Nikce CLC Tour, Cisco Tour, CLGO Panel Discussion

Tuesday - Plant Tour Day

Today we woke up bright and early, leaving the hotel ad 7 am. The first stop was Nike's China Logistics Center (CLC) about a 1.5 hour drive out from the center of Shanghai.No pictures allowed inside, only pictures outside. The tour itself was decent. The planners were planning for an increase in demand and subsequent warehouse growth and built the buildings to match. the result is an excess of space at the plant. We compared it to and thought of it as a much emptier version of AMADON. . They also fed us lunch (very good) and then the employee store (not so much).

We visited Cisco and one of their major suppliers afterward. To be honest, that tour wasn't one of the better ones I have seen) We wore booties and a dress down how nice they are t3u you, Again, no pictures allowed.

Sightseeing in Xi Tang, near Shanghai

So, first full day in Shanghai, i went on the tour to Xi Tang village. The village is kept up in the historical style architecture and is known for its many waterways and bridges. We spent the day walking around, checking out the sights, and shopping, and eating. And you know what, it's a mouthful of tasty is what it is.

I also had dinner with my lion team and a few other folks. We had one of Shanghai's most famous dishes, soup dumplings (Xiao Long Bao!) That's another mouthful of tasty. Maybe even two mouthfuls. Check out the selection of pics below.

Upcoming LGO International Plant Trek to China and Japan

Hey folks,

Don't know if anyone else is out there, but I'm here to give you an update. It has been a long time since I have posted; life got busy with Conference planning (Business in Gaming conference, www.mitbig.com, check it out.) Plant trek starts tomorrow, so I will be posting again on the happenings there. Stay tuned for some hopefully awesome photos!

Combination Platter: Amazon, Dell, and Amgen

I'm running late on posting, so I am combining the last three plant treks into one post. Also, We weren't allowed to take pictures in most of these locations, so I have few pictures to show.

On Monday, we visited Amazon's distribution facility in Phoenix. We walked through their most advanced facility, seeing the automation magic used to allow Amazon to ship thousands of packages out a day. They utilize miles and miles of conveyers and an intense comprehensive tracking system to ensure proper delivery of all products. Not one picture from this.

On Wednesday, we visited Dell's production facility in Austin. It was not what we expected for a computer manufacturing facility. The actual plant tour was really short, but the total Dell visit was really long. The rest of the time was filled with videos and presentations. It was not what I was expecting for a computer manufacturing plant tour. I managed to take one photo.

On Friday, we visited Amgen's facility in Puerto Rico. It was by far the best run tour that we had. The Amgen people were very well organized, with a central command keeping the dance of the tour groups on time and at the correct locations. They showed us as much of their operations as they could. And to top it all off, they held a reception for us at the end of the day. I was able to take pictures at the reception, so i have those to show.

And so ends the LGO Domestic Plant Trek 2012. It was supreme.

Ford and Boeing Tours

On Thursday morning the LGO class toured Ford's Dearborn production plant. Here Ford produces F-150 series trucks. No cameras were allowed inside, so I only have the outside shot. Being able to tour these plants in such short succession is a great opportunity. We can better discern the differences in the plants' layout and operations. Touring the Ford plant was a great learning experience.

Thursday afternoon we flew to Seattle to prep for touring Boeing's 787 and 777 production plants as well as looking at their Dreamliner packages. Pictures were not allowed in the production facilities, but were allowed for the Dreamliner mockups.

Seeing commercial planes up close and personal all opened up is an amazing experience.

Different styles of lavatories available for purchase.

Checking out the seats.

Mockup of the interior of the Dreamliner.

Detroit, Detroit..... and GM.

Today we visited GM's Lansing Delta Township plant. No pictures allowed inside. We were able to see GM's production process from metal stamping to final assembly and testing. It was a long walk, but seeing the details of their system was very fascinating.
After touring, GM invited us to the North American Auto Show. Here we could take pictures. And it was amazing! Here are some highlights:

LGO Domestic Plant Trek is underway! First stop, Caterpillar.

I know it has been a long time since my last post, but I'm on again, and just in time for the LGO Domestic Plant Trek! Today, we visited Caterpillar's Treaded Tractor division in Peoria, IL. Here are some highlight photos!

For the plant tour, pictures weren't allowed in the manufacturing areas, so no pictures there.

As part of the plant tour, we visited their simulation center, where we were able to drive simulations of Caterpillar machines. MIT was here.

We also attended their live product demonstration. We saw some of the amazing things Caterpillar machines could do. Then we climbed all over them!