MRC teaches Kata Methodology & Leadership Development at Human Active Technology

Headquartered in Easton, Pennsylvania, Human Active Technology (HAT) employs more than 270 people and maintains manufacturing and logistical operations in Easton, Pennsylvania; Santa Clara, California; Louisville, Kentucky; and Rudkrobing, Denmark. HAT is a global company that designs and develops ergonomic, human-centered products to create healthier and more productive experiences between people and technology. Its brands and divisions – HAT Collective, HAT Collective Healthcare, HAT Design Works and HAT e-Commerce – serve a broad range of customers across multiple markets, including corporate and home office, healthcare, hospitality, retail, and point-of-sale. Its diverse portfolio of products, used by leading organizations worldwide, ranges from intuitive height-adjustable tables and workstations to ergonomic mobile medical carts and innovative monitor arms. 

MRC, part of the Pennsylvania MEP and the MEP National Network, has a long-standing relationship with HAT and has performed more than thirty engagements with them over the years, including lean training and certifications; Six Sigma; kata; manufacturing leadership development; and quality and blueprint reading. When leadership needed help developing the capability of their line and team leads to drive production and improvement efforts, they called MRC and scheduled leadership training, as well.

Gene Kaschak, Vice President, Continuous Improvement at MRC, customized a structured, data-driven approach in specific project areas to instill the improvement kata and coaching kata patterns, derived from Toyota's culture, for a practical hands-on approach to develop team members' ability to think scientifically as the foundation to a culture of daily continuous improvement. This training included 10-hour training for one group of ten participants, plus up to two one-hour individual project coaching sessions per participant.  

Wendy Beltzner, Director, Leadership Development, at MRC, paired the appropriate supervisor leadership training to the improvement kata and coaching kata to help create well-rounded team members, skilled in both scientific thinking and the critical inter-personal behaviors that can influence and sustain process changes. Wendy customized fourteen training topics, delivered across seven four-hour sessions for a group of sixteen supervisors on subjects such as communication, active listening, conflict management, time management, team building, emotional intelligence, performance evaluation, and coaching. These skills enhance communication, build stronger teams, and reduce individual stress.