ColleenKindler
Executive Consultant

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BHP Billiton's Minerals Division wanted to utilize a common improvement approach and design a global deployment to ensure that projects were able to contribute financial savings to bottom line returns. Colleen trained over 500 engineers and site managers in six sigma, statistics, and change management. She coached project team leads ensuring project successes and financial results were reported for each site and shared in newsletters and project posters and she facilitated global conferences of quality leaders where quality results and best practices were shared

NiSource, a gas distribution company wanted a leadership development program to attract and retain future leaders. Colleen conducted a process improvement simulation with leaders where they learned process improvement and management by fact based on collecting data and monitoring performance to goals

Devon improved and restructured their project approval process and to ensure consistent adherence to the new process company-wide training was developed and delivered to all engineers and planners. Colleen assisted in the development of Oil & Gas focused materials for team training rollout. She trained practitioners in the new process through interactive learning modules and collected feedback to ensure acceptance and understanding of the new process requirements

The Emergency Departments of five Alberta Health Services hospitals needed to improve patient flow, reduce long wait times and develop performance dashboards to monitor performance to new province wide targets. Colleen structured working teams of physicians, nurses and managers to collaborate in process mapping, prioritize pain points and scope improvement opportunities. She developed data collection strategies to understand the patient journey and analyzed time data to identify primary causes of poor patient flow. During the project she mentored internal quality consultants to sustain the initiative into the second year.

Two hospital systems, Ministry Healthcare and Riverview Hospitals, were interested in reducing costs and improving collaboration between clinics and hospitals. Colleen facilitated workshops with healthcare executives to select a portfolio project opportunities aligned with strategic goals. These highly rated workshops enabled project leadership to launch and monitor projects for measurable results. Next, Colleen trained 20 internal project leaders in six sigma methodologies using the workshop activities to progress their projects. All projects had quantifiable benefits exceeding $500,000 in financial savings and productivity improvements.

Starwood Hotels utilized the success of their worldwide Lean Six Sigma initiative to introduce Lean approaches to their international Master Black Belts with the intention of improving margins and gain market share. Colleen facilitated the 3 day workshops where participants learned and applied lean techniques including value stream mapping projects related to adjusting room cleaning with room demand or improving efficiency of registration and food services. The workshop resulted in over 500 improvements being implemented.

General Dynamics missed opportunities for government contracts because the proposal process took on average 120 days to generate an approved proposal. Colleen facilitated a 4-day Kaizen event to redesign the proposal process and ensure consensus of all stakeholders. Display of the current and future state value stream map was critical to secure the approval of the entire senior leadership team who agreed to implement the recommended process changes, some of which included changes to organizational workgroups, additional headcount and committing to a standing executive approval meeting.

Charles Schwab needed new project leaders to achieve their goals. Colleen was an onsite Master Black Belt and in that role she trained and coached 10 customer focused project teams, facilitated strategic planning sessions to guide deployment, and led leadership problem solving sessions. For one team, Colleen facilitated a 3-day cross functional process mapping and data planning session which helped jump start the project progress.