Process Automation for Wood Products Firms

In partnership with 2020, IWF will present Process Automation, a full-day symposium (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) on August 22, the day prior to the official opening of IWF 2022.

Process Automation will take participants on a journey to explore where and how sales, purchasing, engineering, production, and finance processes can be automated within a modern woodworking company. (Learn more and register here.)

Faculty includes a group of industry thought leaders, practitioners, and IT and CNC machinery experts to discover best practices and gather ideas on how to apply them in wood manufacturing companies. This symposium will outline key steps to build a production operation that is scalable, e.g., able to operate with maximum efficiency at current volumes, and that is ready to grow in response to rising demand. It is aimed at owners, executives, process and product engineers, and managers of woodworking companies interested in:

• Process automation to speed up order intake and purchasing.
• Streamlining process and product engineering for make-to-order, make-to-stock, and custom production.
• Increasing production efficiency and visibility.
• Staying in control of the financial key performance indicators (KPIs).

An engaging and interactive format, the symposium consists of panel discussions, targeted break-out sessions, networking opportunities, and a closing real-world success story to bring the independent process automation elements together.

Faculty includes a keynote by leading manufacturing expert Joseph Baggett, principle of Innovative Wood Process Solutions; Kent Barby, cabinet division manager of Wisconsin Bench; Phillip Massey, software services director at accounting firm Dean Dorton; and Don Schultz, wood industry business tactician whose background includes the role of senior director of casework product manager for homebuilder Katerra and VP and GM of Techline USA. Technology experts Michael Grohs, Joerg Brauns, and Joachim Grzib from 2020 and Jason Varelli of Biesse will also present.

The program will include: real-world examples of process automation; sales management processes; a focus on architectural millwork bidding, estimating, and project and task management; kitchens—2020 design import, including single and multi-family homes; residential furniture & upholstery—EDI (electronic data interchange), and product configuration in B2C and B2B markets; and supply chain management processes such as purchasing and inventory.

After a catered networking lunch (included within the symposium tuition) the program will cover:

• Engineering—Process and product engineering as the “single source of truth.”
• Product management: Scheduling, MES (manufacturing execution systems), CNC machine integration
• Finance management: Financial reporting, costing and key performance indicators (KPI)
• Case study: the process automation journey of Wisconsin Bench

Learn more and register at IWFAtlanta.com/education.

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