Mission: Our mission is to place qualified students within organizations where they can learn, grow and contribute by applying their knowledge of operational excellence to daily processes. Our goal to set employers up for success by providing them with quality employees that are equipped with the skills necessary to excel in the complex business environment and strive for world-class success. We seek to strengthen the alignment between industry and academia in the community so that we can create a pipeline of talented people that funnel back into the community.
The Kennametal Center for Operational Excellence (KCOE) is committed to creating internships for students. Internship opportunities are available across a wide variety of industries and disciplines, including management, healthcare, manufacturing, operations, sales, and supply chain. We offer assistance to all students, not just Business Management majors with minors in Operational Excellence.
If you are interested in acquiring an internship, please fill out the KCOE Internship Questionnaire and return it to the KCOE office at your earliest convenience. We will be glad to assist you in finding a quality internship in your area of interest.
What are we About?
The KCOE can provide your organization with skilled individuals, trained in the Alex G. McKenna School of Business, Economics and Government at Saint Vincent College. These individuals are capable of providing added value to organizations and customers across a variety of industries. The added value our students can provide is contributed to the constant focus on seeking ways to continuously improve, solve problems, and eliminate waste streams.
OE Tools
Problem Solving
Balanced Scorecard
Kanban
Standard Work
Kaizen
Master Planning
Three Foundations
Roles and Responsibilities
The roles and responsibilities of leaders must be clear to maintain mutual trust and respect, and to empower front-line colleagues.
Visual Management
Visual management is about SEEING problems as they occur. It helps manage information in simple visual ways. If we can see it, we can act on it.
Plan, Do, Check, Analyze/Act (PDCA)
PDCA is a mindset and thought process that should be used in everything we do in OE. In each PDCA cycle we must make a good plan (Plan), Implement the plan on time (Do), Evaluate whether or not the desired results are being achieved (Check), Get back on target (Analyze/Act), and repeat the cycle constantly. PDCA helps avoid experiencing recurring problems and it makes continual improvement possible by always challenging the new standard.
What to Expect
CHAMPION SPONSORS
Dr. Terrance D. Smith
Executive Director, Kennametal Center for Operational Excellence
Education
D.B.A., Walden University, Project Management
M.B.A., Grantham University, Project Management
B.S., Saint Vincent College, Business Management
About the Executive Director
In January of 2017, Dr. Smith became the Executive Director of the Kennametal Center for Operational Excellence (KCOE). In addition to serving as the Executive Director of the KCOE, he is an Assistant Professor of Management in the Alex G. McKenna School of Business, Economics, and Government. Dr. Smith teaches in the Master of Science in Management: Operational Excellence (MSMOE) program. Terrance teaches a number of courses in the program, including a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification Prep Course, Supply Chain Management, Change Management, Project Management, and Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management.
Dr. Smith has a military background and served 12 years in the U.S. Army as a Chief Warrant Officer 2 (CW2), specializing in logistics management, strategic planning, and operations management. Dr. Smith’s research interests include employee engagement, employee turnover, continuous improvement, and organizational leadership. He has co-authored published articles in the Journal of Leadership and Management and the Journal of Management for Global Sustainability. Terrance has also presented at the Society for Advancement of Management International Conference. Dr. Smith also serves as the Head Coach of the Saint Vincent College men’s basketball program.
A Word from the Executive Director
“We are committed to increasing exposure for the KCOE program and our gifted students that are being educated in one of the best management programs in the country. It is our responsibility to provide opportunities for these students to showcase their skills for organizations and show they are more than prepared for the challenges presented in such a volatile business environment. The added value our program and students can provide to industry is attributed to the focus on seeking ways to constantly improve, solve problems, and eliminate waste streams.”
-Terrance D. Smith, Executive Director, KCOE
Phone: 724-805-2509
Email: kcoe@stvincent.edu