Annapolis Valley Continuous Improvement Program

The Valley REN aims to foster a culture of continuous improvement in the region by providing support to businesses and industry through a  multi-element training program.

The program has been designed to help companies become more efficient and sustainable and improve their competitiveness by reducing costs and improving the allocation of labour.

The two-year Continuous Improvement Program consists of five tiers of support designed to drive continuous improvement in processes that will positively impact the business’s bottom line. The first three tiers of support can immediately improve the participant’s bottom line only by investing time to participate.

The Multi-Offering Approach to Support

Element 1: Awareness - Introduction and Theory Workshops

Awareness raises the importance of continuous improvement and an introduction to the processes used, such as Lean Manufacturing.

The introductory single-day workshops will lay the foundation to make an organization work and perform more efficiently. It will provide awareness of Lean Six Sigma through theory from the white and yellow belt levels. It will also provide a hands-on simulation where participants are divided into teams and simulate a manufacturing environment. The class will be offered free of charge. Completion of participation forms and surveys are the only requirements.

Workshops will be held in the Spring and Fall.

Element 2: Connection - Tours

Organized tours of local manufacturing/processing facilities to develop networks among the local sectors while providing opportunities to learn from best practices.

Tours will be offered based on the availability of participating facilities.

Element 3: Peer Learning - Hands on Case Study

These sessions, meant to further develop the understanding of CI processes, take place over two days and have been called CI Challenges. A local company ready to apply CI shares its “challenge,” and a cross-functional team that includes members from other facilities is led through a learning process by a facilitator to identify solutions for the company.

Peer Learning will be provided free of charge. Completion of participation forms and surveys are the only requirements. These will be offered based on the availability of the business participating in the case study facility.

Element 4: In-Depth Support

Local companies will be given the opportunity for further in-depth, intensive support from an experienced consultant. The learning and support will be tailored to the individual facility’s needs.

Ten business days of consultant-led coaching are offered on demand, with a small financial contribution from the participating facility.

Element 5: Implementing Coaching

Reviewing all previous learning elements and reflecting on how processes work at the shop floor level helps strengthen and reinforce the understanding and practice of continuous improvement processes and positions companies for success.

Two business days of implementation coaching are offered on demand, with a small financial contribution from the participating facility.

Here’s a little more information on the Continuous Improvement Program…

This article speaks to the CI Challenge in our region in 2020.

Read the CI Challenge Article

Check out this short video on the CI Challenge that took place with Schoolhouse Brewery.

Watch Video

This article describes the multi-offering approach of the CI Program.

Read Creating a Continuous Improvement Culture in Your Business

Learn more about the Continuous Improvement Program and how it can benefit your business!

Contact Richelle a rbrownredden@valleyren.ca.

Valley Regional Enterprise Network Helping You Grow In the Valley
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