10 Special Interest Sessions

The Practitioner Idea Exchange Café

The Practitioner Idea Exchange Café is a great example of one of our 10 Special Interest Sessions. If you do not feel ready for a prime time presentation but would like to present some of your company's best practices, the Practitioner Idea Exchange Café provides you with the opportunity to share and learn in six facilitated continuous improvement sessions. This peer-to-peer learning café style forum has received rave reviews and promises to be one of the highlights in Baltimore.

Minitab Statistical Software

For several AME Conferences now, Minitab has demonstrated their All in One Statistical Software, however this year, we want to provide attendees the opportunity to interact with Minitab and better understand the capabilities and what the latest Minitab 16 version can offer your organization.

Minitab will be hosting two separate special interest sessions; one session focusing on the Tips and Tricks that will help you navigate their program easier taking full advantage of what this system has to offer while the second separate session will cover what is new in the upcoming Minitab 16 version.

If you use Statistical Analysis or are considering the investment in the future, this Special Interest Session is a must to attend. Both sessions will be 1 hour in length.

Lean Certification Portfolio Writing Assistance & Mentoring

Learn how to build a successful portfolio! Lean Bronze, Silver & Gold Certification each have different requirements. Your portfolio documents both project results and personal growth and development in your lean journey. Members of the Lean Certification and Oversight Appeals Committee will be available to mentor, support and share their knowledge of the portfolio experience for all levels of certification.

AME/APQC Benchmarking Community of Practice (CoP)

The Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) along with the American Productivity and Quality Center (APQC) have established a benchmarking Community of Practice. Created by the founding partners: AME, APQC, Boeing, Raytheon, and Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding. The purpose of this Special Interest Session is to provide an open forum for organizations and individuals to come together and share ideas and best practices.

Designed to help transform its members from casual (industrial tourists) to highly effective benchmarking practitioners. Two of the biggest barriers to an organization starting their benchmarking journey to excellence are: 1) finding a group of trusted peers who are interested in benchmarking, and 2) actually starting the process.

This Special Interest Session will help individuals and organizations become highly effective by benchmarking using the following proven process:

Use the APQC Code of conduct and infrastructure
Understand your process "first"
Establish what gaps you want to close?
Develop questions to find the right partners
Remember benchmarking partners are looking to get value in return
Be prepared to offer a reciprocal visit
Record findings and share the learning
Define an action plan to deploy the new knowledge

After learning how to do benchmarking effectively, the group will be sharing best practices and lessons learned with deeper dives on select subjects with companies who have become industry leaders deploying:

Lean Six Sigma
Training Within Industry
Lean and Green (Sustainability)
Lean Accounting

A full day's program is planned that will include:

Three best practice companies sharing in depth perspective
Several "Open Mic" sessions of shared best practices
Networking time

Leaders Night - By Invitation Only

Insight into thriving in a Recovery/Reset world

To provide hard hitting and credible perspectives for leaders seeking insight into the right trends and directions to win in a Recovery that's coupled with a global economic Reset.
This year's Leader's night is by invitation only, which requires registration in advance. In response to the unprecedented unfolding challenges, this program element will provide inter-Leader networking, coupled with - and guided by - seasoned leaders who will enhance discussion. Bring plenty of business cards.

Consortiums are Leveraged Learning Networks

Network and leverage what other consortium members have learned. This is for North America's Lean Manufacturing Consortium Members. Beginning with an open welcome session for all Consortium members and leaders, the conference provides opportunities for members to meet and tap into the entrepreneurial spirit that sets manufacturing consortiums apart. Come prepared to share your best practice and bring home insights on overcoming your biggest challenge. Special consortium access sessions will give you direct access to world leaders.