On Jan. 19, 2012, Laurie Harbour, president, Harbour Results, Inc., will discuss current tooling practices that drive cost, complexity and extended product development.  At the half-day meeting, OESA and Harbour Results, Inc. will take an in-depth look at the state of tooling. 

Harbour will be joined by Jack Kirby, chief manufacturing engineer, interiors product line, Inteva Products.  Kirby will discuss the role and responsibility of the tier one in driving cost and complexity out of the tooling process, and share thoughts on ways that the tier one can provide value to the customer, drive operational efficiencies at the tier one, and work with tool makers to provide information and support needed to optimize the tooling process.  He will also address the operational impact of an optimized tool procurement process. 

Joining Harbour and Kirby will be Dan King, COO, Riviera Tool, Erin Hoffmann, president, ArtiFlex, and Brendan Wenzlik, president, Prospect Mold.  Speakers will provide case studies highlighting innovations in the tool making process, the drive toward a lean organization, behaviors that the OEM, the tier one and the toolmaker can adopt to drive cost out of the tooling process, and best practices in low cost country sourcing.

The meeting will take place at the MSU Management Education Center in Troy, Mich.  CLICK HERE for full meeting details.  For more information, contact Margaret Baxter at 248.952.6401 ext. 223 or mbaxter@oesa.org.