Lean Manufacturing 2005 Conference Highlights Success in Maintenance & Reliability

Nearly 150 industry leaders from 22 states and three countries gathered for the “Lean Manufacturing 2005: Lean Tools for Maintenance & Reliability” conference, presented by Reliable Plant magazine. The event took place October 3‑5 at Cleveland’s Renaissance Hotel.

“The strong attendance reflects the growing priority manufacturers place on proactive maintenance and reliability, and the expanding role of lean principles in these critical functions,” said Paul V. Arnold, editor of Reliable Plant, a Noria Corporation publication.

The program began with two pre‑conference workshops on October 3 and featured 10 case studies during the best‑practice sessions on October 4‑5. Keynote speakers included Dr. Evelitsa Schweizerhof, Ford Motor Company’s global operations and Six Sigma manager, and Rick Baldridge, Cargill’s reliability functional leader and Worldwide Reliability and Maintenance Steering Committee member.

Dr. Schweizerhof’s address, “Creating a Demand for Six Sigma/Lean,” chronicled Ford’s six‑year journey with its Consumer‑Driven Six Sigma program, highlighting lessons on culture change, leadership selection, and integrating lean across all business practices.

Baldridge’s talk, “Cargill’s Integrated Approach to Reliability,” explained how the company leverages the Society for Maintenance & Reliability Professionals’ certification program and body of knowledge to elevate maintenance and operations performance. He noted that over 230 Cargill leaders have taken the Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional exam, with more than 100 earning the designation.

Conference case studies included:

• “A Journey From a Repair Function to a Reliability Culture,” by Richard Word, senior reliability engineer, Whirlpool

• “Operator-Driven Reliability: Who Owns Your Equipment?” by Chris Hykin, director of Operator-Driven Reliability, International Paper

• “Technologies and Tools to Achieve Zero-Breakdown Productivity,” by Dr. Jay Lee, director of the Center for Intelligent Maintenance Systems, University of Cincinnati

• “Selling Maintenance as a Change Agent and a Difference-Maker to Upper Management,” by Christer Idhammar, president and CEO, IDCON Inc.

• “Reliability, Maintenance and a Corporate Culture of Improvement,” by David E. Brown, Reliability and Maintenance Center of Excellence leader, Hercules Inc.

• “Facility Services in a Lean Manufacturing Environment,” by Michael Burmood, deputy director of facility services, Raytheon.

• “Lean Concepts and Culture Change Drive ABB Toward Excellence,” by Ahmad Ashour, Operational Excellence leader, and Catherine Dimmitt, quality processes manager, ABB.

• “A Lean Transformation: The First Three Years,” by Beau Groover, lean implementation manager, Nordson.

• “Effective Plant Reliability Management,” by Drew Troyer, senior vice president of global services operations, Noria Corporation.

• “Rx: Driving Lean to its Fullest Potential,” by Terry Keown, principal consultant, Life Cycle Engineering.