The TDO team has been closely monitoring the advancement of the COVID-19 pandemic throughout our region while helping our clients guide their organizations through this crisis. As the NYS-designated Manufacturing Extension Partner (MEP) Center for Onondaga, Madison, Oswego, Cortland and Cayuga counties, we are here to help all manufacturing and technology companies in our region. We are actively helping many of our clients address impacts to their organization and workforce to help them navigate these uncharted waters.

This is a crisis at all levels; global, national and local. A crisis is defined as an unexpected event that disrupts normal operational processes and has the potential to create significant health, financial, safety, security and property harm. There are six identified phases within every crisis: 1) Warning; 2) Risk Assessment; 3) Response; 4) Management; 5) Resolution; and 6) Recovery.

This crisis was certainly unexpected and has now disrupted normal operational processes throughout nearly all businesses in our region. Those that make good decisions and take action now will emerge from this crisis stronger than they were before. The TDO team can help you make the right decisions and take the right actions to address operational impacts and forge ahead. We are confident that in trying times like these, there will always be unique opportunities for many organizations to rise to the challenge and further advance operational excellence within their organization and workforce.

As we all move ahead in the Response phase of this crisis, the hardest work remains ahead. There will be a need to do more with less to operate efficiently in uncertain times. There will be a need to apply new thinking to solve complex issues in a challenging environment. There will be the need to institute short-term processes that will ensure long-term recovery and success. The same principles that TDO has successfully applied to help our clients grow and prosper will be applied to help our clients respond, sustain and recover.

I leave you with a final important message. The TDO team is here to help your organization. Please reach out to us for assistance as you assess how to respond organizationally to this crisis. We look forward to helping all of our clients continue to grow and prosper as we work through and beyond this together. Be safe and be well.

Sincerely,

Jim D’Agostino
MEP Center Director