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Time Wise Management Systems (TWMS),
d/b/a Manufacturing Extension Partnership Management Services (MEP MSI)
[ Quotes | Grants Development and Management ]
[ Problems, Solutions, & Results | Back Office Management Services ]
MEP MSI serves as the managing agent for a number of Manufacturing Extension Partnership Centers. The mission of MEP centers is to assist small and medium manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) to develop effective and efficient operations.
MEP MSI provides management services to over 250 MEP practitioners in over a dozen offices throughout the United States. These trained experts are readily accessible to client organizations to help them achieve sustainable improvement using the Time Wise® Solutions product suite.
MEP MSI offers a full package of back office management and growth-oriented services to MEP centers struggling to maintain Minimally Acceptable Impact Measures (MAIM), realize cost savings, expand and diversify funding. The MEP MSI story began when we implemented - with the support of National Institute of Standards and Technology Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST MEP) - drastic changes in Maine MEP’s operations that proved successful in turning the Center around. Maine MEP became the model for transforming other struggling MEP centers into highly effective programs providing world-class services to small and medium size manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) at lower costs. Since then, we have established ourselves as the Managing Agent for the MEP programs in Arizona, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. In addition, we are providing selected back office management and growth-oriented services to more than 20 centers. The following sections outline details about our products and services as well as success stories describing how the MEP centers we manage, or provide services to, have turned into high performance organizations.
Depending on a center’s requirement, two options for acquiring MEP MSI’s services are available. A center’s Board of Directors may elect to contract the services of MEP MSI as the center’s Managing Agent. Under this relationship, MEP MSI becomes an advisor to the Board of Directors on all matters related to the mission and operations of the center, exercises the executive director function, and provides the Board a full package of back office management services.
Board of Directors responsibilities include:
- Approving the annual budget and annual operating plan
- Setting strategic plan direction
- Overseeing Federal cooperative agreement
- Securing state matching funds
- Advocating for the MEP program
- Recruiting qualified board members
Alternatively, a center’s Board of Directors may elect to contract MEP MSI for specific back office management services the Board deems critical to the center’s growth and financial stability.
Back Office Management Services include:
- Accounting - Standardize accounts in accordance with OMB circulars; standardize timekeeping and allocation of direct labor and indirect costs for each cost center/class; CPA services.
- Audits - Coordinate and oversee the yearly A-133 audit preparation and training for any other government audits.
- Banking - Establish or enhance banking relationships; work with banks to secure lines of credit for the centers.
- Board Development And Communication - Recruit and orient Board members; define responsibilities; coach Board to advocate and testify at the federal and state level for the MEP program; ensure compliance with each state’s corporate laws.
- Government Relations - Advocate with federal and state legislators relative to MEP funding; maintain pro-active contact with legislative staffers at the federal and state levels.
- Grant And Cooperative Agreement Management - Administer and monitor Cooperative Agreements with NIST and other federal and state grants and contracts.
- Human Resource Management - Outsource these activities to a cost-effective national service provider.
- Information Technology Infrastructure Set-up and maintain a complete IT infrastructure including laptops, Center Information System (CIS), phones, Web and e-mail.
- Operational Policies And Procedures - Standardize procurement, travel (through central travel agency), credit card activities, time keeping, vacation/sick time, and cost-sharing.
- Partnership Development And Management - Develop, negotiate, and memorialize agreements with strategic partners whereby both parties work collaboratively on activities that benefit SMEs and meet the missions of both the MEP program and the center’s strategic partners; manage the agreement submission and approval process with NIST; monitor the partner’s cost share contributions to make sure that the match appropriately allocated.
- Personnel Recruitment And Supervision - Recruit, train and supervise senior management, field staff and project managers, support personnel and specialized private consultants.
- Public Relations - Maintain a positive image of the center with the public, manufacturing community, and government; generate and distribute press releases on completed projects.
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