If you are interested in any workplace improvement of any kind in Indiana, you owe it to yourself to know about Wabash Valley Lean Network. I was introduced by Chris Waymire of Business & Professional Exchange North Central as a way to interact with forward thinkers in industry.  I am so grateful for this opportunity. WVLN meets monthly (usually at SIA in Lafayette) to discuss the application of Lean principles in various environments. This is is always a beneficial experience! Notes from the speakers are posted on the WVLN site. Here is what I gained from the February 5, 2015 meeting.

Visual Management. Lean principles focus on 5S, or more broadly, visual management. It’s about how can you structure the workplace visually to eliminate the waste of redoing things. Rhonda Kovera of Visual Work Place Inc presented fabulous options for affordable and professional workplace visual management improvement. Much of this presentation was tailored for the manufacturing environment, however it has wide reaching application potential. I’ll have my eye on this was I proceed further into Project Management. In addition, Tim Martin of Martin & Bell Group, LLC presented a number of examples of visual management in the healthcare environment.

BraunAbility. I always learn something from talking to people at WVLN. There were several representatives from BraunAbility in attendance. I had a great conversation with John Lawrence about the company. He told me about the history and the mission of this great company whose wheel chair bound founder had to figure out how to get to work. Now BraunAbility manufactures wheelchair accessories for mini vans for people all over the country, right here in Winamac, Indiana.

If you are interested in learning more about the opportunities at WVLN, contact Pete Wagoner of Greater Lafayette Commerce.