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Welcome to Advanced Manufacturing magazine's e-newsletter! "A must-read for decision-makers who manage, source and implement manufacturing technologies. Canada's #1 source for advanced manufacturing technology news, analysis and products." e-Newsletter Today's e-newsletter is sponsored by:
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Manufacturing costs for Ontario carmakers are skyrocketing, prompting layoffs. Consumer expectations for the lowest price ravage every market around the globe. Canada's six banks with their acquired legacy systems struggle to compete with over 5000 flexible and modern banks in the U.S. today. In these challenging times, how can Canadian business leaders shake off complacency and grow their enterprises to: • Compete powerfully against "low-cost" competitors in the global marketplace? • Meet and exceed customer demand for real time access to operational data — such as inventory, orders and shipments? • Speed up development—while lowering the cost of implementing innovation? To find out and trade perspectives with your peers you should consider attending “From Complacent to Competitive: New Strategies to help Canadian enterprise compete on the global stage”, a roundtable session for senior manufacturing, retail and financial services executives presented by the Schulich Executive Education Centre, The Access Group and CATA Alliance. The event is scheduled for Tuesday, January 22 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. This informative free half-day session will allow you the opportunity to debate and discuss amongst your colleagues on strategies to grow the Canadian enterprise by adding value to the supply chain. To access your invitation to this event, click here.
Mazak hosts international manufacturing gathering With competition growing around the world, increasing competitiveness is not just for global companies. Even local manufacturers and job shops are rethinking their relationships, adjusting their businesses and investigating new technologies to maintain their competitive edge. In this spirit, Mazak Corporation presented “Manufacturing Technologies for Global Competitiveness,” a three-day event at its Florence, Kentucky headquarters campus, December 4-6, 2007. In addition to Mazak, leading manufacturing technology suppliers including Sandvik, Kennametal, Renishaw, Fanuc Robotics, UGS/Unigraphics participated. With 2,500 attendees, Mazak presented an information-rich program of technology, seminars on manufacturing and machining technologies, tours of Mazak’s award-winning manufacturing plant, and new machine-tool introductions in what it called North America’s largest privately held manufacturing event. Added special attractions included Gary Convis, executive vice president (retired) and senior executive advisor, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., who spoke to an invitation-only dinner. James D. Waters, vice president, Caterpillar Production System, Caterpillar, Inc., also spoke. Mazak’s Center for Multi-Tasking and Manufacturing Excellence, including the 200-seat Mazak Learning Center and additional classrooms, hosted the event’s seminar program. It included Professor David Dornfeld, Mechanical Engineering Department chair at the University of California, Berkeley on lean manufacturing; the Society of Manufacturing Engineers on how to obtain, motivate, and keep the workforce of tomorrow; Renishaw Corporation on how to apply advanced manufacturing principles and process improvements; and Fanuc Robotics on how to maximize the productivity and utilization of your machine-tool investment.
The Ontario government has appointed two manufacturing sector experts as the Vice-Chairs of the province’s first Manufacturing Council, Sandra Pupatello, Minister of Economic Development and Trade announced. “The McGuinty government is committed to securing long-term success for the manufacturing sector,” says Pupatello. “Manufacturing is extremely important to Ontario’s economic prosperity. Our government knows the sector faces challenges. We know there are problems that must be solved. This Council is a valuable addition to our manufacturing response and competitiveness strategy, which helps Ontario manufacturers innovate, compete and adjust to global restructuring.” Jayson Myers, President of Canadian Manufacturers Exporters, and Jim Stanford, Economist with the Canadian Auto Workers, will provide recommendations to the government on investment, innovation, trade, market development, energy and the environment. They will also advise on human resources and regulatory issues that affect the global competitiveness of Ontario’s manufacturing sector. “The experience and strategic leadership that Jim and Jayson bring to this task are a major win for the Council and Ontario’s manufacturing sector. They have experienced the ups and downs of manufacturing in Ontario, and they know what it takes to be successful in an aggressively competitive global environment,” says Pupatello. “Ontario’s extensive infrastructure, skilled workforce and low-cost research and development opportunities can foster long-term manufacturing success province-wide and around the globe,” says Myers. “I look forward to working with the Council to develop a strategic framework that leverages these advantages and builds on the strengths of our manufacturing sector.” “I’m very pleased to Vice-Chair the Council, which is an important and timely initiative,” says Stanford. “Manufacturing is so vital to the economic health of Ontario. We all depend on the spin-off benefits that manufacturing generates, and we need to enlist all stakeholders in an effort to keep the sector healthy.”
Schneider Electric donates automation equipment to Conestoga College Schneider Electric recently donated $78,000 worth of automation equipment -including M340 PLCs, Lexium drives and Magelis HMIs — to the Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning (ITAL). The systems will be used in one of Conestoga’s PLC labs for students in the corporate training, diploma, applied degree training, and continuing education programs. “Industry partnerships are vital to us, because they allow our students to learn leading-edge technology that will respond to employer needs”, says John Tibbits, President, Conestoga College ITAL. “This, in turn, enhances our reputation as a leading-edge educational institution.” The chair at the School of Engineering and Information Technology Training, Sandra Schelling, highlighted the critical importance of the donation in helping the college provide industry-specific software training. “Schneider Electric’s M340 donation fulfills our need for industry funding of equipment, and will allow us to upgrade our curriculum to teach Unity software”, she notes. “And this equipment’s enhanced functionalities — Ethernet communications, motion control, increased processing power — will allow us to develop new PLC courses for the Mechatronics program.”
Nobody likes doom and gloom, but act now and prosper later Jayson Myers is a bright guy who really seems to care about the health of Canada’s manufacturing industries. Manufacturers are fortunate to now have him at the helm of their industry association, the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME). Myers knows his stuff, and as an economist he puts great pride in the accuracy of his forecasts. If only people would listen more carefully and then act accordingly. For years, Myers was warning Canadian manufacturers that they needed to prepare then for the situation they find themselves in now. The low Canadian dollar was making Canadian imports attractive to U.S. buyers, and this was helping insulate our manufacturers from the fact they were falling behind in productivity, innovation and in skills training. “Don’t rely on the low dollar, embrace lean, boost productivity, invest in the skills of your people, upgrade your technology, find new global markets,” were messages that Myers, and others who make their living looking ahead, such as Gerry Fedchun, head of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association, repeatedly delivered to manufacturers. But when the orders are coming in fast and furious and profits are up, nobody pays much attention to the quiet alarms sounding around them, and voices like Myers might not have been heard above the din of the roaring factories and in the corporate offices.
Companies that win have fun, and those that have fun are winners “Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.” That’s the well-known quote that exemplifies unfettered competitiveness — attributed to the late football coach Vince Lombardi. Business too is a game against competitors on a global scale. Winning or losing can make a significant difference. Losing companies quickly disappear. Today’s business is a game on a global playing field. The players are not hourly-paid pawns, but sophisticated knowledge-workers who must be actively involved to win against fierce worldwide competition. Their motivations go beyond doing pre-defined tasks and receiving paychecks. They want to know the game plan, to see how they can participate and contribute. They want to be challenged — to have fun. It’s an attitude that feeds on itself — the businesses that win have fun, and businesses that have fun tend to be winners.
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