NAFEM has combined two surveys--the Operations & Supply Chain and Wage & Benefits studies--into one. The Business Planning Study examines everything from management practices, manufacturing trends, and supply chain considerations to compensation packages. An invitation to participate was sent today to those with the responsibility of "principal contact" in NAFEM's member database. Please take a moment and provide your input--participating member companies earn five (5) priority points toward booth selection at The NAFEM Show in 2015 and beyond. Questions? Contact Charlie Souhrada, CFSP, Director, Member Services, +1.312.821.0212; csouhrada@nafem.org.

Equipment connectivity is easier than ever before thanks to NAFEM Data Protocol Version 3.0. The new version identifies the basic data structure and leaves data definition in the manufacturer's hands. Suggestions for implementation and data transfer are addressed through application notes. These notes provide implementation and data transmission guidance, as opposed to a required, one-size-fits-all solution. The flexibility allows NDP to address unique, operator-driven strategies and for the equipment to communicate in a demanding kitchen environment. Questions? Contact Charlie Souhrada, CFSP, Director, Member Services, +1.312.821.0212; csouhrada@nafem.org.

Keep The NAFEM Show momentum going and make sure your company's products are listed in the NAFEM Showplace, our FREE, online, 24/7 marketplace. The NAFEM Showplace is a dynamic site for equipment and supplies purchasers to research E & S options and interact with you and fellow users. We are marketing Showplace to the end-user associations so both commercial and non-commercial customers are aware of the resource and encouraged to use it. To get started or to make updates, your company's designated Showplace contact can login to www.nafemshowplace.org via the same credentials used to login to the NAFEM website. Not sure who your company's contact is or have a question about The NAFEM Showplace? Contact Alice Konopasek, +1.312.821.0206; akonopasek@nafem.org.

NAFEM has created a convenient package to streamline the certification process, the CFSP Online Course Package. For $775/person, the package includes the application fee, a .pdf copy of the review questions and glossary of terms from the textbook, the online module and exam. The CFSP Online Course module allows you to take the course at your own pace, from the comfort of your home or office. It is based on the CFSP textbook, An Introduction to the Foodservice Industry, and features 14 hours of content. Passing the CFSP exam is still a requirement to certification, and the test is administered manually. To get an idea of the format and content of the module, watch the preview.

NAFEM's CFSP Online Course Package joins the traditional CFSP In-person Course Package, which is $550/person and includes the application fee, the 20-chapter textbook, An Introduction to the Foodservice Industry, the one-day, in-person overview and exam. You are encouraged to purchase either package when you have accumulated the required 35 points of industry experience (check out the Point Accumulation Worksheet to see where you stand). Regardless of which package is purchased, you have one year (from the date of purchase) to prepare for and take the CFSP exam. Login to learn more or to purchase a package.

In non-show years, NAFEM hosts the Annual Meeting & Management Workshop. Join us February 7-10, 2014, at the JW Marriott New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana. Watch future issues of NAFEM online for program details.

Take a moment to visit NAFEM’s directory of associate members. Remember to count them as resources for your service needs in education and training, employment recruitment, export management, food safety product needs, marketing and communications services, systems and technology, product design, development and engineering, third-party certification, utility organizations and trade publishing.

NAFEM’s industry calendar needs your input. It includes a feature that allows you to download events into your personal calendar. Once you have visited the site to add an event, please allow 48 hours for NAFEM staff to review the submissions and make them live.

NAFEM hosts a pavilion at Food & Hotel Asia (FHA2014), April 8-11, 2014, in Singapore. For information and to secure pavilion space, contact Michele Zichy, exhibit sales director, Oak Overseas, Ltd., +1.704.837.1980 x303; mzichy@oakoverseas.com.

NAFEM congratulates former president Louise O'Sullivan, CFSP, who received an award from a strategic sourcing publication, Supply & Demand Chain Executive. In March, she was named the magazine's "Pro to Know of the Year." As president and CEO of Prime Advantage, Louise leads a buying consortium that helps mid-sized manufacturers achieve savings and form better relationships with suppliers.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the April PPI Index on May 15.