Dr. Jim Watson, Associate Director of TexED and TexLabs, joined TexED in 1993. He has worked in the textiles industry for over 40 years. He uses his vast experience to develop textiles-based professional development courses and to develop tailored training programs to meet each client's unique needs. In addition to his education and training work, Jim oversees TexLabs, the applied research arm of the College of Textiles. Jim received his Bachelor's of Science degree in Textiles from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1963 and his Doctor of Business Administration from California Coast University in 2006.

Dr. Lori Rothenberg, Associate Director, Extension Education and Quality Programs, has worked for 20 years in the areas of applied statistics and program evaluation. She coaches and trains Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belts, Green Belts, Black Belts and Master Black Belts. In addition to her Lean Six Sigma teaching, Lori is a faculty member in the College of Textiles, collaborating on grant proposals and serving as program evaluator on the projects. Lori received her Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1991.
 

Q:    What can you do to evaluate a process improvement initiative?

A:    The success of a process improvement initiative is often measured only by the Return On Investment (ROI). If there is a high ROI, the program is deemed a success. But what if the ROI is not as high as one would like? What other things can be or should have been investigated to give some insight into why the program is not as successful as one would like?

The field of program evaluation has been around for many years. Program evaluation involves collecting data about the process improvement initiative over time, analyzing that data, and providing regular feedback on the initiative to the leadership. The program evaluator collects data through interviews, questionnaires and observations, as well as data from other quantitative measures. Program evaluators document what is happening in a process improvement initiative as it is happening. The regular reporting of the findings influences what changes occur in the life of the process improvement program.

Program evaluations use logic models. There are many models that can be used to assess process improvement programs. These models provide a framework for assessing a program from the beginning when alternate programs are being considered to the very end when looking at the ROI and other outcomes. One straight forward evaluation model is the CIPP model.

Welcome!
-TexED Wire inaugural issue launched

Welcome to the inaugural issue of TexED Wire, a monthly newsletter brought to you by Textiles Extension Education for Economic Development, TexED, at NC State University!

Each issue will host a question and answer section where our experts, in textiles and business excellence, will answer reader questions and discuss pertinent topics. You can send questions and topic suggestions to our TexED email account at ncsutexed@gmail.com, or post questions on our Facebook page. A discussion board is open on the Facebook page where you can discuss this month's question and answer section and articles with our experts and other professionals. Our Facebook page is also a great place for TexED alumni to keep in touch and for our clients to see the latest in what's happening here at TexED. Don't forget to take a look at our News and Events section on the right-hand side of the newsletter where we will highlight upcoming courses and conferences.

In celebration of our inaugural issue, we are offering Textiles eLearning for Businesses at the reduced price of $645.00 for all 14 modules or $60.00 per module for one year of access. TexED Textiles eLearning covers all aspects of textiles manufacturing from fiber to finished fabric. To learn more and take advantage of this offer, visit the eLearning website or contact Marissa Langford by email, marissa_langford@ncsu.edu or by phone, 919-512-2663.

As we launch this new publication, we welcome your feedback and hope that you will find TexED Wire to be a valuable resource.

8th Annual Lean Six Sigma Forum Highlights

The 8th Annual Lean Six Sigma Forum, hosted by TexED, was held August 12 & 13, 2010 at the College of Textiles. More than 130 Lean Six Sigma professionals participated in the event.

TexED would like to extend a special thank you to our Forum sponsors, Minitab, Inc. and SigmaXL, who helped make this year's Forum a tremendous success!

Forum attendees heard keynote presentations from Michael Cramer, Director of Operations Research at McDonald's; Dr. A. Blanton Godfrey, Dean and Joseph D. Moore Professor of Textile & Apparel Technology & Management, College of Textiles, North Carolina State University; Gary Barrett, Director of Business Transformation, US Army Special Operations Command; Neil Cambridge, President, North America, Comparison International; William Roy, General Manager at Tipper Tie; and Jenn Atlas, Senior Business Development Officer at Minitab, Inc. Presentations covered a broad range of topics from innovation in Six Sigma to statistical analysis. In addition to the keynote sessions, breakout sessions provided more focused areas of discussion for manufacturing, healthcare and service industries.

A special panel discussion on Friday morning announced the new partnership between TexED, the Industrial Extension Service and the North Carolina Community College System to provide better service to the companies of North Carolina. To see all speakers and presentations visit the 2010 Lean Six Sigma Forum website.

Thank you to all of our Forum participants; we hope to see you again next year. The 2011 Lean Six Sigma Forum will be held August 11 & 12, 2011 at the College of Textiles. Please check our website for more information for the 2011 Forum.