The instructor
Taught by someone who has done the job
Not a consultant. Not an academic. A practitioner who has spent more than 40 years in manufacturing — and knows what breaks down on the floor.
Your instructor
Dave Luckner
Production Improvement Advisor · Scheduling Specialist
Dave Luckner has spent more than 40 years in manufacturing, the last three decades helping manufacturers get control of production planning and scheduling. He started on the engineering side as a manufacturing engineer and CAD system manager at Summagraphics, then worked with plants of all sizes through roles at Lilly Software, Infor, Sypris Electronics, Epicor, and LillyWorks.
Since 2015 he has been a production improvement advisor to manufacturers, today through Production Priorities, and works as a scheduling specialist with just-plan-it and Planify, the Institute's sponsor. He has seen the same pattern in hundreds of shops: the schedule lives in one or two people's heads and a spreadsheet, and every day starts with the hot list. This class teaches the way out.
Background
Credentials and background
40+ years in manufacturing
Started on the engineering side as a manufacturing engineer and CAD system manager
Summagraphics
Manufacturing engineer and CAD system manager — hands-on plant floor experience from the start
Lilly Software, Infor, Epicor
Worked with plants of all sizes across leading manufacturing software and operations roles
Sypris Electronics & LillyWorks
Deep operational experience across electronics manufacturing and production planning systems
Production Priorities (2015–present)
Independent production improvement advisor helping manufacturers take control of their schedules
just-plan-it & Planify
Scheduling specialist with the Institute's sponsor — active practitioner, not a retired one
Approach
How Dave teaches
Every session is built around a real problem. You will not sit through slides about theory — you will work through the same scheduling challenges Dave has seen on actual shop floors, in a spreadsheet, alongside peers who are dealing with the same issues you are.
Problems first, concepts second — you learn the method by solving the problem, not by memorizing a framework
No software required — the spreadsheet is the tool, because that is what most shops actually use
Peer learning — the cohort format means you hear how other schedulers handle the same constraints you face
Direct access — Dave answers questions live during every session, not in a forum three days later
Learn from the source
Six sessions. Twenty seats. Reserve yours before the first cohort fills.