More than 30 leading Australian and international supply chain industry professionals will gather in Queensland in June to present research and strategies aimed at assisting businesses achieve excellence in manufacturing and associated supply chain activities.
The Australasian Production and Inventory Control Society (apics) will host its biennial International Conference from 15–18 June 2008 at the Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort.
The two-day conference is being led by conference chairman Ian McLardy. “There is an increasing awareness that the real key to sustaining success will come from improvements in areas such as operations management, purchasing, social and ecological responsibility and people”, said Ian.
“apics recognises that continuing education is the key to competitive growth in today’s competitive workforce, and this conference provides the opportunity for individuals and business to seek that education. If that is a novel approach, a different strategy, an improved technology, a better communication method or just a practical hands-on example of your peers’ achievements, this event will deliver some, if not all, of this valuable information”, he said.
apics national president, John Ballantyne, will be attending and assisting with parts of the educational program. "apics provides learning opportunities. In my 26 years involvement with apics it has never stopped providing me with learning opportunities!”, said John.
“I have lost count of the conferences and seminars I have attended but there is one stand-out truth: never once have I attended a conference where I learned nothing. Whereas some are better than others, I have always come away with a new idea and a bag-full of valuable tips”, he said.
“The organisers create a relaxed atmosphere in which, by the end of the conference, everybody seems to know everybody else. This makes it a great networking opportunity as well”, he said.
Several high-profile keynote speakers will set the tone of the conference. As the theme is sustainability you can expect to see a number of business case studies relating to this and current government legislation surrounding the issue.
Keynote speakers include Will Arnott, director of Lexian Solutions and manager of logistics for the Australian Olympic Team; Trevor Barrow, market development manager of Supply Chain Consulting; James Tarr, principal of J.D. Tarr Associates; and Jeff Frank, vice president of Lawson Software. These keynotes will present on topics such as measuring carbon footprints, keys to effective performance measurement, and the convergence of sustainability and business software.
This event is proudly sponsored by Cognos – an IBM Company, JDA Software Group, Supply Chain Consulting, GRA Supply Chain Consultants, and Dowling Consulting.
For further information, please visit the Conference website at: www.apicsconference.com.au/.