About AME-UK

	Home    Lean learning    Events    Useful publications    Links     About AME-UK      Join AME-UK    Contact us		Why to join AME-UK Reap the benefits of 15 years development in the USA and Japan on how to operate lean at dramatically lower cost          Introduction   What AME-UK does   What AME-UK is   What AME-UK members get

AME-UK Vision To be recognized throughout the UK as the professional association whose members (primarily manufacturers) can learn to add ever-greater value for customers and stakeholders.   AME-UK Mission To inspire commitment to enterprise excellence through shared learning and access to best practices, so members can personally succeed and help drive their company’s success.   AME-UK Values To maintain the spirit of volunteerism and shared learning that created the organisation. To ensure that products and services are world class. To discourage intrusive commercial activities at its events. To align, ally, and co-operate with other organisations and institutions that practice a similar vision, mission, or values. To be welcoming to people new to our organisation. To help maintain a strong, high-performance manufacturing presence in the UK that is vital to the economic strength of the region and its people.

Introduction Incorporated early in year 2001, AME-UK is the UK Chapter of the USA-based AME. It offers the benefits of the US organisation through its UK-based programme. AME-UK is a growing UK organisation that is helping managers learn and apply dramatically better ways of running their operations. The purpose is to learn the how-to and the why-to, so we can all radically reduce our operating costs. It is a not-for-profit organisation and is not expensive: annual membership costs only £100. Events and training are charged to cover costs as you attend. It provides a programme of events, learning and practical exercises that you can apply in your own companies. And every member receives Target®, the acclaimed quarterly AME journal which publishes in-depth case studies and accounts from members who put lessons into practice. The US Association of Manufacturing Excellence (AME) is a non-profit organisation of 6,000 managers, representing a cross section of North America’s manufacturing industries Its aim is to improve its members’ competitiveness through education by networking, workshops and conferences. The members include executives, senior and middle managers who are keen to improve their company’s and their personal management performance. Their cumulative knowledge has had a major beneficial effect on all the members’ businesses. Some have achieved staggering improvements. Here are just some examples: Inventory reduced 82% Set-up time reduced 79% Lead times reduced 84% Production floor space requirement reduced 50% Labour requirement reduced 29% Product development lead-time halved

Origins A small group of manufacturing managers in the USA founded AME in 1985. They realised that to remain competitive, manufacturing had to change radically. The lean principles practised by Japanese organisations were the way forward. As the group contacted friends and colleagues to propagate their mission, so the organisation grew. In the beginning small local groups would ‘showcase’ a specific subject. They illustrated how careful analysis could radically reduce time and cost to greatly increase profits. Since then, they have spent 15 years exchanging ideas that radically reduce costs and improve profits. The programme attracted an ever-increasing number of members and expanded to what you see today when you visit the AME website.

What AME-UK does Come and see how AME-UK member companies achieve changes like those shown above with little capital investment. It’s not about expensive equipment or automation. It’s about wanting to organise to do it smarter - and realising that you can make big improvements by seeing what others have done, with little more than your own time and effort.

What AME-UK is A non-profit organisation; the modest fees you contribute are used to cover administration costs. A club, where members host events and share their knowledge and experience. Members have access to a wealth of practical information and experience accumulated by the North American association over many years.

Here are some typical articles from Target® magazine: those shown here (less photos for copyright reasons) contrast how Boeing and Ford manufactured the B17 bomber during the last war. Article 1 - Article 2 - Article 3

What AME-UK members get The nominal annual membership fee is £100; training, and any minor local event costs, are charged separately. For this, each manager receives: Target®, the quarterly AME glossy 100-page magazine packed with in-depth case studies and analysis contributed by members. A programme of UK company visits, seminars and workshops. Training programmes. The opportunity to attend the AME Annual Conference in the US and hear first-hand practical advice on how to improve your operation.

AME-UK is different AME-UK emphatically rejects the batch and queue mentality of mass production. It places emphasis on Lean and World Class Manufacturing. A central theme is the reduction of waste in all its forms, to reduce your costs. People and operating issues feature strongly in AME publications and events. It is an association of members dedicated to acquiring and putting into practice knowledge on better approaches to manufacturing. It promotes day-long or week-long improvement events at members’ companies. These are very different from evening visits. It promotes simplicity. In particular it tries to discourage inappropriate use of large software ‘solutions’ such as ERP and MRPII. It actively promotes concepts such as mass customisation, time to market, agility, lean product development, high velocity manufacturing, new approaches to accounting, the lean supply chain, and lean thinking. The acclaimed AME quarterly magazine Target® is sent to all members. The editor, Robert Hall, is author of Zero Inventories and other seminal works. Every issue features in-depth cases, special studies and analysis on topics of member interest.

			AME and its track record - are you ready to join the world’s most successful manufacturing club? 6,000 managers, representing a cross section of North America’s manufacturing industries, have spent 15 years exchanging ideas that radically reduce costs and improve profits. Their cumulative knowledge has had a beneficial effect on all the members’ businesses. Some have achieved staggering improvements. You are invited to join and share in the success of the programme. Please note: AME is a non-profit organisation and the modest fees you contribute are used to cover administration costs. It is run like a club, where members host events and share their knowledge and experience. Members also have access to a wealth of practical information and experience accumulated by the North American association over many years. There is an annual membership fee of £100 for each person who joins. This includes a quarterly glossy magazine which is packed with in-depth case studies and analysis contributed by members. Company visits incur no charge other than for local costs (food etc.). Training programmes, which are optional, are charged separately at cost. The AME has 6,000 members in North America. It is now set up in Australia and the UK. Most members are from medium to medium-large companies, typically employing between 100 and 5,000. The individuals are the members, not the companies. There is no other club like it. No particular organisation or discipline dominates: it is strictly for managers from industry. We seek the best possible advice from wherever it exists, without commercial pressure. Members learn from members. We disseminate the best practice by all means possible - visits, seminars, courses, in-company improvement exercises. The purpose is to learn the how-to and the why-to so we can apply it in our own companies. The principles of AME apply anywhere. It has an outstanding track record of benefits to manufacturers that have the courage to embark on the continuous journey towards excellence. AME-UK is set up and growing. We are attracting some of the most forward-thinking company managers in UK manufacturing. And we have the whole-hearted backing of AME and of the UK Lean Enterprise Research Centre to provide the most up to date and effective guidance and information. (See our Links page.) Visit the AME USA website to learn more about the world-wide organisation. Click here to join AME-UK today

		Dr C B Mynott, Secretariat, AME-UK