World Class Manufacturing

The core focus areas of the World Class Manufacturing (WCM) programme are:

• Firm-level Benchmarking and expansion of a detailed database on the competitiveness and operating profiles of KZN CTC members;
• Newsletters;
• WCM Executive Training;
• Factory Tours;
• International Benchmarking;
• WCM Capacity Programme

Each of the key focus areas of the WCM programme are unpacked below:

Firm-level Benchmarking:

All KZN CTC members receive an annual firm-level benchmark. This encompasses the benchmarking of KZN CTC members using a specific ‘Market Driver’ benchmarking methodology which has been developed by Benchmarking and Manufacturing Analysts (KZN CTCs service provider). Over the past ten years B & M Analysts has become a leader in the field of benchmarking and competitiveness analysis through the development and utilisation of its cutting-edge benchmarking methodologies.

Using world-class methodologies and extensive competitiveness database, B&M Analysts provides a comprehensive benchmarking service for companies across a range of industry sectors and sub-sectors.

Each company receives a detailed report outlining its comparative performance of over 30 key measures in the areas of:

• Financial performance
• Cost control 
• Quality
• Value chain flexibility
• Value chain reliability
• Human resource development
• Innovation capacity 

The analysis combines hard quantitative data with the qualitative findings of an expert consultant that visits the plant to conduct interviews and visual observations. This is in turn scrutinised and cross-referenced to a set of surveys from key customers and suppliers. This results in a comprehensive report that outlines the strategic and associated operational challenges/opporturnities for the firm. The outcome of this process is it promotes:
• The firms ability to understand and meet customer demands
• The firms ability to match and/or exceed competitor performance levels
• The firms ability to improve its operational competitiveness
Importantly, all data that is received is treated with the strictest of confidentiality and under no circumstances is firm-level data released.

To download a sample:

  • Clothing benchmarking report please click here (1,364kb)
  • Textile benchmarking report please click here (750kb)
  • CMT benchmarking report please click here (764kb)

     

Newsletters

A newsletter is compiled and distributed to all members and non-members three times per annum. These newsletters explore the trends, opportunities and challenges in the KZN retail, clothing, textile and footwear industry. The core content of the newsletters emanate from the KZN CTC’s research, workshops and best practice tours, keeping all members and non-members informed of the Clusters activities.

 

WCM Executive Training

Positive change requires leadership, and leadership requires an understanding of the type of positive change that is required.  Each year the Cluster runs a half day, high level session for Executives in the industry, designed to highlight the latest developments in the industry globally and locally, as well as opportunities to enhance their capabilities through the Clusters programmes. This session has a dual use as a launch platform for the Clusters annual programmes as well as an advertising medium for non-member firms. 

Factory Tours

Whilst training of trends and theory for executives and middle management is of great value, physically seeing how other firms have and continue to implement WCM, supplements this learning and retention. Each year member firms are afforded the opportunity to do just this through visiting manufacturing firms that are on the never ending road of developing a continuous improvement culture within their factories. By seeing the tools in action and talking to peers who have experienced and overcome similar challenges, these individuals are invigorated, motivated and educated simultaneously.  This tour typically takes place over two days and involves a briefing session, three factory tours and discussions, as well as a debriefing session.


International Benchmarking

 The data that is collected through the benchmarking programme has been collected over a period of seven years and has lead to the establishment of a comprehensive local and international competitiveness database. Thus far, the data is from the following regions: Lesotho, Madagascar, Mauritius, South Africa, Swaziland, Bangladesh, China, India, Vietnam, Colombia, Puerto Rico, United States of America and Brazil.  In 2011 we will be expanding our database to include more data from central and eastern Europe.  This database is used for the compilation of individual firm-level benchmarks, for guiding the WCM training and newsletter content, as well as the informing activities of the knowledge-sharing secretariat. Statistical and aggregated data is available for purchase. Please email Tamlyn Dennekamp at tamlyn@bmanalysts.com if you are interested in purchasing data.

  

WCM Capacity Building Programme

In response to the 2009 Imbizo request for manufacturing upgrading support, the KZN CTC submitted a proposal to the IDC CTCIP Grant fund.  We are please to announce that this proposal has been accepted and will be launched with participating firms in February 2011.
The objective of the programme is to develop capacity within participating firms. All activities will take place in the participating firm’s factory, supported by shared peer group meetings and a best practice workshop to a top manufacturer in KZN. All workshops will be followed by expert support to the factories, while all firms will receive an extensive set of tools to support implementation.

The Proposal:

The proposed World Class Manufacturing Capacity Building Programme will run for a five-year period, from January 2010 to the end of November 2014. The programme is expected to increase from six firms participating initially, to involve up to 20 firms per annum, with each firm (in conjunction with external assistance) identifying up to 20 operators, two supervisors/team leaders, a middle manager and a “future trainer” to participate in the programme.  Frequent management reviews and mentoring will ensure that there is high level support and buy-in. The following benefits of the WCM Capacity Building Programme are envisaged:

1. The skills and systems learnt will enable firms to roll out such systems once adopted and functioning in a pilot area
2. Learners will be provided with improved organisational skills
3. Learners will develop abilities to identify performance weaknesses and address these through the problem solving skills learnt
4. “Future trainers” will be available within the firm, and potentially on a shared basis amongst industry participants
5. The performance of the manufacturing team involved will improve, increasing productivity and therefore the sustainability of jobs within the team
6. Shared experiences will create a learning multiplier amongst peer groups
7. The skills learnt are transferrable to other firms within the clothing and textiles sector, thereby creating positive industry spill-over effects

All capacity building activities will be provided at the factory site, reducing travel and downtime for the firms involved, and ensuring support is practical, shop-floor oriented and includes operators.

Programme Overview:

The WCM Capacity Building Programme will consist of the following elements:
1. Set-up workshops
2. 4 capacity building training modules (out of 8 options)
3. Expert support
4. A best practice factory tour
5. Peer group meetings
6. Management reviews
7. Internal mentoring
8. A benchmark (funded through existing cluster funds is necessary as a baseline and monitoring mechanism on annual basis)
9. An award ceremony
 

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