Upcoming Events

November 4, 2026
10:00 am - 2:30 pm

In this hands-on, half-day workshop, you’ll learn how SMED (Single Minute Exchange of Dies) helps manufacturers dramatically reduce equipment changeover times using a proven Lean approach. Through a blend of instruction, real-world examples, and interactive exercises, participants will learn how to streamline changeovers, engage operators, improve safety and consistency, and respond faster to customer demand. You’ll leave with clear, practical strategies you can apply immediately on your plant floor – delivering measurable improvements in productivity and performance.

November 10, 2026
1:00 pm - 3:45 PM

Join the OpExChange at TS Conductor’s new Hardeeville facility for a look at a manufacturing operation being built in real time. As the facility ramps toward an eventual workforce of more than 460 employees, Plant Manager Brad Thompson and his team are turning tribal knowledge into standardized work, developing consistent work instructions, improving training and qualification, and creating systems designed to scale across the organization. Members will see these efforts firsthand and have an opportunity to share their own experiences and ideas during a Plus/Delta discussion with the TS Conductor team. This isn’t a tour of a finished system — it’s a chance to see one being built.

December 1, 2026
10:00 am - 2:30 pm

You asked for it – and we listened! Following the success of our Plant Manager and HR Leader ExChanges, OpExChange is bringing the same confidential, peer-driven format to manufacturing safety leaders. Join fellow safety professionals to share challenges, benchmark practices, exchange ideas, and learn what’s working at other manufacturing sites.

December 15, 2026
10:30 am - 11:30 am

Don’t miss this event to see which companies win the coveted 2026 engagement and collaboration awards. We will also highlight the upcoming schedule for Q1 2027.

January 13, 2027
1:00 pm - 3:45 PM

Get an inside look at Hitachi Rail’s manufacturing transformation while it is still underway. The team will share why the transformation was needed, how they approached it, what has been accomplished so far, and where they are headed next. The visit will highlight selected initiatives involving plant layout and material flow, digitalization, supply chain and inventory, leadership systems, workforce development, and continuous improvement – including the use of Power BI analytics and real-time location systems (RTLS).

January 20, 2027
10:00 am - 2:30 pm

Move beyond the AI hype and discover practical ways to put artificial intelligence to work in manufacturing. This interactive half-day workshop explores AI tools and applications for automation, forecasting, planning, scheduling, predictive analytics, and more – giving manufacturing professionals practical ideas they can begin exploring in their own organizations today.

January 27, 2027
1:00 pm - 3:45 pm

February 2, 2027
10:00 am - 2:30 pm

February 10, 2027
10:00 am - 2:30 pm

March 2, 2027
10:00 am - 2:30 pm

Build your first Microsoft Power App in this hands-on, half-day OpExChange workshop led by Marcie Knox, Process Engineer at Bausch+Lomb. No programming experience required! Participants will create a fully functional Safety Observation App that captures observations, assigns responsibilities, sends email notifications, and tracks corrective actions through closure. Best of all, you'll leave with a working app you can take back to your plant and adapt for other manufacturing applications. Come with your laptop. Leave with a working app!

March 23, 2027
1:00 pm - 3:45 PM

Discover how Southern Fabricators is using Traction and the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) to strengthen leadership alignment, accountability, and continuous improvement. Join OpExChange on March 23, 2027, for a special one-hour Lunch & Learn with Chief Improvement Officer Scott Greene, followed by a manufacturing plant tour and interactive knowledge exchange. Explore practical approaches to sustaining Lean initiatives, improving cross-functional collaboration, and driving results. Attendance is limited to 20 participants.