Initiated by e-works and cooperated with QAD, the program has attracted 11 CEOs and CIOs from nationwide manufacturing companies. From April 27 to May 5, the delegation had a nine-day tour to investigate American lean manufacturing. Dr. Pei Huang, e-works CEO led the delegation.

Group photo of 2015 American study tour delegation and QAD's top managers

On April 28, the delegation had a one-day short training course on lean manufacturing at QAD headquarters. Mr. Karl Lopker, QAD Co-founder and CEO and Mr. Carter Lloyds, Chief Marketing Officer introduced QAD's services and solutions. Ms. Terry Onica, Director of Automotive and Mr. Glenn D. Graney lectured respectively around "Supply chain risks" and "Manufacturing Trends and lean enterprises".

Visiting QAD headquarters

On April 29, the delegation visited Scosche, a consumer technology and car audio installation hardware manufacturer in Oxnard, California. Scosche Executives introduced QAD ERP application status, financial data monitoring, business intelligence, and outsourcing. They visited their accessories warehouse, and mould processing.

Visiting Scosche

On the afternoon of April 29, they visited Vitatech Nutritional Science, an FDA-licensed contract manufacturer of nutritional products. Vitatech has a more than 60 years’ history of manufacturing food powder, tablets, and capsules. Ms. Toni Clubb, Chief Financial Officer introduced the ERP application and show delegations around the material warehouse, mixing room, quality examination room, sample lab, coating workshop, microbiological lab, and capsule workshop.

Visiting Vitatech

The fourth stop of the lean manufacturing tour is CISCO's headquarter in Silicon Valley. On the morning of April 30, the delegation came to the CISCO's newly built Executive Briefing Center. This building shows CISCO's latest network technologies and solutions. CISCO engineers introduced to the delegation the concept and vision of IoE (Internet of Everything) and demonstrated future manufacturing internet application model. They also showed CISCO's manufacturing solution and led the delegation experienced CISCO TelePresence video conference system. Later of the day, they visited the beautiful Stanford University.

Visiting CISCO headquarters

On May 1, the delegation visited Boeing Everett Factory in Seattle. It is an airplane assembling plant owned by Boeing.The delegation visited Boeing Exhibition Center, basement, and assembly shop. The visiting of Boeing factory has enlightened the members a lot. They think there are many good experiences need to learn from Boeing. Chinese manufacturers should think more deeply on the lean material pull system, lean project management, and excellent shop floor field management.

Boeing Everett Factory

On April 4, the delegation visited QAD's annual user group conference in Washington DC, Explore 2015. More than 1,000 audiences presented the conference to learn QAD’s customer experience and ways to build effective enterprises.

2015 QAD user conference

The 2015 American Lean Manufacturing Tour was successfully concluded. It provides a good opportunity for Chinese manufacturing representatives to investigate American's latest IT technologies and understand lean manufacturing concepts. e-works will continuously focus on manufacturing IT in China and organize more overseas study tour programs for learning and exchanging experiences in future.

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