Sixty-Sixth Meeting of the Advanced Manufacturing Forum

The Journey to Lean

October 29-30, 2009
The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel

Click here for the on-line REGISTRATION FORM
Click here for the .pdf version of the REGISTRATION FORM

Presentations

Greening the Supply Chain
Thinking Outside the Hive

W. Drew Schramm, Senior Vice President
Global Supply & Logistics
Herman Miller, Inc., Zeeland, MI

When it comes to improving an organization’s impact on the environment, going it alone would not only be costly, but almost impossible. The key to a successful environmental program is engaging the entire supply chain. At Herman Miller, we have been on our journey for many years. We’ve learned a great deal on what works and, of course, what doesn’t work. In our session, we will discuss the journey and what steps Herman Miller has taken to engage our supply chain to achieve our sustainability goals. We will give an overview of our sustainability programs as well as specific examples of how we integrate our sustainability goals into our supply management team’s and supplier’s goals. Herman Miller’s DfE (Design for Environment) goals require us to have 100% of our products certified as environmentally responsible by 2020. This can only be achieved with close cooperation with our supply chain partners.

Greening the Value Stream

Kathleen Sandin, Global Environment Manager
Pratt & Whitney/United Technologies, Hartford, CT

Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies Corporation (UTC) company, is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, industrial gas turbines and space propulsion systems. Pratt & Whitney has annual revenues of $12.97 billion with 38,577 employees supporting more than 9,000 customers in 180 countries around the world. UTC’s green journey started in the mid-90’s with a primary focus on its factories and product content, but has since expanded to product impact and the supply chain. The presentation will cover the history, scope and future of the green program across UTC and Pratt & Whitney, and will include lessons learned based on experiences within a variety of global economic realities.

TPS Meets Medical Manufacturing

Susan H. Campbell 
Senior Vice President of Orthopaedics
Bill Willick, Director of Lean Manufacturing
Greatbatch Medical, Clarence, NY

Wilson Greatbatch, co-inventor of the first successful implanted pacemaker, founded Greatbatch, Inc. in 1970 to develop long-lived primary batteries to fuel pacemakers. Until 2000, the company remained a small family owned business. Since then, the company has coupled its Leading Technology Expertise with Operational Excellence to grow to a $0.5 Billion business. Recently, its flagship facility in Alden, New York was awarded Industry Week’s Best Plants Award. Susan Campbell and Bill Willick will share the story about how Greatbatch combined the Fundamental Lean Concepts learned from the Toyota Production System with a passion for excellence to help transform Greatbatch Medical into a leading supplier to the major medical OEMs. This story will be infused with real lessons-learned, identification of pitfalls, and the importance of maintaining a sense of humor throughout the lean journey.

Implementing Standard Work in a Complex & Fast-Changing Manufacturing Environment

Russell Lawrence, Director of Human Resources
Mike Perry, Production Superintendent
Pittsburgh Glass Works (PGW), Tipton, PA

PGW, formerly PPG Industries’ Automotive Glass Business, has been a leader in the automotive OEM and aftermarket glass business for many years.  As a result of fundamental change in the automotive industry, PGW has been faced with numerous challenges including the need to significantly reduce labor costs while increasing operational efficiency.  At the Tipton glass fabrication facility a strategy of hiring less costly agency employees coupled with the implementation of Toyota-type standard work has allowed the location to meet this challenge.  The presentation will focus on the factory floor challenges of standard work implementation including the numerous tools, processes, and roles and responsibilities that comprise the system and will also illustrate how standard work promotes a sustainable lean / continuous improvement culture.

Forum Format and Session Descriptions

All events take place at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel
Penn State - University Park campus, State College, PA

Presentations are given in a seminar-style format, interspersed with small group breakouts that permit participants to better explore any issue or topic stimulated by the presentations, and maximize opportunities for participants to share ideas. This unique setting allows for intensive discussion and idea exchange among industry managers, and a sounding board for anyone implementing Lean and sustainability strategies. This function is also attended by our Master of Manufacturing Management degree candidates.

The forum begins on Thursday evening with a networking reception, brief orientation, and dinner at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel. Friday is a full day of presentations and breakout sessions. If you have any questions, please give us a call. We look forward to hearing from you and hope that you will be able to join us.

Attire

Thursday reception and dinner require formal business attire.

Friday is business casual attire (company shirts are encouraged).

Registration Information

Click here for the on-line REGISTRATION FORM
Click here for the .pdf version of the REGISTRATION FORM

The registration fee is $495* and includes reception, dinner, breakfast and lunch meals and beverages. To assure your reservation, register by September 25, 2009. Participants will receive their choice of ONE book as part of their registration fee: 

• Green Manufacturing: Case Studies in Leadership and Improvement by AME
• Green to Gold: How Smart Companies Use Environmental Strategy… by D. Esty & A.S. Winston
• Creating a Lean Culture: Tools to Sustain Lean Conversions by David Mann
• Lean Six Sigma for Supply Chain Management by James William Martin

Cancellations with a full refund will be accepted up to and including October 21, 2009. Cancellations less a $100 administrative fee will be accepted on and after October 21, 2009.

The Advanced Manufacturing Forum (AMF) is a not-for-profit event supported by a combination of registration fees, contributions from the Quality and Manufacturing Management (QMM) program and the Center for the Management of Technological and Organizational Change (CMTOC).

 *Group Rate: $50 discount per person for two or more attendees from the same company!

Hotel Reservations

A block of rooms has been reserved for AMF attendees at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel ($115.00, single occupancy). Please refer to the Advanced Manufacturing Forum's reservation code [ADVJ09A] when making your reservation. Our block of rooms will be held until one month prior to the forum.

Local: 1-814-863-5000
Toll-free: 1-800-233-7505  

Other nearby hotels (all within 1-2 miles of our conference location):

• Hilton Garden Inn
  1221 East College Avenue
  State College, PA
  814-272-1221

• Holiday Inn Express
  1925 Waddle Road
  Williamsburg Square
  State College, PA
  814-867-1800

• Toftrees Golf Resort and Conference Center
  One Country Club Boulevard
  State College, PA
  1-800-252-3553

Questions

Please contact Carmen Strand, 814-865-6727 or cms57@psu.edu