China Lean Sigma Level Challenge

Targeting the China growth market is a good strategy. Manufacturing in China brings challenges that include high defect rates, low quality control, and barriers to lean adoption. ...

... "For every million parts produced in Chinese plants, the median rejection rate is 50,000, compared to U.S. plants' media rate of 100 parts per million produced. Plus, poorly educated Chinese workers makes it difficult for companies to successfully implement lean initiatives. " ...

Via Jacksonville Business Journal: China Manufacturing

India Lean Manufacturing Scheme

Indian government will invest in lean principles for its small business sector to increase competitiveness. ...

... "The objective of this scheme is to enhance the manufacturing competitiveness of the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by applying lean techniques to identify and eliminate waste in the manufacturing process. " ...

Via UTVi: Lean Manufacturing

China Manufacturing RFID Implementation

China is investing in RFID implementation in its manufacturing sector to bolster supply chain performance. ...

... "China is also making the world’s largest investment in installing RFID throughout its factories and supply chain in order to underpin the nation’s manufacturing. " ...

Via eWeek: RFID Orders Surging

Apple Operational Efficiency

Apple's COO has implemented operating efficiencies in its manufacturing and supply chain and is on the short list as the company's next CEO. ...

... "In one instance of its inefficiency, Apple assembled notebook computers at a plant in Ireland out of parts shipped from Asia, then sent a significant portion of the finished notebooks back to Asia to be sold in that market. " ...

Via Wall Street Journal: Apple's No. 2

China Six Sigma Quality Next

Chinese products are differentiated by their low cost, but not for their high quality. However, globalization is accelerating the need for quality management processes, such as Six Sigma, in China's manufacturing industry. Continuous improvement will go a long way towards improving the reputation of products sourced from China. ...

... "China made its mark in the business world by supplying low cost products -- not top quality products. Essentially, says Carter, China has never been given a reason to strive for six sigma precision, until now. " ...

Via Knowledge @ W.P. Carey: Chinese Product Recalls

Six Sigma Tax Process Uses VOC

The European Union Chamber of Commerce in Korea recognizes government entities for their efficiency and stewardship ...

... "Six sigma quality is applied to make tax assessments more accurate, and the Voice of Customer (VOC) system is in place to listen to taxpayer complaints and transform them into a foundation for directing administrative policies. " ...

Via Korean Times: Korean Government

Nerf Manufacturing

Want to differentiate your manufacturing company and be globally competitive? Show respect for your workforce. It will be noticed. ...

... "The factory's management and the local officials really look down on the workers, said one laid-off worker who would only give his surname, Qiao, because he feared criticizing the company might jeopardize his chance of getting any compensation. " ...

Via Boing Boing: Nerf factory

Regional Six Sigma Perspectives

Toyota Kaizen Works in Vietnam

Kaizen principles can be successfully deployed anywhere in the world. Toyota replicates its success in Vietnam. ...

... "Regular kaizen (innovation) and optimization of all resources, especially supplying networks, have helped TMV provide customers with good products and services at reasonable prices. " ...

Via Saigon Times: Toyota Vietnam

Leverage Information Technology in the Lean Manufacturing Environment

Information technology has role in the lean manufacturing enterprise of the future. ...

... "New competitive threats have emerged in Asia, and ahead-of-the curve manufacturers are leveraging IT not only to help establish partnerships in places like China, but to extract more out of their lean-manufacturing strategies, optimize business processes, enable growth, and learn more about their customers. " ...

Via Wisconsin Technology: Manufacturing IT

Moto Malaysia Recognized Six Sigma Knowledge Work

Motorola Technology Sdn Bhd is awarded the Penang Chief Minister's K-ICT Award 2007 for best practices in developing knowledge workers at its manufacturing operations. The Malaysian site has built its workforce on a foundation of Six Sigma quality principles, enabling its employees to transform into knowledge work. ...

... "Through the Knowledge Worker Development Award, Motorola was recognized for its initiatives in promoting effective use of ICT as a tool for its communications and training programmes so as to accomplish key organizational action plans and needs, and develop its employees' potential to achieve the company's objectives. Motorola was able to clinch the prestigious award based on its successful implementation of the Motorola Digital Six Sigma / Quality IQ initiative from 2001 - 2006. Some of the significant results achieved by the implementation of the Motorola Digital Six Sigma/Quality program were the strengthening of its competitiveness, improvements to the overall quality of its business operations, and the transformation of manual labor to become a more knowledge based workforce. In addition, Motorola recorded savings of approximately USD30 million over 230 engineering based projects implemented since 2001. The implementation of Motorola Digital Six Sigma/Quality program has also progressively increased the number of its knowledge workers at various levels from 20% to 46% and generated over 2,300 internal engineering patent submissions that were solutions made in Malaysia.
" ...

Via Motorola Malaysia: Motorola Receives the Prestigious Penang Chief Minister K-ICT Award 2007

SixSigma Manufacturing Supports Company Growth Plan

Boston-Power completes funding to fuel its growth through next-generation, lithium-ion notebook computer batteries. The company has demonstrated Six Sigma performance at its China manufacturing site. ...

... "Boston-Power is led by Founder and CEO Dr. Christina Lampe-Onnerud, a recognized strategist, technology advisor and authority in the global battery industry. Lampe-Onnerud has assembled a world-class team with more than 100 years of combined experience in lithium-ion technology and manufacturing, consumer electronics sales and intellectual property patent law. Headquartered in Westborough, Mass., the company has Six Sigma-level manufacturing operations in Shenzhen, China. " ...

Via Boston-Power: Boston-Power fuels expansion with $15.6 million in series B financing

Pharma Cuts Costs with Six Sigma

Big pharma firms, such as Merck, are focusing on operational efficiency in their supply chains, reducing their manufacturing footprint and eliminating costs through Six Sigma improvement programs. This is becoming a common recipe for larger drug firms as their margins are being compressed. ...

... "A lot of companies are moving some elements of R&D to India and China to cut costs. Many are adopting new manufacturing systems like Six Sigma. " ...

Via Investor's Business Daily: Link

Manufacturing Leader: Lean Roll-Out Experience ...

American Woodmark appoints manufacturing leader with Lean Six Sigma implementation experience. ...

... "Dunston brings a broad range of experience in manufacturing and supply chain management to American Woodmark. He comes to American Woodmark from Diamond Innovations, a leading industrial supplier to the automotive, electronics and aerospace industries, where he was vice president, Global Operations. In this position, he was tasked to significantly reduce operating costs within China, Europe and the U.S. Prior to this, he worked as vice president of operations for BBA Fiberweb, a complex fabric and laminate manufacturing company. Here he instituted the roll-out of a continuous improvement program with training in both 6-Sigma and Lean Manufacturing. " ...

Via American Woodmark: Cary Dunston Named Senior Vice President of Manufacturing, American Woodmark

Semiconductor Assembly: Six Sigma Certification ...

Indium Corporation, a supplier of electronics and semiconductor assembly materials, invests in certification of 11 Six Sigma green belts. The company will have opportunity to implement Six Sigma projects in their factories, located in the USA, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and China. The company believes in quality management and is ISO 9001 registered. ...

... "Indium Corporation recognized 11 individuals for achieving their Dartmouth Six Sigma Green Belt Certification. A Dartmouth Six Sigma Green Belt has demonstrated proficiency in developing and executing design experiments to support continuous process improvement at a competent level. Individuals who achieved the certification include: Stephen Foster, Mike McNamara, Bob Jarrett, Nicole Palma, Runsheng Mao, Stephen Smith, Hong-Sik Hwang, Ed Gudlauski, Leroy Page, Anthony Piccione, and Dave Sbiroli. Training for the certification was presented by Ronald C. Lasky, Ph.D., Senior Technologist at Indium Corporation and visiting professor at Dartmouth College's Thayer School of Engineering. " ...

Via Indium Corporation: Indium Corporation has 11 achieve Six Sigma Green Belt Certification ...

Lean Manufacturing: Compete in Labor Market ...

Cooper Tire uses lean manufacturing to compete in the global labor market. ...

... "To do that in a low-cost labor market, you have to find ways to compete back in the U.S. You use lean manufacturing, and you react quickly to demand, for example. " ...

Via Daily Journal: Cooper Tire making tracks in China ...

Global Manufacturing Competition: Lean versus Labor ...

Tenneco plants in China and US are compared to illustrate the global competitive landscape in manufacturing ...

... "To boost productivity, Tenneco's Litchfield facility also tries to work smarter. It bristles with evidence of the latest efficiency techniques: Lean Production, Six Sigma, Continuous Improvement. Workers take an active interest in reducing bottlenecks. " ...

Via CNN: A tale of two factories ...

Lean Manufacturing: Local Beats Global ...

Local implementation of lean manufacturing at Ariens beats the global competition from China. ...

... "The idea of lean manufacturing is pretty close to a religion at Ariens these days. The tenets: Be quick on the draw. Improve continuously. Be open to change. Get everyone - shop floor to board room - involved. " ...

Via Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: A way forward for state companies ...

Lean Software: Visteon SAIC China JV ...

QAD software enables the lean manufacturing success of the Visteon SAIC joint venture in China. ...

... "QAD Inc., a leading provider of enterprise software solutions for global manufacturers, announced that Yanfeng Visteon Automotive Trim Systems LTD has deployed enterprise software applications from QAD to enable lean manufacturing operations and achieve exceptional inventory and manpower efficiencies. The implementation of QAD's Global Enterprise Edition. QAD GXE has enabled Yanfeng Visteon to gain dramatic reductions in material inventory, substantial reductions in stock space and enhanced data for logistical support and personnel savings. Yanfeng Visteon, a joint venture between SAIC Motor Corporation Limited, one of China's largest automotive manufacturers, and Visteon International Holdings Corporation, one of the world's preeminent automotive component manufacturers, is the leading supplier of spare parts for cars and trucks within China.

Like North American auto and truck manufacturers, the joint-venture company has been faced with the need to change its business processes to reduce inventory costs, enable higher productivity, and meet the requirements associated with sequencing assembly projects. The company's streamlining of operations using QAD provides cost as well as competitive benefits. QAD's software and expertise in lean systems has allowed Yanfeng Visteon to gain a critical advantage over other Chinese companies. Using QAD GXE, Yanfeng Visteon has cut materials inventory, reduced stock area, and cut logistics staff, enabling the company to achieve efficiencies that are unmatched by other enterprise solutions available today, as noted by company executives. Based on Toyota standards for lean manufacturing that are widely accepted by the automotive industry, QAD's Lean Manufacturing solution helps manufacturers effectively use Kanban systems to align inventory with demand for pull-based replenishment. It integrates electronic representation of Kanban processes with core ERP functions to provide comprehensive level loading, tracking and visibility of production, and supports electronic Kanban as well as physical card-based visual systems. " ...

Lean Software: Visteon SAIC China JV: Via QAD: Visteon-Shanghai Joint Venture Turns to QAD to Enable Lean Manufacturing ...

Lean Manufacturing Plant: New Facility for UPG ...

UPG readies its third plant in Mexico ...

... "United Plastic Group's newest Mexico plant will be ISO 13485 certified and FDA registered. The plant will service a diversified group of products, as do UPG's plants in the US, Europe, China and Monterrey, Mexico. Customers in the medical, consumer, automotive and electronics industries will be able to take advantage of the advanced processing, engineering and lean manufacturing capabilities provided by the new facility. " ...

Via Yahoo! Finance: United Plastics Group Inc. Announces Plans for Contract Manufacturing Facility in Baja Region of Mexico ...

Six Sigma: Core Company Fabric ...

As 3M unfolds its growth strategy, Six Sigma remains a core faric of the company. ...

... "Buckley announced the formation of several Emerging Business Opportunities (EBOs) - growth-oriented units to address commercial opportunities presented by the mega trends of society. 3M has enormous opportunity to flourish in high-growth spaces like track and trace, filtration, energy and minerals extraction, and food safety, Buckley said. Buckley said international growth plans include doubling investments in the developing economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and Poland in the years ahead. International remains our single largest growth platform and we intend to invest to fully capitalize on opportunities around the world, he said. Buckley also recognized the gains 3M has made in recent years to improve its operating effectiveness, saying that Six Sigma and other performance initiatives are now part of the fabric of the company. " ...

Six Sigma: Core Company Fabric: Via 3M: 3M CEO Outlines Strategy for Growth; Company Will Focus on Innovation, International, Core Businesses and Complementary Acquisitions ...

Six Sigma Internal Efficiencies: Sequa Corp.

Sequa automotive division shows improved performance through Six Sigma internal efficiencies ...

... "The two operations that make up the segment - ARC Automotive and Casco Products - serve a global market, providing airbag inflators and electronic sensors, power outlets and cigarette lighters. Results of these businesses, which reflect the restrictive conditions affecting the overall automotive market, were mixed for 2005. ARC generated modestly increased sales, though profits were curtailed by higher steel surcharges and new plant start-up costs, the latter related to the opening of new facilities in Mexico and China. After the close of the year, ARC transferred production from a plant in Arkansas and released 300 employees, a move that will lead to a redundancy provision in the first quarter of 2006. Casco Products posted a five percent sales gain, chiefly at operations in Europe and Latin America, and improved profits, the latter due largely to internal efficiencies and cost savings created through ongoing Six Sigma initiatives. " ...

Six Sigma Internal Efficiencies: Via Sequa Corp.: Sequa Posts Sharply Higher Operating Results for 2005 ...

Lean Manufacturing Supports Company Transformation ...

Lean manufacturing transformation is needed to stay competitive with global competition in China ...

... "Meyer said that all employees will receive training in team work, conflict resolution, lean manufacturing and continuous improvement. " ...

Lean Manufacturing Supports Company Transformation: Via The Neosho Daily News: La-Z-Boy changing production lines to compete with China ...

Lean Manufacturing: Software Enables Waste Reduction ...

Oracle software enables lean manufacturing transformation at Asia automotive parts manufacturer. ...

... "AAPICO Hitech Plc, an automotive parts company based in Thailand, implemented Oracle applications and technology to enable lean manufacturing operations, Oracle announced. AAPICO will soon be ready for fulfilling complex customer requests while reducing waste in its supply chain. AAPICO wanted to move towards a demand-driven supply chain to accommodate the just-in-time manufacturing schedules of its customers to reduce inventory and fulfillment times. The company, a progressive jig, die and automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts vendor with facilities in Thailand, Malaysia and China, supplies parts to all major car manufacturers in Thailand including Toyota, Honda, Isuzu, Ford, Mazda and Nissan. AAPICO began its migration to lean manufacturing through a pilot program with the support of Auto Alliance Thailand and Toyota. The program brought about quick success, as AAPICO received Toyota's coveted TPS (Toyota Production System) Championship Award in 2004 and again in 2005. After the conclusion of the program, the company decided to implement an enterprise software system to provide the platform for lean manufacturing and integrate the network of facilities.

After a careful evaluation of several vendors' offerings, AAPICO chose Oracle to support lean manufacturing using Oracle Database and the Oracle E-Business Suite, specifically the Oracle Supply Chain Management (SCM) suite, which includes Oracle Discrete Manufacturing, Oracle Flow Manufacturing and Oracle Order Management applications. AAPICO also selected Deloitte Consulting LLP to lead consulting services and additional software from A-Host, a Certified Partner in the Oracle PartnerNetwork. " ...

Lean Manufacturing: Software Enables Waste Reduction: Fastest-Growing Automotive Parts Company in Thailand Implements Oracle E-Business Suite to Enable Lean Manufacturing: Company Moves to Lean Manufacturing To Eliminate Waste and Reduce Risk in the Supply Chain for Thai, Malaysian and Chinese Facilities ...

Lean Manufacturing Hangzhou Facility: GE Energy ...

GE Energy opens hydro power manufacturing and technical service center in Hangzhou, China, where the principles of lean manufacturing will be embraced. Lean manufacturing is about managing the right material, to the right place at the right time, in the exact quantity while preventing waste. Lean manufacturing techniques also promote flexibility and readiness to change ...

Via International Water Power and Dam Construction: GE opens Chinese hydro power facility ...

... "The Hangzhou facility implements the principles of lean manufacturing and zero inventory. For example, in the previous location, GE's generator bar and pole manufacturing lines were split into different places. " ...

GE Energy is one of the world's leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technology, with 2004 revenues of $17.3 billion. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, GE Energy provides equipment, service and management solutions across the power generation, oil and gas, transmission and distribution, distributed power and energy rental industries.



GE Energy experience in China: GE Energy has been active in China for more than 90 years, supplying 70 steam turbines, 165 gas turbines, 97 wind turbines, 180 hydropower units and 300 compressors as well as total engineering solutions to help the country improve the reliability and availability of its energy production and transmission equipment. In addition to GE Liming and GESTT, GE Energy has three other joint ventures in China: GE-HPEC-NTC Energy Services Co., Ltd. in Qinhuangdao, GE Hydro Equipment Asia Co. Ltd. in Hangzhou, and Xin Hua Control Engineering Co., Ltd. in Shanghai. GE Energy also has a research and development team at the GE China Technology Center in Shanghai Zhangjiang Hi-tech Zone. Current GE Energy activities in China include gas turbine power plant construction, hydro, oil and gas and renewable energy projects, as well as preparing for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Under a contract of US$ 5.4 million, GE will provide two 50-megawatt Francis hydro turbines and generators, spare parts, accessories, technical service and installation supervision. The equipment will be supplied from GE Hydro Asia's manufacturing plant in Xiaoshan, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province. GE Hydro Asia was formed in 2003 when GE Energy acquired majority ownership of Kvaerner Power Equipment Co., Ltd. of Hangzhou, one of the leading suppliers of hydropower generation equipment in China.

The equipment will be manufactured by GE Hydro Asia Co., Ltd. (GEHA) in Hangzhou, China. This company was formed in 2003 when GE Energy acquired majority ownership of Kvaerner Power Equipment Co., Ltd. (Kvaerner Hangfa) of Hangzhou, one of the leading suppliers of hydropower generation equipment in China. The first turbine-generator unit and related spare parts will be shipped from Hangzhou in May of 2005 and the last unit will be shipped in May of 2006. The first unit is scheduled to start commercial operation by September 30, 2006, the second unit by December 30, 2006 and the third unit by March 30, 2007.

BPO Partnership Six Sigma Strengths ...

Via Gecis: Gecis & Liberata announce strategic partnership to provide flexible onshore/offshore BPO solution for the UK Life and Pension market ...

Partnership positions Six Sigma leaders in BPO leadership position in the market ...

... "The partnership offers a unique solution to the UK Life & Pensions market with Liberata’s FSA regulated systems, process and knowledge management capabilities, allied to Gecis’s world-class Six Sigma process re-engineering and process improvement capabilities and breadth of offshore process experience servicing all of GE’s businesses and other blue-chip global corporations. " ...

Gecis is a global leader in high-end business services and technology solutions, built with Six Sigma rigor. The company is a joint venture between GE and private equity firms General Atlantic and Oak Hill Capital Partners. With 18,000 employees, Gecis supports nearly 1,000 processes at GE and serves global enterprises in the banking/finance, insurance, business services, and manufacturing sectors. Specific services range from finance & accounting, to analytics and order-to-cash services, to supply-chain management, customer service, document management, e-Learning and IT support. With a direct sales network spanning Europe and North America, Gecis is headquartered near Delhi in Gurgaon, India, and has operations centres across India as well as in China, Hungary, Romania, and Mexico.

Liberata is one of the UK’s leading providers of outsourced business processes, liberating clients and employees, creating exceptional opportunities both for them and shareholders. Through its driven leadership and intense performance environment, Liberata transforms operations, reducing the cost of in-house services and delivering greater efficiency and effectiveness through its Six Sigma methodology allowing clients to focus on their core activities. Liberata currently employs approximately 4,000 people in 25 business centres across the UK.

Six Sigma Rigor : OTC Outsourcing ...

Six Sigma Rigor: OTC Outsourcing: Gecis To Acquire Creditek Corporation, Leader in Order-to-Cash Cycle Outsourcing & Enterprise Receivables Management ...

... "Over the past seven years, Gecis has helped GE achieve significant operational savings while applying Six Sigma and other quality methodologies to improve more than 1,000 processes it manages for the huge multinational. Gecis is now providing business services and technology solutions to more than two dozen global blue chip firms outside of GE. " ...

Gecis is a global leader in high-end business services and technology solutions, built with Six Sigma rigor. The company is a joint venture between GE and private equity firms General Atlantic and Oak Hill Capital Partners. With 17,000 employees, Gecis supports nearly 1,000 processes at GE and serves global enterprises in the banking/finance, insurance, business services, and manufacturing sectors. Specific services range from finance & accounting, to analytics and order-to-cash services, to supply-chain management, customer service, document management, e-Learning and IT support. With a direct sales network spanning Europe and North America, Gecis is headquartered near Delhi in Gurgaon, India, and has operations centers across India as well as in China, Hungary, Romania, and Mexico.

Culture: Lean Manufacturing Practices ...

Culture of Lean Manufacturing Practices: Mexico President Vicente Fox Visits Littelfuse’s New Piedras Negras Mexico Plant: Visit marks the opening of new lean-manufacturing plant and the continued partnership between Piedras Negras and Littelfuse ...

Littlefuse fosters a culture of lean manufacturing practices ...

... "Littelfuse, Inc. (Nasdaq/NMS:LFUS) welcomed Vicente Fox, President of Mexico, to the company's new 98,000 square-foot manufacturing plant located in Piedras Negras, Mexico. The visit marked the opening of the new plant and highlighted Littelfuse's dedication to establishing an environment that is conducive to employees and to the culture of lean-manufacturing practices. " ...

As the worldwide leader in circuit protection products and solutions with annual sales of $500.2 million in 2004, the Littelfuse portfolio is backed by industry leading technical support, design and manufacturing expertise. Littelfuse products are vital components in virtually every product that uses electrical energy, including automobiles, computers, consumer electronics, handheld devices, industrial equipment, and telecom/datacom circuits. Littelfuse offers Teccor®, Wickmann, Pudenz and Efen brand circuit protection products. In addition to its Des Plaines world headquarters, Littelfuse has manufacturing facilities in the U.S., England, Ireland, Mexico, China, and the Philippines. It also has sales, engineering and distribution facilities in Germany, the Netherlands, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Brazil.

Six Sigma Skills For CIO's ...

Six Sigma Skills For CIO's: CIO Executive Council Members Reveal Critical IT Staffing Needs ...

Latest survey from CIO Exec Council ranks Six Sigma training at lower end of Information Technology leadership skills priority scale ...

From Business Wire (press release), CA ... Skills ranking lowest on the priority scale for senior management are marketing (29%), understanding of supply chain (22%) and Six Sigma training (14%). ...

... A new survey of chief information officers (CIOs) conducted by the CIO Executive Council(TM) (founded by IDG's CXO Media Inc. and CIO magazine) reveals that CIOs believe leadership is a critical yet lacking skill for today's information technology (IT) workforce. The survey's 303 CIO respondents widely agree that leadership skills are essential at the both the senior management (87%) and middle management (78%) levels. However, a significant number of CIOs cite leadership as a problem area for their current senior management (43%) and middle management (47%). ...

Launched in 1987, CIO magazine addresses issues vital to the success of chief information officers (CIOs) worldwide. The CIO portfolio includes a companion website (www.CIO.com), CIO Executive Programs and the CIO Executive Council. CIO properties provide technology and business leaders with analysis and insight on information technology trends and a keen understanding of IT's role in achieving business goals. The U.S. edition of the magazine and website are recipients of 140 awards to date, including two Grand Neals from the Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Awards and two Magazine of the Year awards from the National Society of Business Publication Editors. CIO magazine is published in more than a dozen countries, including Australia, Canada, China, France and Germany. CIO Executive Programs-a series of face-to-face conferences including CIO Perspectives(R) and the CIO 100 Awards & Symposium(TM)-provide educational and networking opportunities for pre-qualified corporate and government leaders. The CIO Executive Council is a professional organization of CIOs created to achieve lasting change in critical industry, academic, media and governmental groups. CIO magazine, CIO.com, and CIO Executive Programs, and the CIO Executive Council are produced by International Data Group's award-winning business unit: CXO Media Inc.

Six Sigma ITIL Certification ...

Six Sigma ITIL Certification: Pepperweed Consulting Joins Industry Leaders to Shape the Future ...

From PR Newswire (press release) ... Expertise in ITIL, Six Sigma and other industry-standard best practices, and extensive, hands-on experience deploying solutions in the field, equips Pepperweed ...

... Pepperweed Consulting, recently listed as one of the Inc. 500 fastest growing privately held companies, announces their participation in the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Version 3 refresh project. This project is an initiative by the UK Office of Government Commerce and the IT Service Management Forum International to update the most comprehensive source of IT management best practices. ...

Pepperweed was founded by IT professionals who recognized a need for quality IT management tools, and specialists peaked in their implementation and use. Today, Pepperweed consultants are nationally recognized for their unique ability to provide optimal IT infrastructure and process designs, and to deliver on the promise of those designs through hands-on implementation of selected technologies. Pepperweed approaches infrastructure and IT process optimization as a series of integrated project engagements, enabling IT leaders to control their destiny and earn investment trust by providing corporate leadership with enhanced IT business services and stepwise ROI. Expertise in ITIL, Six Sigma and other industry-standard best practices, and extensive, hands-on experience deploying solutions in the field, equips Pepperweed to avoid the difficulties and delays often associated with managing complex, large-scale, global IT deployments. Located in Indianapolis, IN, Pepperweed is a virtual company comprised of Internet-connected employees "headquartered" in 38 states. ITIL was originally created in the early 1990s by OGC for use in UK government. ITIL is a set of best practice guidance, published in books, CD-ROMs and online content. It is supported by a global qualification scheme in IT service management. Over the past 12 years, ITIL has become the most widely accepted best practice in IT Service Management and is used throughout the world by governments and private sector companies of all sizes. The guidance was most recently revised in 2000. In recent years, ITIL has grown beyond its European base and has been increasingly adopted by financial, government, IT and other user organizations in North America, Japan, China, South America and many other countries. This interest has stimulated increasing market interest and global uptake.

GE Six Sigma Alum Expands Career ...

GE Six Sigma Alum Expands Career: Katun Corporation Names Former General Electric, Xerox Executives ...

From PR Newswire (press release) ... At GE, he also earned the Six Sigma Master Black Belt Certification and led a 137-member Six Sigma team for GE Engine Services at locations throughout the US ...

... Katun Corporation, the world's largest supplier of OEM-compatible supplies and parts to the office equipment industry, today announced that two veteran technology executives have joined the company in senior sales and marketing positions. The company announced that Russell (Russ) St. John has been appointed senior vice president for marketing and product deployment, where he will drive product research and development for the Katun Imaging Division, lead marketing, supply chain and quality teams, and help to chart the company's overall strategic direction. ...

Headquartered in Minneapolis, Katun Corporation is the world's leading alternative supplier of imaging supplies, photoreceptors and parts, as well as a leading manufacturer of fuser rollers and other select products, for the business equipment industry. With more than two decades of expertise and experience in the business equipment industry, the privately held Katun now serves more than 19,000 customers in more than 170 countries.

Additional resources on GE Six Sigma alumni ...

GE:People Profile: In this article, we have invited four Six Sigma alumni to share their quality experiences and career success with us. Six Sigma is vital to GE because it is a ...

Management Improvement 6 sigma: Author George Eckes, who implemented Six Sigma at GE Capital, describes how each function within an organization can utilize Six Sigma. ...

Clarkson Alumni - Magazine - Past Editions: years old, I have such responsibility, managing the Textron Six Sigma application portfolio ... Clarkson, served as a springboard for me to join GE Medical Systems ...

Six Sigma Education Online ...

Six Sigma Education Online: Thunderbird and The University Alliance Now Accepting ...

From Yahoo News (press release) ... AA, BA, BS and Master's degrees, along with certificate programs including Project Management, Health Care, Human Resources, Six Sigma, Contract Management ...

... Bisk Education's University Alliance Online division and Thunderbird -- The Garvin School of International Management have combined forces to offer two online Master Certificates. Enrollment for the online Master Certificate programs is now open, and applications are currently being accepted for the March 2005 session. Thunderbird is regarded as the world's first school to focus exclusively on international management and is ranked the #1 Graduate Business Program in International Business by U.S. News & World Report, Business Week and The Wall Street Journal. ...

Founded in 1946, Thunderbird -- The Garvin School of International Management (http://www.thunderbird.edu) was the world's first school to focus exclusively on international management. Thunderbird is accredited by AACSB- International, The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business- International, the primary accrediting association for American Schools of business. Thunderbird's presence can be found around the world, including North America (primary campus in Phoenix, Arizona USA), Europe (French-Geneva, Moscow, and Prague), Asia (China and Taiwan), and Latin America (Brazil and Mexico). Thunderbird consistently ranks among the best in global business education and remains among the top business schools worldwide. The school's 35,000 alumni represent more than 60 countries, with managers working in more than 135 nations worldwide. More than 6,000 executives participate in Thunderbird's executive programs each year.

Bisk Education was founded by Nathan M. Bisk in 1971. With over 250,000 enrollments, the company is America's largest exclusive provider of multimedia online degree and certificate programs from regionally accredited universities, including Villanova University, Tulane University, Thunderbird, University of South Florida, Regis University, Saint Leo University, Jacksonville University, Nova Southeastern University, and Florida Institute of Technology.

Six Sigma Education: Earn your Six Sigma certificate ONLINE in just 8 weeks. ... Six Sigma Black Belt, Green Belt and Champion Courses. Classes in: ...

online six sigma training and problem solving by GQS: To sign-up for the GQS self-paced six sigma green belt certification program paying ... This seminar is composed of five quality online training courses: ...

Web-based Six Sigma Courses: Web-based Six Sigma Courses. ... working through interactive practice exercises and online assessments. ... Fundamentals of Six Sigma This course is designed to provide ...

Gains Outpace Losses with Lean Manufacturing ...

Job gains should outpace losses ...

From The Kentucky Post, Jon Newberry writes ...

... "Even though the movement of U.S. manufacturing jobs to cheaper labor markets such as China is continuing, Papke said, U.S. companies are realizing that they can stay here and still be competitive if they do things right -- by adopting lean manufacturing processes, automating, and investing in new technologies. " ...

Strong Operating Results from Lean Efficiency Initiative ...

Strong Operating Results from Lean Efficiency Initiative: Hubbell Reports Strong Fourth Quarter, Full Year 2004 Results

From Business Wire (press release), CA ... Our lean manufacturing initiative was broadened in several ways: through our supply chain, into product design and development, and adding a Voice of the ...

... Hubbell Incorporated (NYSE: HUBA, HUBB) today reported strong operating results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2004. The Company cited as contributors another year of accomplishment in its internal productivity and efficiency initiatives and positive trends in its markets. Sales in the fourth quarter 2004 totaled $499.7 million for a 12% increase over $444.7 million reported in the equivalent period last year. Sales for the full year 2004 rose to $1.99 billion, a 13% increase, compared to $1.77 billion reported for 2003. ...

Hubbell Incorporated is an international manufacturer of quality electrical and electronic products for commercial, industrial, residential, utility, and telecommunications markets. With 2004 revenues of $2.0 billion, Hubbell Incorporated operates manufacturing facilities in North America, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Italy, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, participates in a joint venture in Taiwan, and maintains sales offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, People's Republic of China, and the Middle East. The corporate headquarters is located in Orange, CT.

Ingersoll-Rand Describes Three Core Operating Strategies: The strong financial results ... The results of Hussmann's Lean Branch initiative have ... will generate considerable improvements in operating efficiency and improved ...

SimpleIdeas . PowerfulResults: File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat ... I Focus on lean manufacturing and global sourcing I ... The strength of our operating results is complemented by a ... ratios.We finished the year with strong EBITDA-to ...

Exide Technologies: Exide Technologies April Conference Call ... We completed lean manufacturing audits ... past quarter, we have improved operating results in the ... restructuring efforts, toward building a strong foundation of ...

Six Sigma Experience Pays Off ...

Six Sigma Experience Pays Off: Mayes Joins Diebold as Vice President, Global Manufacturing

From PR Newswire (press release) ... He has extensive experience in lean manufacturing and Six Sigma processes and has managed plants in Canada, Mexico, China, Poland, Italy, and the United States ...

... Diebold, Incorporated (NYSE: DBD) has appointed George S. Mayes, Jr., as vice president, global manufacturing. Mayes is responsible for the company's worldwide manufacturing operations, focusing on high quality, low-cost production, operational strategy and best practices. Mayes will also help aggressively drive lean manufacturing practices into Diebold's day-to-day operations and culture. Mayes joins the company from Tinnerman Palnut Engineered Products, LLC, where he served as chief operating officer and a member of its board of directors. ...

Diebold, Incorporated is a global leader in providing integrated self-service delivery systems, security and services. Diebold employs more than 13,000 associates with representation in nearly 90 countries worldwide and is headquartered in North Canton, Ohio, USA. Diebold reported revenue of $2.1 billion in 2003 and is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DBD.

Additional resources on six sigma experience building ...

DMAIC problem-solving: File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat and Learn from the Results, Conduct the pilot, Measure and verify results to Determine next steps: build experience and lessons ... Citigroup’s Six Sigma Approach ...

Crane Valve Group Employment Opportunities: Experience with Kaizen, Six Sigma and Continuous ... OpEx Director will get tremendous exposure throughout CVNA, as well as Crane Co, build experience with hands ...

Six Sigma Jobs: transactional and growth projects as a GB / BB You must have experience of a non-Six Sigma Line Management role in addition to your Six Sigma experience. ...

Lean Six Sigma Consultant Career Positions at the George Group: Preferred Experience/Skills: Deep Lean and Six Sigma experience; Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) experience; Broad-based client delivery skill in a Services company ...

Lean Manufacturing Training: MIT Sloan Offers Courses to Train Chinese Managers on Global ...

Lean Manufacturing Training: MIT Sloan Offers Courses to Train Chinese Managers on Global ...

From Business Wire (press release), CA ... Stallkamp, former president of DaimlerChrysler, are "Strategic Value Chain Design" (January 15-18) and "Operations Strategy and Lean Manufacturing" (January 18 ...

... The MIT Sloan School of Management is running two courses in Shanghai in January to train China-based managers in cutting edge management techniques for the global marketplace. These two courses, led by Dean Emeritus Lester Thurow and Tom Stallkamp, former president of DaimlerChrysler, are "Strategic Value Chain Design" (January 15-18) and "Operations Strategy and Lean Manufacturing" (January 18-22). They are MIT Sloan's first executive education programs offered in China. The courses are targeted to train the Chinese managers and executives of international firms, as well as the employees of Chinese companies who are competing in the international marketplace. They are part of a feasibility study to look at whether MIT Sloan will establish a broad initiative to help foreign businesses succeed in China and Chinese businesses succeed in the global economy. ...

For over fifty years the MIT Sloan School of Management, based in Cambridge, Mass., has been one of the world's leading academic sources of innovation in management. The School's mission is to develop principled, innovative leaders who improve the world and to generate ideas that advance management practice.

Six Sigma Career Path: The Home Depot Names Tom Taylor Executive Vice President - Home Depot ...

Six Sigma Career Path: The Home Depot Names Tom Taylor Executive Vice President - Home ...

From PR Newswire (press release) ... in 2003. A Six Sigma Master Blackbelt, Liebert has extensive retail experience in operations, sourcing and logistics. This move ...

... The Home Depot(R) today announced that Tom Taylor, a 21-year company veteran, will assume the newly-created role of EVP - Home Depot Stores. In his new role, Tom will be responsible for execution across all U.S. and Mexico stores, and will work closely with John Costello, EVP - Merchandising and Marketing and Carl Liebert, SVP - Operations to provide customers with distinctive and innovative products and services in a world-class store environment. ...

Founded in 1978, The Home Depot(R) is the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer and the second largest retailer in the United States, with fiscal 2003 sales of $64.8 billion. The company employs approximately 325,000 associates and has 1,853 stores in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, nine Canadian provinces and Mexico. The company recently announced the creation of a business development operation for retail expansion into China. Its stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HD) and is included in the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Standard & Poor's 500 Index. HDG

Lean Manufacturing Strategies: Lean Manufacturing Initiatives Supported by Glovia Realize ...

From Business Wire (press release), CA ... announced today that OPW Fueling Components is achieving significant operational benefits from continuous Lean Manufacturing strategies supported by Glovia's ...

... Glovia International, a subsidiary of Fujitsu (TSE:6702) and a leading provider of extended ERP solutions for engineer-to-order and high volume manufacturers, announced today that OPW Fueling Components is achieving significant operational benefits from continuous Lean Manufacturing strategies supported by Glovia's extended ERP solution, glovia.com. OPW is a global leader in fueling solutions, offering a complete line of fueling products and services. ...

OPW is a global leader in fueling solutions, offering the most complete line of fueling products and services to major oil companies, petroleum jobbers, convenience stores, hypermarkets, grocery chains and commercial and private fueling operations on a worldwide scale. OPW sales and manufacturing operations span the globe, each one strategically positioned in geographic locations designed to provide optimum product availability, speed of delivery and local representation. The company's world headquarters is located in Cincinnati, Ohio USA. This 250,000 square-foot complex is the industry's largest and most advanced research, product development and manufacturing facility. With 14 field sales offices and five manufacturing facilities in the United States, other locations include: United Kingdom, Philippines, India, Italy, Czech Republic, Mexico, Brazil, China, Poland, The Netherlands, and Taiwan.

Glovia International, Inc., a subsidiary of Fujitsu (TSE:6702), is one of the world's most experienced and solidly backed providers of extended ERP solutions for businesses of any size -- from small and mid-sized companies to global enterprises. The powerful and flexible Glovia ERP suite, glovia.com, provides for the unique needs of engineer-to-order, make-to-order, high volume and mixed-mode manufacturing environments through comprehensive, end-to-end functionality for the entire product lifecycle. Headquartered in El Segundo, Calif., Glovia has helped manufacturers to cut costs, improve productivity, and meet customer demands for over 30 years.

Six Sigma Career Path: Owens-Illinois Appoints Vice President of Global Integration and ...

From PR Newswire (press release) ... management experience to this new role. He has lived in both Korea and China and is a trained six-sigma leader. "In his role, Phil will ...

... Owens-Illinois, Inc., (NYSE: OI) today announced that Philip J. Rubin has been named vice president, global integration and transformation, effective December 1. In this new role, Phil will be responsible for the development and maintenance of world-class business processes, facilitating both the physical logistics and information flows throughout the supply chain, including, but not limited to, global supply chain analysis, competitive analysis, special project studies, and program coordination for turnaround and transformation priorities and strategies. ...

Owens-Illinois is the largest manufacturer of glass containers in the world, with leading positions in Europe, North America, Asia Pacific and South America. O-I is also a leading manufacturer of health care packaging and specialty closure systems.

Lean Demand Driven Manufacturing DDM: It's the consumer who makes the call

From China Daily ...

... "DDM is a unique solution which drives the next generation of lean manufacturing processes, supporting the entire cycle - from procurement to factory-floor activity to marketing, says Welles" ...

Lean Training: Electronics Supply Chain Association Furthers Commitment Toward Industry Education and Training

From eMediaWire ...

... "The workshops offered by Vader Technologies fit this lean model for training, providing an innovative toolset and methodology designed to help industry professionals implement lean for the extended supply chain to impact top-line and bottom-line growth within six months, as opposed to three to five years with traditional lean approaches. Workshop topics include: Lean Material Replenishment Strategies, Effective Outsourcing Agreements: Securing a Competitive Advantage, Advanced Lean/Flow and Outsourcing to China & the Far East." ...

Six Sigma BPO: General Electric Partners With Leading Investors To Transform ...

From Business Wire (press release), CA ... transaction. Gecis has already begun delivering its commitment to quality, built on Six Sigma methodologies, to other major companies. ...

... General Electric today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement with two leading private-investment firms, General Atlantic Partners and Oak Hill Capital Partners, under which the firms will acquire a majority interest in GE Capital International Services (Gecis), GE's global business-processing operation. Gecis already is one of the largest shared-service providers in the world, employing more than 17,000 professional staff. As a recapitalized, independent company, Gecis will be well positioned to offer its high-quality business-processing services to companies in the Americas, Europe, and Asia, where it already has operations. Gecis will continue to serve GE under a multiyear contract, and Pramod Bhasin will remain as president and chief executive officer, supported by the current Gecis global management team. Approximately 1,000 Gecis employees will remain with GE. ...

GE (NYSE: GE), based in Fairfield, CT, is a diversified technology, media and financial services company dedicated to creating products that make life better. From aircraft engines and power generation to financial services, medical imaging, television programming and plastics, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs more than 310,000 people worldwide. Gecis is a global leader in high-quality business-process services, built with Six Sigma rigor. Gecis was established to serve GE's business units and supports nearly 1,000 processes at GE. As an independent company, Gecis continues to offer world-class expertise in areas including finance and accounting, supply-chain management, customer-service support and data modeling and analytics to clients globally. Gecis is headquartered near Delhi in Gurgaon, India, and has operations centers in China, Hungary, India and Mexico and employees across North America and Western Europe.

General Atlantic Partners, LLC, is one of the world's leading direct investment firms focused on investing globally in companies providing or using IT in ways that significantly transform the value proposition. GA's investment focus in IT includes providers of IT, IT-related services and users of IT in traditional industries such as healthcare, finance and government. The firm was founded in 1980 and has over $5 billion in capital under management. General Atlantic has invested in over 130 IT companies and has current holdings in over 50 companies, of which almost one-third are based outside the United States. The firm is distinguished within the investment community by its deep experience and expertise in information technology, its global perspective and worldwide presence, its long-term approach to investments, and its commitment to provide sustained strategic assistance for its portfolio companies. General Atlantic has nearly 70 investment professionals among its 130 employees worldwide with offices in Greenwich, New York, Palo Alto, Washington, D.C., London, Dusseldorf, Singapore, Tokyo, Mumbai, Hong Kong, and Sao Paulo.

Oak Hill Capital Partners, L.P. is a private equity firm in which Robert M. Bass is the lead investor. The investment team at Oak Hill has invested in over 50 private equity transactions including American Savings Bank (Washington Mutual), Bell & Howell (Proquest), Wometco Cable Corporation, Williams Scotsman, Stage Stores and Oreck Corporation. Recent investments from their current $1.6 billion buyout fund include Align Technology, TravelCenters of America, WideOpenWest, Blackboard, and Caribbean Restaurants. Oak Hill Capital Partners, L.P. is one of the Oak Hill partnerships, each of which has a dedicated management team. In total, the Oak Hill partnerships manage over $10 billion of assets across multiple asset classes, representing capital from leading entrepreneurs, endowments, foundations, corporations, pension funds, and global financial institutions.

Lean Manufacturing Drives Growth: Hubbell Reports Continued Strong Growth

From Business Wire (press release), CA  ...Lean manufacturing, expansion of low-cost sourcing, restructuring, and our focus on asset efficiency contributed to another quarter's improvement in operating ...

Lean manufacturing is a foundation for enabling operational efficiency and supports revenue growth ...

... Hubbell Incorporated (NYSE: HUBA, HUBB) today reported continued growth in sales, net income, and earnings per share during the third quarter ended September 30, 2004. Sales for the quarter were $525.1 million or a 15% increase over sales of $457.3 million reported for the corresponding period of 2003. ...

Hubbell Incorporated is an international manufacturer of quality electrical and electronic products for commercial, industrial, residential, utility, and telecommunications markets. With 2003 revenues of $1.8 billion, Hubbell Incorporated operates manufacturing facilities in North America, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Italy, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, participates in a joint venture in Taiwan, and maintains sales offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, People's Republic of China, and the Middle East. The corporate headquarters is located in Orange, CT.

Manufacturing Excellence: ANADIGICS Announces Production Volume Shipments of GSM/GPRS PA ...

From PR Newswire (press release) ... compelling value proposition by combining best-of-breed RFIC products, fast time-to-market, world-class customer support and manufacturing excellence," said Dr ...

... ANADIGICS, Inc. (Nasdaq: ANAD), a leading supplier of wireless and broadband solutions, recently announced that the Company is shipping production volumes of its AWT6108 7 mm by 10 mm InGaP HBT (indium gallium phosphide heterojunction bipolar transistor) GSM/GPRS PAs (power amplifiers) to Beijing Capitel Co., Ltd., a leading handset manufacturer in China. The Capitel C5188 GSM handset features an integrated color display and seven-color lamp, encased in an elegant folding design. The AWT6108 GSM/GPRS PA module is featured on a tier-one reference design and provides Capitel with the performance required for the C5188 GSM handset. ...

... Anadigics, Inc.'s strong committment to manufacturing excellence.

ANADIGICS, Inc. (Nasdaq: ANAD) designs and manufactures radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) solutions for growing broadband and wireless communications markets. The Company's innovative high frequency RFICs enable manufacturers of communications equipment to enhance overall system performance, and reduce manufacturing cost and time to market. By utilizing state-of-the-art manufacturing processes for its RFICs, ANADIGICS achieves the high-volume and cost-effective products required by leading companies in its targeted high-growth communications markets. ANADIGICS was the first GaAs IC manufacturer to receive ISO 9001 certification and is certified to the ISO 9001:2000 quality standard.

Lean Manufacturing: SoftBrands Successfully Implements Lean Enterprise Automation ...

From PR Newswire (press release) ... softbrands.com .) About Datamax Corporation Datamax specializes in the design, manufacture, and marketing of products for bar code and RFID labeling including ...

... SoftBrands, a global leader in next-generation lean enterprise software for businesses in the manufacturing and hospitality sectors, today announced the successful implementation of Demand Stream at Datamax Corporation. Datamax Corporation implemented Demand Stream to streamline its entire purchasing department. ...

Datamax specializes in the design, manufacture, and marketing of products for bar code and RFID labeling including thermal demand printers, label, ticket and tag materials, and thermal transfer ribbons. Headquartered in Orlando, Fla., Datamax has sales representative offices in Singapore, China and Harlow, England, as well as label converting and preprinting facilities in Robinson, Ill., and Harlow. Datamax markets its products exclusively through a network of resellers in more than 100 countries worldwide.

SoftBrands, Inc. is a global leader in providing manufacturing solutions for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) worldwide currently focused on the hospitality and manufacturing industries. With more than 5,000 customers in over 60 countries now actively using its manufacturing (Fourth Shift(TM), evolution(TM), Demand Stream) and hospitality products SoftBrands has established a worldwide infrastructure for distribution, development and support of enterprise software. The company, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has over 500 employees with branch offices in Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Africa.

Six Sigma Career: STATS ChipPAC Appoints Chief Operating Officer

From Yahoo News (press release) ... Choong Hoe has been very successful in manufacturing start-ups, cost reduction, improved operational metrics, building strong teams, and implementing Six Sigma ...

... STATS ChipPAC Ltd. ("STATS ChipPAC") (Nasdaq: STTS and SGX: ST Assembly), a leading independent semiconductor test and advanced packaging service provider, today announced the appointment of Wan Choong Hoe as Chief Operating Officer. ...

STATS ChipPAC Ltd ("STATS ChipPAC") (Nasdaq: STTS and SGX: ST Assembly), is a leading service provider of semiconductor packaging design, assembly, test and distribution solutions. A trusted partner and supplier to leading semiconductor companies worldwide, STATS ChipPAC's value proposition is total solutions of fully integrated, multi-site, end-to-end assembly and testing solutions that bring products to market and volume faster. Our customers are some of the largest wafer foundries, integrated device manufacturers (IDMs), as well as fabless companies in the United States, Europe and Asia. STATS ChipPAC is a leader in mixed signal testing and advanced packaging technology for semiconductors used in diverse end market applications including communications, power, digital consumer and computing. With advanced process technology capabilities and a global manufacturing presence spanning Singapore, South Korea, China, Malaysia, Taiwan and the United States, STATS ChipPAC has a reputation for providing dependable, high quality test and packaging solutions. The Company's customer support offices are located in the Netherlands, China, Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia and the United States (California's Silicon Valley, Arizona, Texas, Massachusetts, Florida, Colorado and North Carolina). STATS ChipPAC's facilities include those of its subsidiary, Winstek Semiconductor Corporation in Hsinchu Valley, Taiwan. These facilities offer new product introduction support, pre- production wafer sort, final test, packaging and other high volume preparatory services. Together with the Company's Test Development Center in Singapore, this forms a global network providing dedicated test engineering development and product engineering support for customers from design to volume production. STATS ChipPAC is listed on both Nasdaq National Market and The Singapore Exchange. In addition, STATS ChipPAC is also listed on the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Index and the Straits Times Industrial Index.

Six Sigma Certification: 1 Ranked International Business Management School Combines Forces ...

From Yahoo News (press release) ... AA, BA, BS and Master's degrees, along with certificate programs including Project Management, Health Care, Human Resources, Six Sigma, Contract Management ...

The Garvin School of International Management (http://www.thunderbird.edu) was the world's first school to focus exclusively on international management. Thunderbird is accredited by AACSB- International, The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business- International, the primary accrediting association for American Schools of business. Thunderbird's presence can be found around the world, including North America (primary campus in Phoenix, Arizona USA), Europe (French-Geneva, Moscow, and Prague), Asia (China and Taiwan), and Latin America (Brazil and Mexico). Thunderbird consistently ranks among the best in global business education and remains among the top business schools worldwide. The school's 34,000 alumni represent more than 60 countries, with managers working in more than 135 nations worldwide. More than 6,000 executives participate in Thunderbird's executive programs each year.

Lean Manufacturing Success Story: Palco Labs Awards United Plastics Group Production of Celebrated ...

From Yahoo News (press release) ... Utilizing proven lean manufacturing principles, the UPG team developed a plan to reduce the manufacturing step process by 52 percent. ...

United Plastics Group, Inc. headquartered in Westmont, Ill., is a full service manufacturer of precision plastics products and value-added services for the automotive, medical, electronics, and consumer markets. United
Plastics Group operates state-of-the-art facilities in California, Massachusetts, Mexico, Minnesota, Texas, the United Kingdom and China.

Lean Manufacturing Software: SoftBrands Positions EMEA Business for Aggressive Growth in ...

From PR Newswire (press release) ... SoftBrands EMEA Sales Gather Momentum in Americas, Europe and China; Agreement With SAP Business One Shows Early Results and Lean Manufacturing Software Sales ...

SoftBrands, Inc. is a global leader in providing manufacturing solutions for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) worldwide currently focused on the hospitality and manufacturing industries. With more than 5,000 customers in over 60 countries now actively using its manufacturing (Fourth Shift(TM), evolution(TM), Demand Stream) and hospitality products SoftBrands has established a worldwide infrastructure for distribution, development and support of enterprise software. The company, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has over 500 employees with branch offices in Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Africa. (Additional information at http://www.softbrands.com)

Kaizen Principles: South Carolina Tech Show To Focus on a State of Transition

From Local Tech Wire, SC ... One keynote from Japan, Masaaki Imai, wrote the book on Kaizen principles (the standard in manufacturing process improvement and is now being used in the IT ...

Masaaki Imai is Chairman of the KAIZEN Institute, which was established in 1986 to help companies to introduce KAIZEN concepts, systems, and tools. The Institute has offices in Europe, North and South Americas, and Africa, Asia and Pacific Regions. Mr. Imai is renowned globally as the author of the book “KAIZEN, The Key to Japan’s Competitive Success” published in New York in November 1986. It has been translated into 16 languages and has sold well over 300,000 copies. In May, 1997 “Gemba KAIZEN, A Commonsense, Low-cost Approach to Management”, a sequel to “KAIZEN” was published by McGraw-Hill in New York and has been published in French, Dutch, Portuguese German Spanish, Indonesian, and Chinese. He has held lectures on KAIZEN and Japanese management in Europe, the US and more recently in Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, U.A.E., Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Dubai, South Africa, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong and India. Mr. Imai has consulted with many companies outside of Japan and assisted them in their process of introducing change and continual improvement. He has received many international awards including the Asia-Pacific Human Resource Development Award from the ARTDO (Asian Regional Training & Development Organization) “in recognition of his immense contribution to business efficiency and productivity through the application of the philosophy of step-by-step improvement, and in grateful appreciation of the positive and revolutionary impact that his best seller books – KAIZEN and Gemba KAIZEN – have made on the lives of millions of people around the world.” In 1999 his book Gemba KAIZEN received the Shingo Research and Professional Publication Prize. Prior to the establishment of the Institute, Mr. Imai was Chairman of the Cambridge Corporation, an international management consulting and executive recruiting firm that he founded in 1962. Mr. Imai has personally assisted more than 200 foreign and joint venture companies in Japan. He was President of the Japan Federation of Recruiting and Employment Agency Associations between 1976 and 1986. Mr. Imai was born in Tokyo in 1930. After receiving his BA from the University of Tokyo in 1955, he stayed on at his alma mater to do graduate work in international relations.

Lean Process: AVIC Opens Dassault PLM Competency Center in China

From Ten Links, CA ... development, ENOVIA and SMARTEAM for life cycle management, collaboration, and decision support, and DELMIA for the engineering of lean manufacturing processes...