Joint APICS/ISM Professional Development Meeting

The Soft Side of Change Management: People

Wayne Gerbrandt

How we work with people during change is more critical to success than any technical aspects. People are the source of energy for most projects. How can we ensure that energy is used productively? Here’s a great opportunity to learn more about this vital element of change within an organization. Too many times as professionals we make changes, both large and small, without taking into account the most important aspect of the change: the people involved.

In this talk we will discuss people’s response to change and how various motivation theories and tools can be used to understand their actions and reactions to change. Fight or flight, Herzberg’s expectancy theory and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs will be incorporated to help put the various motivation ideas into context to help you become a more effective change agent. Join us at the West Bros. River Ranch Steak House on April 14, 2004 at 6:00PM. The River Ranch is located at 2123 Franklin Blvd. Our special speaker for this meeting will be William F. Latham. Mr. Latham, CFPIM, CIRM is an educator, trainer, seminar presenter and management consultant with experience in implementations and customer support for customers around the world. He is the founder and head of Leading Principals for Dynamic Management, a consulting and training firm focused on improving efficiency in materials and production management and processes by educating, training and guiding the people who make it happen. Bill has served as an MRP II implementation consultant, applications trainer and educator for people from companies as diverse as Arthur Andersen, Alcoa Fujicara, Aviat Aircraft, Boeing, Darigold (West Farm Foods), General Motors, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Intel, Intermec, Rockwell-Collins, Siemens Medical, Starbucks Coffee and Weyerhauser. With over 24 years of hands-on experience as a practitioner in Purchasing, Production Scheduling and Materials Management, Bill Latham has attained a high level of expertise.

Our Professional Development Meeting on April 14th will be a great event, with an excellent Bar-B-Que Buffet provided by West Bros. River Ranch. Our joint meeting will be held in the banquet room. We’ve got some scrumptious meal selections lined up, with a wide variety of choices. For those who wish to pay directly, a cash bar will also be available. Please arrive by 6:00PM to get a chance to catch up with your friends and colleagues in APICS and NAPM/ISM, so that we can eat on time. There is a $25.00 fee for members and a $30.00 fee for non-members.Please note: Meeting is Limited to 45 participants, so please call 341-3896 or email events@apics-swiv.org and reserve your space today.Hope to see you there!

The Southern Willamette Valley
Chapter of APICS

Presents

Joint APICS/ISM Professional Development Meeting

The Soft Side of Change Management: People
Presented By
William F. Latham, Leading Principles for Dynamic Management

DATE
Wednesday, April 14th, 2004

LOCATION
River Ranch Steak House
2123 Franklin Blvd.
Eugene, OR 97403
(541) 686-2020

TIME
6:00 - Meet, Greet, and Socialize
6:30 - Great Food!
7:15 - Speaker, William Latham
8:15 - Wrap Up

COST
$25.00 - APICS or ISM members
$30.00 - Non-members

REGISTRATION DEADLINE
By 5:00 PM, Friday, April 9^th 2004
APICS Voice Mail: 341-3896, or
E-mail: events@apics-swiv.org

Please include name, company, number of persons attending, and return phone number.

Cash or check only. No credit cards.

President's Message
"Your Thoughts"
Ed Barth, CPIM

Well we have a new President to start off the new month. Dick Bruso has chosen to move onward by relocating outside of the Willamette Valley. I would like to thank Dick for all of the years of work as a volunteer for the Southern Willamette Valley Chapter of APICS.

This brings up my move to except the appointment for the remainder of this term of presidency for SWIV-APICS. I am moving onward to learn what are the needs of the chapter, where can we focus to improve what we are doing, how we are doing it and where this may lead us. APICS as a International Society is also focusing on what they are doing, how they are doing and where are they headed by implementing a new initiative titled “Chapter Development Committee”. The primary purpose of this committee is to enhance the growth, development, and value in developing our Distribution Network in order to serve better our members and end users…

…This brings us to you. The membership individuals are the end users. Last month Dick brought up the need for volunteers, which is on going. Many of you don’t have time for volunteering but you do attend some of the events that are being hosted by our chapter. What about the members that we don’t hear from, what are your needs as an end user? Are our PDMs addressing your needs? Our plant tours and seminars, have they been an interest for you? If these programs are not addressing some of your interests and needs we as chapter leaders need to hear from you. Each month for nine months of the year we sit down to try and decide what seminar to do, what plant tour, what professional development meeting to set up, where can we locate speakers that may draw some interest from our members. This at times can be difficult. Here is a challenge to our readers of this newsletter. Let us hear from you, share a thought, where, when, what you would like to see. Contact any board member or me at ebarth@jcieug.com.

Ed Barth, CPIM

SOUTHERN WILLAMETTE VALLEY chapter
Of APICS Presents:

Supply and Distribution Chain

Seminar :

Challenges and Opportunities

By Bill Latham,
Leading Principles for Dynamic Management

Register Now, Seminar Seating is Limited!

Registration Deadline: April 12, 2004

Supply and Distribution Chain Seminar

Challenges and Opportunities

April 15, 2004

Business today demands optimizing the entire supply and distribution chain.
As our competitors become even more effective, we must optimize the use of our limited resources, and those of our vendors and customers, to compete. 

During this learner-focused, one-day seminar, you will build a supply chain and simulate its operation. Throughout the seminar, there will be changes to the markets, the order policies and cost factors that will require evaluation and possible adjustments in your operation. Impacts of those strategic and operational decisions will drive directly to the bottom line profitability. 

Supply chain management tools will be presented as techniques and tactics to build more profitability in your business.

Major Topics of the Day:

è   How much inventory to keep in stock.

è   Techniques to meet demand variability.

è   Trade-off between having inventory and not having inventory.

è   Costs of inventory.

è   Back orders – their cost and benefit.

è   Impact of quantity discounts in purchasing and marketing.

è   Reorder points sales replenishment and DRP ordering techniques

è   Effect of expedites on profitability and Customer Service.

è   Customer Loyalty.

è   Communication and trust along the supply chain.

è   Simple P&Ls and Balance Sheets

Benefits to your company for attending this workshop:  
Better understanding of pricing policies on ordering decisions
Better Customer Service
Better use of your biggest asset
Better planning of future replenishments
Increased Profitability  
More cost-effective decisions regarding shipping options.

Suggested attendees

Inventory controllers and planners      Materials and Inventory Managers
Buyers and Purchasing Agents            Purchasing Managers
Sales and Marketing Managers           Customer Service Personnel
Cost Analysts                                      Supply Chain Managers

Join us for a hands-on, yet intensely educational seminar
on April 15, 2004. Space is limited, call (541) 341-3896 today!
Brought to you by the Southern Willamette Valley Chapter of APICS.
See us at http://www.apics-swiv.org/

Calendar of Events

Next Event:	Date	Time
Registration deadline for the APICS/ISM Professional Development Meeting	2004.04.09 Fr	5:00 PM
Registration deadline for the Seminar with Bill Latham	2004.04.12 Mo
APICS/ISM Professional Development Meeting - Bill Latham	2004.04.14 We	6:00 PM
Supply and Distribution Chain Seminar with Bill Latham	2004.04.15 Th	7:45 AM
May Professional Development Meeting - Brian Rooney	2004.05.19 We	6:00 PM
June Professional Development Meeting - Kirk Ball	2004.06.09 We	6:00 PM

Data Security For Inventory Accuracy And Preservation

Wayne Gerbrandt

How secure are your inventory records? Do you know where your inventory records go after you log off your computer at night? Here’s a unique opportunity to check your internal data security processes, and prevent a meltdown of your internal inventory records. Your local APICS chapter is hosting a special Professional Development Meeting on March 17th at 6:00 PM, to be held at Mona Lizza Ristorante & Bar, at 830 Olive Street in Eugene. Our special speaker for this meeting will be Kirk Ball. Kirk is the General Manager at CDI Vaults, a records security company handling hundreds of thousands of clients’ records and data from around the world. In addition, Kirk is a former APICS Southern Willamette Valley chapter President, and an expert on both inventory data management and their relationship to data security processes. He will be speaking on the requirements and processes available for data security for inventory professionals.

Our Professional Development Meeting on Wednesday night, March 17th will be a great event, with excellent food provided by Mona Lizza Ristorante & Bar. Our APICS group will be meeting in the banquet room, where we’ve got some scrumptious meal selections lined up with a wide variety of choices. For those who wish to pay directly, the bar is also available: all those famous West Bros. Microbrews as well as many other choices. Please arrive by 6:00PM to get your menu selections in so that we can eat on time. There is a $15.00 fee for members and a $20.00 fee for non-members.

Please note: Meeting is Limited to 30 participants, so please call 341-3896 or email events@apics-swiv.org and reserve your space today.Hope to see you there!

The Southern Willamette Valley
Chapter of APICS

Professional Development Meeting

Data Security For Inventory Accuracy And Preservation
Presented By
Kirk Ball, Gen. Manager - CDI Vaults

DATE
Wednesday, March 17th, 2004

LOCATION
Mona Lizza Ristorante & Bar
830 Olive
Eugene, OR 97401
(541) 345-1072

TIME
6:00 - Meet, Greet, and Socialize
6:30 - Great Food!
7:15 - Speaker, Kirk Ball
8:15 - Wrap Up

COST
$15.00 - APICS or ISM members
$20.00 - Non-members

REGISTRATION DEADLINE
By 5:00 PM, Monday, March 15^th 2004
APICS Voice Mail: 341-3896, or
E-mail: events@apics-swiv.org

Please include name, company, number of persons attending, and return phone number.

Cash or check only. No credit cards.

President's Message
"I Want You"
Dick Bruso, CPIM, CIRM

Many of us or perhaps all of us have seen pictures of the WW II posters of Uncle Sam with the words “I WANT YOU” on them used to encourage US citizens to volunteer for military service. During the Viet Nam conflict, I volunteered to join the Air Force to avoid being drafted and being sent to Viet Nam; I wound up there anyway. Many of us have been to comedy stage shows that feature a hypnotist who asks for volunteers to become hypnotized in front of the audience and frequently are told that they are naked and their attempts to cover up sends the audience into roaring laughter. It seems the word volunteer can carry with it many images, some pleasant and some unpleasant.

APICS is a volunteer organization and is governed by volunteer directors at several levels within the organization. Your chapter of APICS, the Southern Willamette Valley Chapter, is run by volunteers and is continually looking for members who are interested in volunteering their time and expertise to help the chapter continue to provide services to its members as well as non-members who are interested in Resource Management. It is never too early to start thinking about how you can help out the Chapter and if you are ambitious the Region and Society are the next steps up in this volunteer organization.

“What’s in it for me?” you might ask. Besides rubbing elbows with other individuals who are committed to provide Resource Management education to the Eugene-Springfield area, there is the feeling you get when you hear about a member becoming CPIM or CIRM certified or when the seminar on Inventory Control was a sell out. “Okay, what else?” Well, over the years BOD members have flown to exotic locations such as; Boise, San Jose, Reno, Las Vegas, Honolulu, and Sacramento for Region meetings and Region sponsored training. So, volunteering can be fun as well as rewarding for oneself and others...

…During the years that I have served on the SWIV Chapter of APICS Board of Directors I have worked with some really great people and have forged friendships, another wonderful benefit. I have received valuable training at Region meetings and Chapter sponsored seminars. All I had to do was give up some of my time in exchange. Not a bad deal, if you ask me. Similar opportunities are available to you too, just volunteer. It’s easy, just contact one of the current BOD members and say you are interested in helping out the Chapter. BOD member information is located within the website. It is not necessary to wait until the annual elections to join the BOD and speaking of the annual elections, they are coming up in about two months and if I remember correctly there should be a couple of openings this year for someone new. Interested?

It seems the time has come for me to resign from the SWIV Chapter of APICS BOD, (aren’t acronyms interesting?). A new chapter in my journey through life is about to begin with a relocation to another area of the country. I will take with me many fond memories of my time spent with the people I have met at Professional Development Meetings, Plant Tours, Seminars and BOD Meetings. Many THANKS go out to each and every one of you that have been involved in the SWIV Chapter throughout the years.

The Chapter exists for you and because of you. It’s your Chapter so please make sure it is being run the way you want and it is providing the tools for you to continue to succeed in your careers and in your lives. If you aren’t ready to volunteer to help govern the Chapter, please make an effort to participate in Chapter sponsored events.

Thank you,
Dick Bruso, CPIM, CIRM
President, SWIV-APICS

Sign-up Now!

Registrations for both the Basics of Supply Chain Management and the Detailed Scheduling & Planning courses are still currently being accepted. Please see the attached forms or visit our web site at http://www.apics-swiv.org/education1.html for details about the classes and how to register.

Training Funds For Your Company
Wayne Gerbrandt

FREE MONEY and FREE FOOD!! Now I know that everyone says you can’t get something for nothing, but in this case it is really true! Your local APICS chapter – the Southern Willamette Valley chapter of APICS, is hosting a luncheon FREE OF CHARGE on Wednesday, February 25th, 2004 from 12:00 to 1:30 PM at Symantec. That’s right – there’s no charge – not for APICS Members, NAPM/ISM Members, LCHRA Members, or anyone else that may be interested in our topic. And the best part is that the topic of discussion for the luncheon will be how to apply for state funds now available for TRAINING YOUR EMPLOYEES! That’s right – we’re going to talk about how to get FREE MONEY!

A special Employer Workforce Training Fund was created by Gov. Ted Kulongoski with $6 million in federal funds for the State of Oregon. Of this total, $313,000 will be available to Lane County both this year, and again in 2005. These funds will be distributed by regional Workforce Response Teams. In the case of Lane County, the Lane Workforce Partnership is assisting companies in applying for these funds. Our special guest at this luncheon will be Darrell Hames, with the Lane Workforce Partnership. He will go through the process for applying for these funds, and what the funds can and cannot be used for. 

Training Projects are emphasized in the following areas:
1) Companies in clusters formed around traded-sectors;
2) Training in occupations or skills where a shortage exists in the region or state;
3) Training in skills that permit companies to advance their technological capabilities or enhance productivity;
4) Multiple employer, worker, or industry association-led projects, while still allowing single employer projects;
5) Projects that make a conscious attempt to utilize existing curricula/training programs/resources when available, and develop new curricula only when it will not duplicate other work;
6) Training of workers who are paid wages that meet or exceed the median hourly wage in the county in which they are trained, or result in wage gain or career ladder development
7) Training that leads to industry certification or industry skill standards

Who Should Attend: Production Managers, Purchasing, Planning, and Material Managers, Human Resource Managers, and Anyone with an interest in securing training funds for their company. Be a hero – attend this luncheon and learn how to get money for training your employees.
This luncheon is a DO NOT MISS event, so we encourage you all to get your reservations in early. Call 341-3896 or email events@apics-swiv.org. Reservations must be in by Feb. 20 at 5:00 PM. The luncheon will be held at Symantec, from 12:00 to 1:30 PM. 

Directions to Symantec: Take the Beltline exit from I-5 going east, go to the first intersection on the east side of I-5, and take a left on Gateway St. Turn right at the next light on to Game Farm Rd. South. Follow Game Farm Road about ¼ mile, and turn left into the parking lot before the road divides. Symantec is the big yellowish building.
Please note: Luncheon is Limited to 35 participants, so reserve your space today. Hope to see you there!

The Southern Willamette Valley
Chapter of APICS

Presents

A Business Luncheon

TRAINING FUNDS FOR YOUR COMPANY

DATE
Wednesday, February 25th, 2004

LOCATION
Symantec, Inc.
555 International Way
Springfield, OR 97477
Map: NavTech @ Yahoo

TIME
12:00 – Meet, Greet, and Eat
12:30 - Presentation by Darrell Hames - Lane Workforce Partnership
1:30 - Luncheon End

COST
No Cost for this event - Your Southern Willamette Valley Chapter of APICS is sponsoring this event.

REGISTRATION DEADLINE
By 5:00 PM, Friday, Feb. 20^th 2004
APICS Voice Mail: 341-3896, or
E-mail: events@apics-swiv.org

Please include name, company, number of persons attending, and return phone number.

President's Message
"...180 Miles Before Landing..."
Dick Bruso, CPIM, CIRM

Now that we have all this education from APICS, college, seminars and consultants, it's time to put it to use and help our employers reap the rewards of their investments in us. Chances are that the expectations put on us are for a quick if not an immediate ROI. Is this realistic? I believe not. Why do I believe this way? It is because of all the hidden and unexpected turns and obstacles in the road ahead.

As I was flying home from an APICS Region meeting this past summer, somewhere around the Mt. Shasta area, the aircraft pilot came over the intercom and said, “We’ve got about 180 miles before landing in Eugene.” Well I know that if you drive down I-5 you travel 195 miles just to get to the Oregon/California border from Beltline in Eugene. Then there is the matter of another 75 miles or so to reach Mt. Shasta. This is hardly the number of miles announced by the pilot.

The next thought in my head was the old, “as the crow flies” statement and “the shortest distance between to points is a straight line”. This “straight line” the one the crow flies is what I believe is expected by our employers in regards to the return on our educational investments made by them. Reality is more like the trip down I-5, full of direction changes from south to west to east as well as numerous mountains to drive over and then throw in some rain or snow to slow us down or even stop us in our tracks. Still, all the while we are making some progress towards our destination or goal.

I remember one of my past employers, an engineer, stating that if you make a time estimate to complete a project you should triple that time to come to a more realistic estimate. I am sure we can all recall times when we thought we could accomplish a project in a certain timeframe and the time spent before completion was much longer than our estimate. I am sure there are times when our time estimate wasn’t too far off also...

…An APICS education is similar to a project in that there are expenditures of time, money and effort. Most often the time and effort are the investments of the student, employee, and the money is the investment of the employer. It is generally the employer that is looking for the ROI and not the employee, student, as the employee is digesting the information they are learning and mentally trying to find ways to work the information into their daily routines and responsibilities. And this process takes time! Something that all parties involved need to remember. It is also important to remember that without investing in ourselves from our perspective and in our employees from the business perspective, we become stagnant as individuals and companies.

An APICS education can be beneficial to both individuals and businesses if it can be used to improve the processes within the business. The Southern Willamette Valley Chapter of APICS is continually providing educational opportunities for our members as well as non-members. Look for our offerings in our newsletter, The Resource, and on our website, www.apics-swiv.org. The classes, seminars and meetings we sponsor and provide are excellent vehicles to meet others with similar professional interests and discuss similar projects and problems. Please join us.

As we start this New Year, 2004, the Board of Directors of the SWIV Chapter of APICS want to say, “Thank You” for your support this past year and to let you know that we welcome any input you might have, positive, negative or otherwise into the management of the Chapter. We also welcome eager participants to join us on the BOD now or in the next term of office which will start in July. It is never too early to start thinking about ways to further your involvement with APICS.

Thank you,
Dick Bruso, CPIM, CIRM
President, APICS-SWIV

CPIM Testing

There is a local site for APICS testing and should bring the best of both worlds to those in the Southern Willamette Valley – shorter trip, instant results. The site for APICS tests is at 55 Silver Lane (in the River Road, North Eugene High area).

You can take the test at the Eugene site or any other Promissor site (there are other locations in Oregon and Washington) but you can only register for testing via the Promissor testing service – you will not be able to register at the testing site. Plan ahead and reserve in advance – Promissor testing sites have a finite number of seats for each day the tests are offered.

The best way to register for a test is to contact Promissor by phone. If you are an APICS member keep your member number handy and be sure to get your discount. If you would like to register for the test via their website, be warned that others have found the experience to be very frustrating and possible case-study in poor web design. The phone method is more straightforward. 

If you would like to arrange to take a test at the same time as others, you can do so by agreeing on a test time and getting registered individually. If you are thinking of this as an option, you should probably be prepared to arrange this further in advance to make sure all of you can reserve a seat. 

As an on-going note: APICS-SWIV will not be offering paper/pencil tests for the foreseeable future. Other options for testing include any of the testing sites around the country where Promissor operates (check with Promissor for locations and availability).

Computer-based testing for APICS is available in the Eugene area and other nearby locations!

Please call 1-800-274-8399 or visit the APICS portion of Promissor at http://www.asisvcs.com/indhome_fs.asp?CPCAT=8900PROFCERT.

Plant Tour
At
Johnson Crushers International, Inc.
Wayne Gerbrandt

Our plant tour on November 19^th will take us to Johnson Crushers International, Inc.  JCI is a heavy equipment manufacturer, and a worldwide and industry leader for processing equipment designed for the crushed stone, sand & gravel, and recycle (concrete/asphalt) industries.

JCI, along with its sister company KPI (Kolberg Pioneer Inc.) engineers, manufactures, and supports: Aggregate rock crushers (cones, jaws, impactors),  self-contained, portable screening plants, and horizontal, incline, and COMBO vibrating screen units, and various other systems for the crushed stone business.

Our APICS tour will examine JCI’s manufacturing and planning processes, including material issue, inventory methodologies, and production strategies.  The tour promises to be exciting and informative for everyone that participates.

Sandwiches and refreshments will be provided at the beginning of the tour. There is a $10.00 fee for members and a $15.00 fee for non-members.

Directions for JCI:  Take the 30^th Ave. exit from I-5, go to the Texaco station on the east side of I-5, and take a right – underneath the bridge.  Follow Franklin Blvd. around the curve, and JCI is on the right side.

Please note: Tour is limited to 35 participants, so please call 341-3896 or email events@apics-swiv.org and reserve your space today.

The Southern Willamette Valley
Chapter of APICS

  Professional Development Meeting

PLANT TOUR
Johnson Crushers International, Inc.

DATE
Wednesday, November 19th, 2003

LOCATION
Johnson Crushers International, Inc.
86470 Franklin Blvd.
Eugene, OR 97405
Map: NavTech @ Yahoo

TIME
6:00 – Meet, Greet, and Eat
6:30 - Tour Start
7:30 - Tour End and Wrap-up

COST
$10.00 - APICS or ISM members
$15.00 - Non-members

REGISTRATION
By 5:00 PM, Monday, Nov 17^th 2003
APICS Voice Mail: 341-3896, or
E-mail: events@apics-swiv.org

Please include name, company, number of persons attending, and return phone number.

Cash or check only. No credit cards.

President's Message
Education - Can We Ever Get Enough?
Dick Bruso, CPIM, CIRM

How many of us couldn’t wait to graduate from high school because we were tired of going to school? After all, we were completing a 13 year journey from Kindergarten through 12^th Grade and we knew enough to make it through the coming years. How many of us have embarked upon other journeys through the maze of educational opportunities? It seems as though we didn’t know everything we would need to know just by completing our required education. 

APICS offers education in the areas of Production and Inventory Control. Locally, this Chapter provides several classroom courses as part of the CPIM (Certified in Production and Inventory Management) curriculum. Two of these courses have recently been started. If you missed it, do not fear as we will repeat these courses again during the next couple of years. I attended several of these Certification Review Courses while I was working on my CPIM and I truly believe that they made the Certification Exam much easier. After completing my CIRM (Certified in Integrated Resource Management) by doing home study and reading as much of the recommended reading as I could, the CPIM classes were a blessing.

It seems as though I could not get enough education even after completing the APICS offerings. I went on to finish up a BS in Business Management, a course of study I had started nearly 25 years prior. But this isn’t about me! It’s about the quest for education that lies inside of all of us. Like many of the things we do in life, education sometimes needs a little push to get the journey started. Getting started is the key here! Taking that first step, in this case class, has got to be one of the most important steps in the entire journey because without that first one, there can be no second one. Don’t think about the day you’ll receive your certification certificate unless you can look beyond the hours and hours of studying that lies between now and then. Focus on the first step, then the second, the third and so on and before you know it you will be finished and ready for a new subject matter to learn…

…The SWIV Chapter of APICS can only provide so many educational opportunities. We are not the only source you can access. We certainly prefer you take classes from us and if there are classes you are interested in, please contact the SWIV Director of Education, Joel Butler. You can embark on the self-study program using the guides provided by the APICS Society and Bookstore, which outlines each major section and what you need to learn to pass the exam. Another source available is Weber State University which offers on-line courses, (you should be able to find a link in our website.) We know we are not able to meet the needs of every single potential student with our class schedule and we will try to meet the needs of as many of our members and potential members as we can. So, if you aren’t able to take your CPIM classes from the SWIV Chapter maybe one of the other mentioned alternatives will work for you. If not, please contact our Director of Education, Joel Butler, and let him know what your needs are.

What is it you’ll do with your new knowledge after completing CPIM classes or certification? Hopefully your educational journey is being provided for by your employer or at least your employer is encouraging you to gain knowledge that is or will be essential to the success of the company. Even if your reason for learning the APICS Body of Knowledge is purely for yourself, I would bet that at some point in time you’ll use that knowledge to benefit a business. I believe that the more we know about the inner workings of business the more valuable we are to our employer or potential employer. The APICS curriculum is intended to help make businesses run better through the increased knowledge of key individuals. The key here is the people! The people with the knowledge of making the business run better need to be given the opportunity to use that knowledge as it doesn’t do any good just being stored in someone’s memory cells.

If you aren’t bored yet, let me say “Thank You” for taking a few minutes of your precious time and allowing me to spread some information about APICS education, something that is near and dear to all of the SWIV Directors. We are here to serve you, so please let us know how we can best do that.

Thank you,
Dick Bruso, CPIM, CIRM
President, SWIV-APICS

Calendar Of Events

CPIM class schedule for the Winter quarter available soon!

Plant Tour
At
Harvest House Publishers
Wayne Gerbrandt

Here’s a chance to view one of Eugene’s most successful distribution operations – Harvest House Publishers.  Harvest House is among the top five publishers of Christian literature in the United States today.  Since they began in 1974, they have sold over 45 million copies of books.  With over 1000 titles currently in print, they ship to bookstores and other regional distribution channels around the world.  They currently run three shifts at their distribution facility in West Eugene, and annually distribute over 7 million books and bibles.

How do they do it?

Our plant tour on October 15th may provide you with some of the answers to this question. Harvest House has graciously offered to give us an inside look at their local distribution center in West Eugene at 990 Owen Loop North. This should prove to be a great opportunity to better understand how a publisher coordinates and manages the information, logistics and materials required to ship merchandise all over the world. By viewing their processes and procedures we may bring some useful tools and ideas back to our own daily tasks. At the very least, we will gain a better understanding of how others tackle these distribution jobs, and get us thinking in a new direction.

Sandwiches and refreshments will be provided at the beginning of the tour. There is a $10.00 fee for members and a $15.00 fee for non-members.

Please note: Tour is Limited to 25 participants, so please call 341-3896 or email events@apics-swiv.org and reserve your space today.

The Southern Willamette Valley
Chapter of APICS

  Professional Development Meeting

PLANT TOUR
Harvest House Publishers

DATE
Wednesday, October 15, 2003

LOCATION
Harvest House Publishers
990 Owen Loop North
Eugene, OR 97402-9173

TIME
6:00 – Meet, Greet, and Eat
6:30 - Tour Start
7:30 - Tour End and Wrap-up

COST
$10.00 - APICS or ISM members
$15.00 - Non-members

REGISTRATION
By 5:00 PM, Monday, Oct 13^th 2003
APICS Voice Mail: 341-3896, or
E-mail: events@apics-swiv.org

Please include name, company, number of persons attending, and return phone number.

Cash or check only. No credit cards.

President's Message
"T-H-A-N-K Y-O-U"
Dick Bruso

“…I want to thank the Academy, the Producers, the Directors, my Father and Mother…and on and on and on.” Any of us who have witnessed an event such as the Academy Awards are familiar with the often lengthy acceptance speech jammed full of “Thank you” for everyone some recipients know that had the smallest part in their success. This is not unlike the success of an APICS Chapter and its members.

There are many layers of support for a member of the SWIV Chapter to become CPIM (Certified in Production and Inventory Management) or CIRM (Certified in Integrated Resource Management). The Chapter Management, Instructors, Employers, Supervisors, Peers, Family and other local Companies, just to list a few. Everybody involved with the SWIV Chapter of APICS deserves a BIG “Thank You”. Without the efforts and support of so many individuals and businesses we would not be able to provide the Resource Education that APICS is known for.

The businesses that support the Chapter and its members deserve an extra “Thank You”. Whether it is through training budgets or personal involvement, this group provides tremendous support for APICS. The BOD relies upon the generosity of local businesses as they have allowed us to use their facilities for meetings, training sessions and plant tours. Those businesses include: Symantec, Rosen, Ross Corp, JCI, Wood Ceilings, Whittier Wood Products, Stronglite, Safari Motor Coaches, Country Coach, Fed Ex, Sony and Peterson Pacific…

…It seems that all too frequent we, as individuals, are too busy to tell someone “Thank You” after that person has done something for us, even if it is part of their job. I don’t think that any of us can say thank you enough, as long as it is sincere, so that someone else doesn’t want to hear it. It is a very simple way to make someone’s day.

Every year the SWIV Board of Directors is presented with opportunities to make a difference in the communities we serve by providing educational programs. Whether it is a certification training class or a plant tour, our goal is to increase the knowledge base of all that partake in our programs. We are always interested in your suggestions for new programs or subjects of interest as well as your comments, good or not so good, about how we are doing. Our chapter has a great website www.apics-swiv.org which provides for your input. Remember, the BOD works for you so feel free to contact any member.

It is time to get off my soapbox. Before I do though, one thing we all should remember is that continual learning is something we should be involved in. Learning something new everyday is a great way to keep the mind active and stimulated.

The entire Board of Directors looks forward to serving you this year and we hope to see you at a PDM, class, plant tour or seminar.

Thank you,
Dick Bruso CPIM, CIRM
President – Southern Willamette Valley Chapter of APICS

Education Update For 2003

Instead of the usual “What I Did On My Summer Vacation” report, I’d like to make a few announcements regarding the CPIM Certification Review courses for 2003-2004 and a local testing option.

First, here is a tentative schedule for the upcoming year: