Viable Vision reviews reach final lap

The last Apex level Viable Vision Review under the ASPIRE programme was chaired by the Managing Director, Mr B Muthuraman. A Viable Vision Seminar was also conducted by Dr Eli Goldratt during which he fielded questions from candidates who are a part of the Application Experts Programme. The session followed an open question-answer format during which many doubts were clarified. Dr Goldratt also explained the fundamental concepts of the Theory of Constraints (TOC) to the participants and encouraged the candidates by stating “there aren’t too many leverage points which are outside our control.”

Mr B Muthuraman, releases the Hindi edition of Dr Eli Goldratt’s book “The Goal”

ASPIRE UPDATES
Raw Materials
The washeries at West Bokaro, where the programme has been launched first, have been identified as the constraints or coverage points. The target now is, therefore, to maximise their throughput. By focussing on improving the quality of raw coal supplied by the Company’s mines to the washeries, the performance of the latter has improved tremendously. Since November 2005, under the Exploitation and Effectiveness Model, “War Room” meetings have resulted in better understanding of the flow and current restrictions. CCPM was implemented for the BC Ropeway shut down. As a result, the shutdown time was reduced to 4.5 days from 11 days, resulting in a saving of Rs. 15-40 lakhs in transportation via trucks. West Bokaro is also working towards bringing down its ash content in Clean Coal from 14 to 13%.

Long Products
With the Supply Chain now reorganised to make the offers viable and to provide buffers for them, the offers

are expected to be rolled out by the end of February. Through workshops for the departments within the Long Products Group, gaps between average and desired performances, were identified and projects launched to bridge the gaps. In addition, a special programme on TOC “Thinking Projects” was launched for the Chiefs of Departments to enable them to appreciate the C&E relationships. They have all completed two days of training on this vital area. A special programme on the TOC Thinking Process, the “Jonah Programme”, consisting of three modules of three days each, once in three months is being attended by select managers.

An important achievement has been the completion of a major shutdown at Sinter Plant # 1 in four-and-a-half days with the application of CCPM, as opposed to seven days needed earlier.

Flat Products
Dr Eli Goldratt was himself present when the Flat Products team met two key auto customers in the last week of November. Both customers have in principle shown interest and agreed to the offer proposed by Tata Steel. Roll out offers targetted at pilot distributors in the distribution segment are on schedule and will take place in February.

Tubes Division
The Supply Chain has geared up to support the roll out of the first distributor replenishment offer by end January.

The Division has already been operating the replenishment model for over four months in its stockyards. A workshop was conducted to prepare the Supply Chain and operations on the Replenishment and Rapid Response Offers.

Corporate Services and HR
81% of the officers from DMD (CS), FAMD, ITS, Medical, HR&IR have been trained on TOC. 23 officers from ITS have been trained on TOC distribution with simulators.

A core team from ITS is implementing the TOC supply chain across Flat Products, Long Products, Wires & Tubes.