar Champion" certification program and learn how local manufacturers have achieved significant return on investment after implementing Lean and Green manufacturing practices.

Original webinar date:  Wednesday, July 28, 2010
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Lean Tools for the Office
How will you identify waste in your business or administrative processes? What approach will you use to reduce or eliminate the waste? What continuous improvement methodologies will you use to ensure that this waste won't re-appear?

Join Mike Gugger for this 30 minute webinar and learn how the Lean tools can be applied to office/administrative processes.

Original webinar date:  Wednesday, July 21, 2010
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Lean Tools for the Shop
Now that you have learned to identify the eight wastes, what approach will you take to reduce or eliminate the waste? What continuous improvement methodologies will you use to ensure that the waste won't re-appear?

Join Bill Kirchherr for this 30 minute webinar and learn the common Lean tools and the House of Lean to improve your business processes.

Original webinar date:  Wednesday, July 7, 2010
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The 8 Wastes
What is waste?  How is waste created? How can we identify and eliminate waste from our business processes and operations? 

Join Matin Karbassioon for this 30 minute webinar and learn how to see the eight wastes in your manufacturing and office operations.

Original webinar date:  Wednesday, June 23, 2010
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On Machine/In-Process Inspection
The desire to measure parts while in process stems from either:
  elimination of wasted time in processing or
  from the fact that the part will never be positioned into the same place in the machine once
    removed to be inspected.

The goal is to inspect parts, using the machine tool as the metrology device while insuring accuracy and reliability of the inspection results. Join Mike Gugger, CONNSTEP's Manager of Consulting Services, for this free webinar and learn how to do your homework beforehand to understand the current state condition of the machine tool compared to to accuracy required for the inspection.

Who should attend?
  Those who wish to take "non-value added but necessary" time out of the process;
  Those who want to control their processes; and
  Those who want to save time and money and are willing to invest to compete.

All attendees should have general knowledge of machine tools, metrology and CMM inspection.

Original webcast date:  June 2, 2010
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Lean & Right-Sized Equipment
As you begin/continue your journey toward a Lean facility, by flowing your raw material to finished product, you will find many equipment related issues that you must overcome.

  The equipment now needs to run flawlessly;
  You will need short set-ups;
  You will need to be able to move the machinery easily;
  The equipment will need to be close together to faciliate good operator interaction; and
  You will need to move your product easily, from machine to machine, etc.

Join John Kravontka of Fuss & O'Neill Manufacturing Solutions for this 60-minute webcast for a review of these issues, by utilizing Single Point Lessons and photos of actual equipment solutions.

Original webcast date:  April 28, 2010
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The Ouch-less Approach to Enterprise-Wide Lean Transformation
Do your eyes glaze over when you hear the terms "enterprise-wide" and "Lean transformation" combined in the same sentence? Does the thought of expanding your Lean initiatives make you break out into a cold sweat? As a small or midsize company, are you wary of biting off more than you can chew?

It's a common reaction - enterprise-wide Lean transformation is an overwhelming concept, especially for small and midsize companies where resources are stretched thin and employees have concerns with the impact Lean will have on their jobs. But how do you build on your initial success, move past 5S and the occasional kaizen "event," and transition from a tool-based, tightly focused scope to a company-wide Lean strategy?

Join John McCarroll of CONNSTEP for this one-hour webcast where he will outline the basic elements of the CONNSTEP Enterprise-Wide Lean Transformation model. John will walk you through the four step model that CONNSTEP has successfully used with Connecticut companies of all sizes (some as few as 20 employees) and in all industries, to provide you with an "ouch-less" approach to a Lean transformation.

Original webcast date:  April 7, 2010
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"Greening" the Supply Chain
Successful supply chain management is about value creation - building relationships with your suppliers and your customers - all while managing the flow of goods, services and information. The emergence of globalization, outsourcing, regulatory compliance and security concerns complicates matters. For example, you - the manufacturer - are expected to take responsibility for the end-of-life disposal of product and packaging. Green supply chains are more complex - from the creation and purchase of production materials to the delivery and ultimate disposition of the finished product.

The emphasis is on cost reduction and lessening the impact on the environment. This means that every link in the supply chain needs to adopt a green approach and becoming part of a green supply chain begins at home.

Join Judy Wlodarczyk, CONNSTEP's Director of Environmental Services, for this one hour webcast where
  we will explore how to achieve green improvements;
  you will learn how to make your products and services more attractive to your customers; and
  we will provide easy and effective ways to begin "greening" your supply chain.

Original webcast date:  March 10, 2010
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Navigating Google Analytics
Do you know how many people visit your website every week? Do you know how much time they are spending or where/how they found you? Do you know what your bounce rate is?

If you have a website, you need to know how it is or isn't performing for you. Google Analytics is a free service that generates detailed statistics about the visitors to your site - where they came from, how they found you and what they do once they are there.

Join Dan Salamone and Kathy Hokunson from Site-Seeker, Inc. for this one-hour webcast and learn:
  The advantages of using an analytic software to measure your website's ROI
  The "must know" terms and functions of Google Analytics, including:
      Setting up filters
      Establishing goals
      How to interpret the dashboard
      How to integrate Google AdWords
      How to navigate the many metrics
      How to define goals and conversation funnels

Original webcast date:  February 9, 2010
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Single Point Lessons/Sharing Best Practices
for Equipment Productivity & Reliability
When implementing TPM in the 70's, 80's & 90's, a Single Point Lesson (SPL) was a way to train someone using one sheet of paper and a lot of pictures. An SPL would focus on one task, with a lot of pictures to make it easy to train.

In the last 10 years, they have developed into a way to spread a good idea or best practice, 1 best practice at a time, with visuals, for ease of training. It is a way to capture your intellectual capital. Why re-invent the same wheel, especially if you have multiple facilities.

Join John Perrotti of Fuss & O'Neill Manufacturing Solutions for this 60-minute webcast and you will see how a best practice was created, and then how it was turned into a Single Point Lesson. Many best practices will be shown.

Original webcast date:  February 3, 2010
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The CONNSTEP CICC Course - WIIFM?
The CONNSTEP Continuous Improvement Champion Certification (CICC) Program is an intense 12-week course designed to train and develop your continuous improvement champions, ensuring Lean success.

During this webcast CICC core trainer Bill Caplan will discuss the CICC course curriculum, outline the CICC project specification and illustrate, with past CICC project results, the ROI benefits of attending the program.

Additionally, Bill will be joined by CICC graduate, Bill Greider of Dur-A-Flex, who will chat about his experiences in the program, the benefits he and his colleagues gained from attending and how they use the CICC participant projects to affect real change at Dur-A-Flex.

Original webcast date:  January 19, 2010
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TWI: Training Within Industry - An Overview
"You will not become Lean by doing TWI, but you will not become Lean without doing TWI."
Jim Huntzinger, TWI Summit

Every supervisor needs to train employees to do their job correctly and efficiently. TWI Job Instruction is the way to teach anyone how to properly train. TWI dramatically leverages your training dollars - the retention rate for employees taught using this method is significantly higher than with traditional on the job training. The result is substantially higher employee productivity realized in a substantially shorter time frame.

TWI Job Instruction is a critical component in any continuous improvement program to ensure the sustainability of productivity gains.

Join Tom Southworth of CONNSTEP, Connecticut's only certified TWI program provider, for this one-hour webcast where you will learn how TWI Job Instruction allows companies to standardize methods, reduce employee errors and shorten the training interval for new or transferred employees.

Original webcast date:  January 13, 2010
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Helping Organizations OPT for Change
Managing change is an oxymoron - and anything with "moron" in it can't be good for the bottom line!

We can't manage change because we can't anticipate and control all of the variables that are yet to present themselves. And we can't make people change - each of us has the right to decide if, when and how we will react to changing situations. But, we do know why people do or do not choose to change...

We can significantly increase the odds that people will choose to act in new, desired ways if they know where they are going, why it matters, what is required and how to safely navigate the journey.

Join is for this webcast with Carmen Brickner of CLEARbrick, Inc., to explore the most effective ways to overcome common obstacles and help people OPT for change.

Original webcast date:  December 9, 2009
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Introduction to Social Media for Manufacturing
We have all heard the buzz - Twitter, LinkedIn, FaceBook, YouTube, etc., etc., etc. But what is is all about and how does it have any real application in B2B and manufacturing?  Join us for this webcast where we will provide an introduction to Twitter and LinkedIn - what they are, how they are used and most importantly, why they are VERY relevant to you and your company.

Presented by Kathy Hokunson and Dan Salamone from Site-Seeker, Inc.

Original webcast date:  October 21, 2009
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Leading Lean at Every Level
So much has been written about the roles of CEO's, consultants and team members in Lean transformations - however, these books are often written about organizations several years into the Lean journey. But starting is the hardest part - how do you get started with a solid foundation? How do you develop a clear road map and define ALL of the roles and responsibilities that it takes to create and sustain Lean?

Join Carmen Brickner of CLEARbrick, Inc. as she takes us through a discussion of a model that will define all of the key players in a Lean team-based environment and will provide answers to some of the key questions for companies undertaking the Lean transformation.

Original webcast date: September 24, 2008
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How to Change a Culture
Our September 24th webcast, "Leading Lean at Every Level" generated many questions on the topic of organizational culture - including inquiries on the definition of culture and how to change a company's culture - that we have asked Carmen to return and provide us a primer on culture - answering the questions that all organizations undergoing a Lean transformation ask at one point during the journey.

In addition to answering your questions, Carmen will discuss how we all can positively impact the components that create a desirable organizational culture.

Original webcast date: 10.8.2008
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Executive Forum on Lean Manufacturing
Lean Manufacturing is a systematic approach to analyze and improve the flow of information and materials in order to eliminate waste - leading to greater production efficiencies, enhanced value for your customers and increased profits for your company.

This forum, led by CONNSTEP Director of Consulting Services, John McCarroll, is designed for the senior management of Connecticut manufacturing companies. You will be introduced to the need for Lean, examine how a Lean strategy is developed and learn how the Lean process can drive improvements to significantly impact your company's bottom line. Companies of all sizes will find this highly relevant.

Original webcast date: October 15, 2008
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Going Lean? Don't Underestimate the Potential in the Office
Order entry, quoting, scheduling, design and engineering, purchasing, accounting - these and other front office functions can provide an eye-opening opportunity to create improvement, eliminate waste and increase profits in your business. Although these processes may represent up to 50% of the total lead time of a product and 25% of its total cost, they are often overlooked in favor of manufacturing operations.

If you've ever thought of the front end of your business - your office - as a prime area for improvement in lead time, cost and quality, it's time to take a look at Lean Office.

Join Matin Karbassioon, Lean Consultant with CONNSTEP, as he makes the case for extending Lean into your office processes.

Original webcast date: 11.5.2008
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Green Momentum - The Need for Lean and Clean
The "green" momentum provides new and expanded opportunities for manufacturers by changing the nature of the demand for products, services, equipment and supplies. Companies are finding that embracing green initiatives isn't just good citizenship, it adds to the bottom line.

The first step is to develop cost-effective internal processes that eliminate all the wastes - Lean and Clean Manufacturing. Integrating Clean Manufacturing or "green" techniques eliminates the "other wastes" while minimizing the impact to the environment.

Led by Judy Wlodarczyk, CONNSTEP Director of Environment and Energy, this overview will look at "green" drivers, using Lean tools to achieve "Clean" improvements and profile actual companies that are benefiting from the Lean and Clean approach.

Original webcast date: November 19, 2008
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Performance Measurements for the Lean Enterprise
Managing performance is critical to the effectiveness of any organization. This webcast, led by CONNSTEP Lean Consultant Bill Caplan, explores best practices on how to design and use a set of metrics and scorecards to drive your organization's performance and motivate your employees.

Participants will get a brief introduction on how to measure and monitor performance using meaningful metrics that are closely tied to their organization's strategy. Additionally, Bob Torrani of the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT) will discuss the top and bottom line benefits experienced by companies who have undertaken Lean initiatives with assistance from the Aerospace & Defense Initiative Program (ADI) funding.

Original webcast date:  December 17, 2008
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OEE: Overall Equipment Effectiveness
TPM is a data driven process to improve the productivity of your equipment. So the question remains, how do you measure equipment productivity?

OEE is that measurement system. But there are a lot of misconceptions about OEE. During this sixty minute webcast, we'll discuss the basics of OEE, show real life examples, discuss categories of losses, how to approach each loss and eliminate/minimize them.

John Kravontka, President of Fuss & O'Neill Manufacturing Services, LLC, will lead us through a case study, calculate OEE percentage, categorize losses and develop an improvement plan.

Original webcast date:  January 28, 2009
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Quality Registration in Two Parts
ISO 9001:2008 - What does it mean to you? The first part of the webcast will entail a clause by clause explanation of the changes coming, for certificate holders, with the new ISO 9001:2008 regulations.

During the latter portion of the webcast, the Quality Registration process will be discussed in a step-by-step method - from gap analysis, to document preparation to the selection of a registrar - companies interested in becoming registered to a quality standard will have the opportunity to learn the process and ask questions of a registrar representative.

Original webcast date:  February 4, 2009
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Making the Case for Lean Accounting
If your company is implementing Lean Manufacturing & Office practices, it should be aligning accounting and financial functions with the Lean business processes. Otherwise, your financial systems fail to support your Lean initiatives and can hinder or de-rail your progress.

During this one-hour webcast, Brian Maskell, co-author of Practical Lean Accounting, will show you how Lean Accounting provides the necessary controls and financial reporting for the Lean company.

Maskell will explain:
  What Lean Accounting is;
  Why traditional accounting practices is a barrier to Lean progress; and
  Why manufacturers who are undertaking Lean initiatives need to implement Lean Accounting.

Original webcast date:  February 12, 2009
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Approaching Zero Equipment Stoppages
Did you know that current equipment condition in the U.S. leads to:
  equipment productivity of less of 50%?
  dollars wasted on maintenance related practices is greater than $180 billion?

Learn how to avoid this at your facility by:
measuring your equipment productivity and improving it by sustainable amounts and
  adding the goal to approach zero equipment stoppages to your existing goals.

During this sixty minute webcast, led by John Kravontka, President, Fuss & O'Neill Manufacturing Services, LLC, we will:
  present the four phases and how to get immediate and sustainable results;
  identify and eliminate the two main causes for 80% of equipment breakdown;
  identify the six major equipment related losses and how to minimize them;
  recognize opportunities to develop maintenance excellence in your facility; and
  show the benefit of moving from calendar-based PM to condition-based PM.

Original webcast date:  February 18, 2009
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Maintenance Excellence
In the United States, we spend approximately $180 billion every year in wasteful maintenance related practices. Travel time, waiting at the parts crib, looking for maintenance tools, temporary repairs and emergency shipment of repair parts are just a few of these wasteful practices.

During this sixty minute webcast, John Kravontka, President of Fuss & O'Neill Manufacturing Services, LLC, will focus on maintenance mapping, a tool that you can bring back to your facility to make an immediate impact (reduction) in your mean time to repair (MTTR). No company ever has enough maintenance resources. We will show you ways to maximize those resources. We will also discuss PM optimization techniques.

Original webcast date:  March 11, 2009
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Strategic Management - How to Grow Your Business
Everyone recognizes the need for strategic thinking for sporting events and military battles, but strategic business management has not gained wide popularity. Even those companies that succeed in developing a strategic plan often view it as an activity outside the realm of every day activity - a recipe for failure. 

During this webcast, led by Jack Crane, CONNSTEP's Director of Enterprise Growth Services, we will explore how to make strategic management basic to running a manufacturing company. We will look at manufacturing operations, marketing and sales, and organizational structure - and see how to align and strategically position these activities to guide the management during economic changes whether opportunities or threats.

You will learn the basics of doing a marketing plan, integrating Lean objectives and marketing objectives with company goals, and implementing the plan. Monitoring progress and adjusting to changes by customers, markets, manufacturing capabilities and organization, make the strategy work.

Original webcast date:  April 15, 2009
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TWI in the 21st Century

Training Within Industry (TWI) is a public domain training program that was created in the United States and is now rapidly re-emerging after a 60 year absence.

Dr. Alan Robinson recently stated that, "TWI is STILL ahead of its time!" The TWI programs address management's biggest problem - getting front line workers engaged in their jobs. These employees see opportunities that managers don't see and 80% of improvement ideas come from front line workers.

However, the TWI Programs provide more than that - they enable the creation and use of standard work and continuous improvement. In addition, they improve teamwork, communication, quality, costs, productivity and safety.

This 30-minute free webcast will provide you with a general overview of the TWI Program and a preview of Don Dinero's presentation at the 2009 CONNSTEP Manufacturing & Business Conference.

During Don's 90-minute conference workshop, #A3 "TWI in the 21st Century", the history of TWI will be presented along with the three "J" programs - Job Instruction Training, Job Methods Training and Job Relations Training. The emphasis will be on the Job Instruction Training and how it develops standard training, standard work and improves product quality.

Original webcast date:  May 6, 2009
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