Warrendale, Pennsylvania - Attendees of the 2016 Continuous Improvement Conference will have the opportunity to tour and learn from three impressive manufacturers in the Milwaukee, WI area: Harley-Davidson Powertrain Operations, GE Healthcare, and Snap-on Inc.

The Continuous Improvement Conference will be held April 10–13, 2016, in Milwaukee, WI. It continues to be the industry’s only annual event focused on helping printing companies achieve operational excellence by using the concepts of Lean Manufacturing and other management and quality systems. Signing up for an optional plant tour is a great way to see how continuous improvement strategies and concepts are being applied at other firms.

Harley-Davidson Powertrain Operations
One of America’s most iconic brands, Harley-Davidson was on the brink of bankruptcy in the 1970s due to poor quality control and competition from Japanese manufacturers. Its turnaround began by strictly controlling inventory using the just-in-time system. By the 1990s, the company was renowned for its inspired company culture and devotion to continuous improvement. Today, Harley-Davidson is using Lean thinking to take advantage of the down economy so it can position itself as a market leader when things rebound.

GE Healthcare
Located in West Milwaukee, the Electric Avenue site is the largest of the GE Healthcare Imaging Subsystems (ISS) global locations. The facility designs and manufactures x-ray and computed tomography (CT) tubes, detectors, high voltage tanks, and generators for x-ray generation and detection. Plant management and quality personnel will share their idea generation strategy and the 3P (Production Preparation Process) for new products. Attendees will also learn about the plant’s unique approaches to plant strategy deployment, SMED, preventative maintenance, 5S, and cellular manufacturing.

Snap-on Inc.
Snap-on Incorporated is a $2.9 billion global manufacturer of tools, equipment, diagnostics, and repair solutions. Snap-on’s Milwaukee plant manufactures a mix of more than 4,000 hand tools. It was selected by IndustryWeek magazine in 2009 as one of the top 20 U.S. plants. The facility has implemented more than 3,000 continuous improvement initiatives, and its senior leadership team routinely spends time on the factory floor contributing to and learning about improvement efforts and reinforcing the importance of continuous improvement.
 
To register today or to learn more about the 2016 Continuous Improvement Conference, visit ci.printing.org.