TQM in SRF

Our chairman, Mr Arun Bharat Ram foresaw the changes that SRF would need to accomplish in the wake of liberalisation. Like most Indian companies at that time, SRF was no different in its approach towards customers or costs. But Mr Arun Bharat Ram dreamt of making SRF a world class organisation and he believed that TQM would be the vehicle for this transformation. He, together with the top management, studied TQM in Japan and in 1993 created what today is the SRF management way.

The improvement journey in SRF commenced at its Tyrecord Business in Manali, near Chennai. 5-S was launched with everyone's participation. Product quality improvements were made, management decisions were taken to promote the practice of quality first and customer first. Systems were created for managing not only costs, but also for reducing people complaints, thus boosting their morale. Capabilities were built across the plant. With three new units, two of which were acquired, TQM played an important role in harmonising not only the best practices across the business, but also integrated the culture across the four plants. This resulted in the Tyrecord Business winning the coveted Deming Application Prize in 2004, making SRF the first tyrecord manufacturer outside Japan to achieve this distinction. The relentless efforts of over 1550 people across the business helped SRF achieve this milestone.

Internalisation of TQM

Over the years, the TQM movement at SRF gathered momentum bringing almost every facet of the organisational activity in all the businesses under its fold: manufacturing, marketing, designing, engineering, projects, HR and others. Linking TQM methods right at the planning cycle enables the company to manage and monitor its businesses through two simultaneous approaches:

a. Daily Management for routine activities and Breakthrough Management for achieving larger goals which entail strategic direction change. The annual planning process involves people right at all levels including supervisors, and the plans are deployed to all, thus improving the possibility of success.

b. TQM in SRF integrates aspects of TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) as well as TPS (Toyota Production System) or Lean. Recent work includes applications in non-manufacturing areas as well.

Total involvement of employees

SRF involves everybody across the organisation in improvement activities. This is core to the SRF management way based on the TQM model. Our framework is designed and rests on three basic pillars of people involvement:

a. Providing basic 'Education' on TQM through basic enrolment programs

b. Building wide 'participation' through improvement vehicles such as 5S, Kaizens and QCC

c. Promoting "skill enhancement" through problem solving: unique in house certification programs called "PSP Blue"(with elements of Lean) and "PSP Silver" that deals with more complex areas of new product development and systems design. Nearly 1000 people are enrolled into the program, and about 50% of those certified as problem solvers.

SRF is credited with running one of the most successful Kaizen programs in the country. In April 2009, the company achieved a milestone of 2,50,000 implemented Kaizens. QC circles, which are autonomously run workmen improvement teams abound, routinely bag top honours and recognitions in various national and international conventions.

Besides presenting at in-company conventions, our people get many opportunities to showcase their improvement projects and best practices at external summits, forums, conferences and competitions, thereby improving their abilities as professionals.

Our management principles are applied to the new or acquired units with the same rigor as in the existing units.

Way forward

A strong foundation of TQM enables breakthrough ideas to emerge and contribute to new opportunities for growth, both organic and inorganic.