CAVS Extension

In this course, using interactive business simulation where you will be immersed in setting and running your own business, you will develop a new ability to visualize corporate financial information as a single landscape of interacting forces. You will experience how other departments affect how you do your job, and how you do your job affects other departments.

Instructor(s): Jonathan Howell and Harry Kitchens

Date(s): September 8, 2026 (Canton, MS)

Time: 8:00AM - 5:00PM

Location: MSU CAVS Extension - 153 Mississippi Parkway Canton, MS 39046

Cost:$175.00 ¹

Please contact Coretta Price at cprice@cavse.msstate.edu or 601-407-2770 if you have any questions.

¹Pricing is contingent upon participant eligibility for state funding. Eligibility will be assessed during registration. For more information about eligibility click here.

This three day course is taught by Ramesh Gulati, who is the world leader in this area and the author of 'Maintenance & Reliability Best Practices'.

The M&R fundamentals course will boost your technical workforce's understanding of reliability & maintenance principles and help create a sustainable reliability culture to maximize the benefits.

The asset/equipment management practices in any organization determine whether an operation is considered a financial drain or a well-run business unit, which operates utilizing best reliability & maintenance practices to ensure assets reliability, safety, improved productivity, and profits.

• Introduction to Asset Management and It's Business Impact
• Reliability Culture Examples
• Defining Best Practices and Asset performance
• Understanding Maintenance Role - Capacity Assurance
• Workflow and Roles
• Planning & Scheduling
• Materials Management
• Operations Role - Operator Driven Reliability
• Workplace Design - 5S Plus
• Optimizing Maintenance - RCM/CBM
• Designing for reliability and Maintenance
• Improvement Tools (Including 6 Sigma)
• Workforce/People Development Organization, Team Building and Communication
• Current Trends - Lean, Energy & Safety
• Sustaining Reliability and Safety Culture

• Reliability Engineers
• Manufacturing Managers
• Process Engineering
• Maintenance Engineers
• Technicians
• Maintenance and Reliability Managers

Date(s): September 15-17, 2026 (Canton, MS)

Time: 8:00AM - 5:00PM

Location: MSU CAVS Extension - 153 Mississippi Parkway Canton, MS 39046

Cost:$575.00 ¹

Please contact Coretta Price at cprice@cavse.msstate.edu or 601-407-2770 if you have any questions.

¹Pricing is contingent upon participant eligibility for state funding. Eligibility will be assessed during registration. For more information about eligibility click here.

This one-day workshop will provide an introduction to Process Failure Mode Effects Analysis, Root Cause Analysis, Poka-yoke Principles, and Process Control Plans as tools to identify and manage risk in an Industry 4.0 environment. The methodology emphasizes implementing proactive countermeasures driven by data and cross-functional expertise to prevent mistakes from becoming defects that cause customer dissatisfaction and increase costs. The training is reinforced with team activities following the 10-step mistake proofing process on a simulated Industry 4.0 factory in our i4.0 Skills Accelerator Lab.

• Process Mapping
• Identifying Failure Modes
• Root Cause Analysis
• PFMEA Template
• Evaluating Severity, Occurrence, and Detection
• Process Controls
• Prioritizing and Reducing Risks
• Control Plans
• Sampling
• Inspection Reports

Engineers, supervisors, and managers who want to take a more proactive, systematic approach to process risk management.

Instructor(s): Adam Collins, PE and Montrell Marshall

Date(s): September 15, 2026 (Communiversity)

Time: 8:00AM - 5:00PM

Location: Communiversity - 7003 South Frontage Road Columbus, MS 39701

Cost:$150.00 ¹

Please contact Coretta Price at cprice@cavse.msstate.edu or 601-407-2770 if you have any questions.

¹Pricing is contingent upon participant eligibility for state funding. Eligibility will be assessed during registration. For more information about eligibility click here.

This workshop is designed to assist individuals and organizations to understand the key processes of project management, to initiate a project and to plan for resources, project risks, communication, and change control. It provides insight into the mechanics of managing and executing a project successfully through the closeout phase. It also provides a structured, planned approach to leading and facilitating teams, providing participants with practical tools to generate ideas and determine potential solutions, evaluate effectiveness of alternatives, reach consensus, and to effectively present results to key sponsors and stakeholders.

Instructor(s): Martin Konrad and Harry Kitchens

Date(s): September 16-17, 2026 (Canton, MS)

Time: 8:00AM - 5:00PM

Location: MSU CAVS Extension - 153 Mississippi Parkway Canton, MS 39046

Cost:$300.00 ¹

Please contact Coretta Price at cprice@cavse.msstate.edu or 601-407-2770 if you have any questions.

¹Pricing is contingent upon participant eligibility for state funding. Eligibility will be assessed during registration. For more information about eligibility click here.

This two-day workshop will discuss the 8D problem solving process in an Industry 4.0 environment. 8D Problem Solving is a disciplined and effective approach to solve chronic and recurring problems. 8D provides excellent guidelines to identify the root cause of the problem, implement containment actions, develop and then implement corrective and preventive actions to eliminate the problem permanently. This is accomplished by utilizing a simulated Industry 4.0 Factory and completing a hands on walk through of the 8D disciplines. Attendees will also complete an 8D long form during the simulated activity.

• Industry 4.0 Overview
• Process Mapping
• 8 Disciplines of Problem Solving
• 8D Long Form
• Root Cause Analysis
• Real-world Problem-Solving Simulation

Engineers, supervisors, and managers who want to take a more proactive, systematic approach to problem solving.

Instructor(s): Jonathan Howell and Montrell Marshall

Date(s): September 16-17, 2026 (Communiversity)

Time: 8:00AM - 5:00PM

Location: Communiversity - 7003 South Frontage Road Columbus, MS 39701

Cost:$200.00 ¹

Please contact Coretta Price at cprice@cavse.msstate.edu or 601-407-2770 if you have any questions.

¹Pricing is contingent upon participant eligibility for state funding. Eligibility will be assessed during registration. For more information about eligibility click here.

This two day workshop is structured so that participants gain a solid understanding of the use of Statistical Process Control to drive process improvement. The class is taught through a balance lecture, class discussion, class exercises, and follow-on participant projects. Specific topics include both variables and attribute control charting. Specific variables control charting tools include X-BAR and R charts, as well as X and Moving R. Specific Attribute charting techniques are also presented including P, C, and U Charts. Also process capability indexes are presented and explained (i.e., Cp, Cpk, Pp, Ppk). Throughout the class a strong emphasis is placed on how to connect SPC with root causes oriented problem solving. Key concepts are reinforced through the use of catapults to simulate the real world linkage between SPC and process improvement.

• Basics of Process Variation
• Introduction to the Control Chart
• Using Systematic Problem Solving to Drive Improvement
• How a Control Chart Really Works
• Basic Measures of Process Capability
• SPC Class Exercise using Catapults

Who Should Attend? Manufacturing Engineers, Quality Engineers, Managers, Supervisors, and other professionals.

Instructor(s): Adam Collins, PE

Date(s): September 23-24, 2026 (Canton, MS)

Time: 8:00AM - 5:00PM

Location: MSU CAVS Extension - 153 Mississippi Parkway Canton, MS 39046

Cost:$175.00 ¹

Please contact Coretta Price at cprice@cavse.msstate.edu or 601-407-2770 if you have any questions.

¹Pricing is contingent upon participant eligibility for state funding. Eligibility will be assessed during registration. For more information about eligibility click here.

Course objective is to develop participant skills in the recognition and elimination of Waste, and to improve Flow in their operations. Participants will apply these techniques on an approved project.

Who Should Attend? Manufacturing Engineers, Quality Engineers, Industrial Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, Engineering Managers, Plant Managers

Participant Involvement: The training will consist of 4 two-day sessions (i.e., 64 hours of class time) scheduled during a four month period. Each participant is required to implement techniques and tools on an approved project that targets substantial benefits to their respective organizations. Each participant will receive consulting support both in and outside the classroom to assist with the successful completion of their project. It is anticipated that significant work outside the classroom will be expected in order to ensure maximum results from the student project.

Instructor(s): William (Billy) Peacock, PE

Date(s): Fall 2026 (September 23-24, October 21-22, November 18-19, December 9-10)

Time: 8:00AM - 4:00PM

Location: PRCC Lowery A. Woodall Advanced Technology Center - 906 Sullivan Dr, Hattiesburg, MS 39401

Cost:$725.00 ¹

Please contact Coretta Price at cprice@cavse.msstate.edu or 601-407-2770 if you have any questions.

¹Pricing is contingent upon participant eligibility for state funding. Eligibility will be assessed during registration. For more information about eligibility click here.

This two day workshop is structured so that participants gain a solid understanding of the use of AutoCAD computer aided design software. The class is taught through a balance lecture, class discussion, and in-class exercises. Time will also be allocated to discuss user specific needs and solutions. Specific topics include basic sketching, dimensioning, block creation and editing and proper usage of layers.

Instructor(s): Jonathan Curtis, PE and Jonathan Howell

Date(s): October 13-14, 2026 (Canton, MS)

Time: 8:00AM - 5:00PM

Location: MSU CAVS Extension - 153 Mississippi Parkway Canton, MS 39046

Cost:$200.00 ¹

Please contact Coretta Price at cprice@cavse.msstate.edu or 601-407-2770 if you have any questions.

¹Pricing is contingent upon participant eligibility for state funding. Eligibility will be assessed during registration. For more information about eligibility click here.