UB's TCIE Announces Fall Business Improvement Courses and Workshops

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The University at Buffalo's Center for Industrial Effectiveness (TCIE) will offer a rich slate of business improvement workshops and training sessions to be held this fall. Those who register by Aug. 16 will receive an early-bird discount of 10 percent, unless otherwise indicated.

TCIE's fall 2010 workshops and training sessions are:

• Minitab Session. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 9 at the UB Technology Incubator, 1576 Sweet Home Rd., Amherst. Participants will learn to use and interpret Minitab software (Version 15) graphs, including histograms, plots, box plots, bar charts, interval plots and time series plots. Cost is $495; register by Aug. 26.

• Certified Lean Professional Course. Mondays from 6-9 p.m. from Sept. 13 to Nov. 29 (except Oct. 11), with project mentoring on Jan. 3 and Feb. 1, at the UB Technology Incubator. The 39-hour course will introduce participants to the Lean methodology of saving money and reducing waste by identifying unnecessary processes. Participants will be required to complete projects designed to improve processes at their organizations and pass a certification exam. Cost is $1,195; register by Aug. 30.

• Three-Day ISO 9001:2008 Internal Auditor training. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 27-29 at the Ramada Hotel & Conference Center, 2402 North Forest Rd., Amherst. Participants will learn how to assess their organizations' quality performance; they also will learn about the ISO 9001:2008 standard, including audit activities and techniques, determining what objective evidence should be gathered and what third-party auditors expect in determining compliance. Cost is $595; register by Sept. 13.

• Black Belt Course. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 20-24, Oct. 25-29, Nov. 29 to Dec. 3, Jan. 10-14 and Feb. 7-11 at the Ramada Hotel & Conference Center. Candidates will work toward mastering the Six Sigma methodology and process improvement tools at a high level. They will complete an improvement project at their workplace and must pass an exam to earn certification. Cost is $6,295; register by Sept. 7. A five percent discount will be available to those who register by August 16.

• Executive Overview. 8 a.m. to noon on Oct. 6 at the Ramada Hotel & Conference Center. Appropriate for all levels of management, attendees will learn about the guiding principles and terminologies of Lean Six Sigma, an industry-proven quality methodology that helps businesses grow through greater efficiency. Cost is $99; register by Sept. 22.

• Certified Change Management Professional Course. 8:30-11:30 a.m. on Oct. 12, 19, 26 and 28, and Nov. 2, 5, 9, 16 and 19 at the UB Technology Incubator. Participants will learn how to make strategic decisions, translate strategy and manage change within an organization. An exam will be administered at the end of the 27-hour program. Cost is $1,095; register by Sept. 21.

• Blue Belt Blended Learning Course. This course combines 32 hours of independent study and online learning with traditional classroom sessions, and will be held at the Ramada Hotel & Conference Center from 8 a.m. to noon on Oct. 13, Nov. 5, Dec. 1 and Jan. 12. The course will incorporate most elements of Lean and some tools of Six Sigma; case studies and exercises will pertain specifically to the health-care sector, though they are easily transferable to most service organizations. Candidates will complete an improvement project at their workplace and must pass an exam to earn certification. Cost is $1,495; register by Sept. 22.

• Three-Day ISO 14001 Internal Auditor Training. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 25-27 at the Ramada Hotel & Conference Center. Participants will learn how to assess their organizations' quality performance and will receive instruction in the ISO 14001 standard, audit activities and techniques, objective evidence to gather and expectations of third-party external auditors in determining compliance. Cost is $695; register by Oct. 12.

• Green Belt Blended Learning Course. This course combines an estimated 48 hours of independent study and online learning with traditional classroom sessions, and will be held at the Ramada Hotel & Conference Center from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 3, Dec. 8 and Jan. 5, and 8 a.m. to noon on Feb. 2 and March 2. Candidates will be immersed in the initial steps of the Six Sigma methodology and are provided with problem-solving tools. They will complete an improvement project at their workplace and must pass an exam to earn certification. Cost is $2,395; register by Oct. 13.

• What are Your Cost Drivers ... How Can Lean Help You Turn Cost into Profit? 8 a.m. to noon on Dec. 9 at the Ramada Hotel. During this half-day Lean Executive briefing, organizational leaders will discuss how critical it is to understand customers' perspectives on value in determining strategic direction, as well as how to identify waste and how to best utilize practical Lean tools. Cost is $99; register by Nov. 23.

In addition, two lunch presentations will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Ramada Hotel & Conference Center. The cost is $59. They include:

• Balanced Scorecard. Nov. 16. Learn how to successfully implement scorecards with meaningful metrics to drive and sustain business performance. Register by Nov. 2.

• Is Your Company a Learning Organization? Dec. 14. The presentation will focus on why the best organizations are learning organizations and how to create one. Register by Nov. 30.

For more information, call the UB Center for Industrial Effectiveness at 636-2568 or e-mail Kerry Lynch at klynch4@buffalo.edu.

TCIE provides a dynamic link between UB's expert resources and the region's business community. A program of the UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, TCIE fosters partnerships and manages projects as diverse as the region's businesses, and is a premier provider of Lean Six Sigma training and mentoring. For more information on how TCIE can assist Western New York businesses, go to http://www.tcie.buffalo.edu.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB's more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.