by Brion Hurley Philip Washburn started to learn about Lean Six Sigma when he had recently become the Program Director of Habitat for Humanity-MidOhio. Habitat for Humanity helps build affordable new homes around the world. Philip quickly realized that Lean Six Sigma tools had potential to help the organization. He became a certified Black Belt […]
by Brion Hurley Brent Weichers is the Director of Continuous Improvement at The Lighthouse for the Blind. Based out of Seattle, Washington, they are a not-for-profit Aerospace and Military Supply manufacturing company. The Lighthouse employs over 260 individuals who are blind, DeafBlind or blind with other disabilities. When he started the job and started to […]
Written by Brion
The James P Womack Scholarship and Philanthropy Fund provides scholarships to students to fund hands-on problem-solving experience at charity organizations under the guidance of an Lean Enterprise Initiative (LEI) coach. The fund’s first partnership is with Oakland University in Michigan. Two student interns (Monisha Vasudeva and Sagar Bajaj) are learning and implementing lean principles at […]
Written by Brion
The true power of continuous improvement lies in its ability to help people reach their full potential. In this course, we visit The Lighthouse for the Blind, an extraordinary organization that provides employment opportunities for individuals who are blind, deaf, DeafBlind, and/or have other disabilities. With prestigious clients like Boeing, NASA, and the United States […]
Written by Brion
Pat O’Connor has done volunteer work for many years. In this article, he shares lessons learned from his current volunteer work as a Chairperson of The Avenue of the Flags Program (a community fundraiser run by volunteers) and as the Head Usher at his local church. He implements Lean Six Sigma skills such as 5S, […]
Written by Brion
Brion Hurley gave a presentation on how to improve employee engagement through structured management systems from Lean. The talk was given at the Deconstruction and Reuse Conference (hosted by Build Reuse) in Pittsburgh, PA. He shared experiences working with reuse nonprofit organizations like ReStore and The Rebuilding Center. He gave recommendations to organizations on how […]
Written by Brion
by Brion Hurley Lean and Six Sigma principles and methods are continuing to gain popularity, especially in public service and nonprofit organizations. A new book has been released that shares the experiences of Lean and Six Sigma experts who have applied their skills to not-for-profit organizations. The book is called “Lean Six Sigma For Good: […]
Written by Brion
Indianapolis Animal Care Services (IACS) protects and promotes the health, safety, and welfare of pets and livestock in Marion County (which serves Indianapolis, Indiana). Animal Care Officers (ACOs) are unable to meet the high demand of the City-County’s citizen calls, resulting in a growing service call backlog. The annual call volume for these service calls […]
Written by Brion
Purdue University graduate Lauren Neder moved to Haiti to help navigate cultural and logistical challenges at Imagine Missions school, and help establish multiple programs to address sustainability in the island nation. Her background in Industrial Engineering and work experience at Frito Lay came in handy in providing opportunities to orphans at the school. She was […]
Written by Brion
Heeling Soles is a nonprofit organization that distributes shoes and clothing to those in need. A group of students from the University of Houston found a way to reduce setup and shoe distribution times by 41%, while increasing engagement and customer interaction using Lean. The students were taking a Lean course for their Supply Chain […]
Written by Brion