LFM Plant Tour:
Operations Club members have the opportunity to participate in the annual Leaders for Manufacturing (LFM) plant tour. The two week trip over IAP is an unparalleled opportunity to visit factory floors and discuss the issues impacting US manufacturing with company leaders. Recent LFM Plant Tour visits have included:
- Ford Motor Company (Detroit)
- General Motors Company (Detroit)
- American Axle (Detroit)
- The Boeing Company (Seattle)
- Amazon.com (Reno)
- Intel Corporation (Phoenix)
- United Technologies Corporation (Phoenix)
- Honeywell (Phoenix)
- Dell Inc. (Austin)
New York Operations Trek:
In the fall of 2006, the club organized its inaugural New York Operations Trek in the city. Visits included:
- A terminal tour of JetBlue Airways' JFK operations. Students toured the control room, airstrip, baggage facilities, and inflight lounge in JFK's Terminal 6.
- A museum tour and discussion with executives at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). The visit focused on examining the world's foremost museum of modern art from a service operations perspective.
Local Plant Tours:
The MIT Sloan Operations Management Club also holds local Plant Tours around the Boston area. Recent tours have included:
2006 - 2007:
UPS Chelmsford Hub Tour - This tour provided club members with a unique opportunity to view UPS's Northern New England hub serving Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Northern Massachusetts. The hub is one of UPS's 10 largest facilities by volume in its US network.
New Balance Factory Tour - Club members had an opportunity to visit New Balance's Lawrence, MA facility as well as meet with Senior Executives in Operations and Quality. Everyone was impressed with New Balance's commitment to US manufacturing and dedication to implementing lean manufacturing techniques through its NB2E program.
2005 - 2006:
Wal-Mart Distribution Center Tour - This tour provided club members with a chance to view the operations of the world's largest retailer. The club toured the inbound and outbound logistics operations as well as the product sortation capabilities of a facility that serves Wal-Mart retail stores in the Greater New England Area.
Finale Desserts Tour - Operations does not just involve factories. In December the club toured Finale Desserts in Harvard Square and learned the operations behind baking, garnishing, and seating capacity decisions, and saw the benefits of operational excellence in the restaurant sector.
2004 - 2005:
7 Cycles Factory Tour - Club members had the opportunity to visit the production floor of a high-end, custom bicycle manufacturer. It was an excellent illustration of a job shop and a fantastic visit.
Logan Airport Visit & Tour - 15 club members met with top airport executives and discussed issues in airport management. They also had a guided tour of the new Terminal A building and airstrips.