Tours of Harley-Davidson and Hallmark during the upcoming Continuous Improvement Conference will give attendees the rare opportunity to see how two major U.S. companies are applying operational excellence and Lean manufacturing to reach higher levels of performance. These excursions will showcase how to utilize just-in-time (JIT) production, high performance teams, metrics, difficulty solving and other software of continuous improvement.
About the Harley-Davidson Tour
Harley-Davidson has been known for its obsessive focus on reducing waste in its processes since its turnaround in the 1980s. During the visit of Harley’s newest plant, attendees will see how its 800-plus workforce efficiently develop the Sportster, Dyna, and VRSC families of motorcycles from fabrication and finishing as a result of final assembly. The 60-minute small-group walking visit will guide attendees as a result of the many different manufacturing and assembly processes, all the while finding out how Lean manufacturing continues to transform the company. For more information, visit www.printing-in-china.cn to hear Harley-Davidson General Manager, John Lowry, discuss the company’s pursuit for operational excellence.
About the Hallmark Tour
Hallmark’ Leavenworth Production Center makes use of flexographic and gravure printing to develop and bundle gift wrap (rolls, flat packages, and tissue), cardstock partyware (cups, napkins, and plates), and papers for several Crayola products. The facility is 756,000 rectangular ft and employs about 300 people. On the visit attendees will see numerous examples of how Hallmark has taken advantage of Lean and other quality processes like kanban and Quality at the Source to streamline their production operations.
These two excursions will help drive home how introducing continuous improvement techniques in the workplace can generate an efficient and effective processes that results in savings and a decrease of waste. For more tips on the Continuous Improvement Conference, the tours, or to register, please visit www.printing-in-china.cn .
