Topic(s)
- Management systems
Join us for an exclusive opportunity to explore how Duke Manufacturing has integrated lean principles, Agile product development and customer experience (CX) strategies to drive business transformation. Gain firsthand insights into how Duke’s 100-year legacy continues to evolve through innovation, adaptability and a deep commitment to delivering impactful food service solutions.
Please note: Personal identification is required to attend this tour.
Overview
Duke Manufacturing Company is a leading provider of food service equipment and solutions, serving K-12 education and Quick Serve Restaurant markets around the globe, and is celebrating it's 100-Year Anniversary in 2025!
Its lean journey began in 2014 and is continuing to evolve and impact its organization. This tour is focused on its new product development (NPD) and customer experience (CX) journeys that have been part of an overall transformation of Duke's business model.
The Duke team will share:
- How they have adapted many common lean tools and processes to some of the unique needs of its customer-intimate business approach
- Examples of how their Agile product development teams design products by defining customer value, learning fast/failing fast, and adapting product platform development (like the evolution of their digital controls platform)
- The many lessons that have come from its ever-evolving customer experience, aimed at delivering impactful food service solutions and lasting customer partnerships.
Some of the challenges of Duke's approach include:
- Navigating a complex sales environment, including both channel-partnerships and direct customer/franchisee stakeholders
- Limited general market product offerings
- Mixed-model, high-variability manufacturing operations environment
- Balancing the complexity of overlapping value-streams in the marketplace.
In this tour, discover how Duke fulfills its purpose: to Nourish Our World.
Company
Duke Manufacturing has been an industry leader in food service equipment since 1925. For nearly 100 years, its customers have come to count on its team of creative, problem-solving specialists for unmatched customer experience and equipment that helps them be more successful.
In addition to the highest quality standards, Duke's products are purpose built with your applications in mind. Its team is here to listen to your challenges and develop solutions that address your pain and support your goals.
Duke’s success started with a single steamtable and the determination to be a “solutions provider” to the industry. With hard work, quality fabrication, innovation and a customer success focus, Duke has grown into an industry leader and cemented a reputation as Your Solutions Partner.
Headquartered in St. Louis, MO, Duke is a global organization with the reach to support customers across the world. The company has three domestic manufacturing sites totaling 675,000 square feet; two ISO certified locations in Sedalia, MO, and a custom fabrication facility in Houston, TX. Duke has three distribution centers in Sedalia, MO, Prague, Czech Republic and Shanghai, China. The Duke Software Development Center is located in the Philippines. The company has sales and service satellite offices in all world regions. Rounding out all these locations is a global network of trained and authorized service agents. https://dukemfg.com/
