Challenge Towards
World Class Manufacturing
An intensive one-week course in Japan for EU senior executives
responsible for corporate strategy in manufacturing management

• How do you become a World Class Manufacturer?
• Do you need to learn more about best practices for
manufacturing excellence and customer satisfaction?
• How do you improve cost efficiency and manufacturing capabilities to increase performance?
Many WCM-advanced Japanese manufacturing firms have enjoyed considerable success largely through their adoption, use and development of unique manufacturing principles. Japanese production methods offer the best practice in production, cost deployment, quality assurance and lean production. Flexible production systems respond rapidly to changing customer needs and help maintain competitiveness.


The World Class Manufacturing programme provides an in-depth analysis of Japanese manufacturing methodology.

This intensive one-week high-level mission in Japan is aimed exclusively at EU Senior Executives with knowledge of WCM and an engineering background.

Participants will acquire a better understanding of WCM approach (TQC, TQM, TPM, JIT, TIE), Lean Manufacturing and Continuous KAIZEN to maximise human resource and manufacturing capabilities.

The training course consists of lectures, workshops and visits to leading WCM Japanese factories to understand the real "Gemba" (production site), to talk directly with senior Japanese management authorities, and to observe the effective implementation of manufacturing methods.
 
Training dates: 6 - 10 November 2006*
Application deadline: 13 September 2006
Pre-departure briefing (tbc)
 * Dates and course content are subject to modification
 • Former participant's testimonial
 • Target sector
 • Participant profile
 • Eligibility
 • Selection criteria
 • Programme objectives
 • Programme design and content
 • Costs
 • Course leader and EU advisor
 • Timetable
 • Contact Persons

• Interested in applying?
Download the application form:
Acrobat version to be faxed to 0032 2 282 00 45
Word version to be mailed to Céline Godart

 • If you wish to receive a previous mission report, please contact us.

      
 • For the below information in PDF printed version, please click here.
FORMER PARTICIPANT'S COMMENTS
“Boots Manufacturing had already adopted Lean Manufacture as a concept to help achieve world class manufacturing performance for about two years before I took the opportunity of visiting Japan on the 2003 WCM study tour. I found the experience very beneficial in confirming that we were doing the right thing in starting our Lean journey, but also providing me with many insights into what World Class actually means in practice.
Discussing issues with leading Japanese academics and seeing the operation of World Class factories first hand provided lasting impressions and real ideas for implementation in my own Company. I would have no hesitation in recommending this course to other senior manufacturing managers.”
MR. MARTIN THOMSON - Director of Manufacturing - The Boots Co PLC
TARGET SECTOR

Manufacturing companies from the European Member States.

PARTICIPANT PROFILE

The candidates should be European Senior Executives such as:
- division or industrial directors;
- senior vice-presidents, vice-presidents Operation & Logistics;
- plant managers, directors of Quality and Excellence;
- managing directors in manufacturing companies.
ELIGIBILITY
The candidates:
- must be EU citizens;
- must work for an organisation that is >50% EU or Japanese-owned, or a subsidiary thereof;
- must be presented by their employer and be able to participate in the entire programme;
- must have a reasonable command of English;
- should work at a decision-maker level for an industrial manufacturing company and/or;
- should have responsibility for corporate strategy in manufacturing management;
- should have a minimum of 15 years’ experience in operations management and/or;
- should have advanced knowledge and practice of production methods of excellence.
SELECTION CRITERIA
The main criteria for selection are:
- the professional & educational background of the candidate;
- the production methods and production strategy in relation to KAIZEN, JIT & TQM of the applicant's company.
In order to ensure a high degree of personal attention, the number of participants in each programme is limited.
PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES
The purposes of the mission in Japan are:
- to discover the Japanese approach towards world-class manufacturing;
- to discern and learn how Japanese firms achieve superior production standards;
- to focus on the latest trends by visiting the top manufacturing plants in Japan;
- to visit the real "GEMBA" (i.e. production site in Japan);
- to meet the industry leaders via exchanges with senior Japanese management authorities.
In a nutshell, this course brings you closer to WCM performance.
PROGRAMME DESIGN AND CONTENT*
Study block I:
Lectures, seminars & panel discussions, presented by experts from Japanese industry covering subjects such as:

- Lead-time reduction through streamlined flows of information and products;
- Policy deployment, HR management and best practice for staff motivation;
- Continuous improvement of customer service supported by WCM;
- Lean thinking and WCM approach in Japan;
- TQC, TQM, TPM, JIT and TIE;
- Attractive quality creation;
- Levelled production system;
- Variable-product variable-quantity production to meet demand fluctuation;
- Synchronized production system (from order to delivery);
- Flexible manufacturing implemented by QCD;
- Improvement of overall manufacturing capability.

Study block II:
Visits to companies - preparation for company visits and post-visit reviews. The sectors of activity of the companies to be visited include, among others:

- Chemical products and plastics;
- Machinery;
- Steel products;
- Automobile industry.

(*) The precise content of the programme and its schedule are currently being determined and are subject to modification. A detailed timetable will be available upon request.
COSTS
The EU-Japan Centre covers all costs directly related to the programme (i.e. conferences, seminars and transportation costs during group field trips). The participant’s company is expected to cover the participant’s travel costs to and from Japan as well as living expenses in Japan (including accommodation).
COURSE LEADER AND EU ADVISOR
The course leader is Professor Dr. Hajime Yamashina, from the Department of Precision Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University.
A worldwide authority on manufacturing strategies and practices, he is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (UK), a Member of the Swedish Royal Academy of Engineering Sciences and the Director of the Japan Society of Plant Engineers.
 
The EU advisor is Dr. Richard Keegan - Enterprise Ireland, a specialist in the fields of World Class Business and Benchmarking. He has focused on adapting these concepts for SMEs, working closely with a large number of SMEs helping them to implement improvement actions. An author of several books on the topics, he is a lecturer at Trinity College. He has led the DG Enterprise & Industry Benchmarking Initiative and the European Benchmarking Forum and Network, for the European Commission.
TIMETABLE
For your information only - WCM 2005 timetable
CONTACTS
Céline Godart
Programme Manager
tel.: + 32 (0)2 282 37 16
fax: + 32 (0)2 282 00 45
e-mail: c.godart@eu-japan.eu
 Emi Shibuya
Programme Manager
tel.: + 32 (0)2 282 00 42
fax: + 32 (0)2 282 00 45
e-mail: e.shibuya@eu-japan.eu