The Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms (TAAF) program includes three phases: 1) Certification as trade-injured; 2) Customized Recovery Plan; 3) Project Implementation.
Certification
Establish the case for Trade Impact
We must show a decline in business volume. We must show an impact on labor. We must show imports figured materially in these two events.
Assessment
Analysis and Recovery Strategy
After your firm is certified as trade-injured, a Project Manager will work with your team to define the scope of work, technical assistance needs and recovery strategy. A Recovery Plan, unique to your firm, is prepared in collaboration with management and stipulates the amount of technical assistance to be awarded.
- Analysis of both domestic and global market trends
- Analysis of the firm’s financial performance
- Analysis of the firm’s key business processes
- Documentation of the firm’s recovery strategy
- A broad outline of the knowledge-based projects to be implemented
Implementation
The firm will execute a series of knowledge-based projects using outside experts & consultants to achieve globility. Types of knowledge-based projects to be implemented include but not limited to:
- Continuous Improvement in: cost mastery -> sales mastery -> market diversification (NPD)
- ISO 9000/14000/QS9000/CE Mark/Lean/TQM/JIT
- ERP/MRP
- Business planning
- NPD – market differentiation
- Product and process engineering and design
- Marketing & sales research and upgrades
- MIS development
- Managerial finance & costing systems
- Software/hardware evaluation, custom programming
- Management/supervisory/employee development
- E-commerce, exporting and new market penetration
- Core strategic re-direction
