A panel discussion on World Class Manufacturing (WCM) was organized in association with the Indian Institute of Materials Management (IIMM) and Consoul Associates. Mr. Yogesh Vaghani, Managing Director, Vedzen Consulting Group, Pune; Mr. Krishna Kumar, DGM – Operations, Plant Lipids, Kochi; Mr. C. Girish Kumar, Director – India Operations, Molex India, Bangalore and Mr. Uday Lahane General Manager, Siemens Ltd., Aurangabad were the speakers. Dr. Harish Pant, Co-Founder, Maxillator, Bangalore moderated the session.

Dr. Harish Pant explained that with a small cost, WCM practices can be implemented but this will have a huge impact in the organisation. In WCM, Management happens at the lowest levels, eliminating the need for frequent meetings and time wastages. Mr. Yogesh Pant observed that there is a wrong notion that quality comes at a higher cost. Mindset of the management and people need to change. Mid level management are often more resistant to change. Mr. Krishna Kumar stressed that WCM is not just for large scale manufacturers He also shared the challenges SMEs face - the uncertainty of when and where to start and the lack of strategic vision. Mr. Girish Kumar said that the dissatisfaction in the current process and the awareness of WCM advantages are major triggers for an organisation to adopt it. SMEs are often confused whether to invest now or at a later stage when they only see results. Mr. Uday Lahane opined that world class manufacturing will lead to production of reliable products and consistent SCM. SMEs need to identify their weak points and change it step by step.

Mr. Paul George, National Council Member, IIMM and Mr. Sandeep Raj, Coordinator, WTC Kochi also spoke.