Pittsburgh, Pa. - Making innovation and idea generation a natural occurrence should be a goal of any printing company committed to excellence, according to Dale Dauten, opening keynote speaker for the 2010 Continuous Improvement Conference being held April 18-21 in Tampa, FL. In the keynote address, Dauten will explain how attendees can develop a corporate culture that encourages challenging the status quo.

The Continuous Improvement Conference, now in its third decade, is presented by Printing Industries of America in partnership with the Foundation of Flexographic Technical Association (FFTA).

Dauten is the founder of The Innovators' Lab, an organization devoted to developing and testing new ideas in management and marketing. He writes two nationally syndicated newspaper columns and has authored seven books, including The Gifted Boss, The Laughing Warrior, and his latest, Great Employees Only.

Keynoting on the second day of the conference is Jamie Flinchbaugh, founder and partner of the Lean Learning Center. Flinchbaugh will discuss how companies can develop their staff with "A3" thinking. The A3 process is a structured approach to report writing and communication, developed as part of the Toyota Production System.

The conference will also feature one of the nation's leading practitioners of Lean Manufacturing. Under Jerry Bussell's leadership, Medtronic ENT received the Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence, recognizing its world-class application of Lean principles, tools, and techniques. His presentation, Lean Leadership: What Would Abraham Lincoln Do?, will delve into what is required of Lean leaders and why Lincoln's lessons are so relevant.

The conference will also feature in-depth case studies highlighting successful improvement initiatives. Industry companies presenting case studies include: Duraweld, Keith Merrick, Label World, Point Imaging, Pollard Banknote, Prairie State Group, Priority Envelope, Western Graphics, and Wikoff Color.