PSHFES Dinner Meeting - "The Evolving Global State of Lean - and Related Ergonomic Issues" presentation by Dr. Richard Schonberger (President, Schonberger and Associates)

Richard Schonberger presents hard evidence showing the birthplace of lean -Japan, including Toyota, to have grown fat with average company inventories soaring for 10 to 15 years. Other global regions rank much higher in long-term "leanness," though all have slipped in recent years. Higher ranking industries include electronics and distribution, with chemicals and pharmaceuticals near the bottom. Among the explanations is the fact that lean is applied mostly in operations and presented only as waste reduction. This approach scarcely resonates among high executives, marketers, and the general public. A much better approach is to present lean for what it d oes for your customers, namely reduce response time in all things.

Human factors and ergonomics are affected in two primary ways:

(1) Most companies fail to treat the elements of process improvement - quick setup, safety, handling, ergonomics, etc. - as a single whole, thus slowing and losing potential benefits.

(2) As production migrates to less-developed countries, highly repetitive, boring, bodily taxing production-line jobs are the norm; whereas Western "best-practices" favor small work cells with more work content, frequent job rotation, and physical job variety.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008 at 10:00 am. (The tour starts at 10:00 am and lasts 60 to 90 minutes.)

Come and see first hand the ergonomic improvements Kenworth has made to their assembly processes and the challenges they still face! Join the tour of the Kenworth truck assembly facility (Renton) on Wednesday, May 7. There is no cost, but you must register no later than Thursday, May 1. (If you wish to become a member in order to join the tour and partake in other PSHFES opportunities, you may do so online at www.pshfes.org/members.htm.)

To sign up, or for more information, contact Sue Cooper (sue.cooper@weyerhaeuser.com; 253-924-2139).

If you missed the recent panel discussion with the local chapter of the Institute of Industrial Engineers, you have another opportunity to "mingle with the engineers"! Join industrial engineers and ergonomists for an evening of "learning from the pros" about how they manage projects. Come with your questions! Drinks and light refreshments will be provided. There is no cost to attend this event, but RSVP is appreciated.

There is no cost to attend this event, to RSVP please contact Dominic Henning (dhenning@starbucks.com).

Want to learn more about industrial ergonomics from professionals in the field? Join industrial engineers and ergonomists for an evening of lively discussion. There will be a five-member panel made up of local industry ergonomists to talk about their work and answer questions from the audience. The event is sponsored by the IIE and PSHFES. Drinks and light refreshments will be provided.

There is no cost to attend this event, to RSVP please contact Dominic Henning (dhenning@starbucks.com). See attached flyer for additional information.

Visitors need safety glasses (they can provide), and closed toed shoes (ANSI approved shoes if you'd like to get closer to the action). Parking is limited, so car-pooling is recommended.