Extension, College of Natural Resources and Environment offer workshop series on process improvement
Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Department of Wood Science and Forest Products in Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment will host a series of workshops in Southwest and Southside Virginia this fall to help companies increase manufacturing efficiencies and improve customer service.
Although the workshops will focus on and use examples from the forest products industry, they will present insights, concepts, challenges, opportunities, and trends on energy savings, process improvement, and supply chain management topics applicable to other manufacturing sectors. Plant managers, quality and process engineers, supplier chain and procurement managers, small and medium enterprise managers, and anyone interested in learning the basics of process improvement are welcome to attend.
Three different workshops are being offered.
Energy Savings Using Lean Thinking will review the basic concepts of lean thinking, energy management systems, energy audits, and how lean thinking projects could lead firms to significant energy reductions. It will be held on Friday, Sept. 10 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Riverstone Energy Center, 1100 Confroy Drive, Suite 1, South Boston, Va. Register online.
Process Improvement Frameworks will present basic knowledge on different process improvement frameworks such as value chains, supply chain management, business process management, and enterprise resources planning that can help firms decrease costs and positively impact customer satisfaction. It will be held Friday, Oct. 22 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Thomas M. Brooks Forest Products Center, 1650 Ramble Road, Blacksburg, Va. Register online.
Supply Chain Management: Trends, Opportunities, and Challenges will focus on the most relevant aspects of supply chain management that today’s firms need to successfully compete in the marketplace, including a review of supply chain management basic concepts, third-party logistics, information technologies, and supplier relationships. It will be held on Friday, Nov. 12 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, 150 Slayton Ave., Danville, Va. Register online.
- Registration for each workshop is $35 and includes materials, refreshments, and lunch.
- For more information, visit the Wood Innovation Research Group website, e-mail Henry Quesada, or call (540) 231-0978.
