Making good people great
Leadership & Personal Development, Strategic Management, Lean Six Sigma & Quality Tools
- 01386 793 981
- info@capellaassociates.com
Making good people great
Leadership & Personal Development, Strategic Management, Lean Six Sigma & Quality Tools
Capella have delivered Service Level Improvement at Aintree for around three years and climbing. The qualification is delivered on site via classroom sessions and all learners are given an electronic portfolio. During this time Capella have had enormous challenges placed on them to deliver qualifications on site but have always met the needs of the Trust and our learners. In the current cohort there are numerous leads taking part and Capella have always supported them whatever the situation. I have always found their Assessors and Teachers to be more than qualified and very personable. Planning, contact and communication has been really good from the various members of the team and they will always keep me informed of learners’ performance.
Peter Melia
Learning & Development Department
Education Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Brose Coventry have worked with Capella for over 6 years, initially in training green belts, giving guidance towards the development of the sites problem solving strategy, and most recently in delivering level 4 improvement practitioner apprenticeship training.
Consistently excellent support provided both in the class room, and in the online program delivery. A trusted partner supporting Brose Coventry in continued development of its problem solving capability.
Philip Fiddian
NHS Arden and Greater East Midlands Commissioning Support Unit is one of the largest Commissioning Support Units in the country. We have been working with Capella Associates Ltd since 2020 when we enrolled 1x L5 Improvement Specialist and 3x L4 Improvement Practitioner apprentices. The programme has been brilliant and its proving to be vital in performing our roles in Service Improvement. I’m already planning to progress to the next level once complete. We’re working on a range of improvements including IT decommissioning processes and stock management, and we’re seeing financial benefits resulting from these, even at this early stage. There are also opportunities for standardizing best practice across the areas which will further increase the impact.
All the sessions have been delivered remotely so far and the Trainers do a great job of ensuring everyone has a chance to speak and work with others during breakout sessions. I reached out for support with a difficult issue and the Trainers made time to give advice and even followed up after a week to check on progress. I’ve felt completely supported from my first contact, though enrolment and in training. One File is really useful and enables me to access all the resources; I can look at the notes to embed learning when I need to. Everyone I’ve worked with at Capella has been really responsive.
I would recommend Capella to anyone considering the Improvement Apprenticeships.
Kay Lee, Head of Continual Service Improvement
Capella have provided a superbly structured programme, and have proven to be entirely supportive of delegates in completing their apprenticeship with confidence. Key to this has been the instructor’s knowledge of the subject matter, allowing him to apply the theory to a variety of scenarios in the delegates’ work. We have appreciated the instructor being approachable, flexible and understanding of the challenges of extra-curricula activity for people with busy jobs. All staff that we’ve engaged with at Capella have been professional, welcoming and clear in their communication.
Mark Robbins, Retail and Pension Operations Training and Communications, Fidelity International
Capella’s focus on developing long-term relationships and their continual search for innovative approaches to upskilling has enabled Toyota and many other employers to learn and apply best practice Problem Solving tools which deliver great outcomes for all. In our experience, no other training provider has taken such a lead role in the development of sector wide initiatives such as the Automotive Industrial Partnership and development of the ‘improvement suite’ of Apprenticeship standards. Capella constantly seeks innovative opportunities to deliver an excellent service to the learner and to the business.
Paul Fitzpatrick | Senior Manager | Toyota UK
We have found Capella really professional and flexible and their passion for delivering high quality training is a culture we have in common between us and has made working with them highly beneficial. Their knowledge of the automotive sector in particular has also been very useful and has simplified working together to create a really excellent training programme. In addition, they have managed to modify their usual commercial programmes in line with government approved apprenticeship standards, which has enabled us to utilise our Apprenticeship Levy to fund the training.
Chris Bauman | Group Managing Director
Capella are delivering the Business Improvement L4 programme to a cohort of 12 staff at our Barnard Castle site. We chose Capella after a series of meeting with Kate and her team and from day 1 we have been impressed with the professionalism, enthusiasm and knowledge of the team. The staff have really thrived on the learning schedule and through working with the programme tutors and we have had nothing but positive feedback. Internal changes on site have impacted on the programme delivery, which Capella took this in their stride, adapting delivery timelines, providing support and working with those facing change has added another dimension to the relationship that has been developed between the site and Capella. While still in delivery mode GSK already believes that the programme has been a success for all involved and we look forward to its completion and sharing that success within the organisation.
Tim Buchanan | Apprenticeship Vendor Manager | Talent, Leadership and Organisation Development- Centre of Excellence
Capella worked closely with Wilko to deeply understand our needs at a strategic and operational level, helping us to jointly explore a range of options to meet these needs. Capella have an experienced team of Lean Six Sigma experts. Their programme design, management expertise and resources are second to none. Wilko have been allocated a dedicated Account Manager which helps us ensure the learner is always front of mind. Capella’s programmes have developed the knowledge, skills and drive of our Wilko delegates to seek and implement improvements in every process, constantly reducing costs, waste and inefficiencies. Capella also enabled Wilko’s leadership of continuous improvement to be showcased through the publication of an extensive article for the Chartered Quality Institute's Quality World magazine.
Teresa Ward, Wilko Talent Programme Manager, Wilko
I would sincerely like to thank you again and the fabulous team at Capella for the dedication shown in achieving the Black Belt qualification. It is such a pleasure to work so closely with passionate professional people and I hope our partnership continues to grow especially with the role out of the new standards.Richard Bates, Managing Director, Qualitrain
"Capella are a company that keep to their word, they have supported me fully during and even after my projects have been completed. The coaching team are always on hand to help with any issues and often put themselves out to ensure support is available. Highly recommend anyone looking to progress their career to take a look at Capella."
Chris Woodcock, Jaguar Land Rover
Thanks for all you have done for our delegates. Great learning experience for them which they are already putting to good use within the plant. Really looking forward to next year and having the opportunity for a greater number go through the new programme. Also thanks for a great presentation evening. Thoroughly enjoyable as always. A real pleasure to see so many successful candidates.
Saj Saddiq, Lean Enterprise Director, Federal Mogul
I highly recommend both the Green and Black Belt programs provided by Capella as they have given me an in-depth and, most importantly, practical knowledge of a wide range of 6Sigma tools. The skills learnt during both programs have enabled me to work more efficiently, more accurately and will have far reaching benefits both for the business and for own my personal development.
Ian Mills, Senior Quality Engineer
The support provided from Capella staff from Day 1 to final assessment has been excellent. I would recommend anybody looking to progress their skills to consider Capella as a training partner.
Chris Woodcock, Assembly Manager, WHS Plastics
Training was very thorough but at the same time fun. Course material was explained and broken down in way that was easy to understand but also thought provoking.
The relationship with mentor was excellent. World class training centred on and around truly understanding customer requirements.
Matt Elwood, Industrial Engineer, Gestamp
Thank you for your help in obtaining this qualification, it’s been a good experience and I’ve had a great teacher throughout.
Jonathan Pigott, Paint Technologist, Brose
The programme has delivered excellent improvement in strategic performance, increased revenues, improvements in customer service and upskilling in key areas across the business. Capella’s approach is based on value-delivery for the individual and the business but critically they have a real passion for their subject, who they are and fundamentally what their values are, and this translates to excellent delivery.
David Cass, Group Managing Director, Anopol
I will recommend your services to my friends & colleagues as the experience was enjoyable, informative & I feel I have improved my problem solving skills dramatically.
James McMillan, Manufacturing Project Manager, Plastic Omnium
Best course I’ve ever been on…we covered so many things in 8 hours. Learnt more about my job. Mixed teams worked well, got to know everyone on the course. Plenty of good practical exercises, very relevant.
Delegates from in-house Team Leadership training, Sertec
Capella has delivered high quality training that has seen a 97% pass rate for candidates and the delivery of significant savings for our business. What most impresses me about Capella is that they really work with us to help deliver a Continuous Improvement Culture within our business, not just running some courses. They are an essential part of our programme, attending many meetings as ‘part of the service’ which helps us develop and implement our overall strategy. I am absolutely convinced we would not have made the progress we have without the guidance and support we have received from Capella along the way. I truly believe they feel as committed to our overall success as we are.
Mike Khanna, Quality and Continuous Improvement Director, Stadco
Brilliant service, not like other training courses I have been on. Capella take time to sit down and discuss your project and build up a relationship to help develop and deliver the project.
Raj Mamtora, Engineer, Toyota
Capella have not only delivered the training which have given me the practical skills and understanding to apply 6 Sigma principles to real problems in my section but also the confidence to approach these problems in a structured and logical manner. The friendly, informal coaching style of Capella promotes an atmosphere where delegates are encouraged to use a variety of problem solving tools and statistical models to generate solutions. The training provided by Capella associates has been amongst the best that I have experienced in my career.
Gary Bawden, Section Manager. Facilities and Maintenance Engineering, Toyota
Capella has a skilled collection of Six Sigma consultants who have always provided clear, robust and bespoke training to complement our business objectives. All training is expertly delivered and we have received ongoing support and adaptability with regards to our specific needs. Our company vision involved having all employees in the organisation Six Sigma trained at some level, whether informally or accredited. The Capella team have been instrumental in creating and developing the infrastructure which will enable us to do this. Capella’s direction has enabled us to create a clear development ladder which now means we can offer a range of training courses to our employees spanning from a “White Belt” introductory course, all the way up to Black Belt. As a result, the business now has a much higher awareness of Six Sigma methodologies and the majority of employees have had some involvement in the delivery of a Project. Not only has the company benefitted financially as a result of cost savings but the attitude towards data driven decision making is now changing and this had led to a positive culture change within the business.
Chris Poyntz, Six Sigma Black Belt, Shanghai Automotive Motor Technical Centre
We’ve worked together for some time and Capella has consistently delivered excellent results. The programmes have been tailored to meet exactly what we require and we’ve developed a proven track record together, making our own good people into great individuals who now have the capability to become game-changers in Problem Solving. Fantastic savings have been made across all projects. I have worked with very few companies who can deliver outstanding training consistently.
Phill Hirst, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Nasmyth Group
IMP UK are proud to have three black belts, eleven green belts and 1 yellow belt all trained by Capella. Capella’s programme has resulted in significant business benefits and has provided us with tools to eliminate all types of defects. Their training is perfectly delivered by a team of professionals that go out of their way to make sure your experience is the best you can get.
Paul Massingham, Production Manager, IMP UK Limited
Capella has fulfilled our expectation with professionalism. It was a real pleasure to learn from them. I have developed my training and coaching skills and have now successfully delivered what our organisation needs - thanks to Capella Associates.
Marius Balint, Black Belt Six Sigma, Autoliv
We’ve benefited enormously from Capella’s comprehensive and professionally delivered training programmes ranging from Quality System Basics, statistical process control and process capability to project based lean 6 Sigma modules designed to meet the changing needs of our business. Capella have always been open to our diverse support needs and have delivered solutions to exceed our expectations. We consider Capella to be an ongoing partner to Aktrion in providing challenging but extremely enjoyable and personally rewarding training modules. The team at Capella are always available to support and encourage our team not only for the training duration but also beyond at project maturation and validation. The Capella team have demonstrated passion, drive and unwavering support to all Aktrion candidates to ensure they have remained on course to complete the courses through to successful qualification. We truly believe that Capella have been instrumental in making Aktrion the leading quality service sector provider sector to world leading OEM clients including JLR, Toyota and BMW and are key to our future success in maintaining best in class service provision.
Roy Franklin, Director UK, Aktrion
“Capella designed specific programmes equivalent to Green Belt and Black Belt level to deliver the six sigma tools within the specific Toyota 'TBP' problem solving format. These programmes are now approved as a standard across the Automotive Industry.
From a programme delivery perspective, working with Capella has proved to be enormously beneficial, as their skilled trainers are able to quickly form strong relations with delegates and bring their wealth of experience to all of the projects arising from the training, regardless of whether these projects are engineering based or 'office' based, and accordingly all of the projects taken on as part of Green Belt or Black belt training by Toyota delegates deliver real value into the business, generating positive ROI in all cases.”
Andrew Parsons, Technical Skills Development, Toyota Manufacturing UK Limited
“Capella has assisted in three projects over recent years which have delivered significant business benefits through a series of targeted initiatives. I would highly recommend Capella to any business in any sector. The investment in staff development, client engagement and overall business performance has proved invaluable.”
Taddy Mcauley, Account Director, Tube Lines”.
“Capella have become increasingly influential in helping us to drive a DFSS philosophy throughout the UK business. This has been achieved by taking on a central role in steering group activity, chairing senior management workshops and thus helping us develop a cohesive DFSS strategy for the UK business. The result is that we are now seeing increased use of the relevant DFSS tools and therefore we are making more evidence based decisions, resulting in an a continuous improvement in the integrity of our engineering solutions.”
Andy Hall Quality Manager, SAIC Motor, UK Technical Centre
“Capella six sigma training has been an excellent learning experience that has provided me with a wealth of knowledge in problem solving in the real world. It has given me the confidence in approaching and tackling problems I face in my daily work. I will definitely recommend this programme to any individual that wishes to expand their understanding and appreciation in resolving problems where fact-based information is essential to meeting internal and external KPIs.
Ajimasi Adagu, Quality Engineer, Bee Design Manufacturing Limited
“I would like to say that the overall approach of Six Sigma Green Belt changes the mind-set of how to approach everyday problems, you can stand back and watch people debate probable causes & solutions when they haven’t even defined the problem. The best course to date I have attended, thoroughly recommend for everyone.”
Richard Bailey, Project Manager, Plastic Onium
“Capella understand what it takes to successfully deploy learning programmes across businesses of all sizes, and think beyond the training slides. The training team always seem to strike-up good relationships with training candidates, and present our Green Belt training with enthusiasm. I feel the Supplier Green Belt programme is in safe hands with this team.”
Steve Fannon, Master Black Belt, JLR Body Engineering
“The Green Belt training has provided me with the tools to properly deconstruct problems and the discipline to tackle then methodically. Now I have these tools at my disposal I can confidently embrace the many exciting opportunities within my workplace to apply everything I have learned, and make a valuable positive impact on the business. I thoroughly recommend the Advanced Problem Solving course to anyone who wants to learn the right tools to tackle any problem. The combination of formal study, practical demonstrations and running an improvement project from start to finish really helped bring it all together for me.”
Gordon Smith, Production Engineer, Pektron
“My recent Black belt training has given me a much deeper understanding of the six sigma tools and methodologies, and their application to leverage real business opportunities. SMTC UK has already seen a significant impact from the application of six sigma, particularly from streamlining of business processes”
Jo Bradshaw, Programme Manager, SAIC Motor, UK Technical Centre
“Thank you for a fantastic introductory session today. I left with a reassured feeling that the training content and provisions from Capella are world class and I am looking forward to taking this journey.”
Jason Andrews, Senior Manager, Manufacturing, Martin by Harman
“The Performance Management programme was excellent. I’m very impressed”.
Nicola Wild, HR Business Partner, Romax Technology
“I would like to place on record the appreciation for the support from Mick - I would not have understood or have got so far without the guidance , support and training”.
Steve Nash, Section Manager, Toyota
I hope to able to do more courses with Capella, you are head and shoulders above the rest!”
Paul Crowther, SMT Developments Ltd
"A highly motivated and thorough professional who's attention to our business requirements and the delivery of a 6 Sigma capability was second to none. If your business requires this skill set then the meticulous approach that Kate Smith and Capella Associates bring is a must!"
Frank Cannon BAE Systems.
"Capella’s Greenbelt Six Sigma course has been one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences that I have been involved with. They’ve provided us with a fantastic array of tools at a good pace, with excellent support throughout. I look forward to working with you in the future as our preferred training provider.”
Phill Hirst, Nasmyth
"I have known Kate for approximately 3 years now through the work that her company Capella have been carrying out for Beakbane Ltd. Kate and her company have shown themselves to be very professional and efficient in the training that they have provided by delivering genuine business benefits through the application of six sigma."
Roy Legg - Manufacturing Manager
"Capella provided an extremely flexible package of both Green belt and Black belt training. Mick Dickenson – TAS CI Trainer The Capella team were very knowledgeable and readily available with support and advice throughout the training."
Keith Shaw– TAS CI Trainer - BAE Systems
Very good programmes with positive outputs for the business and our people – Autoneum (prior to May 2012 Automotive Systems Division part of Rieter Holding)
This is the second 6 Sigma programme with done with Capella and it’s been very successful both from the view of improving our standing with a key customer and enhancing our problem solving skills in-house.
Geoff Buxton – Managing Director
You’re in safe hands with Capella – Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
I’ve re-learned and looked at other ways of using tools. Brett Bishop
A massive improvement. Paul Edwards - Engineering & Quality Director
As a result of this programme, we’re going to take a strategic look at our business structure in terms of customers, pricing and manufacturing. Communication is now much stronger between all departments and our customer service is now far more proactive – Clevedon Fasteners Ltd
The programme delivered and exceeded expectations. Through the key tool box of skills, Coram can see numerous potential opportunities.
Steve Hubbard - Operations Director
The training from Capella has provided our staff with the tools and methods to tackle problems and fundamentally improve the business. Lee Davey – Business Improvement Manager; The projects delivered during the training have already made a difference. Future projects will deliver further value to the benefit of all partners in EAE.
Ian Currie – Alliance Manager
Data showed that by reducing downtime we will yield further products and maximise efficiency which will prevent waste in CO2 and costs associated with premium working.
Tim Abbiss - Project Leader, High Precision Engineering
During this period of economic recession, the cost of our training programme is not a problem – but rather the solution to our future.
Steve Billingham – Managing Director
We’re seeing some great results. People now have the skills to deliver sustainable improvements. This has been a really really successful programme. Mark Jenner - Operations Director; I’ve learned an excellent way of Problem Solving to apply to my day job.
Megan Rowe Jones – Product Manager Commercial Director
Brilliant programme that clearly shows the potential of Six Sigma – Manufacturing Advisory Service
This project enabled us to carry out a trial run which provided evidence to senior management that costs would be reduced significantly if the service could be moved in house.
Mitch Ward - Project Leader
Stocks are too high, Aged Inventory is too high, too much space in stores and shop floor taken up with raw materials - this programme has made me focus and find time to improve all of this.
Beverley Parker – Operations Manager OEM
We have backed up our understanding of customer requirements, raised operator involvement, and reduced non-conformances by c. 2/3.
Craig Baker – Quality Manager
A good learning experience that has also improved customer relationships. Carol Henderson,UYT
We wouldn't have found the root cause if we weren't working as a team. Mark Geffert, UYT
I have vocational experience within the Lean Manufacturing environment and found the Green Belt programme complimented this at an advanced level. It has provided me with invaluable skills and tools to be able to make drastic improvements to processes within the College.
Sharon Newnes – Quality Assurance Improvement Advisor, Walsall College
