Dakota MEP is pleased to again provide an opportunity to the state’s manufacturers to participate in Next Generation Manufacturing (NGM).   We thank the firms in the Dakotas that participated in the 2009 initiative as did over 5,000 manufacturing companies nationally!

Each company participates at no cost and will receive a complementary and comprehensive Next Generation Manufacturing Report showing how their organization compares to other manufacturers (all participants as well as groups of manufacturers similar to their organization) in the key strategic areas described below. Use this opportunity with other key decision makers in your firm to review these strategies and determine how your company is doing. Use the Report to help your company with your plans for the future.

This Study builds on these six strategies: 

• Customer-Focused Innovation - Is your company able to develop, make, and market new products and services that meet your customer’s needs at a pace faster than the competition?
• Superior Processes / Improvement Focus – Is your company recording annual productivity and quality gains that exceed your competition through a companywide commitment to continuous improvement?
• Human-Capital Management – Is your company securing a competitive performance advantage by having superior systems in place to recruit, hire, develop and retain talent?
• Supply-Chain Management and Collaboration – Is your company developing and managing supply chains and partnerships that provide flexibility, response time, and delivery performance?
• Sustainability – Is your company designing and implementing waste and energy – use reductions at a level that provides superior cost performance and recognizable customer value?
• Global Engagement – Is your company securing business advantages by having people, partnerships, and systems in place capable of engaging global markets and talents?

Your company will also be provided an opportunity to assess resources and support systems needed to further develop these strategies. Completing the online Study will take 20 – 25 minutes (additional time may be needed to gather information that is not readily available). Respondents are not required to share financial information. 

Deadline for participation has been extended to Wednesday, July 25^th, 2011. 

Study results in aggregate will be used by the Dakota MEP Board of Directors, staff, affiliates, investors (including federal and state public officials) and partners in helping to develop the policies and programs to support successful Next Generation Manufacturing in North Dakota and in our nation in the coming years.   

The national sponsor of the Study is the American Small Manufacturing Coalition (AMSC), an organization composed of all of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) programs in America. MPI Group, an internationally recognized research firm that specializes in helping manufacturers assess performance, is conducting the Study and compiling the Reports. 

For more information, please visit: www.NGMStudy.com or feel free to contact Dakota MEP at 1-866-297-8250. Thank you for participating in this valuable Study.

Randy Schwartz, Director
Dakota MEP
701-328-5471 (office); 701-202-8277 (cell); randys@dakotamep.com