Team Implementers is for the purpose of enabling Dean Baker to share his experience and expertise in project management as a consultant, instructor, and author. Team Implementers maintains a simple operation with minimal administrative and marketing functions that allows Mr. Baker to focus his time and energies in meeting the clients, students, or publication’s specific needs. Team Implementers only selects projects that fit Mr. Baker’s background, represent an opportunity to provide real value to the customer, and offer new or expanded professional relationships. Mr. Baker’s goals are to expand awareness and understanding of the project management profession, share his knowledge and experience with others, and contribute to the success of others using project management principles and practices.
40+ Years in Automotive Manufacturing
30+ Years Building and Managing Teams
20+ Years Managing Large Projects.
15+ Years Teaching Project Management
BSEE Kettering University
MSEE University of Michigan
PMP Project Management institute
Project Management Predictive Principles and Practices 2010, 2023
Predictive Projects eWorkbook 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021
Project Scheduling eWorkbook 2013, 2021
Agile Projects eWorkbook 2021
Mr Baker is president of Team Implementers, a certified Project Management Professional, and author of Project Management Predictive Principles and Practices, Predictive Projects eWorkbook, Agile Projects eWorkbook, and Project Scheduling eWorkbook. Since retiring from General Motors, he consults, teaches, and publishes based on his expertise in project management and stamping operations.
Baker acquired much of his project and operations management experience during his successful career with General Motors Corporation. He gained this experience in a variety of roles such as Superintendent of Industrial Engineering, Production Manager, Assistant Plant Manager, and Chief Manufacturing Engineer at General Motors Headquarters.
During his last ten years with GM in his assignment as Chief Manufacturing Engineer, Baker managed a manufacturing engineering group consisting of 40 engineers that supported all North American GM stamping plants in maintaining, standardizing, and improving operations in the US and Canada and led the Metal Fabricating Division’s $2.0 billion Press Modernization Program. This involved strategic planning the type, location, timing, and product allocation of all new and upgraded stamping equipment and facilities. As Program Manager, Baker directed multiple project managers involved in simultaneous $50 million+ projects required to modernize the stamping division’s operations. Most of the projects involved international companies operating across large geographical boundaries in the United States, Canada, Germany, Japan, and Brazil. The modernization program impacted over 60% of all stamping equipment in GM and, when combined with plant productivity efforts, resulted in GM’s stamping equipment productivity improving from least productive in 1996 to most productive in 2003 for all manufacturers in North American as measured by The Harbour Report®.
To manage critical relationships, improve project success rates, and maximize business results of the modernization program, Baker developed a multi-company project management methodology and conducted project management and team building sessions in the United States, Canada, Germany, Japan, and Brazil for GM and its suppliers. He co-facilitated over 150 team meetings with these international participants and trained over 80 project managers and engineers in all elements of project management and team building through one-on-one coaching, training manual creation, and example setting.
Baker’s consulting has involved a variety of projects and clients. He developed, implemented, and facilitated a project management process for a major equipment supplier. Developed, implemented, and facilitated a plant wide improvement process for a blanking manufacturer. Developed specifications for a new 750 metric ton press and moving a 5 press fully automated press line from Ohio to Mexico for a truck manufacturer. He consulted in a 2.5 year stamping capacity increase involving the purchase and installation of a 5 press 180” x 96” line with quick die change equipment, cranes to expand die movement/storage, new finished part storage, and new shipping docks for a major stamping service supplier to GM , Ford, and Chrysler.
Baker continues to share his knowledge and experience of project management, cross company dynamics of relationships in large projects, and stamping expertise with others through his consulting, teaching, and published works.