Next month, two courses from the Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC) will challenge attendees to shake off their complacency and ask themselves "Just how much better can we get?"

In the first course, "Lean Warehousing Essentials," attendees will learn how the philosophy of Lean requires adherents to continuously improve product flows and increase their responsiveness to customer demand. Held March 10-11 in Oak Brook, Ill., the course will demonstrate how Lean fundamentals and tools can be applied to the warehouse. Attendees will learn value stream mapping and other Lean analytical tools, the value of process management, and the importance of teamwork.

Similarly, WERC's "Benchmark Now!" course will help participants see how their operations compare with those of leading companies when it comes to driving out costs and empowering employees to reach organizational goals. Instructors Kate Vitasek and Karl Manrodt provide a sevenstep framework for the benchmarking process, from setting benchmarking priorities to identifying action initiatives. This course will be held March 17-18 in Atlanta.

For more information on either of these classes, visit www.werc.org.