PrintAction - October 2009

advantage of Alberta’s Lean Enterprise Assessment Program (LEAP). The Alberta Government is committed to helping Alberta companies succeed and, to achieve this goal, the Process Improvement Unit (PIU) of Productivity Alberta will perform an on-site assessment and prepare an individual company report on how to make process improvements, at no charge. (Visit albertacanada.com/pro-ductivity/lean/ leap.html for more information.)

In British Columbia, small- and medium-sized printing companies, those with fewer than 50 employees, might want

to learn more about the Pull Ahead BC program ( pullaheadbc.com), funded by that province’s government and offered by the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters Association. Available in four regions of the province, the Okanagan, Prince George, Vancouver Island and Lower Mainland, this free program provides access to programs, services and training focusing on improving productivity.

The Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters Association of Manitoba offers the DARE TO COMPETE program ( daretocompete.ca), which might be of interest to printers in that province. While

I am not aware of any free services currently offered, it would not hurt to check out their Website to learn more about what is taking place in Manitoba and how you can become involved. Companies in Western Canada can also pick up the phone and give me a call to find out more about future Lean Manufacturing courses being offered at the Centre for Excellence in Print Media at NorQuest College.

Josh Ramsbottom (MA) is the Print Media Management Coordinator for the Centre for Excellence Print Media at NorQuest College. He can be reached at (780) 644-6485 or josh.ramsbottom@norquest.ca.

NorQuest College, located in downtown Edmonton, offers a 2-year printing diploma program for the region.

Step 4

Standardizing or schedule: Once you have sorted, straightened and cleaned, standardize work practices and operate in a consistent fashion – every day.

Step 5

Sustain: Maintain the focus on this new way of operating, and do not allow a gradual decline back to the old ways of operating. I believe this is the hardest step for most companies; and when you think about it, it is the one step that pays back dividends to your company!

The Easiest Route to

Your Destination

See Presstek DI at

Graphics Canada Booth 1250

Western government programs

As I mentioned, 5S is only the beginning of a Lean Manufacturing operation but one that can easily be done in your company at little to no cost. It is also something you can use to engage everyone within the company. It encourages employee participation, starts a dialogue and opens up communication.

There is a lot more to learn about Lean and if you are anxious to get started, you may want to check out what resources are available in your area. Depending on where you operate, there are Provincial government initiatives that you can take advantage of, many of them for free.