Many manufacturers invest heavily in improving operations, reducing waste, and increasing efficiency on the production floor through lean manufacturing principles. But when it comes to sales, it’s not uncommon for teams to fall back on instinct, charisma, or trial and error. That’s where Lean Selling comes in.

Lean Selling applies the discipline of lean thinking to the sales process. It’s about working smarter, not harder focusing on qualified opportunities, reducing wasted effort, and closing more deals by following a clear, repeatable system.

One of the key concepts behind Lean Selling is understanding the “Buyer’s System.” Most buyers have their own process for gathering information, comparing options, and delaying decisions. Without a structured approach, sellers often fall into the trap of giving away their expertise for free, chasing prospects who will never buy, or submitting proposals that go nowhere.

Lean Selling helps sales professionals identify real opportunities early in the process. By asking better questions and uncovering “compelling reasons to buy,” sellers can determine if a prospect is a good fit—and move forward with greater confidence. It also involves getting clarity on budgets and decision-making processes before investing significant time and resources into a potential deal.

Another core idea is consistency. Sales teams that use a documented, systematic process can track what’s working, learn from both wins and losses, and continually improve over time—just like a lean production line. This shift from “winging it” to working with a reliable sales framework leads to more predictable outcomes and less frustration.

Ultimately, Lean Selling empowers teams to stop relying on a few unpredictable buyers and start building a more sustainable pipeline. It’s about eliminating waste, maximizing value, and aligning the sales function with the same efficiency-focused mindset that drives success in operations.

Want to learn how to implement Lean Selling within your facility? Register for IMC’s upcoming Lean Selling – Having A Systematic Approach to Sales versus “Winging it”!

Over time, wear and tear, improper operation, lack of maintenance, and changing use can lead to energy efficiencies and increased operating costs in institutional, commercial, or industrial buildings. Building Re-Tuning (BRT) is a low-cost approach to re-commission a building to restore or exceed its original performance.

This PennTAP webinar will help those involved with building operations learn how to operate buildings more efficiently, reduce operating costs, and provide energy savings.

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Are you a facility, operations or plant maintenance manager or staff person? Let PennTAP show you how implementing an Energy Management System (EnMS) can reduce your organization’s energy costs.

This webinar will:

• help you understand the structure, goals, and many benefits of an EnMS
• outline the steps involved in implementing and maintaining an EnMS at your facility
• provide a step-by-step walk-through of the Department of Energy’s online tool — 50001 Ready Navigator

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Lean Manufacturing Level One Practitioner Certification

(7 session, in-person program held in Lycoming County, PA)

This program starts in:

Become the Lean Leader Your Team Deserves

Ready to stop talking about Lean and start leading it?
The Lean Manufacturing Level 1 Practitioner Certificate is IMC’s powerhouse, hands-on training program built for doers—not just dreamers. Across seven high-impact sessions from February 4 through May 6, you’ll learn to eliminate waste, boost performance, and deliver real results where it matters most: on the floor.

This isn’t just training. It’s transformation—with a credential to prove it.

Seats are Limited – Secure Yours Now for Only $1,995!

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Why This Program Works

• Real Tools, Real Results – Go beyond buzzwords with A3 Thinking, Value Stream Mapping, SMED, 5S, and more—then use them immediately back at your plant.
• Coached to Succeed – Certified Lean experts work with you one-on-one to guide your improvement project and make sure it delivers measurable gains.
• Respected Certification – Earn your Lean Manufacturing Practitioner Certificate and show leadership you’re ready to drive continuous improvement.
• Collaborate & Compete – Learn alongside peers from across the region, swap ideas, and push each other to raise the bar.

Who Should Register

• Front-line supervisors, team leaders, and shift coordinators
• Quality, engineering, and continuous improvement professionals
• Anyone serious about unlocking Lean results on the shop floor

Get Ready to

• Lead change and guide teams through high-impact, high-energy projects that produce exceptional results—impressing managers and increasing your contribution value to the business.
• Streamline your operations by identifying bottlenecks, eliminating waste, and transforming chaos into clarity—fast-tracking improvements leadership can see and measure.
• Communicate like a Lean expert by confidently using data, visuals, and proven methods that get people aligned, engaged, and taking action.
• Elevate your professional reputation by becoming the person who doesn’t just understand Lean—but delivers it, owns it, and drives it forward.

Click here for Lean Manufacturing Level One Practitioner Certification Flyer.

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Your Certification Journey

This seven-session program has the following topical sessions:

• A3 Thinking & Team Communication – February 4
• Value Stream Mapping & Gemba Walks – February 18
• Root Cause Analysis & 5S – March 4
• SMED (Quick Changeover) & Visual Controls – March 18
• Onsite Gemba & Project Coaching – April 8
• Standard Work, Project Updates & Capstone Simulation – April 22
• Final Project Report-out & Celebration – May 6

Click here for session day details.

Where

All sessions will be held at the Penn College Earth Science Center just outside of Williamsport, in Montgomery, PA (Lycoming County) with the exception of April 8, which will be held at an IMC manufacturing client’s facility.

Instructor

Nico de Sousa Serro, Lean/Continuous Improvement Expert

Nico is a Lean/Continuous Improvement content expert at an IMC sister-center where he is responsible for facilitating organizational continuous improvement efforts, implementation of Lean methodologies, and creating Lean/CI content. This involves developing onsite collaborative solutions and training, as well as conducting training and education courses. Nico has extensive experience in process improvement and Lean philosophy implementation, having driven many initiatives on manufacturing plant floor settings. Nico served as the Continuous Improvement Manager at Chelten House Products and held various roles within quality, production, and warehousing at the Pepsi Bottling Group. Nico championed several Six Sigma and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) initiatives, in addition to maintaining ISO 22000 plant quality standards. Nico holds a bachelor’s degree in business with dual concentrations in Operations and Supply Chain Management and Economics from Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business. Nico also holds a Green Belt Six Sigma certification from Vilanova University.

This training qualifies for WEDnetPA funding for qualified participants. Not familiar with WEDnetPA funding, contact IMC at info@imcpa.com or (800) 326-9467.

In 2005, Lycoming Engines began its lean journey by committing to lean operational principles, with a focus on employee engagement, leadership and teamwork at all levels. The company was awarded the Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence in 2010 for its efforts to transform the business into a globally competitive manufacturer known for its products, innovation and customer service. This AME best practice workshop consists of presentations by Lycoming Engines associates, a facilitated tour of Lycoming’s operations, and breakout sessions offering a deeper dive into specific areas of interest. See how Lycoming was completely transformed by employee engagement.

Workshop highlights include Kanban replenishment, mixed model assembly, daily management focus on “making processes visible,” product/process rationalization to focus on core competencies and leverage supply chain capabilities, and more. The program concludes with a facilitated continuous improvement session to offer feedback to our hosts. Don’t miss this opportunity to visit a mature system based on enterprise excellence concepts with application throughout operations and design.

AGENDA
8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Continental breakfast
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Welcome & Lycoming journey overview
10:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Plant tour
12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. Lunch
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Breakout sessions
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Q&A / wrap-up

Toyota Industrial Equipment Manufacturing, Goodyear, Ford R&D, Menlo Innovations, Quebec Ministry of Healthcare, and others across industries and function are discovering the power of Toyota’s Obeya or “Big Room” approach.

Join us January 10 as Lean Leadership and Obeya expert, Sam MacPherson will share how Toyota and other World-class Lean organizations are using the Obeya to develop, deploy, and manage their Hoshin Strategy from the boardroom to the shop-floor; innovate, collaborate, communicate, problem-solve, develop people, and create a High-Performance Lean Culture of Engagement.

In this Webinar we will explore:

1. How World-class organizations are adopting Toyota’s Obeya approach of collaborative visual management to drive Operational Excellence and Competitive Advantage
2. An Overview of how Toyota uses Obeya to connect its Hoshin Kanri (Strategy Management) System to its Daily Management — Top to Bottom
3. How the Toyota “T” and Customer Experience Life-cycle visual management is used to see the flow of information and activities to deliver value with velocity to internal and external customers, alike
4. The Latest Science behind the Obeya approach and why it works
5. How to implement or improve your Obeya Strategy

Speaker

Sam MacPherson, Founder and Executive Director, The Lean Leadership Academy

Sam MacPherson is an internationally recognized Lean Enterprise Transformation and Leadership Development Expert, Thought Leader and Speaker and has dedicated over 30 years to developing organizational leadership, senior leadership teams, and designing lean enterprise management systems for such companies as Intel, The Timken Company, American Greetings, Burt’s Bees, and as a leader for Crown Cork and Seal. Sam was introduced to the Toyota Production System and the Shingo method in the mid-1980’s, while serving as the project leader for Dr. Shigeo Shingo and as an Intern at TMMK in the mid-90s. Today, Sam still works closely with Toyota leaders past and present on leadership development. In 2017, Sam was made a Shingo Institute Faculty Fellow and is a member of the Lean in Higher Education Steering Committee.

Technical Details

This webinar will be conducted using a slides-and-audio format.  After you complete your registration, you will receive a confirmation email with details for joining the webinar.

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