ACADEMIA

Toyota's product-process development system leads the auto industry and is regarded as a benchmark for companies worldwide. Jeffrey Liker is one who understands how this works best. In his recent book "The Toyota Way," Liker provides a comprehensive analysis of Toyota's position as a 21st century leader. Liker will open CPD Associates' conference, Product Lifecycle Management Road Map 2004, with a thought-provoking presentation on the relationship between the Toyota Way and Toyota's success in product development. He will also discuss what other companies can learn from Toyota's principles. The conference, which takes place September 22 and 23 at The Dearborn Inn, Dearborn, Michigan, will also feature a keynote presentation by DaimlerChrysler Corporation's VP for Virtual Engineering and CrossFire Product Development, Larry Achram. Achram's presentation will address the changing face of product development in the domestic automotive industry. Expanded information, including registration information, is available online at http://www.cpd-associates.com/, or by calling 800-573-4756. Featured breakout sessions will highlight Process Frameworks for Cross- Functional Collaboration, Open CAD and Collaboration, Extending Systems Engineering Principles to an Enterprise Framework, PLM Open Landscape, Integration Downstream, Design and Simulation Information and Process Frameworks, and Federated Enterprise Reference Architecture: Building a Road Map for Implementing Loosely Coupled Collaborative Models. The conference will be rounded out by keynote presentations from Hewlett- Packard's Senior Director of IT Business Process Modeling, Joe Francis, who will speak about applying integrated processes and technology frameworks to business transformation, and IBM Corporation's General Manager, Industry Solutions and Business Integration, Marie Wieck, who will discuss the payoffs of horizontal integration for manufacturing and design. Other confirmed speakers include: JPL's Steve Wall and Jim U'Ren; John Deere's Roger Burkhart; Lockheed Martin's Henson Graves; Hitachi's Jon Burton; Delphi's Diane Landers, David Lien, and Kevin Marseilles; Cooper Tire's Todd Wilson; Intel's Dick Bland and George Brown; Microsoft's Drew Gude; Cyon Research's Brad Holz; Proplanner's David Sly; and CPD Associates analysts D.H. Brown, Ken Versprille, Vasco Drecun, and Michel Vrinat. Now in its 11th year, Product Lifecycle Management Road Map is a strategic conference focused on the critical tradeoffs that shape design and engineering.