MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

Members of the Maryland World Class Consortia enjoy numerous benefits, including:

Implementation Support

• Expert Consulting Support: The Maryland World Class Consortia works with carefully chosen consultants recognized nationally and internationally for their knowledge and skills.  Some are widely-experienced generalists, while others are specialists with deep knowledge and capabilities.  Our service providers are trusted resources known for both their classroom skills and hands-on facilitation expertise.

• Access to Financial Assistance: The MWCC is familiar with grants and other forms of financial support available at the federal, state, and local levels to help make implementation affordable for small, early stage, and distressed firms.  Multi-company events sponsored by the Consortia help defray costs and amplify shared learning.

• Leadership Coaching and Mentoring: The Maryland World Class Consortia understands that leaders hold the keys to deep cultural transformation.  Our leadership specialists helps team leaders, supervisors, managers, and C-level executives reach their personal development potential and, thereby, their organizational improvement goals.

Diagnostic, Benchmarking and Planning Tools

• Support for The Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence:  The Shingo Prize is the world's only award that acknowledges and stimulates achievement in lean business practices. Learn about the Shingo Prize.

• Baseline Analysis and Lean Implementation Plan: Many organizations appreciate a strong start out of the gate.  The Baseline is an organizational assessment conducted by our expert consultants, combined with an implementation plan tailored to your business needs and goals.

• Planning Visits: Consortia member companies can receive periodic site visits by our staff to conduct informal assessments, and guide you in the best use of your membership benefits, and coach your leadership team.

Educational Resources

• Training Workshops: The MWCC offers dozens of workshop titles offered at various times throughout the year. See our constantly expanding portfolio of workshops covering lean basics, advanced concepts, leadership and team development titles, and many more. View the MWCC current event calendar.

• Leadership Skills and Styles Development Course: LSSD is a week-long immersion into leadership styles that amplify your process improvement results.  It combines structured self-assessment with development coaching to help people craft a comfortable, highly effective personal leadership style.

• Lean Facilitator Certification Program: The Consortia’s flagship development program helps create internal change agents able to identify, plan, execute, and sustain lean improvements without external support.  The Academic Track is eight multi-day classroom sessions conducted monthly.  The Full Track adds a student-designed Capstone Project to demonstrate skill mastery.  Learn more about the Lean Facilitator Certification Program.

• The Executive Leadership Program: This course focuses on the senior executive actions necessary to maximize an organization’s return on their process improvement investments.  Our team of seasoned instructors coach participants in examining their business strategy, designing a supporting lean strategy, and the tailoring systems, structures and leader behaviors to reach and sustain the future state.

• National Lean Certification Support:  The Maryland World Class Consortia hosts preparatory workshops, testing sessions, and coaching to help people achieve the standards of the nationally-recognized Lean Certification, jointly developed by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, the Association for Manufacturing Excellence, and the Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence.  Learn more about Lean Certification at SME's website.

Networking and Best Practice Sharing

• Quarterly Meetings: Each quarter, the Consortia hosts a half-day lean “mini-conference” featuring a prominent lean speaker and a featured member story.  Meetings are open to members and non-members.

• Nationally-Recognized Guest Speakers: Prominent lean thinkers and business leaders are invited to inform and inspire in breakfast and dinner events.

• Internet-Based Member Networking Facility: Consortia members enjoy a web-based forum for networking, learning, and the sharing of information and best practices.

• Special Interest Forums:  Members can affiliate in groups whose members share a common need, industry, geography, or interest - a consortium within the Consortia.