MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE  

https://www.nist.gov/mep/mep-national-network

The Role of Data in Supporting a More Resilient U.S. 

Manufacturing Supply Chain 

NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership

Steve Campbell & Nico Thomas

2023 FCSM Conference
MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE  

A unique public-private partnership that delivers comprehensive, 

proven solutions to U.S. manufacturers, fueling growth and 

advancing U.S. manufacturing.

Our mission is to strengthen and empower U.S. manufacturers. 

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MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE  

MEP National Network

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Centers located in all 

50 states and Puerto Rico.

Public-private partnership 

with local flexibility.

Federal funds, state 

investments, and private 

sector fees cover services.

Market driven program that 

creates high value for 

manufacturers.

Leverage partners to 

maximize service 

offerings.

Transfer technology and 

expertise to manufacturers.

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MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE  

MEP National Network

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MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE  

Business 

Growth 

Services

Exporting & 

Reshoring

Workforce 

Development

Technology 

Scouting / 

TDMI

Adv Mfg Tech / 

Industry 4.0 

Services

Lean / Toyota 

Kata

Supply Chain / 

Supplier 

Scouting

Sustainability

Risk 

Mitigation

Cybersecurity 

Services

Food Industry 

Services

ISO & Quality 

Management

Business 

Solution 

Examples

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MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE  

Data is Core to the MEP Program and National Network

• Program relies on data to understand ROI, effectiveness, manufacturer 

challenges, and to stay on top of manufacturing trends

• The need for triangulation:

– To be most effective, MEP needs to leverage:

• Internal administrative and survey data (MEP Centers and individual manufacturing clients)

• Other federal data sources (e.g. Census, BEA, BLS, etc.)

• Independent third-party data providers (e.g. D&B, JobsEQ, IBISWorld)

• Important Focus 

– Establishing administrative “hooks” to leverage external data

– Maintaining and curating these important linking variables

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MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE  

MEP Original Data Collection

MEP Center Quarterly Reporting

• Center Locations

• Center Staff

– Count and names

• Center Partners

– Names and locations

• Center Clients

– Name and location

– Size (employees)

– Industry

• Center Projects

– Title and description

– Type and delivery mode

– Intensity (hours)

– Total value (dollars)

– Internal vs. third party service 

delivery

Client Impact Survey

• New and retained sales

• Jobs created and retained

• New client investment

• Cost savings

• Client challenges

• Client satisfaction (NPS)

• Client suggestions (narrative)

• Survey response rate

• Percent of manufacturers 

improving competitiveness

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Other Data Sets

• MEP Center success stories

– Client based

• Progress plans/technical 

reports

– Semi-annual reporting

– Narrative progress reporting

• Operating outcomes

– Client engagement with very 

small, rural, and start-up 

manufacturers

– Supplier Scouting

– Connections between 

businesses with a product 

need and manufacturers who 

can provide needed product
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MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE  

The U.S. Manufacturing Supply Chain Challenge

• Manufacturing is only as strong as the supply chain that supports it

• Reliable and timely sourcing of inputs and resources is critical, especially for 

smaller manufacturers

• Events of the past three years have exposed many vulnerabilities in supply 

chains

• MEP is uniquely positioned to respond to these circumstances

• MEP positions itself at all levels of the supply chain, from original equipment 

manufacturers (OEMs) to SMMs, as well as the relevant state and federal 

stakeholders

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MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE  

MEP Client Challenges

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MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE  

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Example – A COVID Supply Chain Response

• NIST MEP received $50M to assist manufacturers to respond to the 

pandemic

• Distributed to MEP Centers to help manufacturers to increase 

production of personal protective equipment (PPE), cultivate new 

suppliers and reach new markets

• Administration provided listing of critically needed medical supplies to 

combat pandemic

– Kicked off challenge of identifying critically needed goods-producing 

manufacturers
MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE  

Finding Producers of Critically Needed Supplies

• Medicines/Pharmaceuticals

• Sanitizing/Disinfectant Wipes

• Hand Sanitizer Bottles

• Hand Sanitizer Refills

• Hand Soap 

• Cleaning Solution Spray

• Biohazard Waste Bags

• Digital thermometers 

• Powered Air Purifying 

Respirators (PAPR)

• PAPR Hoods, All Sizes

• PAPR Filters

• Li-Ion Batteries, Small

• Gowns, Disposable, All Sizes

• N95 Masks

• Surgical Procedure Masks

• Surgical Procedure Masks 

w/Shield Attached

• Face shields 

• Goggles -antifog, 

splash/impact-resistant 

• Gloves, Exam, All Sizes 

• Comfort Strips Impermeable 

Barriers

• Digital thermometers 

(forehead)

• Disposable Thermometers

• Disposable stethoscopes

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• 325412 - Pharmaceutical 

Preparation Manufacturing

• 32561 - Soap and Cleaning 

Compound Manufacturing 

(325611, 325612)

• 326111 - Plastics Bag and Pouch 

Manufacturing

• 33451 – Medical Device 

Manufacturing (334510,334513, 

334516, 334517, 334519)

• 33591 - Battery Manufacturing 

(335911, 335912)

• 33911 - Medical Equipment and 

Supplies Manufacturing (339112, 

339113, 339114, 339115)

Critically Needed Supplies NAICS Industries Mapped To
MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE  

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Product to Industry Mapping is Fuzzy

• Leveraged text scraping 

against MEP Center 

manufacturer interactions

– Looking at a 5-year data set 

pulls in around 80,000 

records

• Analysis of the NAICS 

Manual

• Leveraging Third Party 

data resources

XYZ is a manufacturer of portable test instruments for the 

chemical, food, and pharmaceutical industries. XYZ products 

include chart temperature recorders, electronic data loggers, 

probe digital thermometers, and pH meters. Its ABC program (and 

software) provides cold chain management to keep goods at the 

appropriate temperature. Its main manufacturing and distribution 

facility is in Modesto, California; it also operates a joint venture 

electronic assembly plant in Shenzhen, China. XYZ distributes its 

products worldwide.
MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE  

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MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE  

End Use Producers Cannot Ramp Up or Pivot Production Without 

Necessary Resources

• MEP National Network was able to 

isolate companies in identified industries 

and begin outreach

– Built company lists from MEP client 

database and D&B Hoovers

• Supply chain disruptions and workforce 

challenges delayed manufacturer's 

ability to produce needed supplies

• Need to engage the suppliers to 

identified producers to strengthen supply 

chains and ramp up production/pivot

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MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE  

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Mapping Supply Chains Of Critically Needed Products is Even 

Fuzzier

• Anchored on the identified priority NAICS codes (5-digit and 6-digit level)

• Leveraged the BEA Supply-Use Framework to identify important supply 

chain components (amounts and shares of intermediate inputs)

– Complemented data with modeling down to state level using third party capability

• Concentration interest

– Low (ability to broaden reach for critical supplies)

– High (ability to narrowly tailor requests for MEP Centers)
MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE  

A Closer Look

Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing 

(325412)

• High supplier industry concentration

• 58% of commodities purchased were from (Biological product 

(except diagnostic) manufacturing) NAICS 325414

• Other supplier industries include:

– 325193 - Ethyl Alcohol Manufacturing

– 325199 - All Other Basic Organic Chemical Manufacturing

– 325411 - Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing

– 325991 -Custom Compounding of Purchased Resins

– 325998 - All Other Miscellaneous Chemical Product and Preparation 

Manufacturing

– 326199 - All Other Plastics Product Manufacturing

Surgical and Medical Instrument Manufacturing 

(339112)

• Low supplier industry concentration

• No single commodities represented more than 13% of total 

commodity inputs

• Top commodity need was from Surgical appliance and supplies 

manufacturing (NAICS 339113)

– Only commodity over 10%

• Other supplier industries include:

– 325211 - Plastics Material and Resin Manufacturing

– 326190 - Other plastics product manufacturing

– 326220 -Rubber and Plastics Hoses and Belting Manufacturing

– 326291 – Rubber Product Manufacturing for Mechanical Use

– 326299 - All Other Rubber Product Manufacturing

– 327215 - Glass Product Manufacturing Made of Purchased Glass

– 331110 -Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing

– 332114 -Custom Roll Forming

– 339112 - Surgical and Medical Instrument Manufacturing

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MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE  

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MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE  

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MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE  

MEP National Network Supplier Scouting Service

• Can be applied on a national, regional, 

or local scale

• Identify manufacturers with production 

and technical capabilities and connect 

them with larger and more diverse 

supply chains

• Identify and connect suppliers with 

purchasers, responding to the specific 

needs of agencies to meet Build 

America, Buy America requirements

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MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE  

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Supplier Scouting Process

Supplier Scouting 

Opportunity

• Data on requestor

• Data on item to be 

scouted

Each MEP Center Scans 

Manufacturing Base

• All 51 responses are 

captured in MEP 

Information System

• Can be exact match, 

manufacturer possesses 

capability, manufacturer 

can produce similar item, 

or manufacturer 

possesses relevant 

capabilities to produce 

with limited retooling

• Or no match

Response to Supplier 

Scouting Opportunity

• Either no match is 

found (documented)

• Connection is made 

between 

organizations

• Report is generated
MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE  

Supply Chain Optimization and Intelligence 

Network (SCOIN) aligns with the national 

strategy for advanced manufacturing and 

MEP’s strategic priorities. 

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MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE  

Vision: Post 2025

Use data so SMMs can participate 

in larger supply chains as Tier 2-4 

suppliers and support new 

industries that can possibly funded 

by OEMs.

Goal is to create a national ecosystem to support growing U.S. manufacturing by making more 

connections along the supply chain. 

Map what suppliers exist today and 

what suppliers can pivot to increase 

U.S. manufacturing capacity.

Create a national network that can 

respond to needs of the country 

regardless of state or region.
MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE  

SCOIN Objectives:

Invested over $20 million in MEP National Network to:

• Expand existing MEP Centers capacity to provide services focused on 

national supply chain optimization

• Establish a national Supply Chain Optimization and Intelligence 

Network that will:

– Comprehensively support supplier scouting services

– Rigorously assess and analyze domestic manufacturing capabilities 

– Expand the inherent knowledge of each MEP Center’s local manufacturing ecosystems 

– Build an integrated knowledge of U.S. supply networks 

– Work with OEMs to identify U.S. small and medium suppliers
MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE  

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Bringing it All Together

• Program brings unique perspective to federal supply chain knowledge 

and services

• Opportunities to better integrate into the federal supply chain data 

conversation

• Supplier Scouting and SCOIN bring new dimension to understanding 

domestic production capabilities
MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE  

Stay Connected

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https://www.nist.gov/blogs/manufacturing-innovation-blog 

Get the latest MEP National Network news at:

www.nist.gov/mep

Contact Us:

mfg@nist.gov

301-975-5020

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