In this episode, I’m talking about the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a national network of experts dedicated to helping U.S. manufacturers.

They can be a big help at any time – but especially during these times of change, they have a lot of great resources that we can all glean from.

MEP's foundation is built upon its partnerships. MEP can serve as your thinking partner and a trusted advisor. They actively promote the importance of a strong manufacturing base as a key to a robust U.S. economy and protection of our national security interests.

I’ve had the privilege of working with both Iowa - CIRAS and Illinois - IMEC. These folks basically tailor their services to make sure they meet our critical needs. 

We'll dive deeper into these concepts:

• MEP’s 6 key areas of support
• Training Within Industry 
• Developing online work instructions
• Creating project definition and plan tailored to your needs
• Following up third-party survey to confirm the results

Videos of MEP projects:

https://www.nist.gov/mep/mep-national-network/manufacturing-videos

Finally, here are some thoughts for you as a Leader:

• Empathy - Are you still checking in with your teams?
• Positive Outlook - While there are not yet certain answers, are you remembering your team’s strengths and talents?
• Achievement Orientation - Are you asking your teams to commit to moving forward and asking them to set milestones and goals? Keep looking for several right answers and circle back with your teams to rethink and re-evaluate things.
• Keep thinking about what your Value Proposition is - What are the key things where we add value? 

 

Resources:

Manufacturing Extension Partnership https://www.nist.gov/mep 

Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center - IMEC 

https://www.imec.org/

The Center for Industrial Research and Service - CIRAS 

https://www.ciras.iastate.edu/

Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce Technology Playbooks https://quadcitieschamber.com/economic-development/business-advantages/quad-cities-manufacturing-innovation-hub/playbooks

 

Connect with Me:

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynnfriesth/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/leadingthefactoryforward/ 

 

Please leave a Rating and Review:
Since this podcast is new, I’m asking for Apple Podcasts reviews. Reviews help others discover and learn what Leading the Factory Forward is all about.

I thank you so much for being here and I’ll see ya next time on Leading the Factory Forward.

— Lynn

 

***

EPISODE CREDITS:

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.

He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.

Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com