Press Releases

February 2008

Free Subcon seminars hit hot sourcing topics

Sourcing in global markets, make/buy strategy, lean manufacturing and new market opportunities are just some of the subjects covered in this year's free Subcon seminar programme.

The seminar sessions bring together a series of specially-commissioned presentations that address key current issues facing sourcing professionals in manufacturing. These seminars have become widely respected as a source of high-value practical and strategic market intelligence, and this is reflected in the quality of speaker they are able to attract. Places at each of the seminars are available free of charge to registered visitors to the exhibition and can be reserved online in advance at www.subconshow.co.uk.

Each day's presentations cover four strands, starting with a master-class case study from a leading manufacturing company. This year's presentations include seminars from Hamworthy Heating, Cummins Turbo Technology and Eaton Aerospace looking at aspects that include building supplier relationships in China and India, getting the right balance between local and distant sourcing, and finding and developing new suppliers.

The second session each day focuses on an aspect of manufacturing strategy, with leading experts from Cambridge University's Institute for Manufacture, Unipart Special Practices and Manufacturing Excellence examining key issues that go right to the heart of a company's competitive capability. Paul Christodoulou of Cambridge University tackles the big question of how to make the right things in the right places, while Derek Thomason, Head of Supply Chain Practice at Unipart Special Practices examines the concept of ‘competitive space' and how companies identify what should be core competences and what should be outsourced. Chris McKellan of Manufacturing Awareness completes the picture by looking at what needs to be done to make sure that lean principles work in practice.

A wide-ranging strand of presentation on sourcing issues starts with a presentation from the SBAC on its SC21 initiative, and how it is seeking to create competent aerospace supply chains for the 20th century, Chris McKellan returns to draw on his experience of working in China to look at practical aspects of sourcing from China, how things are changing in China and how this might affect sourcing decisions in the long term. The strand is completed with a presentation by Pam Murrell of the Institute of Cast Metal Engineering that aims to help buyers get the best results and cost-efficiencies when they come to source castings.

Each day's session ends with a look at some of the threats and opportunities in the market, including the potential for new business associated with the development of alternative fuels for cars, the implications of rapid manufacturing methods on how and where things are made in the future, and the effects of environmental legislation on the way companies have to operate.

To find out more about the seminar programme, to register for the show and to reserve your seminar tickets, please visit www.subconshow.co.uk .

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