The Surface Mount Technology Association (SMTA, Minneapolis, MN) is again co-locating its annual conference, SMTA International, with the Assembly Tech Expo (ATExpo) show on Sept. 26-30 in Rosemont, Illinois.

For industry professionals who have an interest in contract manufacturing, the SMTA has organized the Contract Manufacturing Symposium to provide information necessary to form profitable relationships for the contract manufacturer, customer and investor.  Organized by Lisa Hamburg Bastin, editor in chief of Circuits Assembly (a UP Media Group publication), the symposium will feature two paper sessions.

The first session, Managing the Business of EMS, will profile the type of manufacturing that will likely stay in North America, examine defense manufacturing outsourcing and the strategies contractors can employ to show significant productivity improvements, and debunk the myth that North American manufacturers must keep high margin, complex assemblies in North America. The second session, Supplier Engineering, will focus on elements of supplier engineering such as purchasing, lean manufacturing and supply chain management.

Papers presented during the symposium will include: Study Determines Types of Electronics Manufacturing Services to Remain in North America; Defense Electronics Manufacturing Outsourcing—Realities and Trends; Managing the Outsourcing of Complex Assemblies; What are the Challenges Involved in Migrating From Internal to External Engineering and What are Some of the Ways to Address These Challenges? Lean Culture Strategy Drives Cost Savings for OEMs; and When Global Sourcing Isn't World Class—Overcoming Sourcing Challenges in Emerging Markets.

http://www.smta.org/smtai/symposium.cfm

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