Home Call for Papers Conference Programme Registration Contacts & Enquiries	The Second International SMESME Conference Hosted by Manufacturing and Business Systems Group University of Plymouth 29th to 31st March 1999 Invitation The University of Plymouth has pleasure in inviting you to attend the second international conference on Stimulating Manufacturing Excellence in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMESME99). Hosted by the University's Manufacturing and Business Systems group, the conference aims to build on the successful work of the first SMESME conference to bring together industry, government and academia to focus on the development of the SME sector of manufacturing. We are proud to invite you to Plymouth, where 22% of employment is in manufacturing and where 98% of companies are SMEs. The area is well-known as a centre for outdoor and watersports activities, and for its historical links with the English Civil War, the voyages of discovery and settlement of the New World, Sir Francis Drake and the Spanish Armada, etc etc. You may want to combine your visit with a holiday. We hope you enjoy your visit. You are very welcome.
University of Plymouth Home Page   Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council MABS Group Home Page   South West Innovation Relay Centre   Additional Information	Dr Steve Childe Conference Chairman International Programme Committee Batley T NZ Browne J IRL Baines R UK Carrie A UK Colquhoun G UK De Toni A I Donkersley M UK Doumeingts G F Dromgoole T IRL Filippini R I Forza C I Groves G I Grubbström R S Guinet A F Gulledge T USA Ip W HK Jeganathan S AUS Julien P-A CAN Kay J UK Land F UK Lee G UK Leonard R UK Little D UK MacIntosh R UK McCarthy I UK Mileham A UK Neely A UK Nof S USA Older Gray M UK Pappás I GR Ridgway K UK Riis J DK Smeds R SF Vernadat F F Weston R UK Call for Papers Conference Themes By focusing on manufacturing SMEs the conference brings together a group of researchers from various disciplines who are concerned in different ways with unlocking the potential of SMEs. Papers are welcomed from academic, industrial and government-related authors which deal with topics including: Strategy issues for SMEs, Supply chain issues and the role of SMEs, Economic development of SMEs, Change management in SMEs, Tools and methodologies for achieving change in SMEs, Implementation of advanced manufacturing technology in SMEs, Production management and operational issues in SMEs, Quality issues in SMEs, Product and process innovation in SMEs, Case studies of successful improvement projects in SMEs, Analytical reviews of SME literature, Experiences and issues related to interventions in SMEs from programmes such as ADAPT. Instructions to Contributors Four copies of the full paper should be submitted by 30th September, 1998. Please include the author name(s) and affiliation(s), correspondence name, address, phone number, fax and e-mail on a separate front sheet (which will be removed for refereeing). The maximum length of the full paper is six pages. Authors should take note of the following criteria, which will be used in reviewing the papers: clear statement of aim; use of appropriate research method; clear presentation of findings; conclusions of relevance to the SME community; originality. All papers will be blind refereed, and a decision regarding acceptance will be made by early December 1998. Authors of accepted papers will be invited to submit a full camera-ready version of the paper, taking account of referees' comments, by the 31st January 1999. The working language of the conference will be English. Important Dates May 1998 Issue of call for papers 30th September 1998 Deadline for submission of papers December 1998 Authors notified of acceptance and referees' comments 31 January 1999 Deadline for camera-ready papers 29th-31st March 1999 Conference Publication and Copyright Publication of the paper in the proceedings is conditional upon payment of the registration fee by at least one of the authors. Each paper is accepted for review on the understanding that the manuscript is original, and has not been published or presented before. Authors of accepted papers will be required to sign a copyright transfer form and to register for the conference.
	Please let us know if you plan to submit a paper. Papers and all general enquiries should be submitted to the conference secretary.
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