QRM Strategic Leadership Driving Empowerment, Financial Success, and Sustained Gains

Day 1: Leadership and Empowerment in QRM Cells

Introduction to QRM Strategic Leadership

• The role of leadership in driving QRM success by aligning strategy, culture, and operations.
• Overview of Quick Response cells and their impact on organizational performance.

Empowering Employees and Cell Teams

• Defining QRM cells for both shop floor and office environments.
• Strategies for cross-training, job rotation, and expanding employee roles to maximize cell performance.

Managing Change and Overcoming Resistance

• Understanding why employees resist change and strategies to address it.
• Best practices for managing transitions and supporting teams through QRM implementation.

Building Team Leaders and Promoting Accountability

• The pros and cons of having a team leader within QRM cells.
• Techniques to ramp up employee empowerment and accountability, enhancing team autonomy.

Interactive Workshop: Designing Empowered Cell Teams

• Group exercises to develop cross-training plans, job rotation strategies, and employee engagement initiatives.

Day 2: Financial Leadership and Technology Alignment

Financial Foundations: Understanding Factory Accounting

Quantifying Financial Investments and Returns

• Overview of factory accounting principles relevant to QRM.
• Measuring the financial impact of lead time reductions, inventory changes, and operational efficiencies.
• Calculating ROI for QRM initiatives: assessing the costs and benefits of cell implementations.
• Financial tools for evaluating QRM investments and understanding their long-term impact.

Advanced Financial Metrics for QRM Success

• Using MCT (Manufacturing Critical-path Time) and TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) to drive financial decision-making.
• Integrating financial metrics with QRM performance measures for comprehensive evaluation.

Exploring QRM with Digital Technologies

• Integrating QRM principles with ERP systems, automation, and Industry 4.0 tools to enhance lead time reduction.
• Ensuring technology complements QRM-driven process improvements rather than driving them.
• Case studies demonstrating successful alignment of QRM processes with modern technology.

Day 3: Sustaining QRM Gains and Continuous Improvement

Sustaining QRM Gains: Avoiding Common Pitfalls

• Identifying common challenges that stall QRM progress and strategies to overcome them.
• Sustaining QRM Momentum: How to maintain QRM initiatives over the long term and evolve as market demands change.
• Establishing continuous improvement practices that keep teams engaged and accountable.

Engaging Teams for Superior Performance

• Techniques for incentivizing employees and fostering a high-performance culture within QRM cells.
• Building long-term engagement and aligning team goals with organizational strategy.

Driving Superior Gains Through Strategic Leadership

• Developing a strategic roadmap for ongoing QRM success, integrating leadership, empowerment, and financial considerations.
• Setting goals, monitoring progress, and maintaining focus on lead time reduction and efficiency.

Workshop: Creating a Strategic QRM Action Plan

• Interactive session where participants develop customized action plans for their organizations.
• Peer feedback and expert guidance on refining strategies for implementation and sustaining gains.

Wrap-Up: Key Takeaways and Next Steps for QRM Leaders

• Final reflections on strategic leadership in QRM.
• Q&A session to address specific participant challenges and discuss next steps.

Registration Date/Time:
3/10/2026 8:0am Central Time

Event Dates/Times:

• 3/10/2026  8:00am - 3:00pm Central Time
• 3/11/2026  8:00am - 3:00pm Central Time
• 3/12/2026  8:00am - 3:00pm Central Time

• 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.

• Program Director

  James Rink

Team Discounts

Receive 10% off the registration fee per person when 3-7 individuals from the same organization enroll. Team affiliation will be confirmed as part of the registration process.

Receive 15% off the registration fee per person when 8 or more individuals from the same organization enroll. Team affiliation will be confirmed as part of the registration process.


10% discount per person for participants registered in the Quick Response Manufacturing series. Promo code needed during registration.

If you are planning to attend an Interdisciplinary Professional Programs course, payment is required at the time of registration. Below are the payment options:

Pay by Credit Card

Enroll online and pay by credit card.

• Search for the course on the website and then click on the Enroll Now button from the course webpage.
• Enter all necessary course attendee information and payment information on the course enrollment page.
• You will receive an email to confirm successful enrollment and payment.

Enroll over the phone and pay by credit card.

• Call CERC Registrations at 608-262-2451.
• Provide the registrations representative with:
  • the course name, dates, and/or course number.
  • the necessary course attendee information and payment information.
• You will receive either a mailed document or an email to confirm successful enrollment payment.

Pay by Check

Mail in a completed registration form and check payable to UW Madison.

• Fill out a registration form (found either in the back of the course brochure you received in the mail or here).
• Prepare a check, made payable to UW Madison.
• Mail the registration form and check to: CERC Registrations 21 N Park St, Ste 7101 Madison, WI 53715
• You will receive either a mailed document or an email to confirm successful enrollment and payment.

Pay by Purchase Order

• Request Purchase Order information from interpro@union.wisc.edu
  • If a fee quote is needed, contact custserv@interpro.wisc.edu first
• You will receive an invoice from UW–Madison Business Services for payment, usually within 3–5 business days

Military

If using SF-182 form, please call our registration number at 608-262-2451 or email interpro@union.wisc.edu for details and instructions.

Event Cancellation

We reserve the right to cancel a course due to insufficient enrollment or unforeseen events. If we cancel a course, participants will be notified via email or phone and will be given the option for a full refund or to transfer their registration and any fees paid to another course. We are not responsible for non-refundable plane tickets, hotel reservations, and other travel related expenses. For enrollee Course Cancellation, refer to notes on course page.

If you cannot attend, please notify us no later than one week before your course begins, and we will refund your fee. Cancellations received after this date and no-shows are subject to a $150 administrative fee. You may enroll a substitute at any time before the course starts.