UB's TCIE Announces Business Improvement Course Lineup

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The University at Buffalo's TCIE will offer business improvement workshops and certification courses this summer and fall for professionals striving to save money and boost efficiency in their organizations.

Those who register for the fall session of the Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt course by Aug. 19 will receive an early-bird discount. Candidates will work toward mastering the Six Sigma methodology and process improvement tools at an advanced level. They will complete an improvement project at their workplace and must pass an exam to earn certification. The class will be held at the Ramada Hotel & Conference Center, 2402 North Forest Rd., Amherst. Sessions will be held 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 26-30, Oct. 31 to Nov. 4, Dec. 5-9, Jan. 9-13, and Feb. 6-10. Participants must register by Sept. 12.

Other workshops and certification courses include:

-- Certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt course. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 15-19, 29, 30; Sept. 19-22; plus a half-day session (8 a.m. to noon) on Aug. 31, at the Ramada Hotel. This course is for Black Belts who have demonstrated a mastery of Six Sigma tools and a natural aptitude to lead and teach. Register by Aug. 1.

-- Certified Lean Professional course. 6-9 p.m. on Oct. 3, 17 and 24; Nov. 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28; Dec. 5, 12 and 19; Jan. 17; and Feb. 7 at UB's Baird Research Park, 1576 Sweet Home Rd., Amherst. The course introduces participants to the Lean methodology of saving money and reducing waste by identifying unnecessary processes. Participants are required to complete a project, designed to improve a process at their organization, and pass a certification exam. Register by Sept. 19.

-- Minitab Software Training. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 13 at UB's Baird Research Park. Participants will learn to use and interpret Minitab software graphs, including histograms, plots, box plots, bar charts, interval plots and time series plots. Register by Sept. 29.

-- Three-Day ISO 9001:2008 Internal Auditor training. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 24-26 at the Ramada Hotel. In understanding how to assess their organizations' quality performance, participants will learn about the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 9001:2008 standards, audit activities and techniques, objective evidence to gather, and expectations of third-party external auditors in determining compliance. Register by Oct. 11.

-- One-on-One Certified Courses. Sessions begin at the start of every month. Course options include: Certified Lean Sigma Blue Belt for the health care provider, covering Lean and process variation reduction; and Certified Six Sigma Green Belt and Certified Six Sigma Black Belt, covering more powerful problem-solving skills and advanced mastery of Six Sigma. Enrollment is continuously open for these sessions that feature one-on-one mentoring with a Six Sigma expert and online education.

More information about TCIE courses and registration is available at http://www.tcie.buffalo.edu/what-we-do/professional-development/ or call TCIE at 645-8840 or email Kerry Lynch at klynch4@buffalo.edu.

A program of the UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, TCIE is Western New York's bridge to excellence by providing a dynamic link between UB's expert resources and the region's business community. TCIE's core focus on operational excellence drives continuous improvement, and its engineering solutions ignite innovation and technological advancement. For more information on how TCIE can assist Western New York businesses, go to http://www.tcie.buffalo.edu or call 716-645-8800.