Special Event

An Introduction to Quality: Learning from the Masters

Dec 1-2 -- Duluth (in partnership with Lake Superior College)

“Those who know what, and those who know how, work for those who know why.” -- Zig Ziglar

Good organizations today have specialists in Six Sigma, Lean, Baldrige, Reengineering, PDCA, and other techniques working to improve the performance of their enterprise.  They are excellent at knowing what to do and how to go about it, but they may not have a good appreciation for the system of quality, the theory behind their activities, and the rationale for why particular concepts, theories, and methods work.  In short, they don’t fully appreciate the “why” of quality and improvement.  In addition, they may not have the tools to effectively integrate process improvement frameworks with the strategy and culture of the organization.

The Minnesota Council for Quality, in cooperation with Process Management LLC and Lake Superior College, is pleased to offer a 2-day seminar on the history of quality and the theories of the American and Japanese masters of quality such as Deming, Ishikawa, Juran, Kano, and Crosby.  The workshop will be December 1-2 at Lake Superior College in Duluth.

This workshop will also focus on how improvement professionals can integrate their process improvement work in the context of their organization’s strategy and culture.  The session is a mixture of lecture, exercises, and demonstrations.

The workshop will be presented by Lou Schultz, a uniquely qualified expert who has enjoyed meeting all but two of the quality masters.  Mr. Schultz, author of Profiles in Quality, Learning from the Masters, has nearly 50 years experience – half in industry and half as a consultant.  He worked closely with Dr. Deming for 13 of those years.

This seminar is a must for executives or quality professionals who are now leading (or aspire to lead) performance improvement activities for their organizations.  Whether your organization embraces Six Sigma, Lean, Baldrige, ISO, Scorecard, another framework, or any combination of frameworks, this seminar will provide the context of quality -- the “why” quality is important.

The workshop will be hosted by Lake Superior College on December 1-2, 8:00-4:30 PM both days.  The fee for the 2-day seminar is $400 (for members), $800 (non-members).  For more information, visit http://www.councilforquality.org/specialevent4.cfm. 

To request additional information or to register, contact Brian Lassiter of the Minnesota Council for Quality at brian.lassiter@councilforquality.org.  Please include your name, organizational affiliation, and member status when registering.

Lou Schultz Bio

Lou Schultz is the founder and Managing Director of Process Management LLC. The company’s mission is to assist organizations to achieve sustained, measurable performance improvement over decades. Mr. Schultz is recognized internationally as a leader in the field of quality improvement. He has helped numerous clients, including Zytec, Chevron, INCO, Jaguar, Manitoba Hydro, Tredegar (Ethyl), and Wal-Mart, to develop and nourish the exceptional performance, superior quality and extraordinary agility within their organizations that is necessary to thrive in today’s dynamic marketplace.

Mr. Schultz was a friend and follower of W. Edwards Deming, the world-renowned father of quality and namesake of the Deming Quality Award. In addition, Mr. Schultz is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences and has written and published numerous articles on modern management. He is author of Profiles in Quality: Learning from the Masters and co-author of the Quality Handbook for Small Business.

Mr. Schultz’s work history includes the following positions: Marketing Manager—Bell & Howell; Director of Marketing—Cogar Corporation; and General Manager—Control Data Corporation. He founded Process Management International in 1984.

Mr. Schultz’s past civic and community activities include President—University of Nebraska Young Republicans; Board of Directors—American Society for Performance Improvement; Board of Directors—Minnesota Council for Quality; Board of Directors—PMI Limited; Board of Directors—CorCom Companies; Board of Directors—Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus; Editorial Board—Human Systems Management; Judge—Minnesota Quality Award; Chairman—Wirth Park Tree Restoration; Advisor—Deming Forum; Advisory Board—University of Tennessee Institute for Productivity through Quality; Chairman of Administrative Board—United Methodist Church of Westlake Village; Founding Member of Asia Pacific Quality Organization; and Advisor—His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Industrial Award. Recognitions include: Professional Partnership Award—University of Minnesota; Who’s Who in America; and Who’s Who in the World. 

Present activities include Board Member Headquarters Center for Lifelong Learning, Northern Light Opera, Long Lake Area Association, and business columnist for the Park Rapids Enterprise.

Mr. Schultz holds a bachelor-of-science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Nebraska and a master’s degree of business administration from Pepperdine University.