
Manufacturing Extension Partnerships Centers (MEPs), located in every state and Puerto Rico, offer a comprehensive range of business services to assist small and middle-sized companies grow and flourish. MEP Centers have been established in every state, including Puerto Rico. These centers are trusted business advisors that help solve manufacturers' challenges while identifying opportunities for expansion.
MEP centres hire subject-matter experts who have a specific understanding of their local industry, and are experienced in assisting small to medium manufacturers. They offer support in a wide range of areas, including productivity enhancement, cybersecurity protection and growth for businesses. They also create tools that SMMs can use internally or develop with their suppliers, according to Sharon Ohman, senior services manager for Purdue University's MEP center in Fort Wayne.
The federal government pays half of the funding to each center. The rest is paid by local and state governments, or by private organizations. In January 2017, American Innovation and Competitiveness Act changed the cost sharing ratio for MEP centres, allowing these centers to retain a greater portion of nonfederal funding.
Most MEP centres are non-profit or affiliated with universities. Other MEP centers are operated by the state government or an agency within the same state as the center.

These centers may have managers, consultants, or professional technicians on staff. Some centers are equipped with laboratories and research centers.
Some centers offer consulting and training services to other businesses. Nebraska MEP for instance, offers manufacturers support in implementing technology.
MEP services can be delivered to a manufacturer's employees or even to the company itself. Some centers send specialists to manufacturing sites to work with the manufacturer's management team on specific goals.
MEP centres have been able to connect with more than 3000 manufacturers during the past 12 months. It helped them to generate $14.4B in sales and $1.5B in cost-savings, $5.2B in new investments from clients, and 125,746 job creations across the U.S.
The MEP National Network comprises the NIST MEP Programm Office, 51 MEP Centers and a MEP Advisory Board. These partners are vital to the success of MEP by ensuring that it remains effective and can expand its reach in the future to U.S. manufacturing.

MEP Network's information infrastructure and pilots help MEP Centers and smaller manufacturers access the technical data they need to run their businesses. These projects will accelerate the adoption and use of electronic commerce among MEP centers, smaller manufacturers and other businesses.
MEP National Network, in addition to being a critical component of the larger national strategy for increasing the ability of small and mid-sized manufacturers to adopt new technology to support business growth and economic development. The MEP National Network connects with more than 7,000 manufacturers a year, and its work is helping to increase innovation, job creation and economic growth in the United States.
FAQ
Is automation important for manufacturing?
Automation is important not only for manufacturers but also for service providers. Automation allows them to deliver services quicker and more efficiently. It also helps to reduce costs and improve productivity.
What are the 7 Rs of logistics management?
The acronym "7R's" of Logistics stands for seven principles that underpin logistics management. It was developed by International Association of Business Logisticians (IABL), and published as part of their "Seven Principles of Logistics Management Series" in 2004.
The following letters form the acronym:
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Responsible – ensure that all actions are legal and don't cause harm to anyone else.
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Reliable - have confidence in the ability to deliver on commitments made.
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Reasonable - use resources efficiently and don't waste them.
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Realistic - Consider all aspects of operations, including environmental impact and cost effectiveness.
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Respectful – Treat others fairly and equitably.
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Reliable - Find ways to save money and increase your productivity.
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Recognizable - provide customers with value-added services.
What are the responsibilities for a manufacturing manager
The manufacturing manager should ensure that every manufacturing process is efficient and effective. They should also be aware of any problems within the company and act accordingly.
They should also be able and comfortable communicating with other departments like sales and marketing.
They should also be aware of the latest trends in their industry and be able to use this information to help improve productivity and efficiency.
What are the responsibilities of a logistic manager?
Logistics managers ensure that goods arrive on time and are unharmed. This is done using his/her knowledge of the company's products. He/she also needs to ensure adequate stock to meet demand.
Statistics
- [54][55] These are the top 50 countries by the total value of manufacturing output in US dollars for its noted year according to World Bank.[56] (en.wikipedia.org)
- According to a Statista study, U.S. businesses spent $1.63 trillion on logistics in 2019, moving goods from origin to end user through various supply chain network segments. (netsuite.com)
- It's estimated that 10.8% of the U.S. GDP in 2020 was contributed to manufacturing. (investopedia.com)
- In 2021, an estimated 12.1 million Americans work in the manufacturing sector.6 (investopedia.com)
- According to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), China is the top manufacturer worldwide by 2019 output, producing 28.7% of the total global manufacturing output, followed by the United States, Japan, Germany, and India.[52][53] (en.wikipedia.org)
External Links
How To
How to Use Just-In-Time Production
Just-intime (JIT), a method used to lower costs and improve efficiency in business processes, is called just-in-time. It's a way to ensure that you get the right resources at just the right time. This means that you only pay the amount you actually use. Frederick Taylor developed the concept while working as foreman in early 1900s. He observed how workers were paid overtime if there were delays in their work. He decided that workers would be more productive if they had enough time to complete their work before they started to work.
JIT is about planning ahead. You should have all the necessary resources ready to go so that you don’t waste money. You should also look at the entire project from start to finish and make sure that you have sufficient resources available to deal with any problems that arise during the course of your project. If you expect problems to arise, you will be able to provide the necessary equipment and personnel to address them. You won't have to pay more for unnecessary items.
There are many JIT methods.
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Demand-driven: This type of JIT allows you to order the parts/materials required for your project on a regular basis. This will enable you to keep track of how much material is left after you use it. This will allow you to calculate how long it will take to make more.
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Inventory-based: This allows you to store the materials necessary for your projects in advance. This allows for you to anticipate how much you can sell.
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Project-driven: This means that you have enough money to pay for your project. Once you have an idea of how much material you will need, you can purchase the necessary materials.
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Resource-based JIT: This type of JIT is most commonly used. This is where you assign resources based upon demand. You will, for example, assign more staff to deal with large orders. You'll have fewer orders if you have fewer.
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Cost-based : This is similar in concept to resource-based. But here, you aren't concerned about how many people your company has but how much each individual costs.
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Price-based: This is very similar to cost-based, except that instead of looking at how much each individual worker costs, you look at the overall price of the company.
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Material-based: This is very similar to cost-based but instead of looking at total costs of the company you are concerned with how many raw materials you use on an average.
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Time-based: This is another variation of resource-based JIT. Instead of focusing on how much each employee costs, you focus on how long it takes to complete the project.
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Quality-based JIT: Another variation on resource-based JIT. Instead of worrying about the costs of each employee or how long it takes for something to be made, you should think about how quality your product is.
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Value-based JIT : This is the newest type of JIT. In this instance, you are not concerned about the product's performance or meeting customer expectations. Instead, you're focused on how much value you add to the market.
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Stock-based: This is an inventory-based method that focuses on the actual number of items being produced at any given time. It is used when production goals are met while inventory is kept to a minimum.
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Just-in-time (JIT) planning: This is a combination of JIT and supply chain management. It refers to the process of scheduling the delivery of components as soon as they are ordered. It is essential because it reduces lead-times and increases throughput.