The Georgia Tech Lean Consortium, a forum for organizations to advance their knowledge and effective use of lean principles, is expanding into northeast and northwest Georgia. Organizations from any economic sector – including manufacturing, service, government or health care – are welcome if they have a vision for lean within their organization, a strategy and commitment to its implementation and successful experiences to share with the consortium.

 

Lean principles are a set of tools widely used in manufacturing to help identify and steadily eliminate waste from an organization’s operations. Already, 11 south metro Atlanta companies and 17 Augusta area companies are participating in the Lean Consortium through shared training and peer-to-peer relationships.

 

Member companies rotate hosting the group at their facility, where they present their vision for lean and the challenges and successes to date. After a plant tour, the group provides feedback to identify areas of success, as well as opportunities for further improvement. Members are also offered exclusive training classes in areas that they help to select.

 

“The Lean Consortium here in Augusta has provided an excellent opportunity for me to exchange ideas and learn about best practices at other manufacturing facilities in my local area,” said Chuck Sabo, quality and safety manager at Purification Cellutions in Waynesboro, Ga. “The consortium allows this to be done without the need to invest in costly travel and I have found my colleagues at other companies to be very open with both their successes and failures.”

 

To learn more about the Georgia Tech Lean Consortium, please contact Larry Alford (404-895-5237); E-mail (larry.alford@innovate.gatech.edu) or visit www.gtlean.org.

 

About Enterprise Innovation Institute:

The Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute helps companies, entrepreneurs, economic developers and communities improve their competitiveness through the application of science, technology and innovation. It is one of the most comprehensive university-based programs of business and industry assistance, technology commercialization and economic development in the nation.

 

Research News & Publications Office

Enterprise Innovation Institute

Georgia Institute of Technology

75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100

Atlanta, Georgia 30308 USA

 

Media Relations Contacts: Nancy Fullbright (404-894-2214); E-mail: (nancy.fullbright@innovate.gatech.edu) or John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail (john.toon@innovate.gatech.edu).

 

Writer: Nancy Fullbright