NORMA S. SIMONS
39555 Orchard Hills Place, Suite 600 • Novi, Michigan 48375
248.417.0762 • norma@performance-innovation.com
Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt Trainer, Consultant and Coach
Highly successful business leader and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience driving
organizational improvements for leading names across diverse industries. Utilize proven
methodologies to identify the root cause of quality issues. Strategic thinker capable of launching
significant improvements in operational performance by devising customized solutions. Build highly
qualified cross-functional teams through focused training and leadership. Coach teams in executing
problem solving systems and implementing improvement initiatives.
Demonstrated success in Project Management • Quality Management Systems
• Operations Management • Quality Assurance • Continuous Improvement
Business Reengineering • New Product Development • Lean / Six Sigma Methodologies
Executive Presentations • Supplier Development • Cross-Functional Team Leadership
Performance Management • Statistical Process Control • Value Stream Mapping
Organizational Development • Instructional Design • Training Initiatives • Change Management
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
SIMONS-WHITE & ASSOCIATES, and PERFORMANCE INNOVATION LLC • 1992-present,
Detroit Metropolitan area firms providing training and consulting services in the areas of performance
improvement to a wide range of companies.
President & Primary Consultant
Established two consulting firms with a proven track record of success in improving operations for
multiple industry clients. The approach involved: analyze client operations to identify existing issues
and pinpoint their source: coordinate consulting teams to devise and execute individualized
improvement strategies: provide customized training programs to client personnel, including "Train the
Trainer" programs that enable development of problem solving teams: focus on key core metrics and
customer feedback to design systems and solutions that deliver immediate and long term
improvements. Additionally, lead courses on project management and Quality Function Deployment.
Some Lean Six Sigma Training Experience
• Involved as a Master Champion Instructor for The Quality Group’s Lean Six Sigma blended
learning program
• Involved in the development and delivery of Lean Six Sigma blended program for Villanova
University
• Developed and delivered Lean Six Sigma for Higher Education to colleges in Michigan
• Provided coaching for Lean Six Sigma projects in higher education
• Delivered Lean Six Sigma for Healthcare using a blended approach
• Introduced a public school system to the ideas of Lean Six Sigma and performance improvement
• Used the concepts of Lean Six Sigma to create strategic processes that enhance the performance
of the organization.
• Facilitated and delivered Lean Six Sigma training around projects in manufacturing and aerospace
for Green Belts and Black Belts. In some cases the projects focus on improvements in the service
areas of the business
Resume
NORMA S. SIMONS • Page 2 • norma@performance-innovation.com
Summary of Achievements
Cost Savings & Revenue Generation:
• Spearheaded over 10 Six Sigma programs for clients, with results of $200,000 in average cost
savings per year for each project.
• Engineered $150,000-300,000 in cost improvements per project for Goodrich Aerospace by
pioneering a 3-stage Six Sigma training and implementation process.
• Achieved a 200% improvement in cash flow for Tenneco Automotive by consolidating and
streamlining internal processes.
• Delivered major costs savings for Aeroquip by developing a metrics and problem solving system,
which was subsequently deployed across multiple plants.
Process Improvements:
• Supported 10 major companies in implementing successful performance metrics and problem
solving systems, including an auditing system that improved performance for 43 facilities of
Daimler Chrysler.
• Reduced hospital wait time for a client from 45 minutes to 5 minutes.
• Decreased customer issues and complaints for Autocam by over 60% by developing a custom
team problem solving system.
• Trained personnel in system functionalities.
• Generated an 80% improvement in defects per million opportunities for Tenneco Automotive.
• Reduced non-conformance occurrences on a quality improvement project by 86% by
implementing a global metrics system.
• Led client Hancor to cut 30% in inventory, lower facility setup time by 67%, and reduce recordable
accidents by 25%.
• Lowered the quoting process cycle time by leading teams in eradicating waste and redundancy.
• Coordinated engineers to establish a standardized product development system.
• Improved product development for Goodrich Aerospace by using QFD to gather customer
feedback that was used to direct the product development process
AEROQUIP, Macomb, Michigan • 1988-1992
A Major international producer of fittings and parts for the automotive and industrial industries.
Training and Consulting Manager
Identified quality defects in client products; coordinated with client and internal teams to plan and
execute quality improvement programs. Managed an internal team tasked with company quality
administration.
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Improved staff performance and knowledge by creating and presenting courses on Design of
Experiments, Statistics, Failure Mode and Effects Analysis, Process Mapping, and Team Problem
Solving.
Facilitated hands-on problem solving and process improvement projects that enhanced the overall
performance of the organization.
Resume
NORMA S. SIMONS • Page 3 • norma@performance-innovation.com
T R AINING P R OG R AMS DE V E L OP E D AND DE L IV E R E D
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Reliability Engineering
Business Operating Systems
Design of Experiments
Quality Function Deployment
Supply Chain Management
Leadership Development
Performance Metrics
Quality Management
Process Failure Mode & Effects Analysis
Six Sigma – Green Belt
Six Sigma – Black Belt
Value Stream Mapping
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Team Problem Solving
Poka-Yoke (Error Proofing)
Process Mapping
Process Capability
5S
Measurement System Analysis
Superior Coaching
Lean Enterprise
Design for Six Sigma
Statistical Process Control
Quick Changeover (SMED)
Kaizen Events
S OME OF T HE P AP E R S P UB L IS HE D AND R E C E NT P R E S E NT AT IONS DE L IV E R E D INC L UDE :
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Developing an Effective Business Scorecard
Implementing a Business Operating System
Quality Meets Human Resources
Preparing for the Global Economic Shift
Supplier Development and the Value Proposition
ISO 9001 and Design for Six Sigma
Developing a Cost Effective Quality Management System
Survival in a Price Competitive Environment
Quality from the Inside Out
Customized Solutions for Performance Improvement
Effective Metrics: Moving your Performance Management System to the Next Level
The Application of Performance Excellence to the Public Sector
Six Sigma Green Belt for Education
Overview of Lean Six Sigma
A Public School Embarks on a Journey for Lean Six Sigma
Reframing the Education System to enhance the STEM Agenda
Lean Six Sigma a Unifying Approach to Quality in Higher Education
How Lean Six Sigma can change Higher Education
Resume
NORMA S. SIMONS • Page 4 • norma@performance-innovation.com
FORMAL EDUCATION
Master of Science, Operations Research
Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan
Bachelor of Science, General Sciences
University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica
Teacher's Certificate
Shortwood Teachers' College, Kingston, Jamaica
ADDITIONAL TRAINING & CERTIFICATIONS
ASQ Fellow
ASQ Certified Six Sigma Black Belt
ASQ Certified Quality Engineer
ASQ Certified Reliability Engineer
Food Technology - University of Maryland
Post Bachelor Fellowship, Quality Studies, Sweden
PROFESSIONAL & BUSINESS MEMBERSHIPS
American Society for Quality (ASQ) - Senior Member
ASQ Education Division - Secretary
Automotive Industry Action Group
Engineering Society of Detroit
Resume