MassMEP | Lean Manufacturing | Lean Training Providers

This one-day event taught by MassMEP and race team crew members from the Ken Bouchard “Drive To Victory Lane” race drivers instruction and training school features Advanced Talent Management and Lean Management concepts including Continuous Improvement, Building a Winning Culture, Metrics & Measurement, Teamwork, Standardized Work, Job Instruction (JI), Job Methods and Sustainability. Each topic includes examples which demonstrate its use and application in the world of NASCAR racing. This is a unique opportunity to introduce or re-implant your lean initiative and culture.

Why NASCAR Racing

The pit stop (an activity focused on tire changes, refueling, and adjustments) is very analogous to a changeover or a machine setup in manufacturing. Here are some examples of how manufacturing and racing may be more alike than you would think:

Standardized Work. Pit crews need to be consistent in their performance. One of my setup reduction mentors taught me that consistency was a key to reducing variability in the changeover process. He always talked about doing things “one way, the right way, the same way” each time the equipment was set up. It is no different on pit road.

Choreography. All pit stops are highly choreographed events. Each crew member has a specific job to do (see standard work above), a specific duration to accomplish the task, and a specific point of time to do it within the stop. If someone is out of synch, the overall time will suffer. In manufacturing, changeovers are often done in a choreographed manner as well, with activities going on in parallel to minimize idle and wasted time.

Point-of-Use Tools and Supplies. Race teams have vital equipment and tools alongside the pit wall. You never see crew members hunting for tires, gas, or suspension adjustment tools during a stop, do you? It's equally important in the factory to have materials and tools line side so that crucial time is not wasted walking around and searching for necessary supplies during a changeover.

External and Internal Activity. Most people watching a race think of the pit stop as a 13-second event. That only encompasses what we call the “internal” part of a changeover (the time when the process has stopped. In reality, a lot of preparation is being done while the car is on the track. For example, fresh tires with pre-attached lug nuts are being retrieved and gas cans are being filled.

Video Analysis. Race teams break down their pit stops after the race by reviewing video of the stops. They’re seeking ways to improve by analyzing the details frame-by-frame, angle-by-angle. Likewise, a good changeover reduction team will record their events and study them after the fact to identify improvement opportunities.

Course Outline

The day begins with an introduction to Lean Management concepts including Standardized Work, Continuous Improvement, Teamwork, Metrics and Measurement which will be used during the pit stop experience later in the day. Much time is spent relating the concepts to examples used in high performance motorsports. Following the presentation participants will “walk the track” and receive basic orientation to pit crew member assignments for the pit stop event. Your “pit crew team” will perform six (6) rounds of pit stops featuring a two-tire change and simulating filling the tank with a “can of fuel”. Each round is timed and video taped for review and analysis by the team and pit crew coach to identify ways to improve and reduce the time for the next round. During the activity you will experience the same challenges faced by every race team and industry – increase output and quality while decreasing cost and time.

Benefits

•	Learn and understand the elements of lean management and how it can improve your operations.
•	Participate in a pit crew activity, apply lean principles and observe their impact on performance.
•	Discover the importance of developing a lean management culture in your organization.

Date

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

* Additional dates can be arranged including holding an event at your site!

Location

Thompson Speedway, 205 East Thompson Road, Thompson, CT

* Can be held on-site for 2 or more teams

Cost

Individual: $429.
7 members – (1 team): $2,750.
14 members – (2 teams): $5,250. (Also available at your site)
21 members – (3 teams): $7,500. (Also available at your site)

All attendees will be provided with a MassMEP “Lean Management In The FAST Lane” event official pit crew member shirt, a “Pit Crew Member” certificate and a framed photo of your team.

For further information or to enroll your team in a future “Lean Management in The FAST Lane” or other MassMEP event, e-mail Kathie Mahoney at kathiem@massmep.org or call her at (508) 831-7020.

Online Registration

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Ken Bouchard’s “Drive To Victory Lane”
Ken Bouchard’s “Drive To Victory Lane” is a racing school using NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour cars and crew members. The school is conducted at Thompson International Speedway, Thompson, CT, on scheduled dates during the racing season.

Throughout his career, modified legend Ken Bouchard’s desire has been to spend time with the numerous fans who have followed him across the many tracks where he has competed. Ken would like to give his fans the opportunity to feel the excitement and thrill of racing an open-wheeled Tour modified on the very track he’s raced on. The Drive to Victory Lane.From the non- experienced driver to those seasoned racers looking to sharpen their techniques, Ken now offers the chance to do just that. Choose from five (5) drive packages, or simply take aride in our 2-seater modified. We offer corporate packages and gift certificates! Join the fun, call 1-877-Race-4-Fun, or check out our website at www.drivetovictorylane.com. “Don’t wait, track time is limited.”

MassMEP reserves the right to limit attendance to their public events.