Mori Seiki Wins CASA/SME 2001 Industry LEAD Awar

DEARBORN, Mich., Nov. 6 -- Mori Seiki Co., Ltd, based in Nara, Japan, has been chosen to receive the Society of Manufacturing Engineers Computer and Automated Systems Association (CASA/SME) Industry LEAD Award for 2001. Mori Seiki's award-winning integration strategy will be honored at SME's annual awards dinner on November 12 in Chicago, Ill.

``Mori Seiki has a very impressive operation and a high level of manufacturing expertise,'' said Richard A. Mathias, chairman, 2001 CASA/SME Industry Lead Award committee and Technical Fellow - Boeing (retired). ``The strong involvement of people and the results from integration at the operations level were inspiring.''

Mori Seiki, a manufacturer and supplier of machine tools, receives the CASA/SME LEAD Award for excellence in enterprisewide development and application of integrated manufacturing. Essential for the incorporation of an integrated manufacturing system into the machine tool business, Mori Seiki focused on combining the three technology areas of information & networking technology, operation support technology, and knowledge management technology with four business engines: product design and development, production, sales and marketing, and service.

The results were productivity improvements in new product design and development; production improvements in digital manufacturing, machining accuracy, machining efficiencies and assembly productivity; sales and marketing improvements in business productivity; and service improvements in agility and reliability of service.

``Our success in the worldwide machine tool market is due to the conceptualization and implementation of integrated manufacturing throughout the organization,'' said Koji Okura, general manager, Technical Information for Mori Seiki. ``This dramatic improvement in business performance has led to very high levels of customer satisfaction. Quite simply, the concept of integrated manufacturing is key to retaining a competitive edge.''

In addition to increased customer satisfaction, Mori Seiki has realized remarkable quantitative business performance improvements in areas, including a consolidated debt equity ratio and the ratio of consolidated operating income to sales, since the program's implementation in 1996.

The CASA/SME Industry LEAD Award has been awarded annually since 1981. Selection criteria for the awards are strategic intent; demonstrated results; organizational involvement and commitment; and degree of integration, innovation and difficulty.

For further information on the CASA/SME LEAD Awards presentation, or for nomination information, contact Sally Ruterbusch at 313-271-1500, ext. 1822, or via e-mail at rutesal@sme.org . Also, log on to the website at http://www.sme.org/casa .

Now approaching its 70th year, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers is the world's leading professional society supporting manufacturing education. Through its publications, expositions, professional development resources and member programs, SME promotes an increased awareness of manufacturing engineering and helps keep manufacturing professionals up to date on leading trends and technologies. Headquartered in Dearborn, Mich., SME influences more than half a million manufacturing engineers and executives annually.