QRM Business Process Optimization Improving Support Operations with Advanced Cell Design

Day 1: Introduction to QRM and Office Cells

• Overview of QRM fundamentals and how they apply to office environments.
• Understanding the Four Core Principles of QRM and their impact on office operations.
• Importance of office cells as part of the QRM strategy.

Advanced Office Cell Design

• Design Principles: Incorporate system dynamics and process redesign techniques to optimize office workflows.
• Reducing Hand-offs: Techniques to minimize interruptions, redundancies, and rework within office operations.
• Simulations and Exercises: Use interactive exercises to design a sample office cell layout, including resource allocation and workflow mapping.

Financial Justification of Office Cells

• Calculating the ROI of office cell implementation: costs versus benefits analysis.
• Understanding non-financial benefits such as employee engagement and improved customer satisfaction.

Real-World Case Studies of Office Cell Implementation

• Examination of case studies showing successful office cell implementations in various industries.
• Lessons learned and best practices from companies that have reduced lead times and improved process efficiency.
• Group discussion on how to apply insights from case studies to participants’ own office environments.

Day 2: Implementation, Tools, and Overcoming Challenges

Cross-Training and Empowering Office Teams

• The importance of cross-training to build flexible, multi-skilled office teams.
• Strategies to foster a culture of ownership and accountability within office cells.
• Group activities focused on designing cross-training plans and role rotations to enhance team dynamics.

Implementing Quick Response Office Cells (Q-ROCs)

• Step-by-step roadmap for Q-ROC implementation tailored to different organizational sizes and complexities.
• Workshop session: Participants create action plans for Q-ROC implementation in their companies.

Advanced Tools and Techniques from Other QRM Applications

• Integrating POLCA for Office Operations: Leveraging the visual card-based system to manage flow and prevent backlogs in office environments.
• Utilizing Manufacturing Critical-path Time (MCT) in Office Settings: Applying MCT Mapping to identify and eliminate time sinks in office processes.

Continuous Improvement and Business Process Redesign

• Tools for ongoing improvement: incorporating Kaizen and other QRM-driven methodologies into office cells.
• Managing shared resources and cross-departmental coordination to enhance process flow and responsiveness.

Overcoming Common Challenges in Office Cell Implementation

• Addressing resistance to change: strategies to engage staff and gain buy-in.
• Case studies on overcoming obstacles, including lack of process ownership, inadequate data flow, and misaligned performance metrics.

Workshop and Group Discussion: Customizing Solutions

• Group exercises where participants apply what they’ve learned to customize solutions for their specific office challenges.
• Peer feedback and expert guidance on implementation strategies.

Wrap-Up and Next Steps

• Recap of key learnings and action items.
• Q&A session to address specific participant questions and challenges.

• Instructor

  Vince Clark

  Vince Clark is an accomplished manufacturing leader with more than 30 years of experience driving operational excellence across global organizations. He brings a proven record of leading large, complex operations in industries ranging from consumer products to heavy equipment and mining.

   

  Vince spent over two decades with Caterpillar Inc., progressing through roles that included Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Factory Product Manager, Global Manufacturing Engineering Director, and Operations Director. He led organizations with hundreds of employees, managed large-scale global engineering teams, and oversaw complex operations, including Caterpillar’s Ultra Class Mining Shovels and off-highway trucks, developing deep expertise in low-volume, high-mix production environments.

   

  Following his time with Caterpillar, Vince held senior leadership roles with Enerpac, Briggs & Stratton, and Andis Company, where he most recently served as Business Unit Director. Across these organizations, he managed operations of more than 600 employees, oversaw annual capital project portfolios exceeding $60 million, and consistently delivered measurable improvements in safety, quality, delivery, and cost.

   

  A certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Vince is recognized for his ability to combine Lean, Six Sigma, continuous improvement, and lead-time reduction principles with a people-centered leadership style, delivering both cultural change and bottom-line results.

   

  He holds a BS and MS in Industrial Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and an MBA from Millikin University.

   

  As an instructor with the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Center for Quick Response Manufacturing (QRM), Vince brings a wealth of real-world expertise to help companies reduce lead times, improve responsiveness, and thrive in today’s competitive manufacturing landscape.

• Program Director

  James Rink