For the 23rd consecutive year, IndustryWeek is pleased to present its annual salute to manufacturing excellence. The 2012 class of IndustryWeek's Best Plants winners demonstrates that operational excellence continues to prosper in manufacturing -- and manufacturers continue to strive for even greater performances....More
A strategic plan is only as good as the thinking that goes into it. Strategic thinking happens in a number of different ways, formal and informal but fundamentally affects your ability to execute on your long term process improvement objectives. Therefore, when the plan is lacking, we need to step back and consider the thinking. Even thinking is a process....More
After a long day of learning at the conference, attendees took over the field -- having their pictures taken with the Lombardi trophy, touring the Colts locker room, kicking field goals, throwing passes, and enjoying a live band....More
IW Best Plants winner Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control, Lufkin Operations, shares how it develops the goals and objectives of its annual Site Excellence Plan, as well as the role Performance Management Teams play in carrying out those goals and objectives. Learn how the annual plan is developed and broken down into projects, kaizens and "just do its."...More
The 2013 IW Best Plants application is now available. To download a 2013 application, please fill out the form below and hit the "Submit" button located directly beneath the form.Be sure to include your e-mail address on the form to receive competition alerts....More
Hall of Famer Raymond Floyd's keynote address from the 2012 IW Best Plants Conference describes what managers must provide their workforce to help them become agents of change....More
Once severely 'limited by mass production,' Ford has invested heavily in flexible manufacturing plants to enable the automaker to quickly adapt to changes in market demand, Ford manufacturing VP Jim Tetreault explained at IndustryWeek's 2012 Best Plants C...More
IndustryWeek's 2012 Best Plants conference was 2.5 days of plant tours, keynote speakers, educational sessions, networking and a rousing social event at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Here is a quick tour of 2012 version of this annual event. The conference took place April 23-25.
The Lean journey encounters many obstacles during its various phases, most of which can be attributed to old, often invisible organizational structures fighting a new strategy. Bruce's presentation offers a unique perspective of the Lean journey that exposes the obstacles in a context that enables their removal....More
Operating 47 plants in 25 countries, General Cable has grown significantly over the past decade. One thing that has remained consistent is the steadfast devotion to continuous improvement. Embracing lean and Six Sigma toolsets and fostering a culture of associate involvement has allowed General Cable to differentiate in an otherwise mostly commoditized market. Within plants are mini-factories or cells run by armies of change-agents whose natural instinct is to think about and then act on hundreds of ideas that improve General Cable every day....More
