UB TCIE’s continuous business improvement fall classes announced

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Among its business improvement courses scheduled this fall, the University at Buffalo’s TCIE is offering an early bird discount until Aug. 5 for Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt training.

The course, and other programs from TCIE, helps business professionals and companies improve performance. It is designed for people interested in mastering the Six Sigma methodology and process improvement tools at a high level.

The training will be offered over five weeks at the Ramada Hotel & Conference Center, 2402 North Forest Rd., Amherst. The course, which runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., is scheduled for Sept. 30-Oct. 3, Nov. 4-7, Dec. 2-5, Jan. 6-9, and Feb. 3-6.

Candidates complete an improvement project at their workplace and must pass an exam to earn certification. The early bird rate equates to $400 in savings. The last day for registration is Sept. 23.

TCIE’s lineup also includes:

• Root Cause Analysis and Corrective Action course, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 14 at the Ramada. This program is designed to improve the problem-solving skills of all employee levels by providing an understanding of the processes and techniques for determining the root cause of a nonconformance and the corrective action needed to prevent the problem from occurring again. Register by Aug. 7.

• Certified Lean Professional course, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., on Mondays, from Sept. 23-Dec. 16 (except Oct. 14 and Nov. 11); and Jan. 13 and Feb. 11 for project mentoring. The 39-hour course is offered at UB’s Baird Research Park, 1576 Sweet Home Rd., Amherst. It introduces participants to the Lean methodology of saving money and reducing waste by identifying unnecessary processes. Register by Sept. 16.

• 3-Day ISO 9001:2008 Internal Auditor training, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Oct. 8-10 at the Ramada. Participants learn about the ISO 9001:2008 standard, audit activities and techniques, objective evidence to gather, and expectations of third-party external auditors in determining compliance, in the quest to understand how to assess their organizations’ quality performance. Register by Oct. 1.

• Certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black training, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Oct. 21-25, Nov. 4-5, and Nov. 18-21; and 8 a.m. to noon on Nov. 6 at the Ramada. This course propels Black Belts, who have demonstrated a mastery of Six Sigma tools and a natural aptitude to lead and teach, to expert status. Participants are required to complete an improvement project, pass a certification exam and demonstrate teaching ability. Register by Oct. 11.

• Knowledge-Driven New Product Development course, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 7 at the Ramada. The course, which aims to change the perspective of the role of information technology (IT) in new product development, focuses on measuring innovation, information technology-enabled design, and systems-level thinking. It is ideal for two or more representatives from a company to attend; i.e., one senior executive champion or IT professional, plus a product or service development manager. Register by Oct. 10.

• Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt online certified course with one-on-one mentoring from a Six Sigma expert. Sessions begin at the start of every month. Candidates complete a Six Sigma improvement project at their workplace and must pass an exam to earn certification. Enrollment is continuously open.

For more information on the above offerings, contact Mariah Glass, TCIE training program coordinator, at 716-645-8840 or mariahgl@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. Its core focus on engineering solutions and operational excellence drive continual improvements, and ignite innovation and technological advantage. For more information on how TCIE can assist Western New York businesses, go to www.tcie.buffalo.edu or call 716-645-8800.