Conference Programme

	Monday 29th March 1999
09.00-10.00	Registration desk open at the Sherwell Centre
10.00 Opening Session Sherwell Upper Lecture Theatre	Welcome: Professor L Ebdon, Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Plymouth Introduction: Dr Steve Childe, Conference Chairman Keynote Address: Dr John Parnaby, Former Director, Lucas Industries, Former President of IEE, Manufacturing Consultant and SME Director Keynote Address: Vince Osgood, Programme Manager, Engineering for Manufacturing, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
11.30 Coffee	.
11.45 - 12.45 Session 1	Session 1A - Extended Enterprise Networks and Supply Chains The pressures on SMEs in the automotive supply chains and the adverse effects of demand variation, John Griffiths, R James, A Laverick, H Vu SME manufacturing: Is the future virtual? David Tucker, Laurie Jones Session 1B - Initiatives to Aid SMEs 1 Local universities as a resource for SMEs - Experiences from the KONVER Project, Dave Edmondson An Adapt project with particular reference to rapid prototyping within SMEs, David Watson Session 1C - Manufacturing Strategy The origins of manufacturing strategy in SMES, David Barnes, Raj Gill, John Mills, Tom O'Brien, Frank Rowbotham Competing through capabilities: A decision-aid methodology for manufacturing SMEs, Michalis Menicou, Ian McCarthy
12.45 Lunch	.
13.30 Session 2	Session 2A - Extended Enterprise Networks and Supply Chains 2 Building inter-firm networks for new product development, Lisa Harris, Anne-Marie Coles, Keith Dickson, Ian McLoughlin A case study: "Problems faced by innovative Welsh SMEs attempting to break into established supply chain networks", Richard Taylor, S. Williams Strategic innovation networks: Managing high technology in mature small firms, Martin Beckinsale Software-based supply chain links in SMEs in the North-West, Bill Haywood Session 2B - Initiatives to Aid SMEs 2 Review of the University of Sheffield's Technical Audit Programme, Antony Lowe, Keith Ridgway Can the Internet provide the West Midlands automotive supply chain with the ultimate lean production tool? - A case study of the Autolean Project, P Costello, Steve Garner, G Homer, D Thompson Initial UK experience and conclusions of the ASTRAbis ADAPT Project, London Borough of Islington 97/2000, Denys Avis Assessing the likely effectiveness of intervention programmes in small manufacturing companies, David Hamblin, John Willcock Session 2C - Change Management 1 Experiences in dealing with the management of change in SMEs: people, technology and business systems issues, Umit Bititci, Jillian MacBryde, K Vinodrai Pandya, Kenny Tannock A process for developing a model for assessing changes to legacy systems in small manufacturing organisations, Stephen Willoughby, N S McBain Strategies for change with AMT: Some experiences of Canadian SME case companies, Peter Burcher Managerial prerequisites for starting continuous improvement programs in small and medium-sized enterprises: Case studies in Southern Switzerland, Fabio Frigo-Mosca, Giovanni Alberti, Renzo Longhi
15.30 Tea	.
16.00-17.30 Session 3	Session 3A - Extended Enterprise Networks and Supply Chains 3 The development of a protocol for supplier relations, A Williams Key factors to an efficient supply chain organisation in Co-operation between SMEs, Kristijan Erzen Session 3B - Performance Measures A review of customer-focused and service performance measurement systems, Kathryn Veitch, Clive Winters A foundation for improving performance measurement in manufacturing SMEs, David Webb, Richard Greatbanks Session 3C - Change Management 2 A new approach to process based change: Learn from your UNCLE, John Bradford, Steve Childe, PA Smart Approaches in human resource practices in the implementation of advanced manufacturing technologies in SMEs, Andreas Efstathiades, Savvas Tassou, A Antoniou
19.00	Buffet Reception and DTI SME Networking Event at the National Marine Aquarium

	Tuesday 30th March 1999
09.30 Plenary Session 2	Keynote Speaker: Peter Reed, Manging Director, Thermal Engineering Systems Ltd. A view from the SME's boardroom Keynote Speaker: Brian Miles, ESRC Business Processes Resource Centre Industry-academia collaboration for fruitful research
10.30 Coffee	.
11.00 Session 4	Session 4A - Production Management 1 Performance by integration of intelligent simulation- and optimization tools in production, planning and control systems for SMEs, Wilfried Krug, J Liebelt Analysis and optimisation of maintenance structures and repair processes, Hans Tonshoff, A Seufzer Responsive manufacturing control for SMEs, David Little, Keith Porter, Ralph Rollins, Mathew Peck   Session 4B - SMEs in the Manufacturing Economy 1 Training and competitiveness: A comparative study of small manufacturing and service organisations, Harry Matlay Measuring and stimulating the deployment of manufacturing excellence in SMEs, David Yarrow, Alex Appleby, Mandy Allen Manufacturing potentials of European small and medium sized enterprises, Hans Tonshoff, Andreas Rotzoll, Wolfgang Rietz   Session 4C - Organisational Learning and Knowledge Management Learning and competitiveness - A response within two Adapt programmes in the West Midlands, Sylvia Broadley, M Hardcastle, Steve Harding Developing small firms through managerial competence & organisational learning, Beryl Badger, Ian Chaston, Penny Gardiner, Eugene Sadler-Smith, Jane Stubberfield Stimulating improvement through knowledge transfer in small and medium-sized enterprises, Alexandros Skandalakis, Geoff Nelder
12.45 Lunch	.
13.30 Session 5	Session 5A - Production Management 2 Integrated process planning and scheduling for SMES, David Hall, Weihong Zhao Economic model to evaluate an industrial order, Sergio Gallo, Teresa Murino, L C Santillo Design of an integrated throughput based control and information system for a medium sized textile manufacturer, D Duty Session 5B - SMEs in the Manufacturing Economy 2 Are SMEs prepared for agility ?, A Williams, R Partington The strategic relevance of different manufacturing flexibility types in Italian mechanical SMEs, Marcello Braglia, Alberto Petroni, Enzo Gentili ILTAS: Innovation & Learning in the Textile and Apparel Sectors - supporting strategic change in SMEs, Ed Rhodes, Ruth Carter Session 5C - Re-Engineering Business Processes Optimising product development in SMEs through process mapping workshops, Tom Inns, Catherine Baxter Prerequisite skills for re-engineering teams, Martti Launonen Experiences of process based change in small to medium sized manufacturing enterprises (SMEs),Tammi Greswell, T Rogers, P A Smart, Jan Bennett, Steve Childe
15.30 Tea	.
15.30-1700 Session 6	Session 6A - Production Management 3 Coping with uncertainty: production management issues in product remanufacturing, Winnie Ijomah, Jan Bennett, Jim Pearce An application of spare parts management, L C Santillo, G Paduano Evaluation of a taxonomy for SMEs production systems using cluster analysis, V I N Leopoulos, I P Tatsiopoulos Session 6B &endash; Information Technology 1 Electronic commerce for shipbuilding supply chains, Thomas Gulledge, Ronil Hira, John Liuzzi, Rainer Sommer Improving use of information technology in SMEs, Hans Bonde, Hans Hvolby Managing information intensity in the customer-focused small to medium sized manufacturing enterprise, Valerie Ratcliffe Martin, Peter Sackett
19.00	Depart for Conference Dinner at Crownhill Fort

	Wednesday 31st March
09.30 Plenary Session 3	Keynote Speaker: Melanie Gray, Institute of Work Psychology, University of Sheffield Key issues in the effective management of change Keynote Speaker: Tony Emmerton, Management Consultant, MK Group Technology for profitability, change and growth
10.30 Coffee	.
11.00-12.30 Session 7	Session 7A - Case Studies From old farm to new factory: a case study of a manufacturing company in a rural location, Jacqui Marsh, Irene Hardill, John Moohan Real options in justification of advanced manufacturing technology, Jouko Karjalainen, Juhani Seppanen Manufacturing strategy and innovation: exploiting and protecting intellectual property in SMEs, Lawrence Corbett, Susan French Session 7B - Information Technology 2 Prototyping of a data warehouse for SME using conventional tools: a case study, Klement Fellner, C Rautenstrauch Business information systems in SMEs, K A Reynolds, C E R Wainwright Linking and customising lower end CAD within the integrated IT environment in small to medium enterprises, Stephen Cottrell, James Gao
12.40-13.10 Plenary Session 4 and Close of Conference Upper Lecture Theatre	So what should we do for SMEs? Chairman: Steve Childe
13.15 Lunch	.