Newswise — ASME, the world's leading professional association for mechanical engineers, will address real world business issues facing the engineering profession at the 2009 ASME Annual Meeting to be held June 14-17 at the Desert Springs JW Marriott® in Palm Desert, California. The Annual Meeting will include sessions and seminars focusing on navigating the global marketplace, as well as business and professional development opportunities.

Global sourcing of parts, components and manufacturing operations have become competitive necessities for many companies to compete on product quality while keeping costs in check. Robert S. Rearden, Jr., vice president, supply chain integration at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, will be on hand to discuss "Global Supply Chains: Keys to Effective Management." His presentation will focus on the complex global supply chain used on the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, as well as the digital thread supply chain enabler.

The digital thread, a set of shared digital data used for design, manufacture, acceptance, maintenance and product management, was created to enable global collaboration of design teams in different time zones around the world, a major challenge to the global engineering community. In addition, Rearden will discuss enabling product lifecycle management in the global supply chain environment, as well as management lessons he has learned through the years.

"Addressing the challenges faced as part of the global community and collaborating on possible solutions is becoming increasingly important to the industry," said Rearden. "With the changing tides of the economy, it is important to stay ahead of the curve and remain leaders in development and innovation."

The ASME Annual Meeting will also feature seminars and workshops designed to better equip members of the engineering community to face the diverse challenges in today's global market. Along with Rearden, the four-day event will feature a number of notable professionals from the engineering and technology industries, including:

"¢ Andrew W. Reynolds, deputy science and technology advisor to the Secretary of State, U.S. Department of State"¢ Mark Burgess, chief engineer at Phantom Works/The Boeing Company"¢ Bonnie J. Dunbar, president and CEO of The Museum of Flight and retired NASA astronaut"¢ Kenneth R. Balkey, consulting engineer, nuclear services at Westinghouse Electric Company

Featured plenary sessions will focus on: "¢ "Enhancing Your Knowledge of Global Trade: Codes and Standards as a Gateway to Global Markets," "¢ "Winning Strategies for Global Engineering: Products, Processes and Productivity" "¢ "Partnerships and Collaborations: Best Practices and Lessons Learned"

To register for the event, or for more information, visit the 2009 Annual Meeting website at www.asme.org.

About ASMEASME helps the global engineering community develop solutions to real world challenges. Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing and skill development across all engineering disciplines, while promoting the vital role of the engineer in society. ASME codes and standards, publications, conferences, continuing education and professional development programs provide a foundation for advancing technical knowledge and a safer world. For more information, visit www.asme.org.