A MASTER STROKE

As I was going thro my Memory Lane glancing thro my writings under the column Light Readings it suddenly dawned upon me that one very interesting event that took place during my service in the largest Pharma company in India which I feel any management involved in Productivity improvement,in a lighter vein' can successfully adopt had so far escaped my attention in putting my 'Thoughts in Lines'.

This relates to the period some time in Mid 80s when I was then working as DIVISIONAL HEAD of Surgical Dressings and Bandages Division in the Dewas Plant of what was then the largest Pharma company in India near Indore in Madhya Pradesh. Besides this division for which I was the Divisional Head reporting to the Corporate office in Delhi, the Country's Capital,the Dewas plant also had two other Manufacturing Blocks for Formulations ,One TABLET BLOCK engaged in formulation of Tablets and Powders and the other CAPSULES BLOCK engaged in formulation of Capsules/Injectables/and Liquid Orals.Although I was not involved in the Day to Day activities of these two blocks,being senior most in age and service and also had been exposed to formulation of these products earlier in the company's Okhla plant in Delhi prior to my posting in Dewas for the SDB unit,I was involved in overseeing these operations in absence of the Controller in charge,whenever required, on occasions.Otherwise for normal day to day activities the two blocks were run by two independent Production Heads reporting directly to the Controller in Cbarge based in the same location.

Just around the time when action on improvement of productivity in both blocks had just begun,the Controller in charge had to proceed on an emergency short leave for a little over a week and had requested this writer (self)to followup in his absence.He had planned to do this Productivity improvement in two stages viz one for the concerned Production Heads to present their possible increase in outputs of different product groups based on their experience and in consultation with their staff and concerned workmen.This will not involve on any fresh investments in the plant and Management thought
would give benefit in the short run.This can then be followed up in due course with formal involvement of Work Study Engineers in setting standards based on Time and Motion studies and Industrial Engineering where required.

To get the maximum benefits the controller in his wisdom had asked each of the two production Heads to set the the revised outputs standards for the other.In other words the Tablet block in charge was asked to set standards for the Capsule block and Viceversa.

Knowing well that the two production heads will vie with each other in setting even unrealistic standards for the other,the Controller had specifically requested this writer (self) to keep an eye on their working.When the final figures were ready,it was observed
the revised outputs suggested by the two Production Heads were much higher than what Management had in mind at the time of starting the study.But there was no guarantee that they will make an attempt to meet their standards knowing fully well that the standards set are the ones coming from the the Rival department's Head.This was not perceived at the time of start of the study.

When I mentioned this to the Controller,he thought over it for a day and came out with a brilliant act that one can call it a Master Stroke.He interchanged the two Production Heads by transferring the Production in charge of the Tablet block to take charge of the Capsules Unit and moving out the production in charge of Capsules Unit to take charge of the Tablet block.This put both the Production managers on mat since in the revised set up they became answerable to their own recommended standards.This had its effect and although only around 75 to 80% of the revised targets was achieved it was still a quantum leap in outputs of both blocks.Besides more importantly the two Production Heads seeing the master stroke understood the futility of of working in isolation and from then on starting working as a Team member.

I request my Readers of this writeup to let me know what they think of this Master Stroke on the part of the Controller In my view it was no less powerful than the Straight Drive or the Cover Drive of Sachin Tendulkar in a game of Cricket.

Written by BAIYU August 2010 London