2009 was a busy year for the K-W/Cambridge EMC Consortium networking events! Whew! With this degree of synergy, we need to stop and take a breath and reflect on what manufacturers in this area have achieved in 2009! According to attendance records across all the events, over 750 manufacturing professionals participated in these local networking EMC SIG events in Waterloo region!
In case you were not aware, there are 5 Strategic Interest Group Events (SIGs) that take place monthly for manufacturers in Waterloo region facilitated by EMC: Sr Managers, Continuous Improvement, Health & Safety, Engineering, and Human Resources.
This is what they call 'traction" and reflects highly on the innovative mindset of Waterloo region EMC members who adopt a spirit of sharing and learning with pride with each other, regardless of sector or level of sophistication. The fact that there is always something to learn and realizing that you never "know everything" is an empowering position to take as you strive to make your business better. This holds true for the 900+ member companies of EMC across Ontario and Atlantic Canada!
One highlight of the activity in Waterloo region is the Continuous Improvement SIG where the company provides a problem for the members to brainstorm solutions while applying lean tools and lean thinking. The problem is included in the agenda they receive prior to the meeting, and after a tour and a review of Lean principles, members break out into brainstorming groups and report suggestions for improvement back to the host. This is a very powerful format where members gain insight into their own challenges while at the same time helping the host company solve their problem. All the while, peer relationships are developed and nurtured to further support the activity going beyond the meeting room.
Some examples of the companies that hosted this activity in 2009 and the problems they challenged to the EMC Continuous Improvement SIG group:
DC Foods: Line Balancing and throughput challenges
Ontario Drive& Gear: Line Balancing with interloping product skews
Innovative Steam Technologies: Administrative Value Stream Mapping
Custom Foam Systems: Sustaining 5S
Pride Signs: Throughput in a Manufacturing Cell
RutherfordControls: Vendor Management
PWO Canada: Change-over Reduction
Boehmer Box: Creating Pull in a Push Environment
Airboss Rubber Compounding: Managing multiple raw material lead times while reducing over-all lead-time for the customer
Congratulations to EMC manufacturers in the Waterloo region for their accomplishments in 2009! 2010 promises to be another great year for the consortium! Hosts are confirmed and the schedule is set!
For more information on the EMC SIG activity for manufacturers in Waterloo region, please contact Mike Baker: mbaker@emccanada.org
Yours in networking,
Mike Baker, EMC
1 Comment
Hi Mike and EMC colleagues,
Thanks to Mike and the member companies for sharing best practices on our tours and for thought provoking discussion - we are excited to be an EMC member and look forward to another year of collaboration toward becoming a world class lean enterprise.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from your friends at Custom Foam Systems
Bob Germann
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