Welcome

Welcome to CAVS Extension, a unit of Mississippi State University focused on meeting the needs of Mississippi’s manufacturers by:

  • Providing technical expertise with advanced engineering tools
  • Providing professional development training geared for industry
  • Providing on-site project support in the areas of product and process improvement

Let us know how we can assist you.

"Our staff has industry experience – so we understand the problems industry faces – and we want to help solve these problems so that companies can grow and prosper in Mississippi."
- Tonya McCall
Director, CAVS Extension
Providing Advanced Technical Expertise in the Areas of Product and Process Improvement and Technology Transfer Improving Processes with Six Sigma Training and Support Helping Manufacturing, Service and Healthcare Industries through Lean Enhancing Industrial Systems Through Simulation and Decision Support
Economic Impact: $7,254,728,692
click here for details and success stories
Upcoming Training and Events

Lean Certificate
Jan 17, 2024

Course Objective:

Course objective is to develop participant skills in the recognition and elimination of Waste, and to improve Flow in their operations. Participants will apply these techniques on an approved project.

Who Should Attend? Manufacturing Engineers, Quality Engineers, Industrial Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, Engineering Managers, Plant Managers

Participant Involvement: The training will consist of 4 two-day sessions (i.e., 64 hours of class time) scheduled during a four month period. Each participant is required to implement techniques and tools on an approved project that targets substantial benefits to their respective organizations. Each participant will receive consulting support both in and outside the classroom to assist with the successful completion of their project. It is anticipated that significant work outside the classroom will be expected in order to ensure maximum results from the student project.

Instructor(s): John Moore and Clay Walden, Ph.D.

Date(s): Spring 2024 (January 17-18 (Starkville), February 14-15 (Canton), March 13-14 (Starkville), April 10-11 (Canton))

Time: 8:00AM - 4:00PM

Location: Thad Cochran Research Park - 1 Research Blvd Starkville, MS 39759 & MSU CAVS Extension - 153 Mississippi Parkway Canton, MS 39046

Cost: $2900.00

Please contact Jill Sellers at jsellers@cavse.msstate.edu or 601-407-2746 if you have any questions.

Register

Six Sigma Green Belt Certification
Jan 24, 2024

Course Objective:

This eleven-day workshop is to develop participant skills in the advanced problem-solving techniques that have been popularized under the banner of Six Sigma. Participants will apply these techniques on an approved project. Upon project completion and successfully passing a written examination, participants will receive a Six Sigma Green Belt Certification.

Participant Involvement: The training will consist of 11 days scheduled during a five month period. Each participant is required to implement techniques and tools on an approved project that targets substantial benefits to their respective organizations. Each participant will receive consulting support both in and outside the classroom to assist with the successful completion of their project. It is anticipated that significant work outside the classroom will be expected in order to ensure maximum results from the student project.

Who Should Attend: Manufacturing and Quality Engineers and Technicians, Industrial Engineers, individuals supporting Six Sigma projects, and/or individuals looking to achieve their Green Belt Certification.

Class Resources:

Instructor(s): Judy Johnson, Les Goff, Ph.D., Adam Collins and Martin Konrad

Date(s): Spring 2024 (January 24-25, February 21-22, March 20-21, April 17-18, May 15-16, June 12)

Time: 8:00AM - 5:00PM

Location: MSU CAVS Extension - 153 Mississippi Parkway Canton, MS 39046

Cost: $3000.00

Please contact Jill Sellers at jsellers@cavse.msstate.edu or 601-407-2746 if you have any questions.

Register

Six Sigma Black Belt Certification
Jan 24, 2024

Course Objective:

This 11 day workshop requires each student to demonstrate mastery of the Six Sigma Body of knowledge and is accomplished through the participant leading a black belt project which illustrates the DMAIC methodology, use of appropriate statistical tools, and substantial business results. Upon project completion and after successfully passing a written examination participants will receive a Six Sigma Black Belt Certification.

Participant Involvement: The training will consist of 11 days scheduled during a five month period. Each participant is required to implement techniques and tools on an approved project that targets substantial benefits to their respective organizations. Each participant will receive consulting support both in and outside the classroom to assist with the successful completion of their project. It is anticipated that significant work outside the classroom will be expected in order to ensure maximum results from the student project.

Who Should Attend: Manufacturing and Quality Engineers and Technicians, Industrial Engineers, individuals supporting Six Sigma projects, and/or individuals looking to achieve their Black Belt Certification.

Class Resources:

Instructor(s): Judy Johnson, Adam Collins, Les Goff, Ph.D. and Martin Konrad

Date(s): Spring 2024 (January 24-25, February 21-22, March 20-21, April 17-18, May 15-16, June 12)

Time: 8:00AM - 5:00PM

Location: MSU CAVS Extension - 153 Mississippi Parkway Canton, MS 39046

Cost: $3500.00

Please contact Jill Sellers at jsellers@cavse.msstate.edu or 601-407-2746 if you have any questions.

Register

Lean Certificate - Healthcare
Jan 31, 2024

Program Description:

Our team of lean experts ensure that you gain the skills and training necessary to plan and launch a lean healthcare initiative in your organization. You will receive kaizen project experience and certification training in essential Toyota Production System (TPS) tools, which will benefit your hospital, physician practice, nursing home, clinic, laboratory, or health service.

Objective:

The "Healthcare Lean Certificate" course objective is to prepare participants for successful deployment of projects that improve the cost, quality, and speed of delivery of healthcare services. Each participant will develop skills in the recognition and elimination of "Wasteful practices", and the improvement of the "Flow" of service in hospital operations. Participants will also demonstrate the capability deploying systems improvement methodologies in the workplace on an approved project.

Synopsis:

The training will be delivered in 4 two-day sessions (i.e., 64 hours of class time) scheduled during a four month period. Training will cover a broad spectrum of lean topics. The four segments of Lean Certificate training are:

  • Session 1 - Customer Focus: Lean Concepts, Implementation Strategies, Kaizen, "A3" problem solving, Lean Leadership, Class project planning, and Clinic Kaizen Simulation
  • Session 2 - Eliminate Waste: "5S", Workplace Design, Visual Controls, Standard Work, Poka-Yoke (error proofing), Class project review, and Process Flow Simulation
  • Session 3 - Improve Flow: Pull Systems, "Supermarkets", Kanban, Takt Time (capacity planning), Paced Operations, Investment Efficiency, Heijunka (load leveling), Planned Maintenance, Class project review, and FMEA
  • Session 4 - Continuous Improvement: Value Stream Mapping, Class project review, Strategic Planning, CI Measurement Systems, and CI Project Management
Required Reading:

Lean Hospitals by Mark Graban, This books will be provided for each participant.

Certificate:

To earn a certificate of completion, participants will be required to complete all eight days of training. In addition, each participant is expected to implement techniques and tools provided in this training on an approved project that provides tangible benefits to their respective organizations. Each participant will receive consulting support both in and outside the classroom to assist with the successful completion of their project. "Healthcare Lean Certificates" of program completion will be awarded to each participant on the completion of the project implementation. CEU's are available if requested prior to the start of class. An additional fee may be required.

Attendees:

This training is designed for all healthcare professionals: doctors, clinicians, support staff, and administrators are encouraged to attend. Class size is currently limited to 18 participants.

Instructor(s): Susan Moore and John Moore

Date(s): Spring 2024 (January 31-February 1, February 28-29, March 27-28, April 24-25) (Canton, MS)

Time: 8:00AM - 5:00PM

Location: MSU CAVS Extension - 153 Mississippi Parkway Canton, MS 39046

Cost: $2900.00

Please contact Jill Sellers at jsellers@cavse.msstate.edu or 601-407-2746 if you have any questions.

Register

Visual Dashboard Development using Power BI
Mar 06, 2024

Course Objective:

With the increasing amount of data being generated from Industry 4.0 equipment, dashboards are a useful way to visualize and analyze this data. This workshop focuses on the visual exploration of this data and the development of digital dashboards to provide usable information and aid decision making for management, engineers and shop floor personnel. We will utilize Microsoft Power BI to extract data, transform data and generate visuals to help analyze industrial systems. The workshop will be highly interactive and include practical hands-on examples.

Course Content:
  • Overview of Microsoft Power BI
  • Data Sources
  • Data Transformations
  • Dashboard Development
  • Data Analysis
  • Power BI Service
  • Hands-on Examples
Who Should Attend?

Managers and technical professionals interested in analyzing and visualizing Industry 4.0 data.

Instructor(s): Travis Hill and Martin Konrad

Date(s): March 6-7, 2024

Time: 8:00AM - 5:00PM

Location: MSU CAVS Extension - 153 Mississippi Parkway Canton, MS 39046

Cost: $700.00

Please contact Jill Sellers at jsellers@cavse.msstate.edu or 601-407-2746 if you have any questions.

Register

Ergonomics Essentials
Mar 13, 2024

Course Objective:

This workshop will provide in-depth exposure to ergonomics definitions, goals and background along with discussions and examples of ergonomics tools for ergonomic evaluations and improve the ergonomics of a company.

Who Should Attend:

Professionals and managers with responsibility to improve employee health and safety through incorporating ergonomic principles and methods. These techniques are applicable in both the manufacturing and service industries.

Course Content:
  • Overview of Ergonomics: General principals, aims and benefits, measuring the impact of good ergonomics, and human characteristics and limitations.
  • Ergonomics Techniques and Methods: Work and task design and evaluation, control and display design, compatibility, and population stereotypes.
  • Physical Ergonomics: Musculoskeletal disorders, manual material handling, NIOSH lifting guideline, ergonomic risk assessment, and measurement and information gathering (ergonomics standards, observational skills, checklists).
  • Cognitive Ergonomics: Human information processing, mental workload, perceptions of risk and stress, warning design, signal detection theory, and memory.

Instructor(s): Emily Wall, Ph.D. and Adam Collins

Date(s): March 13, 2024

Time: 8:00AM - 5:00PM

Location: MSU CAVS Extension - 153 Mississippi Parkway Canton, MS 39046

Cost: $350.00

Please contact Jill Sellers at jsellers@cavse.msstate.edu or 601-407-2746 if you have any questions.

Register

SPC 101 - Statistical Process Control
Mar 14, 2024

Course Objective:

This two day workshop is structured so that participants gain a solid understanding of the use of Statistical Process Control to drive process improvement. The class is taught through a balance lecture, class discussion, class exercises, and follow-on participant projects. Specific topics include both variables and attribute control charting. Specific variables control charting tools include X-BAR and R charts, as well as X and Moving R. Specific Attribute charting techniques are also presented including P, C, and U Charts. Also process capability indexes are presented and explained (i.e., Cp, Cpk, Pp, Ppk). Throughout the class a strong emphasis is placed on how to connect SPC with root causes oriented problem solving. Key concepts are reinforced through the use of catapults to simulate the real world linkage between SPC and process improvement.

Course Content:
  • Basics of Process Variation
  • Introduction to the Control Chart
  • Using Systematic Problem Solving to Drive Improvement
  • How a Control Chart Really Works
  • Basic Measures of Process Capability
  • SPC Class Exercise using Catapults

Who Should Attend? Manufacturing Engineers, Quality Engineers, Managers, Supervisors, and other professionals.

Instructor(s): Emily Wall, Ph.D. and Adam Collins

Date(s): March 14-15, 2024 (Canton, MS)

Time: 8:00AM - 5:00PM

Location: MSU CAVS Extension - 153 Mississippi Parkway Canton, MS 39046

Cost: $700.00

Please contact Jill Sellers at jsellers@cavse.msstate.edu or 601-407-2746 if you have any questions.

Register

AutoCAD
Mar 27, 2024

Course Objective:

This two day workshop is structured so that participants gain a solid understanding of the use of AutoCAD computer aided design software. The class is taught through a balance lecture, class discussion, and in-class exercises. Time will also be allocated to discuss user specific needs and solutions. Specific topics include basic sketching, dimensioning, block creation and editing and proper usage of layers.

Instructor(s): Jonathan Curtis and Jonathan Howell

Date(s): March 27-28, 2024 (Canton, MS)

Time: 8:00AM - 5:00PM

Location: MSU CAVS Extension - 153 Mississippi Parkway Canton, MS 39046

Cost: $700.00

Please contact Jill Sellers at jsellers@cavse.msstate.edu or 601-407-2746 if you have any questions.

Register