Washington Employers
A member-based organization serving more than 1200 member-employers. Washington Employers helps organizations deal with the complexities of human resource management.
“Jennifer Sprecher has worked with Washington Employers, a member-based organization, serving more than 1,200 member-employers, since 1997 providing training for both open enrollment and onsite workshops as well as supporting our members with consulting and facilitation to assist in their operational improvements. Washington Employers helps organizations deal with the complexities of human resource management. As a non-profit organization, we are able to provide services in a remarkably cost-effective manner compared to other options in the marketplace. To maintain quality training offerings, Washington Employers uses a stringent post workshop evaluation form for each and every workshop. Jennifer has consistently received top feedback for her workshops. She has been responsive to our requests and provided our members with outstanding consulting support which has enabled them to improve their cycle times, efficiencies, customer service and reduce their costs.”
Michael McCarthy
Impact Washington
Jennifer has done an excellent job in helping our client develop curriculum
and delivering the training to all levels of the organzition. Her ability
to work with people and her thorough understanding of the baldridge process
is an added bonus in her consulting expertise.
Sr. Project Manager/PBA
Rhea Wallace
Synsor Corporation
Fixture and storefront display design and manufacture
Jennifer is exceptional. She saved my partners and I hundreds of thousands of dollars and major angst by coordinating a seamless physical move of manufacturing operations to our new 90,000 sq ft plant. Jennifer took charge of schedule, budget, subcontractors, and coordinated with all vendors and company people. On Monday morning, exactly as planned, we started producing display fixtures in our new facility without one day of production interruption. It was amazing, like a well choreographed dance, an inspirational example of what is possible. Jennifer is an absolute pro.
Northwestern Industries
Safety glass product fabricator
“I attended a Rapid Improvement seminar facilitated by Jennifer through Washington Employers, basically searching for a way to approach some of the problems we were beginning to experience due to increasing business levels. From that seminar I learned about Lean Mfg., 5S and Total QC Management – Root cause v. blaming. At NWI we quickly realized the value behind these ideas and in early 2004 we hired Jennifer again to facilitate Lean Mfg., 5S, QC and Value Stream Mapping. She also helped implement and train facilitators for our Lean Mfg. and QC/5S Team that were created to sustain the effort after the training. While there is always difficulty in implementing such dramatic changes that lead to rapid improvements (and we were not immune from obstacles of all kinds), by 2005 we began to see the dividends behind our efforts. We also were able to duplicate our efforts in our new plant in Yuma, Arizona as well.
A Power Point presentation was put together in early 2007 for a presentation at a meeting of Central Glass Executives and attended by subsidiaries of Central Glass. It was an unusual presentation in that NWI took some ideas (Lean) that originated in Japan back to Japan and presented our improvements. The presentation was well received. I can only say that since the presentation, the effects of the training and implementation of these tools the effects continued to snowball throughout 2007 and 2008 as our business levels continued to increase. By the end of 2008 NWI realized again historic increases in sales revenue and profitability. Even more impressive is that in 2009 we have experienced a total cyclical down turn in commercial construction that may last throughout 2010, and month in and month out we remain profitable…which is impressive in this economic climate. NWI remains a strong company regardless and this is mostly due to our abilities to continue to improve.
Today, NWI is fully committed to these efforts and Jennifer Sprecher is valued to our organization as a person we trust to help us overcome any obstacles we may encounter. Our effort towards continuous improvement now has turned towards completing the WSQA “lite” application. Also with training and interaction we have had with Jennifer, NWI has become a company that has confidence that it can complete its goals of growth through acquisition and we do believe that we can transplant the success learned here in Seattle to any other plants we may acquire. Because we are a private company I cannot be too specific on these past results other to say that they’re impressive in today’s economic climate and NWI remains committed to growth rather than contraction as many companies are now experiencing.”
Scott Leach
Assistant General Manager
Aerostructures Corporation Contour Washington
Aeronautical components fabricator
We chose Jennifer as our trainer because of her wide range of knowledge in manufacturing, her ability to bring people related skills into the training and her straightforward, practical approach to our training needs. Jennifer accessed the current knowledge of our workforce and then structured her training to increase that knowledge. She made several recommendations on how to approach introducing the subjects to our workforce, all of which we found useful. She worked well with all levels within the organization. We were quite pleased with Jennifer's services and plan on continuing to use her in the future.
Kathy Pickus, Human Resource Manager
Target Tech
Automotive Safety Products (strobe lights and alarms) design and manufacture
Jennifer Sprecher of Critical Path Consulting worked with us to become certified to ISO 9001. Under her direction we completed all necessary conditions in less than 1 year. She was amiable yet persistent. I most appreciated the way Jennifer helped us to meet all the requirements with a minimum of beauraucratic overhead.
Lorin Barber, Vice President of Operations
Jennifer was hired to bring us into compliance with ISO 9001. She became integral part of our management team and took the time to really understand our business. The changes she made to our operating procedures not only brought us into compliance with ISO9001, but simplified our production processes and made us more efficient and more profitable. While tenacious and exacting in her drive to implement the needed changes, Jennifer was a pleasure to work with and I count her among my most valued business associates.
Jim Bishop, Operations Manager
Lynden Transport
Innovative Multi-Modal Transportation Solutions
Jennifer and Critical Path Consulting was able to meet our established criteria for content, presentation and budget. The training was an excellent value. We would gladly use her services in the future.
Mike Oliver, Vice President of Sales
Nomus Seattle
Manufacturer of Retail Fixture and Store Build-outs
Jennifer adeptly guided us around the pitfalls and maximized the opportunities of our physical relocation. Through her professional diligence, we accomplished the move under budget and on time. Quite frankly, in retrospect, I shudder at the thought of having done it without her.
Robert Hild, President
Sulzer Calcitek
Dental Implant, Practice-building Company
Jennifer Sprecher has been administering our Employee Total Quality Survey for the last six years and will be invited back again this year. Jennifer has a very professional but casual, non-threatening style which works to her advantage in face-to-face group meetings. Her conclusions, while not always favorable to the company, are always supported by the data analysis and specific examples shared with her by our co-workers. We have found her reports to be invaluable in assisting the management team to set objectives on improving the quality of the work lives of our co-workers. I would highly recommend Jennifer Sprecher.
Sue Johnson, Vice-President Human Resources
Jennifer provides quality assessments and internal surveying for our company. She uses a highly confidential process. Surveys and interviews are conducted in a very professional manner and result in very useful information.
Tom Stratton, Vice President of Sales and Marketing
Romac Industries, Inc
Manufacturer Water Works Products
Jennifer helped us build our new Canyon Park facility and move our production operations into it. She is a person with many talents and great integrity. Jennifer has a gift for keeping contractors on schedule and ensuring that they meet their commitments. She also proved to be very effective working with Romac personnel at all levels of the company. Through her efforts we were able to keep the project on schedule and within budget.
George Denison, P.E., Vice President and Director of Engineering
Napp Systems, Inc
Printing Plate Manufacturer
As a project leader, Jennifer can be relied upon to complete any project in a thorough and timely manner. She has excellent leadership style and keeps people well informed. Jennifer works well at all levels of the organization. Her outgoing and congenial manner greatly contributes to the successful completion of the projects.
Kermit Stott, Plant Manager
Sherwood Medical
Medical Device Manufacturer
Jennifer with her good interpersonal skills was able to collect information and update documentation for the FDA audit. The quality and quantity of her work were both outstanding. In project support and management, she takes little direction, goes after the facts and makes very good recommendations. This is without exception. Her energy level is high and her analytical ability excellent.
Joe Richmond, Director of Engineering
M/A-Com Linkabit,Inc
Telecommunications Manufacturer
Jennifer has consistently done outstanding work. She carries strong self-confidence, communicates her ideas very well and interacts superbly with her peers and all functional organizations. I give Jennifer my highest recommendation.
Steven Strudler, Supervisor of Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering
Barnes Hind Inc.
Contact Lens Manufacturer
I have continually been impressed by the caliber of Jennifer's work. What separates Jennifer from her peers is her ability to analyze a problem, organize her approach and implement the solution with an uncanny sense of sufficiency. By understanding what is sufficient and necessary to resolve a problem, she can react quickly. Jennifer has strong work ethics, excellent writing skills and the ability to work on several projects simultaneously, under pressure. She is a professional and I have enjoyed working with her.
Ann Ketchum
Armstrong Word Industries
Manufacturer and Marketer of Interior Furnishings
Jennifer was the plant coordinator for the Logisticon warehousing system. Coordinating the work at the plant involved almost every department. She assumed ownership of may projects in the warehouse in addition to Logisticon and handled all of them in an exemplary manner. She has demonstrated a high level of professionalism.
C.W. Meeler, Engineering Manager
Course Evaluations
Project Management
"Very helpful explanations." "Real and down to earth." "Hands on. Address specific concerns and questions of audience." "Spring board off of actual group discussion points to apply concepts." "Easy to understand. Great job of answering questions." "Strong knowledge of our particular needs." "Stresses planning and follow-up." "Very knowledgeable. Fast paced." "Excellent Information." "Keeps group focused on task at hand." "Covered many aspects of project management." "Great course handouts." "Very focused. Easy to listen to." "Very personable, kept it moving." "Well prepared. Knew the subject."
Process Improvements (JIT)
"Very knowledgeable." "Great communication skills." "Good group involvement." "Great exercises." "Good handouts." "Strong knowledge and experience in manufacturing." "Strong class involvement." "Good listener when asked questions." "Used participants work environment in the examples." "Great examples of key points." "Easily understandable." "Uses her knowledge of the industry." "Energetic. Knows the field." "Draws people into the discussion." "She appeared to have "walked in our shoes" as field research before presenting this training." "Very well prepared." "Very good communicator." "Related subject to everyone in the class." "Just-in-time is just what my company needs." "Comes just-in-time for the changes my company is in and it explains how my company can use it effectively." "Great class."
Facility Layout
"Extremely specific suggestions." "Lots of experience." "Clear even-paced presentation." "Flexible in response to audience." "Well versed in many different operations." "Easy to understand." "Well spoken." "Excellent handout." "Specific and to the point." "Kept the whole groups attention." "Walked away with several ideas to consider." "Strong material to use as a tool." "Immediately usable ideas." "Learned some great ideas for work stations." "Got me thinking outside the current state." "Learned about not restricting design to current layout." "Strong visuals." "Great flow diagrams." "To the point."
ISO Courses (Introduction, Internal Auditing, Basic Statistical Process Control)
"I understand the requirements of the quality system." "Included everyone in the course." "I understand the requirements of AS9100 and how it differs from ISO9000." "We are going to do something about status quo." "Clear and accurate." "The teams learned the material." "Easy to understand." "Have information to use and I can show others." "Relates her knowledge well." "The whole class was very educational to me." "She is knowledgeable and thorough."