Industrial Manufacturing News

American manufacturers have watched in horror as nearly 100,000 automotive related jobs have been lost over the past few years. The trickledown effect of this has not yet been fully realized.
Detroit has been working hard to catch Toyota and other world class manufacturing companies who have transformed their production processes using a set of techniques collectively referred to as Lean Manufacturing.

This three day bus tour of Northwest companies will help to satisfy the enormous need to educate our manufacturing base about how high mix, low volume companies have had remarkable success in adapting and adopting the Toyota Production System in their "Make-to-Order" environments.

Gary Conner, 2002 Shingo Prize recipient will act as tour facilitator. Each participant will receive a copy of the 370 page Lean Leader Guidebook published by Lean Enterprise Training, and used in their forty (40) hour Lean Leader workshop, along with a four (4) hour DVD training package.

Purpose of this event: Patterned after similar tours of Japanese companies like Toyota, this three (3) day event will provide participant the chance to interface with dozens of other Lean Manufacturing Disciples while visiting a number (tentative plans are to tour 6-8) companies on the path toward world class performance. This will certainly provide an eye opening experience and accelerate the learning process for anyone interested in seeing real life examples.

Training will also take place on the bus (between company visits) having been outfitted with DVD, audio and video capability.

Overview: This event will provide Northwest companies the opportunity to showcase their lean-six sigma efforts, while building enthusiasm and recognizing their teams' efforts.

Lean Enterprise Training (www.leanenterprise.bigstep.com) has reserved a 56 passenger bus, (licensed and bonded transportation company). Seating is limited to two (2) participants from any one company. Further details and registration information will be provided upon email or phone request.

As you plan your 2008 training budget, consider this a "must participate" item on the list.

Note: Lean Enterprise Trainging (www.leanenterprise.bigstep.com) will also be conducting their popular 40 hour (5 day) Lean Leader Workshop in Las Vegas Nevada February 25-28, 2008 Register early to make sure seat(s) are available. This event is being sponsored by the Nevada Manufacturing Extension Partnership. You may register online or by phone.

Lean Enterprise Training is a training and consulting firm, having worked with over 125 companies and 14 industries. They deliver private and public workshop throughout the US and Canada on the subject of continuous improvement, set-up reduction, 5-S, value stream mapping, lean manufacturing, and change management.

Gary Conner, Principle of Lean Enterprise Training has conducted over 350 kaizen events and trained thousands of people in the disciplines of world class manufacturing techniques. His book "Lean Manufacturing for the Small Shop" was awarded the Shingo Prize (named after the Japanese engineer Shigeo Shingo). The Shingo Prize has been likened to the Nobel Prize for Manufacturing.