Rise to Operational Excellence at the UK/US Shingo Summit

The Manufacturing Institute’s fourth UK/US Summit takes place over two days (10-11 June) at Manchester city centre’s landmark Hilton tower. But an entire week of activity features tours of best practice sites (12 June), including BAE systems, Siemens and PZ Cussons. There is also a pre-summit Shingo Workshop (8-9 June) to introduce the Shingo Prize, regarded as the ‘Nobel Prize’ for operational excellence.

The 2009 Summit will be the biggest and best to date, with eight keynote speakers from both sides of the Atlantic, 25 best practice presentations and workshops from international industry and thought leaders, as well as best practice site visits giving vivid demonstrations of excellence in action at some of the UK’s top businesses. 

Julie Madigan, Chief Executive of The Manufacturing Institute, said: “This crucial event will promote far-sighted thought leadership on the difficult challenges ahead and the strategic solutions necessary to conquer them.  Those attending will gain inspiration and knowledge to re-invigorate their people, processes and management practices – ready to lead their organisations through and beyond the downturn - to seize competitive advantage in a tougher new economic era.”

“Whatever your specialist sector, size or marketplace – whether you are just starting out on your transformational journey or at the mature stage of sustaining and refining improvement, this summit will provide you with the insights and knowledge you require to succeed. It is a first class opportunity to meet some of the world’s best performers and take away their wisdom, proven thinking, practical tools … and the inspiration to put them to good use.

“Public sector managers responsible for  implementing the Operational Efficiency Programme and delivering service excellence at better value for money can find out how to use Lean methodologies to stretch limited resources, including workshops in how to re-engineer back office  processes to achieve performance improvements and targeted cost savings.”

US Shingo prize winning businesses OC Tanner and DJ Orthopedic, which have driven deep cultural change to embed lean transformation across their entire business enterprise will present alongside many leading UK lean performers, including BAE Systems, United Biscuits, Nortel and  Patheon UK.

Keynote speakers include Steven Spear, Senior Lecturer at the world renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology and author of Shingo Prize winning book ‘Chasing the Rabbit”, who will provide insights into what companies can do to compete more effectively and overtake the competition. Max Brown, Director of OC Tanner, will show how the ‘Carrot Principle’ ensures employee recognition and better business results.

Inspirational speaker, author and lean pioneer Norman Bodek, President of US-based PCS and co-creator of the Shingo Prize, will draw on 30 years at the centre of the lean revolution to demonstrate how to unlock innovation. Robert Miller, Executive Director for The Shingo Prize at Utah State University and a lean industry veteran and former senior leader at John Deere, FMC, Hermann Miller and the Gates Rubber Company, will also make a keynote address.

Martyn Craske, lean programme manager for the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), will explore the challenges of rolling out the DWP Lean Approach in one of Whitehall’s largest departments.

Best practice presentations will include examples of Lean excellence in healthcare, including the Wisconsin-based ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value which is delivering better standards of patient care, yet has saved $25 million in costs, without cutting staff. Managers from from Southport and Ormskirk Hospital; Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust will also highlight their improvement journeys. 

The Summit will introduce the Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence, which is recognised as the world’s most effective blueprint for lean transformation across the whole business enterprise, and the attainment of operational excellence driven by deep cultural change.

So far, this model for profound organisational change has only been available in the US, Canada and Mexico, but in collaboration with The Manufacturing Institute, The Shingo Prize Challenge is now open to organisations in the UK and Ireland.

Pioneering UK and Ireland Shingo Prize challengers BAE Systems, Nortel and Ultraframe will share lessons in lean and the valuable progress they have made through pursuing the Shingo model of operational excellence. They will illustrate how they have used the proven Shingo guiding principles, systems and tools to build and sustain remarkable, competitive and forward-looking enterprises.

The Summit will present UK and US best practice across three key Shingo themes of: Cultural Enablers, Focused Improvement and Enterprise Thinking, with the ultimate goal of real business and operational results always firmly in sight. This overarching aim is embedded throughout the Summit which is focused on creating better people, quality, delivery, cost and competitive performance.

To book places at the UK/US Shingo Summit  and a chance to win a FREE three-day pass log on to www.ukussummit.com  or call 0800 917 1685