All manufacturers run into business or operational issues that impede growth. They may need help improving manufacturing processes or automating production. Or they may need assistance with training and workforce development. When they need help, Indiana manufacturers turn to the Purdue Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) for expert assistance.
The Purdue MEP program is an extension of Purdue’s mission as a land-grant university. There are 112 land-grant universities formed as a result of the Morrill Act of 1962. Their mission is to make agriculture, engineering, and science education readily available to stimulate the economy. Purdue MEP fulfills that mission by assisting manufacturers throughout Indiana, providing practical solutions to real-world manufacturing challenges.
“When you look at the goals of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, they fit very well with the university’s land grant mission,” said Ranae Stewart, Senior Executive Director of Purdue MEP. “Purdue has recognized strengths in areas such as engineering technology, so it’s a natural fit to host MEP to connect world-class faculty, subject matter experts, and grad students directly to the industry.”
Purdue MEP is part of the MEP National Network, a public-private network sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to empower U.S. manufacturers. Purdue MEP serves Indiana manufacturers, and the results are impressive.
According to independent research, since 2005, Purdue MEP has helped manufacturers create or retain 41,080 jobs in Indiana. They have also generated $5.9 billion in sales, $640 million in cost savings, and over $1 billion in investment.
Since the organization came to the university, we’ve had a $7 billion economic impact on the state of Indiana.We’ve done that by working with primarily small to mid-sized manufacturers throughout the state to ultimately help them become more competitive.
Providing Four Pillars of Manufacturing Support
Purdue MEP assists manufacturers in four fundamental areas: lean manufacturing and quality improvement, workforce development, technology and innovation, and supply-chain management.
“We are on-site with between 800 to 1,000 manufacturers each year,” Stewart said. “We have a very robust outreach program that allows us to identify the needs of a company and determine what there is within the university that could possibly be of assistance.”
The organization maintains a staff of 12 subject matter experts who bring an average of 30 years of experience each to MEP clients. They visit manufacturers to assess their needs, identify improvement areas, and oversee projects. MEP is a true public/private partnership since MEP clients must match federal investment dollars for services.
In addition to staff experts, Purdue MEP also has a team of 10 outreach professionals who proactively contact Indiana manufacturers. The outreach team also has industry experience and works with companies to triage their issues and prioritize their needs. Of course, manufacturers also approach Purdue MEP directly for assistance.
Mining the Power of Partnerships
Partnership is at the heart of Purdue MEP. In addition to collaborating with Indiana manufacturers, Purdue MEP serves as a resource to match clients with potential industry resources. One such resource is the Purdue Technical Assistance Program (TAP). Through TAP, eligible organizations can get up to 40 hours of no cost assistance from Purdue faculty.
“We have a lot of folks reaching out to us to explore how we may be able to partner and work together,” Stewart said. “We have an internal vetting process where we identify if a company has a product that meets the demand within the marketplace, and then we’ll work with them to identify how we might work together and put an MOU in place. We can then introduce our clients to those resources to solve specific issues.”
Staying current with the latest manufacturing trends and technologies can also be challenging. That’s when having a network of potential partners and being part of a national MEP network are essential.
“One of the misconceptions about Industry 4.0 is you have all these things you must do. That’s not true. You need to start where you can have the biggest impact,” said Stewart. “Often, it’s helping manufacturers with this first step, whether it’s outfitting old equipment with sensors or finding processes that can be automated to free up an individual for more value-added services. We have expertise on staff for areas that are most popular, but we also have partnerships where we can make connections if it is outside of our expertise.”
For example, Stewart explains that Purdue MEP has a partner specializing in artificial intelligence since AI is changing so rapidly that it’s difficult for one expert to keep up with new developments.
Training the Next Generation
One area where Purdue MEP is especially active is workforce development. The organization has trained more than 2,000 workers through its 10-day Manufacturing Skills for Success bootcamp, designed to prepare individuals for a career in manufacturing.
“We train a variety of demographics,” Stewart said. “Some are high school students who aren’t going to pursue a degree. We also train individuals from state and county correctional programs to reduce recidivism. And we’ve done training within rehab facilities and partnered with Goodwill Industries and the Job Corps to help bring new talent into the manufacturing sector.”
Purdue MEP also has an extensive catalog of in-person and online workshops covering various manufacturing topics, from Greenhouse Gas Accounting to Six Sigma to Team Building.
Purdue MEP plans to expand its catalog of workshops and events. It will also add more partners and resources and continue to do what it does best: helping Indiana manufacturers overcome business challenges so they can continue to prosper.
