Union County College Hosts Successful ‘Lean Tools for the Office’ Workshop

ELIZABETH — At the Dr. Thomas H. Brown Center for Business and Educational Advancement at Union County College’s Elizabeth campus, the New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program, Inc. (NJMEP) brought together a group of 18 professionals to study the impact office procedures and information flows have on an organization’s productivity.

In the workshop, “Lean Tools for the Office,” instructor Joe D’Urso led his class through exercises in the identification of constraints or repetition in work flows, and through a series of steps encouraged problem solving and implementation of changes to enhance office operations. The principles of “Lean Tools” apply to office procedures across all industries and organizations that are information intensive.

Using decision trees, value stream mapping, and other management techniques, participants simulated interdepartmental management teams and collaborated on creative ways to change processes from “the way it has always been done around here” to new and efficient work processes to eliminate waste and disorganization. The results of these efforts challenged participants to return to their own work environments with a new perspective on efficiency and team work.

One participant said, “This workshop encouraged teamwork, thoughts and problem solving techniques and allowed us to practice brainstorming new ideas.” Another stated, “The content was hands on and applies to all business processes.”

The Industry-Business Institute at Union County College partnered with NJMEP to bring this program to their Elizabeth campus, located at 40 W. Jersey St. For more information about NJMEP visit their website at njmep.org. To learn more about how the Industry-Business Institute and the training opportunities it offers businesses in the Union County area, call 908-965-2358, visit ucc.edu/community/ibi or email ibi@ucc.edu.

Click here to view the original article published by NJ.com.