PRAC releases final report

Issue 6.40

October 2, 2020

Message from the President

James Dyson once said, “Manufacturing is more than just putting parts together. It’s coming up with ideas, testing principles and perfecting engineering, as well as final assembly.” Amit Kalantri offered this, “Do not compromise on the quality and your customers will not negotiate on the price.” And here is a quote from Elon Musk who said, “Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough.”

As we celebrate national Manufacturing Day, or MFG Day, we should reflect upon those businesses and people who understand that change and innovation is constant, because to slow or stop in place opens the door for someone, somewhere, to do exactly what you do, but maybe faster, smarter or cheaper. Read more >

SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT:

PATRICK CALLAHAN, CO-FOUNDER, COMPASSRED

In this digital age, data is important in helping businesses make strategic decisions around business growth and attracting/retaining talent. But where does one find useful data and how is it used to answer your critical questions? Patrick Callahan, co-founder of CompassRed – a data analytics and data science company recently named to the Inc. 1,000 fastest growing companies list – will explore:

The why, what, and how of using data to understand your community
Using people analytics to understand the individual
Data sets that can attract both talent and businesses to Delaware
Workforce development in the time of COVID-19: Identifying the aggregated data that communicates trends in our community

The Growing Need for Data Literacy

and Cybersecurity

Businesspeople live in a world dominated by information. We are constantly bombarded by fast moving, complex and vast data flows characterized by the 3V’s (Volume, Velocity, and Variety). Even finding somewhere to put the stuff is daunting, let alone knowing what questions to ask of it. Traditional approaches to data handling cannot cope with this new paradigm. These forces make life challenging enough, but we need to be able to make sense of this river of information in near real time and more importantly be able to leverage it for rapid, consistent, and accurate decision making. Bad decisions have consequences. Just ask Blockbuster, Kodak and Barnes and Noble. Read more >

Pandemic Resurgence Advisory Committee Releases Final Report

This final report prepared by the Pandemic Resurgence Advisory Committee (PRAC) is intended to inform Governor Carney’s response to the anticipated resurgence of the SARSCoV-2 virus (COVID-19). The PRAC was created by the governor through Executive Order 39 with the mandate to:

Develop a healthcare system and public health strategy that is ready in case of a resurgence of COVID-19
Identify tactics and resources to manage a resurgence of COVID-19 including, but not limited to, testing capabilities, personal protective equipment (PPE), social distancing, economic development and recovery, and health facility readiness
Assess methods to protect vulnerable populations and consider disproportionate effects on minority-owned businesses in the event of a resurgence of COVID-19

Learn more

Subcommittee recommendations

Download the full report

NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT:

Great Stuff Savvy Resale

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck last

spring, many small businesses were drastically affected....One industry hit the hardest was retail, where small businesses were already competing with the advent of online shopping. One business, a small shop in the Talleyville Shopping Center was no exception. On May 14, Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition’s (DBCC) Great Stuff posted on social media that they would be closing. Little did DBCC know that what they thought would be their last social media post would invoke the community to come to the store’s aid. Read more >

Tech Teams Keep Health Care Industry Going as Field Continues to Grow

Technology in the health care industry is more important than ever. The breadth and depth of information technology is vast, especially in a growing health care system like Beebe Healthcare. The Lewes-based health care nonprofit has grown significantly throughout Sussex County in recent years – as has the need for a robust information services and technology department. From coding, security, project implementation or building out site locations, there is something for anyone looking to enter the IT field and a need for entry-level workers looking to start a career. Read more >