Many view Toyota Kata as the “secret sauce” of the Toyota Production System. Mike Rother authored “Toyota Kata” and hosts a website and training dedicated to this amazing process improvement sustaining methodology. How do we prepare for the future when we don’t know what the future will bring? We often can’t predict how to get from point A to B... we’re stumped and overwhelmed, it’s too complicated, there are time constraints and even economic pressures. How can we get comfortable with challenging goals and navigate the grey zone between here and there? How do you sustain this?

Dave Harry has attended eight recent Toyota Kata Summits (KataCon) and several Toyota Kata Workshops sponsored by ASQ Sections and the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) organization.

Dave is a retired U.S. Navy helicopter pilot. He is currently a Black Belt trainer and CEO of Process Whisperer® Consultants LLC in Greeneville, TN. Following a military career, Dave taught Lean Six Sigma “Belt” classes for various companies including the University of Tennessee, Northrop Grumman, TMG, and Rolls-Royce Energy in Mount Vernon, OH. Dave is currently on the Board of the Operational Excellence Society, the Board of ASQ Lean Enterprise Division.

Dave has served several terms on the ASQ LED Board and IISE Operational Excellence Division. In addition to LSS Black Belt certifications, Dave is a PMI certified PMP®, a Certified Baseline PMO Consultant, and holds Lean Bronze Certification (LBC) from SME/Shingo/AME. He is also a Certified Scrum Master (CSM). Dave is a recognized Toyota Kata “Geek” and teaches Toyota Kata classes. Dave has three master’s degrees in management and is also an ASQ International Team Excellence Awards Judge.