Larry Cote and Sepp Gmeiner.
Larry Cote, CEO of Lean Advisors, and Sepp Gmeiner, CEO, of Lignum Consulting, will explain how Lean principles can be applied to any manufacturing situation at the 2023 Woodworking Machinery & Supply Conference & Expo (WMS).
The guiding principles of Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement are grounded in common sense logic. By applying Lean’s systematic approach to identifying and eliminating waste and non-value-added operations, manufacturers can boost productivity and profitability.
Some wastes are easier to identify and measure than others such as scrap and reworking defective workpieces or products.
Others, such as inventory and process flow bottlenecks can be less obvious, yet quite costly.
At WMS, Larry Cote and Sepp Gmeiner will take to the WMS Live Stage for an in-depth Lean discussion.
Cote will focus on how to start a Lean manufacturing program including developing a road map. He will also emphasize the importance for managers to understand and embrace the long-term culture change that a company experiences on its Lean journey.
Gmeiner’s presentation will focus on how to effectively combine the thinking, concepts, and methodologies of Lean to assist in selecting not only the right technology, but also the right elements of the technology to support the organization for the future. He will discuss the need for technology investments to improve service, quality, and profitability simultaneously, which will drive the company to the next level of competitiveness.
The free session, “The System Approach to Lean Manufacturing: Attacking the Source of Your Waste, Not Just the Symptoms,” is scheduled for 1 p.m. to 1:50 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2 at the WMS Live Stage. It is one of a half dozen sessions organized by the Wood Manufacturing Cluster of Ontario over all three days of the show.
WMS is Canada’s preeminent industrial woodworking event. For more than four decades, WMS has connected Canada’s woodworking professionals with the world’s most prominent machinery manufacturers and suppliers. Last held four years ago due to the Covid-19 pandemic, WMS 2019 attracted attendees from nine Canadian provinces and two territories and featured 75,000 square feet of exhibit space and more than 175 exhibitors.
