Cisco VP of Worldwide Manufacturing Product Operations to Keynote 11th Annual Electronics Supply Chain Association Conference.

Thought Leaders to Gather for Premier Electronics Supply Chain Industry Event

SAN DIEGO -- The Electronics Supply Chain Association (ESCA), preeminent networking and knowledge platform for executives in the electronics supply chain sector, has announced that Jim Miller of Cisco Systems will deliver a keynote presentation on "Value Creation throughout the Product Lifecycle" at the 11th Annual ESCA Conference & Expo, Oct. 29-31, in Santa Clara, Calif.

Miller is Vice President, Product Operations, Worldwide Manufacturing for Cisco Systems where he is responsible for new product introduction (NPI) and product lifecycle management for key Cisco products including all routing platforms, IP Phones, switching as well as government systems.

"Product lifecycle management ranks as one of the most important disciplines in the electronics industry. Assuring that every phase of the cycle delivers value is critical in today's fast-paced, constantly evolving manufacturing environment," said ESCA Executive Director Dean Strausl.

Interfacing directly with the engineering design, supply chain and manufacturing organizations, Miller has created a continuous improvement strategy and culture through which new processes and systems are improving the quality, cost and delivery metrics throughout the product lifecycle.

"In a world where manufacturing and operations have changed from building products to building new business models, new manufacturing business models have become synonymous with value creation for Cisco. In order for Cisco, or any business to succeed, partnering with vendors to create and enable these new business models, whether they're for hardware, software, or value-added services, is a critical business component," said Miller.

His comments will address the many dynamic factors constantly influencing the manufacturing business environment - specifically globalization, the role of IT, environmental compliance, and macro-economics.

Unlike other industry associations, ESCA is dedicated to helping the industry improve time to market and product margins by better managing the entire supply chain. ESCA participants represent the full spectrum of the electronics supply chain including fabless semiconductor companies, assembly houses, foundries, contract manufacturers, distributors, logistics services providers, hardware and software solutions providers and consultants.

The 11th Annual ESCA conference, themed "Optimizing Performance Across the Electronic Supply Chain," will be held October 29-31 at the Hyatt Regency Santa Clara, Calif. Keynote presenters also include Paul Brody, Partner, Global Business Services Global Lead, Electronics Industry Strategy Practice, IBM Global Business Services; and Beth McKone, Vice President of Worldwide Program Management and Supply Chain Solutions at Solectron. For more information and to register, visit www.electronicssupplychain.org.

About ESCA

Since 1997, the Electronics Supply Chain Association (ESCA) has been dedicated to facilitating a robust electronics industry supply chain through thought leadership, best practices and collaboration. ESCA is a member of a global network of associations that includes the Association for Services Management International (AFSMI), the Service & Support Professionals Association (SSPA) and the Technology Professional Services Associations (TPSA). More information on ESCA can be found at www.electronicssupplychain.org.