Process Manufacturers Meet at the Forum to Discuss Design, Operate, Maintain Challenges.

DEDHAM, Mass. -- ARC announces a new, unique program for Process 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 in the Design, Operate, and Maintain (DOM) arena and provide valuable opportunities to hear what some leading manufacturers are doing to address their key DOM challenges. The Forum also provides ample time to network with other manufacturers and share their needs and concerns with leading technology suppliers.

A Program Tailored for Asset-Intensive Manufacturers

While sessions are open to all attendees, the ARC Forum DOM program is targeted specifically at the needs of asset-intensive manufacturers. ARC will kickoff the DOM program with an educational workshop where attendees will get an update about the latest developments in the DOM arena. They will learn about the significant benefits that can be achieved through an effective DOM strategy and the technologies and practices that are emerging to enable these benefits.

The DOM workshop will also provide attendees with a good foundation for maximizing their value from the three information-packed Forum sessions ARC has included in the program to discuss the key areas of DOM Interoperability, Plant Lifecycle Information Management, and Collaborative Asset Management. These sessions will anchor what attendees have learned to real-world, case studies of companies already achieving benefits from their DOM strategies.

The DOM program concludes with a box-lunch, wrap-up session where attendees will be able to share their views about what they learned with peers. They will also have the opportunity to develop a cohesive owner/operator message for suppliers as to what manufacturers need from their development groups.

Forum Sessions Highlight Benefits of DOM

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. You will learn from the strategic thinking of others and go home with new perspectives and ideas for your own team. ARC's Boston Forum brochure provides descriptions of all sessions. Those sessions included for individuals participating in the DOM program are:

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 attendees 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 Plant Lifecycle Information Management

Plant information is created and used throughout a plant's lifecycle. It includes various forms of information such as documents, drawings, specifications, calculations, models, configurations, and operating history. In this session, attendees will learn how leading manufacturers are addressing their Plant Lifecycle Information Management challenges. This includes standards they are supporting, practices they have developed, and technologies that support effective, enterprise-wide access to all information.

Driving Performance through Collaborative Asset Management

Optimal asset management is more than least cost maintenance. Maintenance must have minimal disruption to production and ensure that operation is rapidly restored when unexpected failures occur. In this session, leading manufacturers will discuss how they are addressing optimal Asset Management. Cases will highlight use of collaboration and reliability-centric strategies to drive operational excellence, and on-line plant asset management (PAM) strategies to improve plant availability and asset life-times.

Who Should Participate in the DOM Program

DOM issues have a broad footprint across asset-intensive manufacturing companies. The DOM Program at ARC's Forum can therefore benefit individuals in a wide range of functional areas and roles including:

--CIOs and CTOs in the Process 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: www.arcweb.com/Forum0606/default.aspx

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.