CAMT was the first manufacturing consulting organization across the nation to be licensed in Dr. Gwendolyn Galsworth's Transformational Methodology of Visual Workplace. CAMT is currently working with several Colorado manufacturers to create a "Visual Workplace" within their companies. A Visual Workplace is one populated by hundreds of visual devices invented by employees who have learned how to recognize motion and the information deficits that trigger it, and how to eliminate these problems through solutions that are visual.

CAMT is excited to share the great gains to be made from Visual Lean with both manufacturers and other NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) organizations. CAMT has taken the lead in spreading Visual Lean to other MEPs, by partnering with Dr. Galsworth's organization, Quality Methods International, to present Visual-Lean Institutes.

CAMT hosted its second Visual-Lean Institute that attracted project managers from MEPs across the nation. Seven representatives from Puerto Rico, Utah, Illinois and California traveled to Denver to learn how to deliver this material to their manufacturing clients.

The week-long training of trainers included observing Dr. Galsworth at work with CAMT client Sundyne Corporation. Dr. Galsworth introduced the ideas of the Visual Workplace to key employees and began the planning process to implement aspects of the Visual Workplace on their shop floor. The last morning of the Visual-Lean Institute included a breakfast at which Dr. Galsworth gave an introduction of the Visual-Lean material to a large turn out of 55 attendees.

If you are interested in purchasing Dr. Gwendolyn Galsworth's latest book, "Visual Workplace - Visual Thinking," please contact Merrily Hill Smith at merrily@camt.com.

Wren Industries is a five-person woman-owned precision machining company located in Grand Junction, Colorado. In addition to precision CNC machining from prototype to production, Wren Industries also provides manual machining, and manufactures and distributes climbing devices.

By 2005, owners Wren and Krista Franklin had been operating their successful precision machining shop for six years, but aspired to increased quality and growth. They decided Wren Industries needed to incorporate a quality system to enhance process and production, and to attract new customers. They were referred to CAMT by partner organization Grand Junction Economic Partnership.

CAMT worked with Wren Industries for over six months to assist them in achieving the quality standards of the ISO9001:2000 and AS9100b certifications. Owners and staff went through a total of approximately 120 hours of training over six months, and implemented their new knowledge to create an effective quality management system. New processes and tools were put in place, such as the “job traveler,” a simple piece of paperwork that traced a product from order to shipping and ensured the quality of the product. The trainings also resulted in the establishment of systematic measuring for quality. Wren Industries now methodically measures its scrap rate trend and on-time delivery rate.

Wren Industries saw immediate results from the CAMT training, consulting, and new ISO9001:2000 and AS9100b certifications. They have garnered new customers and increased their sales by $50,000, saved time and work on the shop floor through streamlining processes, and have transformed into a culture of continual improvement. Most important, Wren Industries has increased the clarity of their processes and management and is able to focus on procuring new customers and jobs. "CAMT's consulting gave us the tools to achieve a state of continual improvement," said Krista.

• Sales increase of $50,000
• Decreased scrap rate to .5%
• Reduced labor costs

Jo Ann "Miabella Galvan", CAMT Director of Industry Relations, brings 20 years of strategic business development and management experience, as well as a passion for innovation, to her work at CAMT.

As an Executive for Compaq Computer Corporation, Jo Ann was involved in many strategic aspects of the Corporation over a 15-year period, including the management of 24 sales and marketing programs. However, her main focus, and her favorite project, was the co-development and management of the first-ever configure-to-order manufacturing plant in Houston, Texas.

Jo Ann moved to the Colorado Springs area in January, 2005. One of her first projects was to help found the Colorado Springs Manufacturing Task Force. Recognizing the power and necessity of task forces as an information-sharing and resource- building asset for Colorado manufacturers across the state, Jo Ann was asked to help coordinate other task forces and partnerships across the state on behalf of CAMT. Jo Ann forms collaborations with colleges/universities, government, economic development entities and workforce centers to build programs that benefit manufacturers and their workforce. Jo Ann says, "My ultimate goal is to build a thriving culture and system of innovation throughout the state of Colorado."