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20 MMS August 2017 mmsonline.com ONE-OFF Commentary This year, we're taking the next logical step in moving our Top Shops benchmarking program forward by hosting our inaugural Top Shops Con- ference, September 5-7, at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis, Indiana. During initial discussions about the presenta- tions, panels and keynotes we'd offer at the event, we knew exactly what we didn't want: pie-in-the- sky commentary addressing topics that you might or might not eventually be able to implement into your operation. Instead, we wanted to present practical yet advanced technologies, concepts and strategies that you could implement soon after returning to your shop to help grow your business. In fact, you'll see that many of the presenters are your peers—owners and managers of leading machine shops—who will share ways they've found to be more effective and efficient. We're presenting the conference with associa- tion partners AMT—The Association For Manufac- turing Technology and the National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA). The conference is built on the four pillars of the Top Shops program—machining technology, shopfloor practices, business strategies and human Top Shops: Live in Indianapolis Join us next month for our inaugural Top Shops conference, where industry leaders will present strategies and concepts aimed at growing your machining business. resources—and the presentations as well as panel discussions will cover a range of topics in those categories. Process-related topics include five-axis machining, additive manufacturing, lean manufac- turing in a job shop environment, data-driven manufacturing, shop management software, and shop automation (robots and beyond). "Front office" topics include machine shop marketing, workforce development, applying the NIMS apprenticeship program model, reaping the potential benefits of R&D; tax credits, integrating risk assessment to m e e t th e n e w I S O 9 0 01:2018 s t a n d a rd a n d a ppl y ing f ra nc his ing c o nc e pts to stre a mlin e shop efficiencies. The event will also present findings from this year's benchmarking sur vey as well as trends identified over the last seven years that we've offered the survey. The four Top Shops Honors Program winners for 2017 (Land Sea Air Manufacturing, MRS Machining, Richards Industries and X-L Machine) will also be highlighted in an awards ceremony. Registration includes access to all conference sessions; admission to the exhibition room, featur- ing various equipment and software providers; the opportunity to visit contract shop Major Tool and Machine's nearby campus, offering 600,000 square feet of climate-controlled manufacturing space; complimentary meals and refreshments throughout the event; and ample time to network and share ideas with other machining professionals. We're also going to unveil our plans to offer custom com- pany reports to those who participate in our annual benchmarking survey moving forward. Visit topshopsevent.com to learn more and register. I hope to see you there. DEREK KORN EXECUTIVE EDITOR DKORN@MMSONLINE.COM "Join us this September in Indianapolis for our inaugural Top Shops Conference."