Regional Centres for Manufacturing Excellence

To deliver the Manufacturing Advisory Service within regions and in Wales,
DTI is working in partnership with the RDAs and WDA to establish a
Regional Centre for Manufacturing Excellence in each region.  To date,
RCMEs have been launched in: South East, East Midlands, South West,
North East, West Midlands, North West and Yorkshire and Humberside.

Individual centres  vary slightly according to regional needs, but core services include;

• Information/signposting
• Analysis of real needs
• Short term practical advice
• Limited access to follow-on (consultancy/research)
• Access to training
• Access to demonstration and testing facilities

Analysis of real needs demands people with a solid background in industrial 'trouble shooting' across a broad range of manufacturing process technologies and industrial sectors.  RCME advisors (titles vary across regions; MAS Practitioners/Consultants) will relate to the callers and their needs, and deal with them or refer them to an appropriate alternative source if required (at a subsidised charge of typically £250 per day for a SME there maybe slight variations across regions).

Specialist MAS practitioners employed by the RCME and operating in the field will provide free initial advice to consultant standards.

Short term practical advice could consist of a telephone discussion or may extend to a visit and a letter report summarising the findings.

Longer term advice (typically up to five days) could be provided following a proposal outlining the work to be undertaken.

Information/signposting is best undertaken by those with experience in a subject and will be provided free of charge to all manufacturers by MAS Advisors at the Regional  Centre for Manufacturing Excellence.

Access to training will be facilitated by advisors in the RCME.

Access to demonstration and testing facilities Advisors in a centre could encourage users to consider more modern technologies and methods by reference to demonstration facilities.

DTI
July 2002

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