MPI engagements span a broad range of industries and capabilities. Selected recent projects include:

• Knowledge Leadership:
  • Project: For a major professional services firm, MPI developed a knowledge leadership plan including research, white paper, seminar and webcast recommendations.
  • Results: Firm's manufacturing practice is currently implementing plan and experiencing double-digit revenue growth.
• Economic Development:
  • Project: For a Midwestern state, MPI is conducting a study on the impact and future of manufacturing, including data analysis, focus groups and interviews.
  • Results: Study will be completed in 2005.
• Trade Associations:
  • Management Studies:
    • Project: For a major trade association, reinvigorated a management benchmark study including custom reports for members and a keynote presentation at the association’s annual conference.
    • Results: Study revealed significant challenges and opportunities for member companies, and has been renewed.
  • Product Development:
    • Project: For a major trade association, MPI developed a complete member benchmarking solution, including a study, a state-of-the-industry report, and an online, interactive benchmarking tool. Find out more.
• Research:
  • Manufacturing:
    • Project: Developed the IndustryWeek/Manufacturing Performance Institute China Manufacturing Study 2004 one of the first large-scale studies ever conducted in China, with suprising findings. Buy the Executive Summary [need admin] or read the coverage in IndustryWeek
      • Results: Study has been covered by Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and Reuters, among others. MPI is one of the few firms in the world with demonstrated research capabilities in China.
    • Project: Annually implement the IndustryWeek/Manufacturing Performance Institute U.S. Census of Manufacturers, one of the largest studies of U.S. manufacturing. Read the Executive Summary or read the coverage in IndustryWeek
    • Results: Since its inception in 1997, the IW/MPI Census of Manufacturers has become the gold standard for benchmarking in manufacturing.
  • Service Industries:
    • Project: For a major trade publisher, developed benchmark management research studies in six industries ranging from landscaping to beauty salon management, along with plans for associated data products.
    • Results: Survey and products will be completed in 2005.
  • Financial Processes:
    • Project: For a partnership between a major professional services firm and an industry association, MPI developed and implemented a financial-process metrics survey targeted at CFOs.
    • Results: Survey achieved an outstanding response rate of nearly 20%. Data has helped industry reassess best practices and appropriate performance metrics.
• Strategic Planning:
  • Organizational:
    • Project: For a $100 million non-profit, facilitated a strategic planning process with its 40 top executives, identifying gaps in value provided to various stakeholders, as well as six performance obstacles.
    • Results: A senior executive team is implementing 32 stakeholder value-improvement initiatives and 36 execution-improvement initiatives.
  • Industry :
    • Project: For a coalition of trade associations, publications and educational institutions facilitated a strategic planning process designed to raise industry awareness.
    • Results: Coalition is implementing recommendations.
• White Papers/Board Reports:
  • Management:
    • Project: For a major professional services firm, developed a board-level report that details the challenges and opportunities of producing products in China.
    • Results: The report has been well-received, resulting in client requests for similar analyses of other topics.
  • Human Resources:
    • Project: For a major human resources consulting firm, MPI developed a white paper on the impact of best practices in training, empowerment, and hiring. Read the white paper
  • Manufacturing:
    • Project: For the trade commission of a European country, developed guides to capital equipment purchasing, benchmarking and performance measures, distributed to potential purchasers of industrial machinery. Read the guides.
      • Smart Capital: The sharp manufacturer's guide to equipment purchases
      • Benchmarking: An executive primer to locating and leveraging manufacturing best practices
      • Powerful Performance Measures
    • Results: According to the commission, distribution of the guides has been one of its most effective education efforts ever, with record numbers of requests.
  • Information Technology:
    • Project: For one of the world’s largest software companies, developed a white paper on how to use information technology to change customer conversations from price to value. Read the white paper.
    • Results: Client commissioned a Webcast with more than 1,400 participants. See the webcast.
  • Legislative Reports:
    • Project: For the legislature of an Eastern state, MPI developed a report on the State of Manufacturing within the region. The report included recommendations for improving manufacturing productivity and for increasing the state’s ability to retain and attract manufacturing firms and jobs.
    • Results: The legislature created a Governor’s Advisory Committee on Manufacturing, which will implement the report’s recommendations.
• Keynote Presentations:
  • Project: For various industry associations and corporations, developed customer value and management trends presentations, including background interviews, research, and presentation of recommendations for improvement.
  • Results: Associations and corporations are implementing recommendations