Intelligent Maintenance Systems
"Manufacturers don't always know what the objective is. Six Sigma is not an objective; it's a tool. The objective is a Zero Downtime Manufacturing." I'm in Ann Arbor, Michigan today at the 9th Industry Advisory Board meeting of the Center for Intelligent Maintenance Systems. The quote is from Jay Lee, Director of the Center and a professor at the University of Cincinnati School of Engineering.
Think about the quote a second (or an hour). Do you always understand what your objective is? Are you confusing a tool for an objective?
There must be about 100 people here: a good mixture of academics, automation suppliers and manufacturing practicioners. A healthy mixture of graduate students in engineering are presenting research papers--but this isn't just ivory tower theorizing. They are then grilled by engineers who are actually working in manufacturing who want information they can use to improve their processes.
At lunch a few of us were discussing being a sales person and one long-timer with the organization said that Jay is truly a sales person. He not only had the vision for this intelligent maintenance work, but he was able to sell many people on the idea. One attendee came from Scandinavia and several came from Asia--just for this conference. This is a powerful conference. If you're not involved in things like this that enhance manufacturing theory and practice, why not?
1:51:41 PM 
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