S.H.E initiatives: Sulphites

world class manufacturing | total productive maintenance | six-sigma | kaizen suggestion system | 5S activities | quality of life clubs | quality circle

The sulphites division of the Aditya Birla Chemicals is very committed towards its safety, health and environment initiatives. The division is recognised as a World Class Manufacturer (WCM). The division operates at two functional levels, the business perspective providing value to customers, shareholders, and employees. The second level is the commitment to the nations where the company operates in, the society, and the global community. The division emphasises on its industrial environment to extend to its duty to the nation and the world through the appropriate management of environmental issues. The division is ISO 14001 certified demonstrating its compliance to international standards. We are committed to sustainable development and continual improvement of the safety systems to overcome the new challenges posed by globalisation. This is demonstrated through the OHSAS 18001 certification.

World Class Manufacturing (WCM)
World Class Manufacturing (WCM) is a unique strategy for enterprise excellence through focus on manufacturing. This strategy encompasses the essentials in the world of managing manufacturing. It is a long-term structure approach that is a cyclical (PDCA - plan, do, check, act), comprehensive and systematic business tool. The process involves a cultural transformation leading to organisational change, better management processes and organisational learning. It focuses on people, process, and results on a continuous basis. WCM is in itself, a competitive strategy that aims for stakeholders, including customers and employees delight through focus on sustainable and superior quality, cost, delivery, innovation, productivity and pride (QCDIP) performance. WCM helps in achieving this sustainable, superior performance by putting in place the "art of manufacturing for consistent excellence". It is diagnostic in nature as it enables the abnormalities to show themselves.

The sulphites division of the Aditya Birla Chemicals is looking to solidify itself as a World Class Manufacturer. We employ business tools like Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), Total Quality Management (TQM), Kaizen Suggestion System (KSS), Six Sigma, 5S improvement principles, quality circles, and the adoption of quality of life clubs.

Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)
Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) is a strategic shop-floor approach that primarily aims at building a corporate institution that enables maximising the overall plant effectiveness through total people involvement across all levels and functions within an organisation. The goals of TPM simply conclude to zero breakdowns, zero accident, and zero defects. The Sulphites Division initiated the implementation of TPM in 1999, inaugurated by the TPM consultant of Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance (JIPM). TPM implementation includes eight pillars of activities that encompass all business processes. Although we were able to achieve the TPM Excellence Award in 2002, we understand that TPM is an ongoing initiative, and strict guidance through total employee participation is the roadmap to zero breakdowns, zero accident, and zero defect.

Six-Sigma
The goal of Six-Sigma is to increase profits by eliminating variability, defects and waste that undermine customer loyalty. Six Sigma is a rigorous and a systematic methodology that utilises information (management by facts) and statistical analysis to measure and improve a company's operational performance, practices and systems. Defects are identified and prevented in manufacturing and service-related processes to anticipate and exceed expectations of all stakeholders effectively.

Kaizen Suggestion System (KSS)
To ensure involvement of each individual, the Sulphites division has implemented the Kaizen Suggestion System (KSS) that motivates employees to come out with innovative suggestions for improving the organisation's performance in terms of quality, safety, work efficiency and cost reductions. The benefits of KSS include improved worker pride and employee morale, improved working environment and conditions, work efficiency, quality of work, overall cost reductions, and safety at the workplace.

5S activities
A disciplined improvement, 5S activities have been in place at the Sulphites Division since 1996. Based and developed in Japan, 5S is a process of workplace organisation and house-keeping which is carried out gradually and systematically. 5S improvement principles consists of:

Quality circle
Quality circle is a movement or a "way of life". Every member is committed to ensure the success of the quality circle program. Launched in 1997, quality circle has 100 per cent active employee participation that has enhanced creative thinking leading to tangible as well as intangible results. We believe that the employees are underlying assets and that they will continuously be developed and provided with opportunities to share ideas for the improvement of their organisation.