From the time the program launched 25 years ago, Ben Franklin Technology Partners has recognized that collaboration is one of the keys to long-term economic impact. Since 1983, Ben Franklin Northeast clients have retained more than 19,600 northeastern Pennsylvania manufacturing jobs, due in part to its partnerships with Enterprise Systems Partners, Inc. (ESPI) and Lehigh University's Enterprise Systems Center (ESC).

Open House Scheduled To expose more of the established manufacturing companies in northeastern Pennsylvania to the capabilities of both the ESPI and the ESC, Ben Franklin will co-present an open house to provide examples of some of the companies that have worked with the partnership to achieve very positive outcomes. Some of these companies include Kraft Foods, Hatfield Quality Meats, Day-Timer and Just Born. DATE: April 23, 2008 TIME: 8:00 am to 10:00 am PLACE: 44 W. Walnut St., Bethlehem, PA (map)

The Enterprise Systems Center is a Lehigh University applied research and development center that brings students, faculty and industry specialists together to work in teams to tackle a variety of real-world industry problems. The ESPI partners with ESC to help execute Ben Franklin Technology Partners’ work with established manufacturing clients. BFTP works with ESPI to identify potential client companies for its services, and ESC collaborates with ESPI by providing Lehigh University student workers, cutting-edge research and development, faculty consultants and other university resources.

As part of Lehigh University, the mission of ESC is to provide students with real-world application of classroom instruction while simultaneously providing direct value to client companies. ESC believes that its research should be driven by industry needs and enabled by close partnerships and collaboration. The goal of ESPI is to provide clients with a unique “one-stop-shop” for their business challenges by providing enterprise-wide process and product analysis and improvements that result in reduced costs and improved profitability.

"The people in these organizations have spent a significant amount of time in the manufacturing environment, analyzing processes and devising better solutions," says Joe Lane, vice president of enterprise development at BFTP of northeastern PA. "They bring a wealth of innovative, technical solutions and educational experience to the table."

Collaboration in Action
Most of the companies that receive assistance and advice from the partnership start by contacting BFTP, which assesses the company needs and then refers them to ESC and ESPI. "We work directly with the clients and with the resources at Lehigh and ESC," says Vinay Govande, executive vice president and partner at ESPI. "We are called in from the very first meeting with the client to see what their real needs are. If we see a fit, we take a deeper dive."

According to Emory Zimmers, executive director of ESC, BFTP encourages the development of projects that "have a maximum benefit to the company itself and, more broadly, to the economy of Pennsylvania."

Fresh, High-Level Thinking
The specific roles of ESC and ESPI depend on the client company's particular needs. In general, ESPI's role falls into one of three categories--production setup, if it is an early stage-company, tune-ups and changes to make a company's existing processes more efficient, or application of new or different systems to get a company up-to-speed technologically.

ESC, staffed by engineers and industry specialists with proven experience, offers various services and resources, including affordable, high-quality personnel (often in the form of Lehigh graduate and undergraduate students); recruitment to help companies access top Lehigh students; problem-solving advice from a large network of world-class professionals; and practical advice to help companies adapt to rapid change.

"Most companies are facing thinly stretched resources and rapidly changing demands," says Zimmers. "They appreciate fresh, high-level thinking followed by a disciplined and competent work effort."

Ongoing, Bottom-Line Results
Members of the partnership agree that it has been extremely successful. "We have helped a lot of companies in this area to become and remain viable business entities in Pennsylvania," says Peter Christian, president of ESPI.

"Together, we help organizations eliminate non-value-added activities and align their operations with long-term strategic business objectives. Our solutions are targeted to generate ongoing, bottom-line results," Zimmers adds.

Overall, with the knowledge, expertise, and diligence its players bring to the table, the partnership between ESC, ESPI, and BFTP is much greater than the sum of its parts. Together, the three organizations have a long track record of skillfully analyzing businesses and manufacturing processes, and they work well together to assist and advise manufacturing companies on an enterprise-wide level to ultimately achieve success. “We are proud to say that we have contributed significantly to the Pennsylvania economy through the creation of hundreds of jobs and the retention of thousands of jobs,” Govande says.