News Article
THE latest stage of One North East’s continued drive to simplify and improve business support across the region is underway.
The regional development agency has launched a project which will put in place enhanced support for North East manufacturers with the evolution of one of the Agency’s flagship projects, North East Productivity Alliance (NEPA) Best Practice, regional pioneers of efficiency saving lean manufacturing techniques.
In the new service, NEPA will be integrated with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform’s (previously DTI) enhanced Manufacturing Advisory Service to provide a seamless offer to business. Other related manufacturing support, such as Energy Resource Efficiency and Design for Manufacturing, will also be delivered via this route.
One North East has now launched the tendering process that will see a new management arrangement put in place to provide a first-rate comprehensive service to the region’s manufacturers. This will start in July 2007.
The project manager overseeing the process within One North East is Dorothy Kelly. She said: “Manufacturing is a cornerstone of the North East economy and despite the economic impact from lower cost, overseas competitors the sector still employs about 150,000 people – nearly 14% of the regional workforce.
“One North East is committed to supporting manufacturing and putting in place more efficient and robust working practices that can raise competitiveness of regional firms in the global marketplace, ultimately boosting productivity, growth and sustainability.
“NEPA is one of One North East’s prime projects and because of its highly successful evolution and the Agency’s ongoing drive to simplify business support across the region, it has been agreed that it is time for NEPA Best Practice to be integrated with other manufacturing support and delivered outside of One North East.”
In the last financial year alone NEPA worked with over 30 companies helping achieve millions in productivity savings by adopting lean manufacturing principles into their business.
Dorothy added: “The process is being managed to ensure that there is a seamless transition to the new service and that the quality of the service and the brand is maintained – so it is very much business as usual for the NEPA and MAS teams.”
For more information please contact: Bryn Littleton, press office, One North East on Tel: (0191) 2296713, mobile no: 07717 468918.
e-mail : bryn.littleton@onenortheast.co.uk
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