Mike Loughrin
Mike Loughrin is the CEO and Founder of Transformance Advisors. He also teaches for Louisiana State University Shreveport and is on the board of directors for the Association for Supply Chain Management Northern Colorado.
Mike brings exceptional experience in industry, consulting services, and education. Mike has helped organizations such as Levi Strauss, Warner Home Video, Lexmark, and Sweetheart Cup.
Keeping a commitment to a balanced life, Mike loves downhill skiing, bicycle rides, and hiking in the mountains. See one of his trails of the month at: Little Switzerland.
Experience Summary
- Founder of Transformance Advisors, a firm dedicated to helping people craft sustainable organizations. Direct an integrated portfolio of services focused on Lean Transformation, the #1 organizational improvement program. Guided the development of Lean and Six Sigma certifications programs for organizations seeking to empower their employees to improve processes and deliver continuous improvement, as well as individuals seeking professional credentials to document their knowledge and propel their careers. Key clients include Lexmark, Cabela’s, Levi Strauss, Warner Home Video, RK Industries, and Aurora Organic Dairy.
- Instruct Six Sigma, Lean Transformation, and Data Visualization courses for the MBA Program at Louisiana State University Shreveport.
- Instruct Lean Transformation course for the MBA Program at University of South Carolina Aiken.
- Advised Levi Strauss & Co. in the development of improved processes for Global Demand and Supply Management. As Demand Planning Project Team Leader, helped them build the business case, define new global processes, and configure SAP APO to support Demand Forecasting, Sales & Operations Planning, and Supply Planning for seasonal and core products. Extensive international travel.
- Advised Warner Home Video in the development of improved processes for Demand and Supply Management. As Project Team Leader, helped define new global processes and configure SAP APO to support Demand Forecasting, Sales & Operations Planning, Vendor Managed Inventory, Master Scheduling, and Capacity Planning for new releases and catalog products. Managed the support organization for APO DP and SNP after go-live and developed a business case for the post implementation enhancement plan. Extensive international travel.
- Built the Demand Management and Master Planning capabilities of the Supply Chain Management practice for eJiva Consulting. Accomplishments included designing the marketing strategy, managing client engagements, performing assessments, developing proposals, and training consultants. Directed a team of consultants on engagements with clients such as Sony, 3M, Nortel, Ciba Vision, Cummins Engine, Mercury Marine, Nike, and Thomson Consumer Electronics.
- Advised Alpine Electronics on improvements to their processes and systems used for Demand Management, Master Planning, and Purchasing. Helped them establish capabilities to leverage best practices such as Sales & Operations Planning, Performance Measurements, Financial Analysis, Collaborative Forecasting, and Integrated Inventory Planning.
- Directed an initiative for Compaq Computer to redesign the Demand Management process to include customer collaboration and leverage the transition to an assemble-to-order business model. Traveled extensively in Europe to collaborate, sell, train, and implement the new processes and systems.
- Directed a Lean Transformation for Sweetheart Cup Company. Improved on-time delivery performance from 59% to 95%+ and earned Class “A” Certifications for 15 manufacturing facilities, 12 distribution centers, and 5 business units. Transitioned the firm to a make-to-order business model which reduced lead times by 75%. Conducted certification audits to verify improved processes and document best practices for sharing across the organization.
- Directed the Demand Management, Inventory Management, Distribution Planning, and Master Scheduling processes for Sweetheart Cup Company. Demonstrated an outstanding ability to recruit, train, and motivate people for superior performance. Leveraged the application of technology solutions and continuous improvement to increase service levels and reduce costs.
- Director of Lean and Six Sigma Programs for the International Supply Chain Education Alliance.
- Director and Chief Financial Officer for the Association for Supply Chain Management Northern Colorado.
- Member of the Loyola Business Leadership Hub.
Academic Background
- MBA with an emphasis in Marketing from the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh
- BBA with major in Operations Management from the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh
- Certified Lean Master (CLM) and Certified Supply Chain Manager (CSCM) by the International Supply Chain Education Alliance (ISCEA)
- Certified in Planning and Inventory Management (CPIM) and Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) by the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM)
- Certified Six Sigma Green Belt (CSSGB), Certified Lean Practitioner (CLP), and Certified Lean Expert (CLE) by Transformance Advisors
- Certified Coach for the Six Disciplines strategy development and execution methodology
- Certified Trainer for The Fresh Connection Business Simulation
Awards and Honors
- 1st Place in the 2024 Global Educator and Trainer Challenge
- International Supply Chain Education Alliance Fellow
Presentations by Mike Loughrin
- Improvement Program Assessment, Colorado Lean Network Conference, 2024
- Digital Supply Chains and Sustainability, San Antonio Supply Chain Conference, 2024
- Lean Project Scorecards, Colorado Lean Network Conference, 2023
- Trends in Supply Chain Management, Boulder Area Manufacturing Sector Partnership, 2023
- Mastering Complex Improvement Projects, Six Packed Conference, 2020
- Value of Continuous Improvement Education, Six Packed Conference, 2020
- Dangers of Low Hanging Fruit, Colorado Lean Summit, 2019
- Lean Transformation, Six Packed Conference, 2019
- Leading a Lean Transformation, ISCEA Supply Chain Technology Conference, 2016
- Implementing Lean, Rocky Mountain National Tooling and Machining Association Conference, 2016
- Putting Operations into Sales and Operations Planning, APICS Twin Cities Seminar, 2015
- Lean Transformation, Six Packed Conference, 2014
- Real Lean vs. Faux Lean, Six Packed Conference, 2014
- Lean Transformation Programs, Six Packed Conference, 2013
- Effective Strategy Execution, Six Packed Conference, 2013
- Strategy Development and Execution, APICS International Conference, 2012
- Demand Management, Colorado State University Beverage Industry Seminar, 2012
- Lean and Green Simulation, APICS International Conference, 2011
- Lean Leadership, European Supply Chain and Logistics Summit, 2010
Articles and Videos by Mike Loughrin
- 5 Horrors of Lean
- Dangers of Low Hanging Fruit
- Improvement Program Assessment
- Lean Project Scorecards
- Project Champion Guidelines
- Root Cause Analysis: Your Mission…
- Six Sigma Control Plan
- Six Sigma Project Scorecards
- Sustain is Step 5 of The 5S System
- Team Effectiveness Assessment
- What is Coaching all About?
- What is Continuous Improvement?
- What is Lean?
- What is Lean Six Sigma?
- What is Line of Sight?
- What is Plan Do Check Act?
- What is Six Sigma?
- What is the Credential Registry?
- What is The Fresh Connection?
- What is Value Stream Mapping?
- Why Do A3 Problem Solving Efforts Fail?
Many more...
- 5S System Failures
- All Wrong About 5S!
- Bashing Best Practices
- Bullwhip Effect: Still Snapping After All These Years
- Control Charts – An Old Friend
- Does Safety Begin With S?
- Education and Training
- Getting Everyone on the Right Page
- Lean Education Standards
- Lean Leaders vs. Laggards
- Lessons from Sasquatch
- Pie Charts
- Project Closure
- Putting Strategy into Strategic Sourcing
- Recommendation Reports
- Scatter Diagrams
- Six Sigma Belts
- Specifying Critical Goods and Services
- What is High Flexibility Scheduling?
- What is Strategic Sourcing?
- What is Supply Chain Management?
- What is SWOT Analysis?
- Trail of the Month: Elroy Sparta
- Trail of the Month: Hidden Falls
- Trail of the Month: Little Switzerland
- Trail of the Month: Mitchell Lake
- Trail of the Month: Oh Be Joyful
- Trail of the Month: Psychopath
- Trail of the Month: Tomorrow River
Connect with Mike on: LinkedIn.
