The Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) will bestow upon Ventana Medical Systems Inc. a 2014 Manufacturing Excellence Award. Vice President of the AME Manufacturing Excellence Awards Council Michael Bremer will visit Ventana on Oct. 29 to present the award. The company will officially be honored during the 2014 AME International Excellence Inside Conference, Nov. 10-14 in Jacksonville, Florida.
The AME Manufacturing Excellence Award is the premier award for excellence in manufacturing operations. The award recognizes leaders demonstrating best practices in continuous improvement methodology, creativity and innovation. The rigorous selection process begins when a company submits an extensive achievement report highlighting their efforts implementing continuous improvement practices across the entire value stream, covering manufacturing best practices, supply-chain flow, product development, safety initiatives and people powered excellence.
The AME assessment team then evaluates achievement reports against established criteria. Companies that receive the overall highest achievement scores are selected for an on-site visit by industry-expert auditors. Over the course of two days, auditors verify the information in the report, confirm that continuous improvement practices are embedded in the company culture and that senior management is engaged in the process. Award winners are selected based on the combined results of the achievement report and the on-site visit.
“Each year, a significant number of companies submit applications for these awards, with only a select few make it through to our final round of considerations,” said AME President Barbara Morrison. “AME Manufacturing Excellence Award recipients are a class above the rest—they represent the pinnacle of operational excellence in action.”
The AME assessment team praised Ventana for its dedication to accountability and for taking great care of employees, customers and the community. The assessors also praised the company, remarking “The commitment by Ventana to their cultural beliefs is definitely a best practice of people-centered leadership combined with enterprise excellence, which is a core tenant of AME.” They also lauded the progress and improvements the company has achieved in the last three years, stating, “We believe … [the] Ventana focus on excellence in every aspect of the company will provide a thriving future…”
“This was one of the best audits,” commented Himanshu Parikh, vice president of Manufacturing Operations at Ventana. “We were able to work with industry leaders during the audit process to get affirmation of our lean journey and embedded continuous improvement culture. The insight provided by the auditors will be valuable as we continue with our journey.”
Ventana Medical Systems Inc. is a member of the Roche Group. Founded in 1985, the company today employs 1,200 people and manufactures and distributes over 250 unique cancer diagnostic tests and related instruments worldwide. Ventana is committed to improving the lives of all patients afflicted with cancer.
