Manufacturing, distribution and warehousing professionals and community members are invited to attend PANELS 2018 in Grand Rapids, Michigan; an annual conference hosted by SalesPad, Aug. 6-8. The three-day conference will feature industry experts who’ve worked at Apple, Steelcase, Disher, The Right Place and others, as well as Sheryl Connelly, the in-house futurist for Ford Motor Co., as the keynote speaker.
“PANELS started as a conference for users of SalesPad’s technology, and has evolved into an event that offers operational ERP strategies that anyone who works in distribution and manufacturing will find relevant and helpful,” Matt Williams, SalesPad CEO, said. “Whether you’re looking for better ways to manage your supply chain, or looking for a plan to train your workforce, PANELS will give you the actionable education you need to prepare your business for the future. We encourage community members to join us for this year’s conference.”
“Back to the Future” is the theme for PANELS 2018, which is expected to bring in more than 400 attendees from around the country. Conference sessions will cover a wide range of topics including ERP, sales, manufacturing, automation and warehousing, as well as education specifically for companies using Microsoft Dynamics GP.
Below are some of the highlights for this year’s PANELS sessions. For a full list, visit salespad.com/panels/sessions.
Operational ERP Sessions:
- Sell Through vs. Sell In: The Next Step In Supply Chain Maturity: Steve Johandes, founder of 100X, and Jim Mallekoote, former Apple global sales strategist, will dig deep into a number of supply chain topics including motivating people at different stages of the supply chain, what motivates customers to purchase products and ways to apply these motivators into data analytics, supply chain and ERP.
- Successful Approaches to Implementing Lean and ERP: Bob Hendriksen and Steve Barry of Steelcase will dive into the lean journey, and will look at process flow, process islands, the transition to value streams, new scheduling paradigms, providing real-time feedback loops and monitoring performance.
- The 411 on Funding Streams and Involvement of Industry Councils: Joe Thiry and Jerry Hill of West Michigan Works! will teach attendees the ins and outs of getting involved with industry councils and their various initiatives. Learn about taking advantage of apprenticeship grants, consortium training opportunities and skilled trades training fund dollars.
- Leveraging the Manufacturing Extension Partnership: Justine Burdette of The Right Place and the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center will lead a session on the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Network. Participants will learn about local resources that help manufacturers grow and succeed in the 21st-century manufacturing environment.
- Business Process Management: A Competitive Edge: In a rapidly changing business world, companies are facing major competitive, technological and time pressures. Kevin Pinner, DISHER’s Leader of Business Solutions and Manufacturing, will review process mapping tools, explore key principles and concepts for improving processes, and review a business process improvement case study.
“PANELS is an excellent opportunity for the region’s manufacturing industry to come together for three days of learning and networking,” said Burdette. “The Right Place is looking forward to being a part of PANELS and connecting with manufacturing professionals across West Michigan.”
PANELS 2018 will take place Aug. 6-8 at the JW Marriott and the L.V. Eberhard Center in downtown Grand Rapids. To register for PANELS 2018, visit salespad.com/panels.