“We all employees at Nitesh Udyog are committed to manufacture & supply Precision machined automotive components to achieve customer satisfaction. We shall achieve this through reducing rejection, customer complaints, continual improvement in product quality, housekeeping, delivery performance and maximizing personnel safety.”In order to focus on giving customers defect free products, Quality functions are integrated with manufacturing functions. To make producers responsible for Quality, operators were trained in inspection – for their own job. Standards were developed and conformance became full responsible of the production department with online QC.
In 2001-02, sales Turnover declined by 11% by the previous year. This was our wake up call. Struggling to survive in the market, we analyzed the root cause for the declined sales turnover. The leadership decided to take interest on import substitution that is undertaken by one of our existing customer. Also leadership studied market & our existing customer’s expectations. As a starting point it was decided to change the way development of new products and manufacturing was managed. Over a period of 10 years, the change process evolved and the company learnt “How to improve in challenging times.”
The change journey can be mapped on the many initiatives they took. But on the frame work of Total Quality Management the journey can be looked at as follows:
- Prior to 2000 : Activity based approach.
- 2000-2001 : System approach.
- 2001-2002 : Quality Management Systems and Capacity Enhancement.
Daily Work Management is an integrated and holistic approach focused on retaining and improving performance of a company on Quality, Cost, Delivery, Safety and Morale (QCDSM). It is the way of managing the business on a day-to-day basis to ensure the planned results are achieved and effective counter measures are taken regularly to resolve problems while ensuring that problems do not reoccur. It is the way that the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle of the management is operationalized for all managers. It educates management on building and improving processes/systems that encompass planning, effective execution, checking and monitoring, verifying results, proving upon encountered gaps and finally standardizing the processes.
In order to achieve this level, role of every employee must be defined for certain set of objectives that contribute to QCDSM. Each manager needs to be accountable for performance on all these parameters in one or more activities, functions or areas of business depending upon the level. So, managers are taught how to select their managing points (MPs) from their area of Accountability and a set of related checking points (CPs) from their area of responsibility.
Effective practice of Daily Work Management (DWM) system provides the manager and workers alike the knowledge of TQM basis such as PDCA cycle. 7QC tools, problem solving techniques, etc. It enable the leadership to establish a culture of teamwork, customer orientation, process orientation and continuous improvement. Customer satisfaction is enhanced through timely delivery and assured quality. Continuous interaction with the customer to understand and meet his needs on an ongoing basis enables management to ensure customer loyalty. In conclusion, the Daily Work Management approach and the system enables the organization to establish a sound foundation to embark on the course of high sustainable growth even in challenging situations.
Policy Management system enables the company (organization) to achieve higher growth rate by setting business goals and involving all relevant functions in identifying the breakthrough improvement needed as well as the process of achieving the same.
Management for objectives (policy deployment) has been in practice at Nitesh Udyog and the process is getting refined through periodic audits and reviews.
Presently one initiative drive workplace improvements : 5s is used for efficient management of workplace to ensure the following :
- Only materials, tools and other items that are needed for performing the work in hand are kept in the workplace.
- These are arranged and identified in such a manner that the time and effort to locate, collect and to use is the least.
- Every items and place including material, machines, tools, storage racks/place, floor walls, doors, windows and roofs/ceiling are kept clean. The purpose of cleaning is not only aesthetic but to ensure quality and eliminate breakdowns.
- The process as well as measurement norms are standardized for the above three. Regular audits are undertaken for ensuring compliance and continuous improvement.
- To ensure that every person in the work place to create a culture orderly, systematic, imbibes the above discipline clean workplace to achieve high productivity and quality.
The intent is a better work environment for people eliminating waste of time and effort. 5s is also extended to offices, following benefits were achieved :
- Files reduced from each of the departments.
- Arrangement in filing system with proper identification and color-coding for the retrieval of records due to which the retrieval times of records reduced.
Despite continuous pressure on the margin, the profitability of the organization has improved due to several cost reduction measures.
Cost reduction is part of the planning process and clear targets are set through deployment of corporate objectives into functional objectives.
Targets & Acievements :-
| Quality | 2008(T) | 2008(T) | 2009(T) |
| QM System Supplier Certificate | ISO/TS 16949:2002 |  |
|
| REJECTIONS ppm(Upper Limit) | 25 | 1 | 12 |
| PLKZ(4+5)-Problem supplier Indicator(UL) | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| No of components under Ship to Line (STL) | 3 | 29+3 | 5 |
ENABLERS FOR SUPPLIER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT & DEVELOPMENT :-
| Quality | 2008(T) | 2008(T) | 2009(T) |
| No of components on Quality Assurance Matrix | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Poka Yokes | 5 | 13 | 15 |
| No of parameters combination on SPC | 8 | 10 | 5 |
| No of lines with Value Stream Mapping(VSM) & Value Stream Designing(VSD) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| No. of CIP Workshop | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| FMEA Reviews | 2 | 8 | 10 |
| Quality | 2008(T) | 2008(T) | 2009(T) |
| Implementation of Q-Communication point & practice | Implementation | 15-05-08 | |
| Single window contact for quality issues. | |
|
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| 8D target score | >90% | No 8D till date | >95% |
| Parts on 3PI (3rd party inspection) check | Nil | Nil | Nil |