Course Overview

Gain practical insight into designing effective shop floor cells for high-mix, low-volume, and custom production environments. Learn how Quick Response Manufacturing (QRM) principles support focused, flexible cell design and improved flow. Through examples and guided exercises, participants learn how QRM-based shop floor systems operate, including how POLCA can support coordination in high-variability environments.

Learning Outcomes

Design focused, flexible QRM shop floor cells to improve flow and reduce lead times in high-mix, low-volume environments.
Analyze and address key challenges in cell design, including shared resources, utilization tradeoffs, and adapting to dynamic production requirements.
Understand and apply POLCA as a flow-control mechanism between cells to manage variability and coordination where traditional Kanban is ineffective.

Who Should Attend?

Manufacturing professionals who optimize shop floor performance in high-mix, low-volume, and custom production environments.
Operations managers and production engineers who improve production flow and manage complex scheduling and capacity planning challenges.
Team leaders and process improvement specialists who refine strategies and implement advanced solutions for sustainable shop floor operations.

Course Outline

Introduction to QRM and the Role of Shop Floor Cells

Understanding the fundamentals of QRM and the importance of cells in reducing lead times.
Key aspects of cell design for high-mix, low-volume production.

POLCA: A Visual Control System for Complex Production

Detailed exploration of POLCA and its unique hybrid push/pull approach.
How POLCA enhances team coordination, reduces scheduling stress, and improves job flow.

Designing and Implementing Effective Shop Floor Cells

Identifying Focused Target Market Segments and designing cells to meet production needs.
Practical guidance on equipment, labor considerations, and overcoming challenges with shared resources.

Advanced Shop Scheduling and Capacity Planning

Techniques for managing capacity, lot sizes, and inventory in cell-based production.
Using POLCA to support cell teams and maintain optimal flow on the shop floor.

Steps to Successful Implementation and Industry Success Stories

Stepwise guide to implementing cells and POLCA, including strategic and financial justification.
Case studies showcasing how companies have transformed their operations through cell design and POLCA.

Instructor

Vince Clark

Vince Clark is an accomplished manufacturing leader with more than 30 years of experience driving operational excellence across global organizations. He brings a proven record of leading large, complex operations in industries ranging from consumer products to heavy equipment and mining.

Vince spent over two decades with Caterpillar Inc., progressing through roles that included Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Factory Product Manager, Global Manufacturing Engineering Director, and Operations Director. He led organizations with hundreds of employees, managed large-scale global engineering teams, and oversaw complex operations, including Caterpillar’s Ultra Class Mining Shovels and off-highway trucks, developing deep expertise in low-volume, high-mix production environments.

Following his time with Caterpillar, Vince held senior leadership roles with Enerpac, Briggs & Stratton, and Andis Company, where he most recently served as Business Unit Director. Across these organizations, he managed operations of more than 600 employees, oversaw annual capital project portfolios exceeding $60 million, and consistently delivered measurable improvements in safety, quality, delivery, and cost.

A certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Vince is recognized for his ability to combine Lean, Six Sigma, continuous improvement, and lead-time reduction principles with a people-centered leadership style, delivering both cultural change and bottom-line results.

He holds a BS and MS in Industrial Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and an MBA from Millikin University.

As an instructor with the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Center for Quick Response Manufacturing (QRM), Vince brings a wealth of real-world expertise to help companies reduce lead times, improve responsiveness, and thrive in today’s competitive manufacturing landscape.

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QRM Shop Floor Mastery Cell Design and Scheduling for High-Mix, Low-Volume, and Custom Production