Enterprise Management

Global pressures and increasing customer demands require manufacturers to operate at ever higher levels of competency. To achieve world-class status, companies must focus on lowering costs by reducing waste, increasing throughput, improving lead times, and putting customer satisfaction at the top of their priority list. The Arizona MEP provides the experience and the methodology that helps our clients achieve the right focus and become globally competitive.

Operational Improvement

The initial assessment process quantifies and qualifies value-added activity across your enterprise. We use tools such as Value Stream Mapping, Systematic Layout Planning, Quality Management System Gap Analysis, and develop Performance Metrics to maximize operational throughput and improve bottom line results. We look at the front end of your business and we enhance your sales force effectiveness with a network of third party partners. In addition to addressing design and sales, the "front end" processes, we identify and solidify the business processes that are the foundation of your organization. With proven training and implementation methodologies, we incorporate Process Improvement and Cost Reduction methodologies, providing results that immediately impact your bottom line.

Technology Roadmap

The enterprise assessment and technology roadmap process is scaleable and can be tailored to a company of any size.

Assessment teams include skilled MEP project managers with an industry expert chosen in collaboration with the client company.

The objective is to assess the business practices, technology competencies, and manufacturing processes of the company to determine the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

The assessment process yields a Strategic Technology Roadmap and a Workforce Development Plan that the company can utilize for future growth and economic development.

Lean Transformation and Sustainment

Enterprise-wide lean methodologies provide a customizable, measurable, and proven framework that transforms your company into a sustainable Lean Enterprise. Lean manufacturing is the foundation of a high-performance enterprise. Lean eliminates waste and provides manufacturers with the biggest opportunity for immediate bottom-line improvement.

Information Technology

Accurate and timely information is crucial to making proper business decisions. It goes without saying that the selection and timely implementation of an Information Business Software System, which gathers and reports this data, is also crucial. Beginning with the initial and crucial step of developing a strategy, Information Business Systems planning focuses on leveraging the technologies and resources that best match your business objectives. From selection and implementation, through re-engineering, if necessary, the Arizona MEP provides a proven track record of helping companies make the best choices available for business decision software.

Quality Management

Compliance in Quality Management Systems standards is critical; in many industries, it is a requirement for doing business with your customers. Have you transformed your Quality management System into a competitive advantage? The Arizona MEP provides a number of options that allow your company to become registered in any of the QMS standards.

Research & Development Tax Credit Assistance

The new tax laws, which are retroactively applied, on the R & D Tax Credit are taxpayer friendly and bring significant benefits to company owners. More companies and more types of companies qualify for the R & D Tax Credit than ever before. Also, more activities engaged in by manufacturers are considered R & D in nature, including process improvement (lean implementation), quality assurance (ISO Implementation), marketing, purchasing and information technology.

Human Resources

We have excellent resources available that can help small and medium sized companies with the complex tasks associated with Human Resources. Some of the task could be:

•  Staff/Talent Acquisition and Management
•  Compliance/HR Audit Preparations
•  Soft skills training (time and stress management)
•  Risk Mitigation

Training Grant Acquisition Assistance

Arizona MEP can assist manufacturers in identifying available local, county, state and federal funds that are available for training of every type, and also help in both the application process as well as providing administrative assistance during the grant period. Some of the types of training funds available to Arizona manufacturers are Employed Worker Training (for new and incumbent), On-The-Job Training, and Consortium training projects.

Plant Layouts

The Arizona MEP utilizes a team-based systematic process that uses actual data to determine the most effective and efficient layout possible. This process optimizes plant layout for those companies who must:

•  Add major new equipment or capacity
•  Rearrange for better material flow and throughput
•  Expand or consolidate facilities
•  Implement work cells and lean manufacturing
•  Implement new warehousing methods, processes, and systems
•  Rearrange teams or more effective office communications

Lean and Green Enterprise Development - Thinking Green

The Green Enterprise Development program was designed by Purdue’s Technical Assistance Program for manufacturers and others interested in learning how to apply sustainable, environmentally friendly practices in the workplace. Through the Green Workforce Training Certificate Program, participants can earn a Green Specialist Certificate that is accredited by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME)

Lean Systems and Enterprise-Wide Assessments

Sustainability is one of the most challenging aspects of a lean transformation. Statistically, most companies undergoing a very successful initial lean implementation see a significant drop off with lean performance metrics in eighteen months. Arizona MEP can provide a “lean checkup or assistance anytime during the first year to make certain all of the hard work done up-front is still paying off and not beginning to wane. Also, this concept can be applied to an entire company and its processes from front office to the production floor to the shipping dock. An enterprise assessment provides a detailed analysis of where a company stands in seven key areas. Modeled after the Malcolm Baldridge scoring methodology, the analysis is always an eye-opener to company management and certainly provides information that can enhance a company’s strategic plans, including growth, bottom line improvement, first pass yield, and cycle time.