This CIFT success story was originally published by NIST.
Founded in Findlay, Ohio in 1979, MLS Systems is a manufacturer and systems integrator of custom designed and built equipment for medium to high volume production facilities. As a custom capital equipment supplier, the company provides single source responsibility for equipment ranging from small single station machines to multi-station production lines.
MLS Systems needed to expand their customer base to DOD suppliers to continue in the automotive arena. To accomplish this, MLS Systems needed an assessment and documentation steps necessary to implement NIST 800-171 in accordance with DFARS 252.204-7008. MLS Systems and CIFT, part of the Ohio MEP and the MEP National Network™, had an ongoing relationship, so MLS reached out to CIFT for assistance with this effort.
“The MEP program is a critical factor to the success of manufacturing in Ohio. The Northwest Ohio MEP has been very helpful to MLS, by working with us on a number of initiatives, including cyber security and lean manufacturing. It is a much needed resource that assists Northwest Ohio manufacturers with meeting the needs of our customers.” — Chad Bouillon, President
In executing this project, coordinated by CIFT Ohio MEP, MLS gained a significant advantage in its ability to prevent and react to internal and external security threats. The upgrading of essential outdated and unsupported equipment increased productivity and security when integrated with the various assets onsite. Any unnecessary holes and gaps within the physical network were eliminated to ensure the integrity and consistency of the network. The IT infrastructure was streamlined and simplified to create a more efficient data traffic flow, which helped to increase productivity throughout the facility.
