Susan Whitehead

With 20+ years as a Quality Engineer and Quality Leader, I learned about leadership working for companies such as Bose Corporation, Bosch Braking Systems, and Honeywell Aerospace (formally AlliedSignal Engines). I helped solve problems and improve processes to achieve quality, cost, and delivery goals as a member of some exceptional work teams.

As a Process Improvement Coach with SCMEP, I regularly share my positive experiences to give others a vision for how they can be successful leaders in their organizations. As a women with 30+ years in manufacturing, I have a special passion for helping women excel in their leadership journey. I also instruct companies in how to implement lean and quality tools such as: Toyota Kata, Value Stream Mapping for manufacturing and support processes, 5S Workplace Organization, Problem Solving (DMAIC, 8D, A3), Visual Management, Lean Leadership, Lean Culture, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), and Quick Changeover (SMED).

I am especially passionate about sharing my experience with Training Within Industry (TWI) Job Instruction (JI), Job Relations (JR), and Job Methods (JM). I show others how TWI is a vehicle to gain a competitive advantage by developing employees to share their knowledge, build cooperation and teamwork and improve processes, all combined to become an employer of choice. My work in this area helped me win the Practitioner of the Year Industry Award at the 2017 National MEP Conference.

Specialties:

Education and Certifications:

BS, Industrial Management, Clemson University, Clemson, SC
Post graduate studies, Quality Science: APQP, SPC, Root Cause Analysis, 8D Analysis, Value Stream Mapping, Clemson University, Clemson, SC
ASQ Certified Quality Engineer, Certified Quality Manager
Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) Lean Bronze Certification Candidate
Development Dimensions International (DDI) Certified Facilitator
TWI Institute Certified Instructor, Job Instruction/Job Relations/Job Methods
TWI Institute Certified Kata Trainer