ARC Announces ''A Unique Program for Discrete and Hybrid Manufacturers'' at Boston Forum.

DEDHAM, Mass. -- ARC announces a unique pro-gram for Discrete and Hybrid Manufacturers at ARC Advisory Group's Fourteenth Annual Forum, "Driving Enterprise Performance through Next Generation Manufacturing Concepts: Design, Operate, Maintain, and Synchronize" on June 26-28, 2006 at the Marriott Long Wharf Hotel in Boston. This series of workshops, presentations and panel discussions will educate attendees on new developments and provide valuable opportunities to hear what some leading manufacturers are doing to address their key challenges. The Forum also provides ample time to network with other manufacturers and share your needs and concerns with leading technology suppliers.

A Program Tailored-for Discrete & Hybrid Manufacturers

While sessions are open to all attendees, the ARC Forum Digital Manufacturing and Supply Chain Synchronization program is targeted specifically at the needs of Discrete and Hybrid manufacturers. A parallel program is also available for Process Manufacturers.

ARC will kickoff this program with an educational workshop on Digital Manufacturing and Supply Chain Synchronization strategies. Attendees will learn about the significant benefits that can be achieved through effective application of these strategies and the technologies and practices that are emerging to enable these benefits.

The workshop will also provide a good foundation for maximizing value from the three information-packed Forum sessions ARC has included in the program for Discrete and Hybrid manufacturers: Enterprise IOp, Digital Manufacturing and Supply Chain Synchronization. These sessions will anchor what manufacturers have learned in the workshop to real-world, case studies of companies already achieving benefits from their use of these strategies.

The program for Discrete and Hybrid manufacturers concludes with a box-lunch, wrap-up session where they will be able to share views about what they have learned with peers and have the opportunity to develop a cohesive owner/operator message for suppliers as to what support they need and expect.

Forum Sessions Highlight Benefits of Digital Manufacturing and Supply Chain Synchronization

ARC's Forum in Boston includes a wide range of sessions addressing critical issues for today's manufacturer. Industry experts will present the strategies, insights, and best practices they are using to succeed. Each session also includes a panel discussion where presenters answer individual attendee questions. Attendees will learn from the strategic thinking of others and go home with new perspectives and ideas for your own team.

Forum sessions targeted at Discrete and Hybrid manufacturers include:

Driving Performance through Enterprise Interoperability 

Achieving interoperability is challenging and demands a rational strategy that weaves existing islands of integration, new technology, and emerging standards into an effective management environment. In this session you will learn how leading manufacturers are implementing interoperability across critical manufacturing arenas like Plant-to-Business (P2B), Design-Operate-Maintain, and Manufacturing-Supply Chain Synchronization.

Driving Performance through Digital Manufacturing

Digital Manufacturing improves manufacturing agility by minimizing the time and cost for product changes and introductions. Digital Manufacturing has long been the vision for manufacturers in industries like automotive and aerospace. Recent technology developments are finally merging vision with reality. Come to this session and learn how leading manufacturers are using Digital Manufacturing to create step improvements in agility and time-to-market. Leading suppliers of Digital Manufacturing technology will augment these stories with updates on the state-of-the-art in this exciting arena.

Driving Performance Through Supply Chain Synchronization

Optimal Plant Performance is fundamental for manufacturers, but not sufficient to guarantee success of the manufacturing enterprise. Synchronization of plant operations with supply chains is equally important. Synchronization with inbound supply chains ensures a reliable flow of materials and enables optimal production planning without large, non-value adding material inventories. In this session, leading manufacturers will discuss how they are addressing the challenges of synchronizing manufacturing facilities with their supply chains. Cases will address the use of techniques such as strategic partnerships, interoperability, collaborative planning, scheduling, visibility tools, and technologies like RFID.

Who Should Participate in the Digital Manufacturing and Supply Chain Synchronization Program

The issues confronting Discrete and Hybrid manufacturers have broad impact across the enterprise. The Digital Manufacturing and Supply Chain Synchronization Program at ARC's Forum can therefore benefit individuals in a wide range of functional areas and roles including:

--CIOs and CTOs in the Discrete and Hybrid Industries

--VPs and Directors of IT Responsible for Enterprise Applications

--VPs, Directors, and Managers of Operations

--VPs, Directors, and Managers of Manufacturing & Supply Chain

--VPs, Directors, and Managers of Engineering

--Plant Managers and Supervisors

--Production Managers and Supervisors

--Directors and Managers of Enterprise Integration

No other event offers such a high level of personal interaction with so many top industry executives. In past Forums, over 50% of the attendees have titles like Chairman, CXO, President, Vice President, Director, Publisher, or Partner.

To register for the ARC Forum call: 781-471-1000 or visit: http://www.arcweb.com/Events/forums/0606.htm.

Founded in 1986, ARC Advisory Group has grown to become the Thought Leader in Manufacturing and Supply Chain solutions. No matter how complex your business issues, our analysts have the expert industry knowledge and first-hand experience to help you find the best answer. We focus on simple yet critical goals: improving your return on assets, operational performance, total cost of ownership, project time-to-benefit, and share-holder value. Further information can be obtained from ARC, Three Allied Drive, Dedham, MA 02026, 781-471-1000, Fax [phone], E-mail [e-mail], Web www.arcweb.com.