WHAT IS AME
We're the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) Australia.
We are a not-for-profit membership association dedicated to helping leaders, teams, and organisations in manufacturing and other industries achieve operational excellence.
Through hands-on learning, global networking, and practical resources, we empower our members to develop people, improve systems, solve problems and drive meaningful change.
“What sets AME apart is the unique opportunity to exchange best practices, learn proven improvement methods, and connect with like-minded professionals—all in one place.”
Our History
The Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) was founded in 1985 as an international, not-for-profit organisation headquartered in North America. AME is committed to sharing, learning, and applying productivity and continuous improvement methods that drive operational excellence.
AME Australia was established in 1999, inspired by a presentation from Jim Watkins during a 'Manufacturing Best Practices' course hosted by the Centre for Manufacturing in Melbourne. Having experienced the impact of AME conferences in North America, Jim recognised the potential of creating a local affiliate to bring those same benefits to Australian professionals.
Following that initial presentation, a group of engaged participants—soon to become AME Australia’s founding members—began building support from the local manufacturing community. With Jim’s strong reputation and network, interest quickly grew.
Thanks to the dedication of early contributors and support from the Victorian State Government's Office for Manufacturing, a steering committee was formed. From these beginnings, AME Australia has grown into the thriving, collaborative organisation it is today.
Today, the AME (Australia) is essential locally and internationally, a fact that can be demonstrated by AME (Australia) hosting the first international conference to be held outside of North America. The first conference was held in Melbourne in May 2004, remarkably only five years after Jim's idea for an Australian branch was floated.
AME Today
The AME (Australia) has expanded to a diverse industry network welcoming members from all industries, including manufacturing, transport, supply chain, government, education, finance, agriculture, pharmaceutical, life sciences, health care, and more.
The AME Model
All AME learning events are aligned to the AME Lean Sensei, a powerful Members only tool to help your organisation identify potential areas of focus and improvement.
The latest AME Lean Sensei® will connect you to articles, videos and other training materials that are personalised to help you and your organisation make improvements in the areas of need identified by your AME Lean Sensei® assessment.
AME Lean Sensei® provides information to help you identify areas for improvement and provides best-practice trainings, videos, articles and more to help you continue your operational excellence journey.
Purpose
To empower individuals and organisations with a practical, reliable and comprehensive source of operational excellence, lean and continuous improvement learning.
We aim to provide our members with the knowledge and skills to implement effective and sustainable practices, leading to personal and professional growth and success.
Vision
To be recognised as the leading networking association for operational excellence.
Mission
To inspire a commitment to operational excellence through experiential learning, bringing people together to share, learn and grow.
Values
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Volunteerism
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Practitioner Focused
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Integrity and Trust
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Passion for Operational Excellence
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Engaging and Welcoming