What:
We are an informally organized, industry-led group focused on improving business performance in Douglas County. We are dedicated to helping businesses improve performance and profitability through Lean/continuous improvement techniques. Participating members come from Roseburg Forest Products, Orenco, Mercy Medical, Douglas County, FCC Commercial Furniture, Embertson CPA, Swanson Group, and others.
Why:
Businesses of all types face a challenging environment, whether that comes in the form of international competition, changing marketplaces, or the lingering effects of the great recession. Continuous process improvement and related strategies offer proven methods to improve performance, morale, and the bottom line. This consortium was established to serve local businesses by meeting needs in areas of:
- Training
- Resource sharing
- Tackling common problems
- Networking with other workforce training and similar organizations (Umpqua Training & Employment, OMEP, SBDC, other High Performance Enterprise Consortia, etc.) to design programs to meet business needs
- Identifying resources to support these activities
Outcomes realized/Future goals:
We have been meeting for a year now, and during that time we have engaged 15 area companies in monthly meetings, conducted a 1/2-day seminar, and arranged a week-long Lean Leader certification training (details available here).
The regular meetings have provided a forum for networking and have resulted in the partnering of businesses with locally available (low-cost) resources. We have identified needs of local businesses and created two events to fill some of those needs.
Where/Next Meeting:
We meet once a month, for networking, trainings, learning tours through local companies, and other value-added activities. In November, Gary Purcival from Roseburg Forest Products will deliver a training on Kanban implementation. (Kanbans are visual controls, often used to manage inventory or other processes.) Gary is a very engaging presenter and he’ll give you tools that can be applied immediately to any workplace at any scale relevant to your needs. While it will cost the amount of your lunch, your ROI will be realized within a day of implementing the relatively simple techniques Gary will share.
How:
The Consortium requires no dues, only cost recovery from trainings delivered. Alex Campbell can be reached at alexc@uedpartnership.org, and he will add you to the mailing list for this group. Also, bookmark this page and visit frequently for updates as we will include articles, suggested learning resources, and mini-trainings on this blog on a regular basis. The Consortium is supported administratively (and otherwise) by The Partnership for Economic Development in Douglas County.
