370 Consulting Group brings a fresh approach to providing clients with the tools and techniques to improve every aspect of the business. We provide “hands on, straight talking” experience and expertise, so vital for businesses in today’s market.

370 Consulting Group goes beyond the norm of “360” to ensure that our clients reach self-sufficiency and reap the benefits of sustainable improvements, along the way we coach and train your staff in new working practices and management systems.

370 Consulting Group was founded in Greenville, SC, USA in 2006, expanding in 2008 to Wantage, Oxfordshire, UK; we now serve customers in the United States and Europe. We have worked with clients in a variety of functions encompassing both manufacturing and transactional businesses.

Mercedes Bartow

As president of 370 Consulting Group, Mercedes Bartow is able to draw on her experience from over 12 years at BMW Manufacturing, in the fields of internal consulting, continuous improvement, controlling and financial management. She holds a BS degree in Financial Management, with a minor in German, a language in which she is fluent. Along with her international experience, Bartow also holds the following certifications:

• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt
• Kaizen Facilitator
• ISO 9001/ TS 16949 Internal Auditor

She has successfully conducted executive, champion and sponsor development sessions, project selection and prioritization workshops, Kaizen training and workshop leadership, and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt training. She is a Black Belt, and has led and mentored dozens of projects across many functions both in manufacturing and beyond, in the areas of logistics, engineering, finance, procurement, human resources and information technology.

Bartow’s experience includes several consulting positions of varied responsibility at BMW Manufacturing. As Continuous Improvement/Internal Consulting Manager, she led the first full scale deployment of Lean Six Sigma in the BMW Group which achieved significant, sustainable improvements and savings plant-wide. During her tenure in Finance, she implemented internal controls, process efficiencies, and a financial reporting system.

Bartow is a frequent contributor, organizer and guest speaker at industry conferences, having recently presented papers at an ASQ meeting, Clemson’s Benchmarking Best Practices in Lean Six Sigma, the International ISO and Lean Six Sigma conference, and the Timken annual Lean6Sigma conference. She is also active in the following professional organizations:

• American Society for Quality (ASQ), board member
• Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), board member
• Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE), member
• Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, certified member, MBE
• 2007 winner, Suzanne Thaler Rising Star Award, GSA Business
• American Cancer Society, gala fundraiser chairperson
• Planning Commissioner, City of Greenville, SC, USA
• Greenville Downtown Rotary Club, sponsorship chairperson
• Greater Greenville Chamber of Commerce, Advantage Greenville steering committee member
• Greenville Professional Women’s Forum, member

Ian Caldicott

Ian Caldicott

As European Operations Director, Ian Caldicott is able to draw on his experience from over 27 years in the Automotive, Aerospace, Plastic Injection Moulding and Electronics Industry.

Educated in Oxford, United Kingdom, Caldicott has international experience working for 1^st Tier suppliers (GKN Ltd, Excel Group, Tennex, Moss Plastic Parts), OEE Manufacturers (Ford Motor Company, Jaguar Cars Limited and BMW) and holds the following certifications;

• Lean Business Processes Certificate Program – University of Michigan
• Cultural Change of Organizations – BMW Group
• London City in Guilds - Institute of Quality Assurance Pt 1 & 2 (Distinction)

He has successfully conducted executive, champion and sponsor coaching sessions, project selection and prioritization workshops, ISO accreditation and Lean Deployment (training and development) and Kaizen events / training.

He is an experienced Lean Practitioner, and has led and mentored dozens of improvement projects across many functions both in manufacturing and business processes.

Caldicott’s experience also includes Reliability Analysis, Stress Analysis, Total Preventative Maintenance, Failure Mode Effects Analysis (process and design), Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED), Basic and Advanced Statistical Process Control (SPC), Control Plans, Team Oriented Problem Solving and A3 Problem Solving, Design of Experiments (DOE), ISO9000 and supplier auditing.

He is also active in the following professional organizations:

• Associate Charter Quality Institute (ACQI)
• Associate Member Institute Safety Quality Environmental Management (AMISQEM)
• Member “ecademy” Oxfordshire Businesses
• Parish Councilor, Grove, Wantage, Oxfordshire, UK