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Managing IT For World-Class Manufacturing: The Indian Scenario
Managing IT For World-Class Manufacturing: The Indian Scenario
Managing IT For World-Class Manufacturing: The Indian Scenario
com/doc/13159946/World-Class-Manufacturing-Final
Abstract
The success of Indian manufacturing in meeting global competition will depend on its speed to move itself from a
protected domestic to a world-class global manufacturing status. This paper analyses a survey conducted for the
purpose of determining world-class status of Indian manufacturing companies and identifies important issues that
need to be addressed in order to be a world-class manufacturer. The analysis compares the manufacturing intent to
be an agile manufacturer and their information technology (IT) infrastructure in terms of scope of use, extent of use
and integration of IT-based systems. The findings of the analysis are somewhat alarming as they show that most of
the companies have fragmented (rather than integrated) information management systems which may not enable
them to deliver superior value to their customers and lead them to world-class status. They must, therefore, align their
IT initiatives towards facilitating agile manufacturing rather than introducing IT to merely automate their conventional
operations.
According to Schonberger (1986) the WCM status can be achieved by any of the
two parallel paths: The quality path, and the JIT production path. He argues that
continual improvement in quality, reduced cost, lead-time, customer service and
flexibility will lead to "world Class status". If A WCM effort fails to make it easier for
marketing to sell the product, then something is wrong.
The three Core strategies are: Customer focus, quality and agility.
The author has successfully applied this concept of internal customer, in his own
local conditions in two plants, the one making Cycle tyres and tubes (Poddar Tyres
Ltd, 1993) and the other making LPG cooking gas cylinders (Saboo Cylinders Ltd.,
1995), in Punjab, with substantial improvement in productivity and quality.
- Smoothing of production
- Reduction of setup time (like SMED)
- Cellular Plant Layout
- Standardization of jobs
- Improvement activities
- Automation
The use of Kanbans is meaningful only when all or most of these fundamentals
have been attended to. In world class manufacturing, however, one of the means of
continuous improvement on the shop floor is reduction in the number of kanbans
being circulated. This reduces WIP and keeps manufacturing personnel on their toes
to continually seek ways of eliminating waste (In typical convention Marwari
enterprises in India, keeping the supplies a little short has been a long established
practice having similar intents)
THE APPROACH
What does it take to be world class? First and foremost, you must be in control-in
control of your processes and resources, in control of your markets and customers
and in control of your information. Being in control doesn't necessarily mean you
make all the decisions, but it does mean you are prepared and will not be thrown
by unexpected changes in demand, technology, circumstance or competition.
Each of these objectives is important in and of itself; however, taken together, they
describe the focus of the activities and attitudes that define world class.
The Indian Companies can do well in having their 20 point self -assessment
exercise as per the criteria given in table below. (Note: Any person interested in
getting Questionnaire sheet required for the purpose can obtain the same from
Industry Week, USA or from the author , by sending requisition on following e-mail
address, mentioning name of the company and product group:
cityju@rediffmail.com)
Summary of 2001 returned World Class Manufacturing check-sheets with UK, USA
and rest of world comparison (note the sample size for the rest of the world (ROW)
is too small to be very meaningful) with a column for you to fill in.
All
UK
USA
ROW
You
5 No central stores
46%
40%
44%
50%
6 Flow layout
67%
40%
78%
100%
8 Education in WCM
38%
50%
44%
0%
12 TQ culture
38%
10%
78%
25%
15 Fool proofing
29%
30%
33%
0%
17 Housekeeping
63%
60%
67%
75%
18 DFM
58%
60%
56%
75%
19 CI in customer service
57%
67%
44%
75%
20 Suggestions implemented
42%
20%
67%
25%
Factors
World Class Manufacturer
Material inputs
Global Procurement, MRP
Manufacturing Process
Cellular Layouts, Numerically Controlled, High speed of through put Total Productive
Maintenance (TPM)
Technology
Leadership Status
Production Capacity
Always in top three, globally
Quality systems
TQM/ QS 9000/Six Sigma
Inventories
JIT/Turnover ratio: 80 and above
Value Addition
At least 33 % or 1/3rd of Manufacturing time in value addition component of
product
Information (internal/External)
Data Acquisition system/ ERP
Response time
Industry Standard
Customer satisfaction
Customer delight
To achieve excellence in manufacturing, a manufacturing manager should keep in
mind five goals (Prabhala, 1994)
1. Throughput should go up
2. Inventory should come down
3. Operating expenses should come down
4. Cycle time should come down
5. Yield should go up
In an environment where change is the rule and not the exception; manufacturers
must be vigilant about performance issues. They need to understand which
customers, products and sales channels are profitable, and where problems hide in
their enterprise.
These best practices, driven by suitable software and hiring external services if
needed, help world-class manufacturers better understand their business, grow
revenue, achieve faster time-to-market, speed customer deliveries and reduce
operations costs.
- Strategic marketing alliances with world class trading companies with pro active
role of Ministry of commerce
- Right combination of Indigenous technology and the Bought out technology, with
the former having at least 25% component (Eventually to become 75% and 25%
respectively)
- Developing product based industrial clusters with international level facilities and
Regulations in place of present mixed and diluted economic zones like SEZs and
EPZs.
- Encourage movement of Skilled Labor and technologists into and out of the
country