Advanced Manufacturing

Operational Efficiency

*Provide evidence, using examples from the curriculum, that the competencies and/or skills taught in the program are technology focused (5000 characters)

The overall objective of the EBITDA Growth Systems (EGS) Precision Manufacturing curriculum is to increase the business acumen of small to medium-sized (SMB) advanced manufacturers.

The global marketplace has undergone unprecedented change over the past several years, and one of the industries most affected has been advanced manufacturing. Between technological advancements, shifting consumer behavior, and increased competition, a more agile and business-minded approach is now required of advanced manufacturing teams. Embracing these changes and cultivating a mindset that prioritizes business acumen and savviness is crucial for staying competitive and thriving in the modern manufacturing landscape.

Leaders of SMB advanced manufacturers must be open to the adoption of new technologies that push traditional boundaries and enhance business intelligence. So, how do these leaders adapt? By increasing their business acumen.

Traditionally speaking, manufacturing teams tend to home in on boosting efficiencies and cutting costs. True, these are essential aspects of any successful manufacturing operation—but used in isolation, they’re no longer cutting it. Automation, digitization, Internet of Things (IoT) and other Industry 4.0 technologies are changing the game and have taken the manufacturing industry to a whole different level. Leaders need to think more wholistically now.

Leaders with strong business acumen skills can better understand business issues, adapt and remain flexible during times of change, comprehend business operations and provide quality insight as to how to achieve goals and ensure business success.  These leaders are also more inclined to experiment with new technologies and methodologies, in turn fostering a culture of innovation that can lead to competitive advantages.

Operations management is the set of activities that creates value in the form of goods and services by transforming inputs into outputs.  Upon successful completion of the Operations course, Participants will have the skills to:

• Leverage ERP technology to maximize production operations
• Maximize customer satisfaction through quality, reliability, cost and delivery time.
• Minimize scrap/rework resulting in better product quality.
• Minimize the rejection of parts sent to customers.
• Minimize possible inventory levels (i.e.,optimum inventory levels).
• Minimize cash outflow.
• Maximize employee satisfaction.
• Maximize possible production (i.e., outputs).
• Maximize possible employee productivity.
• Maximize possible machine technology productivity.
• Higher operating efficiency.
• Minimize production cycle time.
• Maximize possible profit or return on investment.
• Maintain concern for protection of environment.
• Perform capacity planning and maintain accurate and aggressive Scheduling function.
• Employ decision making models for analyzing trade-offs and establishing priorities

Any time training is delivered, it is important to know how effective it’s been. Are participants putting their learning into practice? And, is it positively impacting their role and the wider organization?  Kirkpatrick’s Four-Level Training Evaluation Model can help to answer questions like these. Research indicates that it can be used to analyze the impact of training objectively.

The Kirkpatrick Model is an internationally recognized tool for evaluating and analyzing the results of educational, training and learning programs. It consists of four levels of evaluation: Reaction, Learning, Behavior, and Results. Each successive level of the model represents a more precise measure of the effectiveness of a training program.

At EGS, we deliver our curriculum and include follow up to achieve Kirkpatrick’s Level 3: Behavior and Level 4: Results.

Level 3 helps us to understand how well participants apply their training. It can also reveal where participants might need help. But behavior can only change when conditions are favorable, so we work intimately with client leadership to make certain that conditions are as close to ideal as possible.

Level 4 enables us to analyze the final results of the training. This includes outcomes that the client organization has decided are good for business, and which demonstrate a good return on investment (ROI).  Level 4 is the most costly and time-consuming. As a result, EGS coaches participants through the biggest challenge of identifying which outcomes, benefits, or final results are most closely linked to the training, and to come up with an effective way to measure these outcomes in the long term.

*Provide evidence that the credential provides value beyond your organization (5000 characters)

The EGS Advanced Manufacturing curriculum is featured in the 2023 National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA) Emerging Leader training cohorts.  It will continue to be featured in the 2024 NTMA Emerging Leader training cohorts as well as the 2024 Executive cohorts.