What is RIMES?

RIMES is a private, non-profit organization established to improve the competitiveness of small and medium-sized manufacturers in Rhode Island.

How is RIMES funded?

RIMES is funded through federal and state grants as well as through private industry fees. Federal funding is provided by the Department of Commerce through the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). There are 77 centers like RIMES across the country. If you are a manufacturer in a state other than RI, click here to find manufacturing help in your state.

What does RIMES assistance cost?

The first step is free of charge and usually includes a plant visit and confidential preliminary needs assessment provided by a RIMES staff member. Additional services performed by RIMES are done on a reasonable fee-for-service basis.

We employ technical and business professionals from a variety of disciplines to work as consultants. We market extensively to let the many small to mid-size manufacturers know about our services. Our fees are extremely competitive and vary based on the size of the manufacturer.

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Why do we need to focus on manufacturing jobs?

Hourly wages in manufacturing jobs are higher than those in most other industries. Productivity gains in manufacturing also help restrain cost increases and hold prices down to consumers throughout the consumption chain, from production through delivery of goods.

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We have a very limited budget, especially with the economy currently in a decline, so where should my company spend our resources to get the most measurable improvement results?

The answer is different for every company, but we do recommend that you invest in eliminating the biggest bottleneck in your business. Take a look at your company: Where are your bottlenecks or constraints? Where are your workers spending overtime? Where are you falling short on throughput? You can pinpoint the problems through Lean Manufacturing tools such as Value Stream Mapping, or even just by looking for areas where your inventory is backed up.

One of the advantages of constraints management is that it offers the opportunity for immediate payback simply by identifying where the most serious bottlenecks are and eliminating them. If you eliminate that constraint, you can get more throughput. And reducing inventory and work-in-process can give you more cash to manage other aspects of your business. Contact us now to learn more, or register for one of our Lean Manufacturing workshops.

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Costs are getting pretty tight during the current economic downturn. I don't want to cut staff, but am not sure of what else we can do to stay healthy. What do you recommend?

We believe that it's best to look for ways to improve your efficiency and productivity during a downturn, so you can improve your bottom line without cutting things that may actually hurt your income potential when the economy rebounds. Employees are a valuable resource - and it can actually be more expensive to re-hire and re-train your work force at a later time than to keep them during times of slow business. If you can, now is the time to focus on training to enhance future productivity. Sometimes, some of these costs may be shared with government agencies interested in maintaining employment. It is also a good time to invest in productivity improvement techniques such as Lean Manufacturing, so that you'll be stronger down the road. Many of these programs free up savings very quickly to pay back your initial investment.

Think of it this way: Your company and employees are likely to have more time for training and improvements now than any other time. Some of your competitors will be making improvements and getting training for their workforce, so you may be behind later unless you think smart now.

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Is it true that there are programs that will pay for training of employees at my company or new equipment? How do we get the money?

Yes, Rhode Island offers a variety of grants, tax credits, low-cost loans, and other programs to encourage the growth of business and high quality jobs. The programs, requirements, and application processes vary, but RIMES has had considerable success in accessing these resources. Contact us now to learn more.

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The ISO 9000 standards were updated in 2000. What were the major changes involved, and do we need to follow the revisions?

The revised standards include several changes: less documentation is required; continuous improvement is explicitly required; components of customer satisfaction are contained throughout the standard; and they ask you to take an approach in which you to articulate how each activity fits into your overall business plan. ISO 9000:2000 is based on eight quality management principles:

• customer-focused organization
• leadership
• involvement of people
• process approach
• system approach to management
• continual improvement
• factual approach to decision making
• mutual beneficial supplier relationship

In terms of following the revisions, companies that are registering to ISO 9000 for the first time should follow the 2000 series standards. For firms that have been registered to the earlier version, the jury is currently out. Check to see if major firms in your supply chain or industry group are requiring an update to help in your decision.

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