Network News | April 2022
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During the last year, ATN has worked with AMSTI (Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative) Regional Distribution Sites. AMSTI is the Alabama Department of Education’s initiative to improve STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) teaching statewide, including improvements in the individual, as well as the integrated, STEM subjects. Its mission is to support Alabama educators and students in learning STEM through professional learning, resources, and onsite support. One of the functions of the AMSTI Regional Sites is to serve as the distribution center for the packaged resources delivered to the respective schools in those regions.
ATN Services were initially requested to provide the introductory training, which included Lean Manufacturing, 5S Workplace Organization, DiSC Personality Profile, and Effective Communications, to the AMSTI Regional Sites Leadership Team. Over 22 AMSTI leaders (directors, assistant directors, specialists, etc.) from 11 locations across Alabama, participated in the training classes in May and September 2021. With the positive feedback (average 4.8 out of 5.0 very satisfied evaluations), the Leadership Team gain perspective on how these classes would support building productive relationships by developing effective communication, management, and leadership skills as well as creating a foundation for a potential lean transformation.
Each of the AMSTI Distribution Centers and the ALSDE (Alabama State Department of Education) staff received the customized 1-day of Lean Manufacturing with 5S training and another day (about six hours) of DiSC Personality Profile and Effective Communications. For the last six months, ATN trained over 220 AMSTI team members in more than 20 classes. Each class was well-received, and the participants provided feedback such as “enjoyed learning about the personality traits for me and my teammates”; “great team-building”; “enjoyed the engagement”; “loved the simulations; “we learned a lot”; and “made connections to my work”. For each Regional Site, the upskilling - workforce practice investment created about $14,000 impact. And this will lead to more cost savings, more teambuilding, & increased productivity through process improvements during the lean transformation. “I’m excited about what the future will bring, and I think the best is yet to come. I’m grateful ATN will be our partner during the journey”, said Travis Pickens, AMSTI State Business Administrator.
These targeted activities (training classes) were aimed at prompting continual improvement (CI) awareness for improving customer satisfaction levels while improving overall operational efficiency at AMSTI distribution facilities. The 11 AMSTI Regional Sites are University of North Alabama, Athens State University, University of Alabama Huntsville, University of Alabama, University of Alabama Birmingham, Jacksonville State University, University of Montevallo, Wallace Community College Selma & Alabama State University, Auburn University, University of South Alabama, and Troy University. The foundation for the lean transformation has been established and the AMSTI Regional sites are set for the next steps of the journey.
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LaVada Varner, Mike Pierce - ATN
Travis Pickens - #AMSTI4all
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MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR AWARDS |
Be recognized for your manufacturing excellence! The Alabama Technology Network and the Business Council of Alabama are proud to present the 23rd Annual Alabama Manufacturer of the Year Awards that honor companies bringing uncompromising excellence to Alabama manufacturing. The deadline to nominate a company is
April 22, 2022.
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Companies often find that they need to obtain ISO 9001:2015 training for just a couple of employees. ATN offers training and assistance for several different management systems that are based around the ISO 9001 requirements, but sometimes companies can’t fill a whole class with employees who need the training. Well, here’s your chance! ATN is offering online training so that employees can learn the requirements of the ISO 9001 quality system. The class is to be offered in two 4-hour sessions online on May 24 and 26. If you need a good overview of the standard and an understanding of the requirements in “plain English” then this is a great opportunity. Please check our website for scheduling and registration information.
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Environmental Health & Safety |
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The EHS Team at ATN would like to remind you that we have resources to address the “E” in EHS – Environmental. While the safety and health side of things focus more on what happens to humans and their interactions within the workplace, environmental primarily has a focus on taking care of the community and the world in which we live, with secondary effects on human life. In essence, we care about the environment so that we preserve it in such a way that we take care of people, who need a healthy environment to sustain healthy bodies.
ATN has a Team well-equipped to provide the Environmental resources you need in your workplace, including training and technical services, to support you and your company with regulatory compliance and establish best practices to preserve the community and human health. Our focus includes all media addressed in the environmental laws: air, land, and water. We assist with dissecting these laws that govern environmental permitting, and we provide training to help you better understand compliance responsibilities.
Some of the training and technical services we provide cover: Environmental Regulations Overview, Hazardous Wastes Compliance Assistance, Environmental Permitting Assistance, Tier II and Form R Reporting, Clean Water – NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System), Clean Air – NESHAP (National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants), Clean Land – RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act), and more.
We would love to talk to you about your environmental needs today!
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Industrial Maintenance & Technology |
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Bearing Selection and Lubrication:
This 8-hour course introduces bearings and lubrication. Activities will include identifying bearing types, and their application, bearing installation, and removal. Additional topics include lubrication intervals, bearing life expectancies, failure mode identification.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
At the end of this course, the student should be able to:
- Understand different types of bearings and applications.
- Proper bearing installation.
- Lubrication types, methods, and frequency.
COURSE OUTLINE
- Types of loads
- Bearings
- Plain Bearings
- Rolling-Contact Bearings
- Proper Bearing Selection
- Bearing Installation
- Bearing Removal
- Lubrication
- Bearing Life Expectancy
- Bearing Failure Investigation
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Leadership & Management Development |
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Organizations share information and ideas differently. New communication tools like Slack, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Jell, and Twist streamline messaging across organizations, amongst teams, and between individuals. But what makes the messages sent on these platforms effective or not?
Effective communication is a two-way street. Establishing context as the sender, and choosing the proper medium or channel can be critical. Effective communication should always have a context that forms the setting and necessity for the statement, idea, or question being shared. That setting includes any external circumstances like urgency, opinions, or culture.
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With a staff of 53 employees and over 800 years of combined manufacturing experience, ATN has the knowledge and capability to provide Alabama companies with services and private resources to enhance growth, improve productivity, reduce costs, and expand capacity.
Over the years, ATN has learned to perfect customer service. We pride ourselves on being a trusted local partner, to implement solutions and innovations for your company, to develop and train employees, and to assess and improve processes in the workforce, knowing you can count on us.
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