Improve

Cost reduction and operational excellence are among the top needs that we hear from manufacturers. VMEC Advisors are master trainers, coaches and highly experienced implementers in all aspects of LEAN Manufacturing and Administrative / Office LEAN.

Administrative Lean

Lean principles can also be applied to office / administrative processes in manufacturing, healthcare, software development, government and many other environments.

Cost Reduction

Resources are freed-up and capacity can be reinvested and redeployed to new, innovative products and business models, allowing the company to continue along a positive profitability curve.

Lean Transformation

The VMEC team is committed to transferring our knowledge and experience with Lean to systematic project planning and to detailed implementation support for Lean projects.

Quality Systems

We help you implement a quality management system that increases productivity, reduces errors and defects, and is an integral part of your business strategy and continuous improvement program.

Six Sigma

This concept involves a cultural transformation that requires decision making based on accurate data, not “tribal knowledge”. Its depth can affect process design, employee training, choice of equipment, and the overall effectiveness of the workforce.

Kata

Organizations that understand and meet the constantly evolving needs of customers will be tomorrow’s winners.

Grow

These services address top-line growth for clients, specifically focusing on identifying profitable new sales, developing new products, entering new markets, and deploying new business models.

Finally, a lead generation program that makes sense for your business. Our dedicated resources do your market research and even make calls on your behalf. It’s the perfect lead generation program for companies lacking dedicated resources to make calls and pursue follow up activities.

Strategic Planning

A systematic process for defining the organization’s business objective, aligning the activities of the organization to achieve these objectives, periodically checking progress, and making adjustments to the plan or activities as needed.

Innovation Engineering

Grounded in 27+ years of research and project work, and it incorporates the systems thinking mindset of Dr. W. Edwards Deming through education, proven tools, and mentoring.

Lead Generation

Do a better job of pursuing new business, without adding headcount by growing sales and revenues with more qualified leads, identifying and targeting new customers and converting leads more quickly as well as breaking into new markets and diversifying your customer base.

Marketing and Branding

More awareness and attention that is given to your company message, the more impact your company’s marketing dollars will have and the more profitable sales you are likely to achieve.

Product Development

Applies the waste-elimination philosophy of Lean to the product development process, allowing firms to reduce time to market, development expense, and other product development risk, while improving resource utilization and product costs.

Export Sales

International networking can lead to the development of new processes, technologies, skills, product applications and even new business partnerships.

Supply Chain

Supply chain is perhaps the single most important process within company operations. It contains almost all of the assets, touches almost all of the costs and delivers all the product to the customer.

Technology Acceleration

Get your new technologies to the right markets as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible. Whether you're a start-up company or a mature business trying to accelerate growth, we can help.

Learn

Developing and maintaining a highly skilled and experienced workforce is absolutely critical to all of Vermont’s industry sectors – both now and for the future.

Upcoming Training

Need Training and Talent Development Opportunities? Check out our schedule.

Workshops & Training

VMEC provides a range of practical workshop and training offerings that can be provided either on-site at your location or through our periodic public offerings.

Forums and Networking

Informal opportunities designed for Vermont manufacturers to exchange ideas and discuss practical solutions to common operational, growth and other challenges.

Workforce Development

U.S. manufacturers employ over 13 million people in high-paying jobs with good benefits, and they create millions of additional jobs, directly and indirectly, in a wide range of related industries.

Partner Events

VMEC Partners offer events and training that may be beneficial to your organization.

Request a Workshop

Have an idea for a workshop or training seminar? Send us your idea and we can discuss how to help improve the Vermont manufacturing community.

Additional services, resources, and information for manufacturers.

Cybersecurity

Manufacturers with contracts from the DoD, GSA or NASA must be compliant with defined cybersecurity requirements to protect information.

Executive Coaching

A one-on-one activity that is usually scheduled over a prolonged period, tailored specifically to meet the individual’s specific needs.

Food Safety

VMEC supports manufacturers and those within the supply chain managing operational risks, achieve food safety regulatory and certification standard requirements, and realize sustained business value.

Manufacturing Day and Month

VMEC is spreading the word about the annual National Manufacturing Day (MFG DAY), and Manufacturing Month in October in Vermont.

Manufacturing USA

Manufacturing USA is a network comprised of public-private partnership Institutes, each with a specialized technology focus.

Set-Up Reduction

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Quick changeovers increase flexibility and improve production flow, enabling companies to meet on-time delivery requirements and rapidly respond to changing customer needs, without building up costly inventory. VMEC’s Set-up Reduction training builds on the principles of Single Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED) to dramatically lessen or eliminate changeover time, and to provide consistent and accurate changeovers. This Just-In-Time methodology has proven effective in reducing turnaround time in all types of manufacturing, assembly and even service industries.

Both days below are half-days and would be scheduled approximately one week apart. If a public training session, it would be ideal to hold both sessions at a company / manufacturing facility to offer participants the opportunity to work on a real setup issue and apply the learning in real time.

Day 1 – Participants will learn a systematic, low-cost, shop-floor method to minimize setups and improve setups dramatically. The training will show the benefits of set-up reduction and instruct how to implement a set-up reduction project, from selecting the focus to applying the methodology and measuring the results. Attendees will learn how to apply specific tools and techniques through real-world examples, and videos and exercises will be used to reinforce the training. An actual shop changeover will be recorded for analysis and improvement implementation.

Day 2 – The previously recorded changeover will be analyzed and improvements identified. Methodology to prioritize and select improvements will be presented and applied to the target area. A project plan will be developed to implement improvements to the changeover process and eliminate waste. Goals will be set for future state setups.