NEW Innovation Engineering Executive Program  comes to VT April 1 and 2 - Executive Teams from companies and organizations will learn the new way of thinking about Innovation. VMEC invites CEOs, COOs and senior company leaders to its inaugural 1 1/2 day Innovation Engineering Executive Program, led on Day 1 by Doug Hall, Eureka! Ranch Founder & CEO and Day 2 by VMEC Innovation Engineering Black Belts. Bring your team of executives and learn the fundamentals of how to lead and manage innovation as a "system" that delivers increased speed and decreased risk. The Program is an "Executive Summary" course designed to make senior executives literate in the new innovation mindset. The program is appropriate for executives who are new to Innovation Engineering and to those who have started the process and desire to expand awareness and understanding. Click here to read more about the program and to register for this exciting, valuable opportunity. EXPORTECH - First round of public training begins on March 20!  Drive your international sales growth today! ExporTech™ provides companies with a systematic process for entering or expanding in global markets and connects them with the best international business experts in the region. Don't miss this terrific opportunity to expand your business into new global markets! Click here to read more and to register. VMEC Q1 & Q2 2014 TRAINING - Check out our training opportunities around the state this winter and spring. We'll have a few special speakers who have not been to Vermont before, plus we'll be in Newport, Springfield, White River Junction, Randolph and Brattleboro, just to name a few locations! These include: 
NEWS & UPDATES IN THE WORLD OF GROWTH AND INNOVATION
Eight Essential Questions for Every Innovator - Read an insightful piece written by Scott Anthony in the Harvard Business Review blog about questions that CEOs should be asking to set the stage for innovations: The 8 questions are:
- What problem is the customer struggling to solve?
- Which customers can't participate in a market because they lack skills, wealth or access to existing solutions?
- What features are we providing that users don't care about and won't pay for?
- If you were going to disrupt your company, how would you do it?
- Who has already solved the problem you are trying to address?
- What can you do that few other companies in the world can do?
- What assumptions are you making that, if false, would blow your strategy up?
- How can you learn more affordably and efficiently?
These are the questions that Innovation Engineering is designed to help you address, in a systematic and repeatable way. It is not necessary to change...Survival is not mandatory - Read Innovation News blog post with Doug Hall and catch Ted Castle of Rhino Foods quote too.
VMEC's Lisa Henderson Becomes IEBB# 97 - We continue to build Innovation Engineering expertise and capacity in-house.
BUSINESS OWNER / CEO CORNER
VMEC releases 2013 Impact Report - Read the full report or go to our web site at this link VMEC's Brad Bauman Receives ASQ-Certified Quality Auditor Status - Learn how VMEC can help you identify where organizational improvement is needed as well as how to develop effective countermeasures that lead to improved performance within your operation.
MANUFACTURING STORIES OF INTEREST
THE LEAN CORNER
"Next frontiers for Lean"- McKinsey and Co. - Lean-production techniques have been revolutionizing operations for 50 years, read why the next 50 years of Lean can be even more exciting.
PARTNER EVENTS/ THINGS TO KNOW
MFG Day 2014 Announced - Mark Friday, October 3 on your calendar! It's not too early to begin the planning of opening your company doors or other special events to draw attention to national and Vermont MFG Day.
Manufacturing Trade Show: Supply Chain Innovation - Join the Vermont Chamber of Commerce and VMEC as a Silver Sponsor of the event on September 25 featuring exhibitors in the industry, network matchmaking, seminars and much more.
Vermont's Clean Energy Industry Report Survey - If you're part of or connected to Vermont's Clean Energy Industry, please participate in this State of Vermont Public Service Dept. survey before March 14.
Made in Vermont Marketplace - This inaugural event, presented by the State of Vermont's Agency of Commerce and Community Development's Agency of Agriculture Food & Markets, will showcase a great variety of Vermont made products - you will be amazed at what you can find in your own backyard April 11 - 13!
|
| ABOUT VMEC - Click here to learn more about us.
The VMEC Team
Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center
email: vmec@vmec.org * phone: (802) 728-1432 * web:www.vmec.org
|
