2020 OpExChange Year-in-Review

The OpExChange held an end-of year review on December 16th. There were 63 attendees and 43 companies present for this virtual event. Included in the presentation was a review of 2020 events, membership activity, 2021 Q1 plans, and introduction to some new tools for members. Most importantly, there was recognition of outstanding participation for member companies and individuals. A recording of the broadcast is available here. 

2020 Events & Attendance

As all OpExChange members know, 2020 was an unusual year. The pandemic curtailed much of the standard face-to-face plant tours. There was a total of 26 events in 2020 – 6 plant visits, 1 in-person class, and 19 virtual events and classes. Through the year, we became more adept at scheduling, delivering, and communicating the on-line events. In addition, the content of the events was “beefed-up” to provide better take-aways for members.

The chart to the right shows the number of companies attending events each month of 2020. The average from July through December was 52 – more than doubling the pre-Covid attendance. This was driven largely by the virtual events. Mike shared two comments from OpExChange members. In a board meeting in December, one board member stated, “Mike, the webinars aren’t for me. I need to actually go to the plants to see …” He did share that his staff does find great value in the virtual events and they should continue. A VP of Operations from another member company shared recently that he would much rather attend a 1- or 2-hour webinar than travelling several hours to attend an in-person event. 

Mike acknowledged that we learned the true value of the virtual event during this time. The amount of “reach” to member companies and resultant benefit is much greater with the combination of the two. Although we will definitely be going back to more in-plant visits in 2021, a staple offering of the OpExChange, we will also be making the virtual events a regular part of the program. 

2020 OpExChange Growth

Despite the pandemic, there was notable growth of OpExChange member companies in 2020. A total of 22 total companies joined – the highest addition since 2011. The greatest quantity was in the upstate with 11 additions. The Metrolina area grew by the highest percentage with 6 additions and 67% growth. A full list of the OpExChange members is included here.

2021 – Q1 Schedule

There are eleven companies already scheduled to present in Q1 with a variety of rich topics, including a plant tour of Shaw Industries in February. They will showcase how they utilize virtual reality to dramatically reduce training and operational costs (millions of $’s saved!) In March, there will be a virtual session on sustainability that will include Komatsu showing how they achieved a 50% reduction in utility costs. Jim Benson, inventor of Personal Kanban, will give us a one-hour session on visual management in February. The full Q1 calendar is available on the OpExChange website.

New Tools for Members – “Panorama” portal

In mid-January, we will be rolling-out the new portal for OpExChange. This will have several valuable features that only OpExChange members may access. Some of the features that will be available include:

• Content Library – A repository of all past events and content. If you missed an event or want to share a past event with a colleague at your plant, all the information will be stored in this location.
• Member Directory – In addition to a searchable map that displays all OpExChange members, there is an industrial directory available that will list locations, product/service, and primary contact information.
• Upcoming events – Simple one-click functionality that automatically enrolls the member in the event and sends e-mail confirmation.
• SCMEP Online – a direct link to additional classes – both free and fee-based – from the SCMEP. A full catalog of courses and videos are available here.
• Dashboard and Learning Management System (LMS) – The platform makes it simple for the member to track their progress – events attended, classes completed, and certifications earned. Great for individual development plans.

There is also a public-facing portion that will highlight members both on a map and with a link to their provided website. This is available now at https://www.scmep-online.org/pages/memberlisting

Recognitions

There were many engaged companies and individuals throughout 2020. We took the opportunity to recognize a few that truly stood out. Each of these received a handsome plaque or trophy.

2020 Company Engagement

Dish Network had the highest participation with 72 attendees at events during the year. The Spartanburg facility has been a member for over 13 years and is a frequent contributor and host of events. This year, they also presented their IIoT progress.

2021 Employee Development

Savannah River Nuclear Solutions made great use of the OpExChange this year in developing their people. There were 35 individuals that participated through the year – the most of any company in the OpExChange.

2020 Collaboration

Dantherm Cooling not only hosted an in-person plant visit in June but they also went the extra-mile to share with their peers. There were several individualized benchmarking visits and collaboration calls where they shared a deeper dive into their operations. 

2020 Individual Engagement

 There were several people that were highly engaged this year and participated in multiple events. There was a very tight race for the number one spot, but Chris LeBecq of FN America secured the top spot with a total of 13 events. It was noteworthy that three of the top ten spots were help by FN America employees. FN has been an OpExChange member for 11 years.

2021 – A year for rebuilding and growth

We do look for 2021 to be a phenomenal year with an increased number of plant visits. The virtual offerings and both in-person and virtual classes from the SCMEP will be offered. We will also be exploring video recording of plant visits so that this can be shared with even more OpExChange members. This will of course be moderated and approved by the hosting plant to protect confidentiality. 

About the OpExChange

The OpExChange is a peer-to-peer network of companies in South Carolina dedicated to learning and growing together. Member companies host events and share practical examples of industrial automation, lean manufacturing improvements, and leadership development. It is an invaluable resource to South Carolina companies that provide access to others who are on similar improvement journeys. A listing of member companies is available here.

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