Spring 2008 Issue
Washington Manufacturing Appreciation
Supply Chain Boot Camp
Posted: September 15, 2008
CAMPS Helps Companies Compete
Two years ago, more than 700 Puget Sound manufacturers and supply chain professionals responded to an extensive feasibility study by saying they wanted to work with an organization that could help them compete in the global economy and gain new access to supply chains for original equipment manufacturers (OEM) as well as non-manufacturing customers.
This January, their wish was fulfilled with the launch of the Center for Advanced Manufacturing Puget Sound (CAMPS), sponsor of the “Supply Chain Boot Camp” where companies can learn about supply chain strategies and positioning.
Kate Vitasek, national supply chain strategist and educator,will lead the boot camp. She will assist companies that want to position themselves into the supply chains of other companies or create their own. Vitasek will define supply chain management, focusing on the key drivers to an effective supply chain strategy. She will also identify the key participants, processes, and partners, and show how to bring them all together.
The boot camp is among several projects that CAMPS will initiate this year. CAMPS has already begun hosting monthly executive-team roundtables in Kent for its members the fourth Thursday of each month, from 7 to 9 a.m. The roundtables provide time to network and share experiences, according to CAMPS Executive Director Tom McLaughlin. McLaughlin was hired last fall and has 30 years experience in manufacturing.
CAMPS was conceived six years ago by the City of Kent and the Kent Chamber of Commerce. In only a few months, CAMPS has drawn members from manufacturers and supply chain partners from around the Puget Sound. For more information, visit www.camps-us.com. “I see us having a hundred members by the end of the year,” McLaughlin said.
Among other items on its work program, CAMPS is compiling a list of pre-reviewed and qualified experts to assist members. It is also assembling a database about innovation and is offering state-of-the-company assessments to help smaller companies assess their current status, plans and what’s required to meet their goals.
