Identify Your Next Improvement Priorities.
Before you invest in AI, automation, new equipment, or added capacity — know whether your business systems are ready to turn that investment into real performance.
Spark Benchmarking for Excellence is VIA's confidential self-assessment for manufacturers. Answer questions across six categories, and you'll get a baseline of where your business stands, size-appropriate recommendations, and a customized Next Steps Playbook — delivered in under two days. Every participant gets this. Not just finalists.
"Spark used to feel like a lot of work for a maybe. We rebuilt it so every single company gets something useful back — fast. If you're not sure where to start, just call me. I'll walk you through it myself."
— Ray Ziganto, Valley Industrial Association
Technology Is Moving Faster Than Most Companies Can Absorb It.
AI, automation, customer expectations, and workforce pressure are changing manufacturing quickly. You don't need to adopt every new technology — but you do need business systems capable of evaluating change, absorbing new capability, and converting investment into measurable improvement.
Spark isn't another AI-readiness assessment. It's a baseline — a way to know where you stand before your next major investment in technology, capacity, or workforce.
Six Categories. One Complete Picture.
Complete all six for your full growth-readiness picture, or focus on the areas where you most need clarity.
Workforce Development
How you build, train, and retain capability.
Culture
How your team communicates, collaborates, and stays aligned.
Safety
How consistently safety is built into daily operations.
Operations
How reliably your processes run and scale.
Innovation
How you identify and act on new ideas and technology.
Social Responsibility
How your company shows up in its community.
Improvement Is the Goal. Recognition Is the Celebration.
Spark used to feel complex, slow, and mostly valuable if you made finalist. That's changed.
- Data in days. Complete all six categories and get a customized Next Steps Playbook in under two days — not weeks.
- Light lift, big return. Bring your whole team into the survey. It's a fast way to connect people to strategy, priorities, and goals.
- Results for everyone, not just finalists. Whether or not you choose to compete for the Spark Award, you get the tools to get to the next level.
Built for Action, Not Just Insight.
Every company that participates now receives:
- A confidential performance baseline
- Automated ADLI-based analysis (Approach, Deployment, Learning, Integration)
- Size-appropriate improvement recommendations
- A resource list connected to relevant VIA programs
- A complimentary 30-minute results review with the Spark team
Built on seven years of manufacturing data and input from subject-matter experts. Your results are tailored to your company and yours alone.
Three Steps. Start Anytime.
- Log in at VIASpark.org. This is a separate login from the main VIA website — use your email address, or create a new account if you're new. The updated survey opens September 1, 2026.
- Choose your categories. Complete all six for your full picture and Next Steps Playbook, or select up to two categories if you'd also like to compete for the Spark Award.
- Work at your own pace. Save your progress and return anytime. When ready, submit — your baseline and recommendations follow in under two days.
Need a hand? Call the VIA office at (630) 892-4228 — we're glad to schedule an on-site visit and walk through the survey with you, one-on-one.
The Spark Award Is a Celebration — Not the Point.
If you complete all six categories, your results can also become your entry for the Spark Award, VIA's annual recognition of outstanding performance among Illinois manufacturers — but only if you opt in. Your responses stay confidential unless you're selected as a finalist.
Whether or not you compete, your participation matters: aggregated results shape the focus of VIA's Excellence Forums, so the conversations stay grounded in what member companies are actually facing.
Recognizing outstanding performance among Illinois manufacturers.
Built for Manufacturers Across Northern Illinois
VIA serves small and mid-sized manufacturers across greater Chicago and Northern Illinois, with a primary focus on Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, DeKalb and Will counties.
Already Know Where Your Gaps Are?
If Spark surfaces a workforce alignment, accountability, or leadership bottleneck issue, VIA Manufacturing Growth Systems is built to close exactly those gaps — as one connected system, not separate trainings. Ask about it during your results review.
Ready to See Where You Stand?
You're part of something useful, and we're glad you're here.
Common Questions
What is Spark Benchmarking for Excellence?
Spark Benchmarking for Excellence is VIA's confidential self-assessment survey for manufacturers, covering six categories: Workforce Development, Culture, Safety, Operations, Innovation, and Social Responsibility. Every participant receives a performance baseline and size-appropriate recommendations.
Do I have to compete for an award to participate?
No. You can complete any or all six categories purely for the insight and recommendations. Competing for the Spark Award is optional and requires completing all six categories, with your entry limited to up to two categories.
How long does it take to get results?
Companies that complete all six categories receive a customized Next Steps Playbook within two days of submitting — built from an automated ADLI-based analysis (Approach, Deployment, Learning, Integration), not a manual review process.
Is there a cost to participate?
Participation details, including any applicable fees, are confirmed at login through VIASpark.org. Contact the VIA office at (630) 892-4228 with questions before you start.
Do I need to be a VIA member to participate?
No. Prospective members can participate in Spark Benchmarking, and it's a useful way to experience the kind of practical support VIA provides before joining.
