MES-Coming of Age
Tuesday, 25 October, 8:30 a.m.

As Chairman of MESA and Vice President of Rockwell Software, Kevin Roach will highlight market trends and customer expectations driving the future of MES. Hear Roach’s vision and road map for seamless integration between the plant floor and business systems, and the value customers can realize. Such Enterprise connectivity will require changes in the role of both the Automation and IT professional. He will discuss various studies that through imperial data prove the significant returns that can be realized from the deployment of comprehensive MES solutions. Learn as Roach presents the charter of MESA, the need for Collaborative MES and the organization's role to educate and leverage customer best practices to make manufacturers more competitive on a global basis. 

About Kevin Roach
Prior to joining Rockwell Automation, Roach was associated with GE Fanuc Automation North America beginning in 1998 where he served as the Vice President of CIMPLICITY Software. Later Roach was appointed VP of GE Fanuc Global Solutions Business in 2001 where he lead the software and solutions business unit of GE Infrastructure.

Roach has more than 20 years experience in the automation, control, robotics, software and services industry. His entrepreneurial background includes a startup company he formed called Interactive Process Controls Corporation, a system integration business with a focus on Robotics and Machine vision for use in flexible automation applications such as assembly, inspection and material handling. He then parlayed his initial success into a second profitable venture SensorPulse Corporation, focused on intelligent signal conditioning and I/O products. During this time, he secured several patents in the area of advanced communications protocols.

Roach attended Stone Hill College for his undergraduate studies and earned his Executive MBA, focused on Business & Technology, from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. 

Exponential growth in an ever increasing number of technologies and their applications has become a widely accepted status-quo throughout the developing world.   Intel’s Gordon Moore forecast these trends through what has become known as “Moore’s Law”—that the density of transistors on a chip (hence the computing power of the chip) would double about every 18 months at about the same cost.   This has continued for the 35-plus years of the “computer age” yielding a mind boggling improvement factor of over 31,000 times since 1981.  This has led to extraordinary and unforeseeable new capabilities and markets for both business and consumers.    

This trend has affected the extent of our knowledge as well which has continuously compounded, driven by a synergistic melding of previously separate exponentially-growing technologies.   For example, chip technologies have powered huge increases in telecommunications, wireless systems, automotive sensors, and biomedical devices and capabilities.   Virtually every day, science fiction concepts show up as affordable new products. 

But can this continue?   Where are we headed, and will the rate of such advances continue to accelerate?  There is no indication that these technical innovations are anywhere near slowing--rather we’re experiencing a seemingly unstoppable rush of technological growth as innovative ideas find ways through or around every bottleneck that looms.

In this environment, perhaps the one certainty is that those individuals and companies who understand, appreciate and embrace these ongoing developments will have a competitive advantage over their “head in the sand” competitors. 

So, join us as we take a look into Jeff Harrow’s crystal ball! Get a glimpse of new technologies likely to affect how we will all work, live and play.    Learn why the accelerating rate of these advances will make what we’ve experienced so far seem like a drop in the technology bucket.  As Jeff is so fond of saying (and you’ll appreciate why), “it’s imperative that you ‘Don’t Blink!’”

About Jeff Harrow
As author and editor of the Web-based multimedia technology journal, The Harrow Technology Report,   originally known as Rapidly Changing Face of Computing, Jeff has shared his fascination with technology, and his sense of wonder at the innovations and trends of contemporary computing and the technologies that drive them, with people across the globe for more than eighteen years.

Harrow was chief technologist for the Corporate Strategy Groups of both Compaq and Digital Equipment Corporation.  He began his IT career at a large aerospace company where he designed and implemented the first color-graphic Executive Information System, and then led the transition from a batch-oriented mainframe administrative computing environment to a 1,000+ terminal interactive distributed computing environment. He joined Digital to implement the first Network Planning and Installation business in the Southern Region, and later moved into the Services organization to work on network and network management products and services.

He invented and implemented the first iconic network management prototype for DECnet networks, and he now works with many businesses and industry groups to help them better understand the strategic implications of our contemporary and future computing environments.

Harrow is a Board Member of the Technology Advisory Board of  “The Institute for the Study of Accelerating Change.”

He is the co-author of a book, "The Disappearance of Telecommunications," published by IEEE Press.  Jeff's writings on technology are carried in numerous electronic and traditional media around the globe, and he has been featured in newspaper, magazine, and online outlets including:  Future Brief Magazine,  NanoNews-Now,  Nanotechnology Now,  Discover Magazine,   NetworkWorld Fusion,  NanoMagazine,  and Fast Company Magazine. He has also been interviewed on technology futures for TV programs, such as the History Channel's "Modern Marvels," and has been a judge for Disney's Discover Magazine "Innovation Awards."

Jeff has numerous patents issued and on file in the areas of network management and user interface technology, and he is a commercial pilot.  He brings these and other technological interests together to help people "look beyond the comfortable and obvious," so that they don't become road-kill by the side of the Information Highway.

Feeding the World Safely, Securely, and Cost Effectively - The Engineering Challenges
Thursday, 27 October, 8:30 a.m.

The food industry is changing from a national or regional focus to a global race. High growth opportunities exist in markets that are outside of any one specific country or region. The challenge is how to leverage the opportunities realized in one country or region by expanding into another region as fast and as cost effective as possible. At the same time, costs pressures and concerns for food and employee safety must be addressed. Engineering plays a key role in this globalization effort, in realizing the growth opportunities and in driving out costs to keep companies competitive.

James Durkin will address these issues from a global food company perspective, focusing on key drivers in the industry and the important role that engineering plays in meeting those needs. He will also address key issues with security, reliability and how vendors can help meet food industry needs. 

About Jim Durkin

Mr. Durkin has 22 years of experience in many aspects of Kraft operations, including engineering and operations management. In his current role as Vice President Engineering, Global Supply Chain, he is responsible for Kraft's Global Engineering function, including project engineering, manufacturing engineering and infrastructure support.