Lean Certification in Spain
Grupo Galgano
In November of 1493, Christopher Columbus (an Italian) and his Spanish ships discovered the island of Puerto Rico.
In November of 2007, 514 years later, a person from Puerto Rico went to Spain to facilitate the certification in Lean of an Italian/Spanish Lean consulting firm.
Grupo Galgano is one of the leading European consulting firms covering Italy and Spain. The head of the Madrid office (Ramón Antelo) contacted SME in Dearborn, Michigan to start the process of certification in Lean.
SME (Society of Manufacturing Engineers) has partnered with AME (Association for Manufacturing Excellence) and the Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence in creating the first nationally recognized Lean Certification. The certification has three levels (Bronze, Silver and Gold) and requires passing an exam and the submission of a portfolio that documents accomplishments in the implementation of Lean.
Grupo Galgano has offices throughout Spain and Italy and has decided to certify its consultants in Lean. Recognizing the necessity for a bi-lingual (English/Spanish) facilitator, SME examined its list of certified facilitators for a bilingual person. The search led to Art Hau, President, Taíno Consulting in Cayey, Puerto Rico. Art had traveled to Dearborn, Michigan in March of 2007 to become a certified facilitator.
Art, who is a Senior Member of SME and a member and Director of AME, went to Madrid and facilitated the course to 10 of Grupo Galgano’s consultants (one Italian and nine Spaniards). After completing the Bronze Level Exam Review course, six of the consultants took the exam the following day and all passed with flying colors. Other consultants will take the exam at a later date.
Grupo Galgano class photo. Facilitator (Art Hau) is at far right.
Art Hau commented on his experience in Spain. “I was pleasantly surprised to find a high level of knowledge and experience in Lean from the participants. The course became a true review course and not a teaching course. Not only was the hospitality of the people in Spain fantastic but the weather was great also!”
About SME
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers is the world’s leading professional society supporting manufacturing education. Through its member programs, publications, expositions and professional development resources, SME promotes an increased awareness of manufacturing engineering and helps keep manufacturing professionals up to date on leading trends and technologies. Headquartered in Michigan, SME influences more than half a million manufacturing practitioners and executives annually. The Society, which celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2007, has members in more than 70 countries and is supported by a network of hundreds of technical communities and chapters worldwide. Visit www.sme.org. About AMEThe Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME), founded in 1985, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to cultivating understanding, analysis and exchange of productivity methods and their successful application in the pursuit of excellence. AME is practitioner-based, and events and workshops focus on hands-on learning. AME publishes the award-winning Target magazine, and operates several regional and national events each year. Visit
www.ame.org.
About Shingo Prize
The Shingo Prize was established in 1988 to promote awareness of Lean manufacturing concepts and recognize companies in the United States, Canada and Mexico that achieve world-class manufacturing status. The Shingo Prize philosophy is that world-class business performance may be achieved through focused improvements in core manufacturing and business processes. Visit
www.shingoprize.org.
About Grupo GalganoFounded by Alberto Galgano in Italy in 1962, the Galgano Group is an international consulting company with a focus strongly oriented to the achievement of results, and pioneer in quality management. Grupo Galgano has offices in Spain (Barcelona, Madrid and Zaragoza) and in Italy (Milan and Rome). Visit
www.grupogalgano.com.
About Taíno Consulting Founded in 2006, Taíno Consulting provides training and hands-on coaching/support in continuous improvement at a variety of organizations. The principal focus is on LEAN transformations. Areas served include Puerto Rico, Mexico and Spain. Visit www.TainoConsulting.com and
www.LeanPR.org.