Media Statement
March 2017
SOUTH AFRICAN KAIZEN CHAMPION CROWNED
Auto Industrial Machining was named Kaizen Champion at The National KaizenCompetition and Awards function hosted by the Automotive Industry Development Centre at the Dolphins Leap Conference Centre in Port Elizabeth. (8 March 2017)
In the presence of manufacturers across sectors and international manufacturing experts,
the Johannesburg based company, involved in the machining and assembly of chassis and drive train componentsto clients including OEMs, claimed the top award for their winning Kaizen, a Japanese word meaning “change for the better”.
Natstan Wirewas first runner up and thesecond runner up award was shared by Omnia Fertilizerand SJM Flex SA, for achieving significant improvement in manufacturing measured by Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), the key component of which is machine downtime.
Other entrants were, Tenneco Emission Control, Lumotech, Air Liquide, Continental ContiTech, Fry's Metal, Auto Industrial Foundry and Steel Best Manufacturing.
A total annual saving of R9393756.69 was reported from the eleven participating companies.
Multiple JIPM global award winner Rakesh Atre Vice President of Munjal Showa and Lean Institute Africa's, Professor Norman Faull addressed 60 participants at the function and judged presentations made by each of the eleven companies, together with NMMU Industrial Engineering lecturer Mieshkah Dolley Ryneveld.
Atre, inspired automotive production and manufacturing managers with practical examples of how making factory machines lean can decimate costs and radically boost productivity.
"Manufacturing machines in-house was logical given that companies have daily design feedback from the workers that use those machines and the immediacy of repairs by in house staff which ensured repair response time was a fraction of imported machines.'' he said,
Faull said a Kaizen approach would be useful in every company that had staff.
"The TPM approach, which promotes enquiry to solve problems, invites us into a process of development and growth."
The Kaizen methodology typifies how leadership in South African business can improve conversations in the workplace, he said.
Kaizen isa business philosophy or system that is based on making positive changes on a regular basis, by asking questions, to improve productivity.
As a wholly owned agency of the Eastern Cape Development Centre, the AIDC EC introduced TPM into the South African Automotive Industry as one of a basket of services provided to assist Eastern Cape manufacturers. Similarly, the AIDC office in Gauteng (owned by Gauteng Provincial Government) offers the TPM programme to Gauteng based companies.
AIDC EC MD Hoosain Mahomed said the principles of lean manufacturing and TPM were applicable across all manufacturing sectors.
As a result the TPM Programme initiated, nowrepresented “one of the longest serving clusters pertaining to the field.’’
Mahomed said TPM had become an “essential and highly effective methodology for South African manufacturers to deal with rising costs.”
For information on the TPM programme and the TPM Club SA contact Bianca Ehlers , 041 3932100 for Eastern & Western Cape regions and Rickus Lubbe , 012564 5255 for Gauteng region or view
ends
Issued by Deon Engelke
0826924382 – mobile
For the AIDC EC
Hoosain Mahomed:
0825785263