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Operational Excellence Strategies for Transforming Manufacturing Performance

Operational excellence (OpEx) is the foundation of sustainable success in modern manufacturing. It transcends individual tools, isolated improvement projects, or short-term cost-cutting initiatives. True operational excellence integrates people, processes, and technology into a cohesive management system that enables organizations to consistently deliver superior performance, resilience, and competitiveness.

In an era of high customer expectations, market volatility, and technological disruption, manufacturers must go beyond Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement as stand-alone efforts. Operational excellence provides a unifying framework that aligns daily actions with long-term business goals, builds resilient systems capable of managing variability, and fosters a culture of accountability and innovation.

This two-day course is designed specifically for experienced manufacturing professionals who are ready to elevate their impact. It equips participants to move beyond basic tools and methods toward mastering integrated OpEx strategies that work across functions, sites, and value streams.

The course blends lectures, case studies, group exercises, simulation, and guided action plan development. Through this hands-on, systems-level approach, participants will leave prepared to drive operational excellence in their organizations, not as a collection of tools, but as a way of thinking, leading, and managing.

Learning Outcomes:

Design and implement an operational excellence framework integrating Lean, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement
Build resilient systems that manage variability and reduce systemic waste
Develop leader standard work and management systems to sustain results
Apply design thinking to operational challenges
Foster a culture of trust, engagement, and accountability
Create a tailored OpEx action plan for their organization
Apply Kata Coaching techniques to reinforce daily improvement habits and support frontline engagement

Who Should Attend:

This course is designed specifically for experienced professionals working in manufacturing environments who want to take their operational leadership and systems integration capabilities to the next level. It provides advanced concepts, tools, and frameworks that go beyond foundational Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement training.

This course is ideally suited for:

Manufacturing engineers, process engineers, and Lean/CI professionals: Technical contributors and continuous improvement specialists who want to design, implement, and sustain integrated OpEx systems that align with business strategy and drive lasting impact.
Plant managers, project leaders, and technical managers: Leaders responsible for translating operational excellence principles into daily execution, fostering accountability, and sustaining high performance at the plant or project level.
Operations managers, directors, and VPs: Senior operational leaders accountable for plant or multi-site performance, seeking to unify improvement efforts, build resilience, and embed OpEx into daily management and long-term strategy.
Continuous improvement and change leaders: Transformation professionals focused on integrating existing improvements into comprehensive systems that deliver sustained cultural and operational change across the organization.

Who should not take this course: This course is not intended for beginners or individuals seeking an introduction to Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement concepts. Participants should already have foundational exposure to improvement methodologies and be prepared to engage in advanced, systems-level thinking and application.

Course Details: RA00113-E068

Course Outline

Day 1

Operational Excellence Foundations

Define OpEx beyond Lean/Six Sigma
Explore systems thinking; review frameworks integrating people, process, and technology
Group discussion: What does OpEx mean in your organization?
Establish shared understanding of OpEx as a system aligned to business goals

Resilient Systems & Variability Management

Identify systemic waste, variability drivers
Introduce tools (standard work layering, flow mapping, bottleneck analysis)
Case study: Variability reduction in high-mix manufacturing. Small group flow mapping exercise to diagnose and prioritize improvements

Design Thinking for Operations

Apply design thinking to operational challenges
Reframe a common operations issue (e.g., setup reduction, defect elimination)
Group share-out

Applied Systems Thinking Workshop

Facilitated team activity
Map an operational system from participants’ organizations (or provided case) and identify systemic barriers to excellence
Group reflection on key learnings

Day 1 Recap and Q&A

Consolidate key learnings and prepare for Day 2 focus on implementation

Day 2

Reflections and Takeaways from Day 1

Reconnect to key concepts and personal insights

Management Systems & Leader Standard Work

Explore OpEx management systems with visual management, tiered meetings, leader standard work
Introduce the principles of Kata Coaching to help leaders support daily continuous improvement, reinforce habits of scientific thinking, and sustain operational excellence through structured coaching routines
Interactive design of leader standard work routines
Review of real-world sustainment examples

Culture, Trust & Sustaining Excellence

Build a culture of trust and accountability by applying ACT principles to strengthen engagement and support lasting behavior change
Learn ACT-based approaches to build psychological flexibility in leaders and teams
Explore how values-based conversations, mindfulness strategies, and commitment techniques can be used to reduce resistance, increase engagement, and support long-term cultural change
Develop a cultural sustainability map that links behaviors to operational expenditure (OpEx) outcomes

Operational Excellence Action Plan Project

Develop tailored OpEx action plan. Current state, priority opportunities, systems, cultural strategies, metrics
Peer reviews and instructor feedback
Ensure an actionable plan is aligned with the participant organization

Final Reflections and Commitments

Share action plans and next steps
Build accountability for follow-up in participants’ home organizations

Course Schedule

Registration Date/Time:
2/25/2026 8:0am Central Time

Event Dates/Times:

2/25/2026 8:00am - 3:00pm Central Time
2/26/2026 8:00am - 3:00pm Central Time

Instructor and Program Director

Instructor

Jeff Wilkerson

Jeff Wilkerson is a progressive Lean leader, executive advisor, and innovative learning enthusiast with extensive experience in manufacturing and leadership. His career spans roles from machine operator to Plant Manager and later senior leadership at Caterpillar Inc., giving him a unique perspective that connects frontline realities with strategic vision. Jeff also spent time at TI Automotive in various manufacturing roles before joining Caterpillar, where he advanced through positions in operations, supply chain, engineering management, and global program leadership.

Throughout his career, Jeff has helped optimize global manufacturing operations, guided teams to implement impactful process improvements, and designed simulated work environments (SWEs) that expand real-world problem-solving capabilities and drive significant efficiency gains.

Jeff holds a Lean Master Black Belt, an MBA in Human Resources, and a BA in Leadership and Management. He has also completed advanced executive education at the MIT Sloan School of Management, focusing on Digital Business Strategy, Design Thinking, and Business Process Design. In addition, he is certified as a lay counselor in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, reflecting his belief that sustainable operational excellence stems from prioritizing people over processes.

Today, Jeff combines his deep expertise in Lean, change management, and leadership development to help organizations achieve breakthrough results while building cultures of trust, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Program Director

James Rink

Total Credits:

CEU 1.4,

PDH 14,

Applies to this Certificate:

Manufacturing Excellence,

Sign up for a Certificate and take advantage of possible course discounts. Click on a Certificate for more information.

Course Administration

Fee Information

Fee covers course materials.

Discounts

Team Discounts

Receive 10% off the registration fee per person when 3-7 individuals from the same organization enroll. Team affiliation will be confirmed as part of the registration process.

Receive 15% off the registration fee per person when 8 or more individuals from the same organization enroll. Team affiliation will be confirmed as part of the registration process.

Payment Options

If you are planning to attend an Interdisciplinary Professional Programs course, payment is required at the time of registration. Below are the payment options:

Pay by Credit Card

Enroll online and pay by credit card.

Search for the course on the website and then click on the Enroll Now button from the course webpage.
Enter all necessary course attendee information and payment information on the course enrollment page.
You will receive an email to confirm successful enrollment and payment.

Enroll over the phone and pay by credit card.

Call CERC Registrations at 608-262-2451.
Provide the registrations representative with:
- the course name, dates, and/or course number.
- the necessary course attendee information and payment information.
You will receive either a mailed document or an email to confirm successful enrollment payment.

Pay by Check

Mail in a completed registration form and check payable to UW Madison.

Fill out a registration form (found either in the back of the course brochure you received in the mail or here).
Prepare a check, made payable to UW Madison.
Mail the registration form and check to: CERC Registrations 21 N Park St, Ste 7101 Madison, WI 53715
You will receive either a mailed document or an email to confirm successful enrollment and payment.

Pay by Purchase Order

Request Purchase Order information from interpro@union.wisc.edu
- If a fee quote is needed, contact custserv@interpro.wisc.edu first
You will receive an invoice from UW–Madison Business Services for payment, usually within 3–5 business days

Military

If using SF-182 form, please call our registration number at 608-262-2451 or email interpro@union.wisc.edu for details and instructions.

Event Cancellation

We reserve the right to cancel a course due to insufficient enrollment or unforeseen events. If we cancel a course, participants will be notified via email or phone and will be given the option for a full refund or to transfer their registration and any fees paid to another course. We are not responsible for non-refundable plane tickets, hotel reservations, and other travel related expenses. For enrollee Course Cancellation, refer to notes on course page.

Cancellation Policy

If you cannot attend, please notify us no later than one week before your course begins, and we will refund your fee. Cancellations received after this date and no-shows are subject to a $150 administrative fee. You may enroll a substitute at any time before the course starts. Once you have accessed the online course, exam and/or materials, no cancellations or refunds are permitted.