Center for Business Performance Solutions Remains Committed to Strengthening Region’s Businesses
For nearly 30 years, the Center for Business Performance Solutions has supported business growth in southeastern Wisconsin as the training arm of the Waukesha County Technical College. During the past five years, the CBPS model has evolved to better serve the changing needs of organizations that want to remain competitive and relevant by focusing on demands for improved quality, responsiveness, and efficiency.
“Our ongoing commitment to understanding the challenges our customers face has provided us the ability to build the right infrastructure to support our region’s future growth,” said Dr. Joseph Weitzer, dean of the Center for Business Performance Solutions. “Today, we find that our partners, in general, are challenged in the areas of talent management – including leadership development – strategic alignment of key initiatives, continuous improvement, and innovation.”
Changing the conversation about training
CBPS has changed its approach to training and is guiding its partners to do the same.
“We’ve found that organizations that consistently demonstrate high measures of success and appear to be resilient in the face of adversity, have a clear vision and strategy for achieving long-term success. When faced with challenges, these organizations rely on the guiding principles of their strategic plan and remain focused on their chosen course,” said Weitzer. “However, strengthening the infrastructure to ensure long-term viability toward achieving desired outcomes is a step most organizations overlook.”
To lead partners in best practices, the CBPS begins by helping an organization identify its underlying challenges and then customizes solutions that best reflect the organization’s business goals, objectives, values, and culture.
According to Weitzer, this requires a systematic approach that goes beyond a tertiary examination of the symptoms associated with performance challenges. Instead, an experienced team of trained experts bring to the discussion, the tools necessary to guide the discovery process. As a team, the CBPS guides organizational leadership in the assessment and strategic thinking necessary to build, or validate, the business strategy.
Throughout the process, the CBPS team assesses the organization’s readiness for change. This often includes a high-level skills gap analysis that can inform leadership how best to realize the organization’s human capital. Once gaps are uncovered, CBPS can help an organization to support employee skill enhancement, develop leadership and process improvement, and turn “operational potential” into on-target execution.
A vital resource for businesses throughout the region
The CBPS has the unique resources and capabilities to guide an organization through all phases of strategic planning, development, and implementation, while also providing ongoing assessment of programs and training solutions designed to enhance workforce skills and effectiveness. In 2013, the CBPS provided counseling and training to more than 700 businesses in southeastern Wisconsin in industries as diverse as manufacturing, health care, government, and education.
“Our partnership with CBPS has been awesome,” said Dr. Patricia Greco, superintendent of schools for the Menomonee Falls school district. Greco and her team worked with CBPS for LEAN Six Sigma training support as part of the district’s overarching quality initiative. “The quality tools and principles have accelerated our ability to impact student learning, improve the culture of our system, and demonstrate organizational success,” said Greco. In fact, the district’s multifaceted initiative has earned national attention including further study as a model program by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
According to Weitzer, an organization would benefit from CBPS support if (1) leadership has not examined or updated the strategic plan in the last three years, (2) the organization’s action plan is stuck or stalled; or (3) the organization’s performance matrices are not being met.
“We recognize that our client’s business is running their business. CBPS is here to support their strategic initiatives and assist in optimizing business performance. As a dedicated partner, we measure our success through their success,” said Weitzer. “As it is for their business, failure is not an option.”
The Center for Business Performance Solutions offers an array of customizable training, including:
- Strategic planning and implementation
- Lean-Six Sigma process improvement
- Leadership development
- Team building
- Customer service
- Basic and advanced skills in software applications
- Core workplace skills
In 2013, The Center for Business Performance Solutions built successful partnerships with more than 700 businesses in southeastern Wisconsin representing a range of industries, including:
- manufacturing, including print-related businesses (44%)
- government, education and services (23 %)
- medical/health care (21%)
- retail, professional/business services and transportation (12%)
