Meet our team
We are experts at applying these skills to convert your most challenging business problems into opportunities.
Broad Experience in Continuous Process Improvement Disciplines
Why Choose Us
The Quantum Associates’ team of consultants has broad experience in implementing continuous improvement disciplines like Lean Enterprise, Quality Systems, and Business Process Improvement. Clients choose us for the following attributes:
- Objectivity – We provide an objective perspective on your organization’s processes, free from any biases or preconceptions that may exist within the organization.
- Expertise – We bring specialized knowledge and expertise in process improvement methodologies, tools, and techniques that may not be available within your organization.
- Experience – We have worked with other organizations facing similar challenges, allowing us to bring a wealth of experience to the process improvement effort.
- Faster results – We identify process improvements more quickly and efficiently than your internal team, allowing your organization to achieve results more rapidly.
- Minimize disruption – We can help to minimize disruption to your operations during the process improvement effort by managing the project and minimizing the impact on day-to-day operations.
- Knowledge transfer – We help to transfer knowledge and skills to your internal staff, allowing your organization to continue to improve its processes over time.
We draw on expertise from contracted professionals and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) for support in areas that we do not have the in-house expertise. They are a great addition to a project team, and their support allows us to offer you expert process improvement assistance. While other firms focus on one or two verticals, we’ve honed our skills by being willing to take on, and succeed in, multiple industries.
Some of our professional affiliations include:
Association for Manufacturing Excellence
International Institute of Business Analysis
Lake County Chamber of Commerce
Patrick Lucansky
CSSMBB, CLS, MBA, CMC, BBA
Senior Lean Sigma Consultant
Pat, senior Lean and Six Sigma consultant, has held a variety of positions from Production Manager to Director of Operations to Small Business Ownership. He has spent 15 years in private industry and 14 years in consulting. Pat's strengths are in Lean Manufacturing (Pull systems, SMED, 5S, VMI, Poka Yoke, TPM, Kanban, Kaizen Blitz events, RBS, Supply Chain, Demand Flow, MRP, JIT, FMS, BPR and SDWT's) Out-Sourcing, Business Analysis, Process Mapping & Pharmacovigilance. He holds a BBA from the University of Iowa, an MBA from Illinois Institute of Technology Dual degree Operations and Organizational Management, a Certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt, a Certified Lean Sensei, a CMC from Institute of Management Consultants and teaches at the BA/MBA level in the Chicago area.
Pat has co-authored dozens of articles published in PharmaChem Magazine (An international Pharma Journal) on the subject of Lean operations and one article published in the AME's Target magazine on supply chain redesign. He has presented this and other sessions to IIE Lean Solutions conference since 2003, AME National conference since 2003, ASQ Quality Expo, Lincoln Foundation, NAM national conference since 2005, NIQC, IMC and over 1200 other times to firms like Pfizer, Bayer, Johnson and Johnson, Avery Dennison, Graphic Packaging and ICI-Dulux. He is a member of IIE, IMC, AMA and AME.
Willie Carter
MBA, BA Chemistry, CLS, CMQOE, CISOLA
President
Willie is a seasoned operations and quality expert with proven expertise in achieving breakthroughs in eliminating waste, process improvement, lean process improvement, lean transformation, quality management and continuous improvement. He is a trained facilitator (Juran Institute) who excels at getting staff to buy-in and sustain continuous process improvement objectives; change agent and team builder with over 40 years of operations and continuous and lean process improvement leadership. He has coached and mentored process improvement teams in Europe, Asia and North America.
His experience includes research and development, quality, manufacturing, operations, marketing in the adhesives & coatings and loudspeaker industries, and business consulting. He excels at motivating people to work towards a common purpose, while showing them how to be better and more efficient in their daily tasks. He has helped map and redesign administrative processes (in the pharmaceutical, automotive, construction, food, packaging, tooling and service industries) to create customer value by improving process efficiency, reducing costs, increasing quality, and reducing cycle time.
In addition to his business experience he is also an adjunct faculty member of the Walter E. Heller College of Business Administration at Roosevelt University—Chicago, teaching graduate courses in Managerial Statistics.
Mr. Carter has published numerous articles on process improvement and is the author of the book “Process Improvement for Administrative Departments—The Key to Internal Customer Satisfaction” available in print and digital versions on Amazon.
Cynthia Cade
CISOLA, BS ChE
ISO 9000 Auditor/Supply Chain Consultant
Cynthia Cade, quality systems specialist, has over 20 years business experience in project engineering, project management, product development and quality systems assessment. She is a RAB Certified Lead Auditor. She has participated in quality system assessments for automotive, chemical, electrical and mechanical industries.
Cynthia has held Lead Assessor positions at KPMG Peat Marwick participating in quality system assessments for automotive, chemical, electrical and mechanical industries. Cynthia excels at assisting companies to drive continuous improvements through implementing methods to facilitate better control over processes. This includes operator training, incoming materials, production methods, and product inspections customer relations, corrective and preventive actions.
Marvin Bembry
BA
Leadership/Strategy Consultant
30 years’ experience as a consultant/speaker with international experience in Europe, Asia, Africa, Israel, Caribbean, Canada and the United States. Results-driven Leader with extensive experience in corporate, non-profit, community and government roles. Proven expertise in streamlining processes, managing resources, delivering initiatives and leading teams to achieve objectives. Recognized for ability to identify trends and develop strategies for execution of communication campaigns that elevate competitive positioning. Demonstrated accomplishments in communications, relationship development, change integration and organizational development
Marvin is certified as a speaker, trainer ,executive coach, DISC trainer and consultant.
Margaret Dospiljulian
BSCE, MSIE, CLE
Marketing/Performance Excellence Consultant
Margaret has 25 years of experience specializing in performance excellence and marketing. As an alumnus of Deloitte’s management consulting practice and Baxter’s Hospital Distribution Division, she’s managed teams of over 100 and grown a nine-figure marketing portfolio of products by 70% while maintaining an ROMC and gross profit margin well over 20%. Combining her consulting, line and P&L experiences, with the principles and values of Lean Enterprise (including Leadership and Lean Office), Baldrige Framework, and Change Management, Margaret uses “how” and “why” to coach clients toward positively impacting their performance. Sectors include: manufacturing, engineering, distribution, healthcare, education, government, travel and leisure, not-for-profit, and service. Her relentless engineering curiosity and Big4 focus on creating sustainable value are evident in all her work, whether facilitating strategic planning sessions, optimizing horizontal value streams, coaching supplier negotiation and management, or assisting with a corporate restructuring, start-up or marketing plan.
Margaret continues donating time to the field thru her selections to be: a Judge for ILPEx’ (Illinois’ state version of the USA’s National Malcolm Baldrige Enterprise Excellence program); a multi-year National Baldrige Award Senior Examiner; a multi-year member of the AME International Annual Conference Planning Committee; a Northwestern Alumni mentor for its engineering and Kellogg MBA students; and a member of Bradley University’s Executive Advisory Council assisting in brainstorming a sustainable engineering educational structure for the future of work and the 2022 workplace and beyond. Margaret earned her BS in Civil Engineering from Bradley University, and her MS in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University (NU) while concurrently attending NU’s Kellogg MBA School.
George Cohn
BA Business Economics
Systems/Technology Consultant
A systems and manufacturing professional with 18+ years’ experience in project management, process improvement, technology and digital transformations. The consummate professional, with a knack for explaining technical matters in a way that is easy to understand. Very knowledgeable in software systems.
George has worked with manufacturing and service firms in software implementation and conversion projects. He has led enterprise resource planning conversions deployed in the cloud, on premise or through hybrid models.
Paul Silverman
CLE, CLA, BSME, BSC
Lean Consultant
Paul B. Silverman, manufacturing improvement specialist, has 25 years of experience in manufacturing engineering, quality assurance and consulting with manufacturing companies. Paul has delivered significant productivity, quality and lead-time solutions to all size companies in a wide variety of industries such as: fluid control, electromechanical, machined parts, semiconductor equipment, medical implantable devices and disposables. Paul's education consists of Degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Biology from Northeastern University, Theory of Constraints training - Goldratt Institute and Accreditation from the American Consultants League.
He is a regular member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, North Shore Chamber of Commerce and Society of Manufacturing Engineers and past Chairman of CASA New England SME Chapter 285.
Certification Designations
- CISOLA (Certified ISO 9000 Lead Assessor) Certification awarded by ANAB requirements for ISO 9000 Lead Auditors
- CMQOE (Certified Manager of Quality and Organizational Excellence) Certification mark awarded by ASQ to experienced Quality Management Professionals
- CSSGB (Certified Six Sigma Green Belt) is the certification mark awarded to Six Sigma Green Belts
- CSSBB (Certified Six Sigma Black Belt) is the certification mark awarded to Six Sigma Black Belts
- CSSMBB (Certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt) is the certification mark awarded to Six Sigma Master Black Belts
- CSSS (Certified Six Sigma Sensei) is the certification mark awarded to Six Sigma Sensei's
- CSSLC (Certified Six Sigma Lean Champion) is the certification mark awarded to Six Sigma Lean Champion
- CSSC (Certified Six Sigma Champion) is the certification mark awarded to Six Sigma Champion
- CLE (Certified Lean Expert) is the certification mark awarded to Lean Experts
- CLS (Certified Lean Sensei) is the certification mark awarded to Lean Sensei's
- CLSFM (Certified Lean System for Managing) is the certification mark awarded to Lean System for Managing experts