volume 39 number 8

8/14/2019 Volume 39 Number 8

1/8

C O N T E N T S

..p-WatchEurope

..Comment board

..Productivity methodologies, tools, andtechniques

..Learning the essence of Japans

management of technology..Entrepreneurial agribusiness through

innovation..KM to improve service-sector

productivity..Program calendar..New APO publication..Photo report..APO/NPO update..Human-based management for the

next society..People behind the scenes

APOnews

Information to Make a Difference in Productivity

Volume 39 Number 8

Study mission, ROC

, JPC seminar, Japan

Seminar, Nepal

Printed on Recycled Paper

APO manuals add value to theproductivity clearinghouse

(Continued on page 5

One o the key roles o the APO is to serve as a clearinghouse or inormation on productivity. A vital part o its in-

ormation program is publications that propagate and disseminate knowledge and inormation on the productivitconcept, its socioeconomic signicance, and the tools and techniques or its enhancement.

Most APO publications are report ormat titles. Projects on current issues relevant to member countries are selected, and thproceedings and resource and country papers are published. Special publications cater to specic needs to assist membe

countries in their productivityendeavors. They include the pro-

ceedings o special events and theannualAPO Productivity Databookand Eco-products Directory se-ries. In 2008, the APO started the

publication o manuals to providepractical guidance and hands-onadvice on specic topics based on

major project indings and expertdiscussions.

Six manuals have been published

since July 2008. Five are on GreenProductivity (GP)-related topics,including two on energy, and the

other is on ood saety manage-ment. Currently three manuals are in production, said Secretariat Inormation Ocer Sunju Lee, who is in charge o APO

publications. All o the published manuals are written in simple English to allow the contents to be absorbed with relativeease. Secretariat ocers in charge o the projects are involved in preparation and nalization o the contents.

Most GP manuals detail the outcome o Industry Department projects. Secretariat Industry Program Ocer K.D. Bhardwaexplained that these manuals strengthen the APOs inormation program since the contents are drawn rom interaction

among participants and resource speakers who practice the techniques. He also stressed the importance o these manuals a

project ollow-up. These are very useul or ace-to-ace programs ater an e-learning course or or individual-country programs ollowing multicountry projects. Participants can study the major points, key ndings, and discussion contents o thprevious project beore attending. Thereore the ollow-up can ocus on more advanced topics.

The Working Manual on Energy Auditing in Industries andBiomass as Fuel in Small Boilers have proved useul reerenceor participants in ollow-up projects. The energy auditing manual was based on the workshop on Energy Eciency and GP

organized by the APO and National Productivity Council, India, and a subsequent Web-based project on Energy Management in 2007. The author, Arvind Kumar Asthana, a resource speaker in both projects, included step-by-step methodology

or energy audits and instructions or detailed energy audits in industries. The manual has been used as reerence or all participants in energy-related APO projects, including the recent e-learning course on Energy Auditing completed in early July


2/8

APO NewsAugust 009

F

rance was one o the irst countries to

dismantle its national productivity center

(in 1968, the year o great societal unrest).Earlier it had been one o the last recipients o

Marshall Plan aid to create that institution. Not

least o the reasons was French trade unions

dislike o the word productivity and their less-

than-enthusiastic cooperation with employers to

improve it. Yet Frances productivity perormance

has been world-class. Perhaps conrontation begets

competitiveness.

By optimizing workplace

organization it is possible

to improve the quality of

work, as well as employees

creativity and innovation

and thus to increase pro-

ductivity.

On the other hand, growing recognition o the

importance o human capital in national competi-tiveness has been translated into a range o legal

requirements that employers, managers, and work-

ers must meet in all but small companies. Thus,

the skills o the workorce should be raised by

levying training taxes; and company-level labor-

management cooperation is mandatory, as is the

employment o disabled persons, etc. To help im-

plement such laws, two new agencies arose rom

the ashes o the productivity center. One agency

ostered management education, in which today

France is a European leader; the other has broad-

ened and claried the supply o lie-long learningin the wake o the training laws.

A third body, established in the early 1970s, was

added to promote improvements in working con-

ditions and, more broadly, the quality o working

lie. It was this third agency, Agence Nationale

pour lAmlioration des Conditions de Travail

(ANACT), that took up Frances baton in the

European productivity movement. It ully concurs

with the EUs 2006 Helsinki Declaration: By

optimizing workplace organization it is possible to

improve the quality o work, as well as employees

creativity and innovation and thus to increase pro-

ductivity. Productivity, in other words, is not its

goal but a requisite by-product.

ANACT has the prime characteristics o a national

productivity center, albeit with certain Gallic ac-

cents. Thus it has a tripartite governing council,

but, as a state agency, it is the government that ap-

points the director, provides its income (20 mil-

lion annually, with our-year contracts), and has

the nal say in the agencys activities. Employers

might show some signs o reluctance to play alongwith its somewhat social ocus on working condi-

tions, but on the other hand they can emphasize

the required economic dimensions o social

change. ANACTs work can provide employers

with guidance in implementing new working lie

rules and regulations by, or example, pioneering

pilot projects.

Importantly, ANACT keeps its nose to the ground.

In other words, its ocus is experimental change

projects within companies. Actions or individual

large enterprises are carried out by the 80-strongcentral sta on such key socioeconomic issues as

problems o the aging workorce, stress, absentee-

ism, and musculoskeletal disorders. Since market

rates or consultancy are charged, projects provide

a regular source o the total revenues o ANACT.

However, to ensure a balance o activity and not

be tempted solely by projects because they provide

juicy income, the council has set a 10% ceiling on

this source in any year. The key purpose o such

assignments is to provide ANACT with an up-to-

date window on the world o work and how best t

nurture and harness human potential.

A recent innovation to

broaden and heighten gen-

eral and media awareness

of ANACT and its missions

is an annual week focusing

on one aspect of improving

the quality of working life.

ANACTs 25 regional bodies, Agences Regional

pour lAmlioration des Conditions de Travai

conduct experimental activities or smaller rms

They were set up and partially inanced (usin

one-third o the central governments annual gran

by ANACT together with regional governmen

units in the 1980s and 1990s as mirror images o

the national agency. But their 220-odd sta, un

like the centers, have a more fexible status tha

state employees. Projects, usually lasting one yea

bring together up to 50 smaller rms conrontewith similar working lie issues. Although locall

managed, with an individual industry ocus, th

expertise o the total ANACT network, particularl

o the center, is tapped.

For both types o projects considerable importanc

is attached to broadcasting the results. Two aspect

are particularly important: rst, inormation need

to be easily understandable by people in workin

lie, and thereore sta specialists are required t

produce popularized pamphlets, in double-quic

time; and second, inormation must heighten thwhole networks image in the community. A recen

innovation to broaden and heighten general an

media awareness o ANACT and its missions i

an annual week ocusing on one aspect o improv

ing the quality o working lie. In 2009, the wee

examined stress, an economic and social bane a

ecting at least 40% o the French working popu

lation. Thus, what can be done to alleviate stress i

equally o interest to employers and trade union

More than 100 events were held across the coun

p-WatchEurope

Frances agile ANACT


3/8

APO NewsAugust 009

Comment board

Lecturer on Quality ManagementLe Ngoc

Liem, Department of Business Administration,

Hue University, Vietnam.

Participant, national training workshop on the

Food Saety Management System ISO22000

or the Seaood Industry, Vietnam, 2629 May

2009.I agree with the other 47 workshop partici-

pants that the workshop met our expectations

in that it had inormative contents, resourceul

speakers, and good logistical management. All the presentations and lecture

materials were translated into our local language which helped us to under-

stand the topics easily. As a lecturer on quality management, my objective

in attending the workshop was to enhance my knowledge o ISO22000 by

looking into all the up-to-date ideas and inormation on oer. I can then share

what I learned with my students, especially part-time students who are work-

ing or enterprises in the ield. The site visit to a company with ISO22000

certication was an interesting experience, and I hope that the organizers will

arrange more site visits and case studies in uture projects.

Deputy Director GeneralK.G. Varshney, National Productivity Council,

India.

Resource speaker, in-country training program or the Development o Pro-

ductivity Practitioners, Fiji, 25 May5 June 2009.

All the participants were very keen on learning more about productivity

tools and techniques, all o which they can use in their work as trainers and

consultants. They appreciated the useulness o the productivity and quality

improvement skills such as 5S, kaizen, quality control circles, QC tools, oce

productivity, visual control systems, TPM, TQM, etc. Many o those topics

seemed new to the participants. Despite this, all the participants were very

active in taking part in the whole program including solving case studies o

group discussions, role playing, business games, actory visits, and others.

believe that with the new knowledge and skills, they will be able to enhanc

their contribution to industry. But at the same time, they should also make e

orts to specialize in the concepts and techniques by attending more course

dealing with advanced skills.

Deputy Executive DirectorJose Maria S. Batino , Occupational Safety an

Health Center, Department of Labour and Employment, Philippines.

Participant, training course or Certied Lead Auditors or the Occupationa

Health and Saety Management System: OHSAS18001:2007, Indonesia, 22

26 June 2009.

My objective in attending the course was to improve my understanding o

the detailed requirements o OHSAS 18001:2007. At rst, I was not that inter

ested in the idea o possibly having a certicate o accreditation as an audito

or OHSAS 18001. However, ater I understood the requirements o OHSA

18001, the details o the audit process, and the roles o an auditor, I said t

mysel why not? I ound that all areas/topics in the course including throle-playing sessions were interesting. The examination that the participant

took on the last day o the program was also very relevant. It was encouragin

to see that all o us made a serious eort to get high marks on the exam. In my

work, I am involved in many aspects o occupational saety and health, suc

as training, research, inormation dissemination, and provision o technica

services. The OHSAS 18001:2007 is a very sound reerence that I can use i

the perormance o my work. I also believe that organizations should now di

rect their eorts toward implementing occupational saety and health manage

ment systems, and the OHSAS should be able to guide them in their continua

improvement in this area.

try, with the ocal one being a national conerence attracting 1,500 participants

in June.

I ANACT as such is not, nor should it be, a research body disseminating

erudite papers, it must, like productivity centers, become more involved in

training and higher education. Thus in addition to oering a score o courses

in its ocal areas, it has recently set up a diploma course in work managementjointly with a university, attracting some 400 participants. Also like productiv-

ity centers, ANACT has seized opportunities or developing resources that the

state or even the social partners have experienced trouble in managing. Thus

ANACT has become adept at tapping the unds accumulated rom the taxes

levied on rms i they do not employ a sucient proportion o the disabled or

provide their workers with sucient training or their own projects. A national

und, Fonds pour lAmlioration des Conditions de Travail (FACT), was set

up in the 1980s to provide companies with seed money to try to resolve com-

mon problems in working conditions which are not covered by law. Because o

heavy bureaucracy, the annual unds were never consumed. Now that ANACT

has taken over their handling, all is appropriately spent. The monies in ques

tion are not negligible: FACTs annual budget is 3 million.

Finally, ANACT is a an o evaluations. Not only are these required by th

government but, even more important, they are sought by sta. Recently, thei

ocus has shited rom activity to impact: how much transer has taken place

how many consultants have been trained, how many hits have there been on thWeb site on which items, etc. The Web site is seen as the means o providing

visitors with all the necessary inormation in a nutshell along with sources o

more detailed inormation i needed.

by A.C. Hubert

Anthony C. Hubert is President of EuroJobs, an organization he established

to promote efforts to raise the quality of working life and productivity in

Europe. He was formerly Secretary-General of the European Association of

National Productivity Organizations. He writes regularly for this column.


4/8

APO NewsAugust 009

Productivity methodologies, tools, and techniques

IntroductionIt is oten said that I we don't know where we are going, we might end up

somewhere else and Those who benchmark do not have to reinvent thewheel. There is a lot o truth in both statements. Today, whether we are inthe private or public sector, most o us are rightly concerned with our per-ormance. However, while perormance indicators give an indication o thelevel o perormance that we are at, benchmarking can pinpoint specic ar-eas o good or poor perormance. This will enable us to seek improvementsin those areas. Benchmarking also will eliminate trial and error in processimprovements. In the competitive world o today, time is o the essence.

What is benchmarking?In general, we can dene benchmarking as a systematic process or compar-ing perormance or processes in dierent organizations, or between di-erent parts o the same organization, to learn how to do things better. Themain purpose o benchmarking is to improve perormance or service by

identiying where changes can be made.

Benchmarking does not mean simply copying others practices. It requiresthe organization to adapt and adopt what has been learned rom othersaccording to our organizations needs and cultural setting. It goes beyondcomparison o the pricing or eatures o competitors products or services.In benchmarking, we consider not only the result, but also the process andthe practices that enable an organization to achieve superior perormance.

Types of benchmarkingGenerally, benchmarking initiatives can be categorized depending on thescope or the approaches the organization adopts to pursue the initiatives.They are: Process benchmarking: This ocuses on improving specic critical proc-

esses and operations. It invariably involves a study o how top-perormingorganizations accomplish the speciic process in question. Such studiescan take in the orm o research, surveys/interviews, and site visits.

Performance benchmarking: This ocuses on assessing competitive po-sitions through comparing perormance characteristics o the products andservices o competitors. Benchmarking partners are mainly drawn romthe same sector.

Internal benchmarking: This is used to identiy and compare one par-ticular operation within the organization. The main advantages are thataccess to sensitive data and inormation is easier and usually less time andresources are needed.

Competitive benchmarking: This is the process o comparing an opera-tion with that o direct competitors. It provides opportunities or learningrom those who are at the leading edge. This benchmarking can take up

signicant time and resources and is the most dicult to carry out. Functional benchmarking: This is a process o comparing an operation

with that o similar ones within or rom dierent business sectors to ndways o improving unctions or work processes.

Cooperative or collaborative benchmarking: This is the most widelyused type o benchmarking because it is relatively easy to conduct. Vari-ous organizations are invited to orm a benchmarking group and sharetheir best practices.

The benchmarking processBenchmarking is a very structured process and generally can be organizedinto three main signicant phases, as depicted in Figure 1. Beore deciding

Benchmarking: Capturing best practices for breakthrough improvementsKabir Ahmad Mohd. Jamil

to benchmark, an organization needs to review and determine what it wantsto benchmark, as proposed in Phase 1. Phase 2 ocuses on the perorm-

ance analysis o the benchmark organization, identiying its best practicesand reasons or its success. In phase 3, the best practices are adapted andadopted to close the perormance gaps.

ConclusionBenchmarking can be complex or as simple as browsing through the annualreports o organizations and making comparisons. Any orm o comparisoncan bring an insight into knowledge o our own level o perormance. How-ever, one o the biggest mistakes organizations make is to limit their bench-

marking activity to their own industry. Benchmarking within an industryis essential. However, it is imperative to reach outside and beyond our ownindustry into other industries that perorm a similar process in our journeytoward breakthrough perormance.

For easy reerence to productivity-related terms including methodolo-gies, tools, and techniques, theAPO developed the p-Glossary,

available on its Web site (www.apo-tokyo.org). Deinitions andexplanations o benchmarking are given in the p-Glossary.

Contributed by Senior Manager o the Malaysia Productivity

Corporation Kabir Ahmad Mohd. Jamil (e-mail:

[email protected]), resource speaker or the APO training

course on the Development o Productivity Practitioners:

Advanced Program. Kabir has extensive experience in the

eld o operation and process improvement, particularly in

the manuacturing and service sectors.

Phase 1Planning

Figure 1. The benchmarking processFigure 1. The benchmarking process

Start

1. Agree onbenchmarking topic

2. Finalize scope,measures & definitions

3. Data collection:Survey

4. Review performanceand strengths

Phase 3Implementation

9. Plan to adapt bestpractices

10. Implement bestpractices

Phase 2Analysis

5. Plan site visit

11. Monitor results

12. Standardization

13. Daily control

New area

6. Data collection

7. Analyze(Sufficient?)

Continue existingproject?

8. Share findings

(No)

2nd sitevisit (focus visit)

(No)

(Yes)

(Yes)

Source: Modied rom the Malaysia Productivity Corporation COP Benchmarking Model.

Erratum

The Ouput variable in Figure 1 in Mr. Kabirs second article on Six Sigma in the

July issue was wrongly identied asXinstead oY.


5/8

APO NewsAugust 009

APO manuals add value to the productivity clearinghouse .......................................................... (Continued from page 1)

The biomass manual resulted rom the regional workshop on Biomass Utili-zation or Industrial Boilers held in Pakistan in August 2008. Early in 2009,national dissemination seminars to ollow up the regional workshop were

organized in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. The manual was disseminatedat those seminars and were appreciated by the participants.

The three GP-related manuals are the Green Productivity and Green Supply

Chain Manual, RoHS Manual for SMEs, and Green Tourism CertificationManual, which were published in August 2008, November 2008, and June2009, respectively. While the latter two are the direct results o APO projects,

the GP and green supply chain (GSC) manual is a compilation o preexistinginormation. The purpose o this manual is to develop a user-riendly, hands-

on, practice-oriented, comprehensive manual or integrating the GP conceptand GSC best practices, stated Dr. Kun-Mo Lee, the volume editor.

The rst Agriculture Department publication in the series is the Food Safety

Management Manual, based on numerous APO projects dealing with the is-

sue. The author, Yong Kok Seng, is a long-serving APO resource speaker onood saety. The manual also includes tips on how to make the most o thetext, how to read each chapter, and a reading strategy. The manual is so sim-

ple and easy that anyone can use it without additional guidance, commentedSecretariat Program Ocer Dr. Muhammad Saeed, who has conducted ood

saety projects in collaboration with Yong.

Learning the essence of Japans management of technology

In its continuous promotion o technology development and innovation inmember countries, the APO, in collaboration with the Japanese Ministry oEconomy, Trade and Industry and Japan Productivity Center, organized a

multicountry observational study mission on the Management o Technology(MOT), 2226 June, in Japan. Senior technology managers, R&D researchers,

and consultants heard lectures and case studies and made site visits to observeJapanese expertise in MOT, R&D, and innovative product management systems.

In the keynote lecture on The Role o MOT in Japan, Pro. Hiroshi Miyanaga,Tokyo University o Science, introduced the example o the Suica electronic

cash card. Suica originated in 2001 as a prepaid card or train tickets on the EastJapan Railway Company. It now can be used or travel and entertainment tickets,

taxi ares, and purchases rom vending machines, convenience stores, and otherretailers. The Japanese e-money market currently tops 1 trillion, which is pos-

sible through contactless radiorequency-identication technology developed bySony. Pro. Miyanaga asserted that, The essence o MOT is how to develop aconcept rom a simple prepaid to a multiunctional card.

Proessor Robert Kneller, Research Center or Advanced Science and Technolo-

gy o the University o Tokyo, suggested establishing technology transer oces(TLOs) in universities and research institutes. Major roles o TLOs are deciding

which technologies or inventions are commercially viable, marketing them toprivate companies, and assisting in product-to-market development. That ideawas attractive to many participants, especially those rom government research

institutes.

Participants visited our Japanese companies. CEO Seigo Honme o ElionixInc., which is dominant in lithography and scanning electron microscopy, ad-

vised identiying niche markets through collaboration with major companies and

advanced research institutes. At Kao Corporation, a manuacturer o a variety

o general consumer and chemical products, participants learned how a stroncorporate culture generates innovative products. Under the motto ConsumerDecide on the Quality o the Products, Kao encourages all company division

to participate in the process o product development. At Bayer CropSciencYuki Research Center, a world leader in crop protection, R&D Director Claud

Lambert explained the active role o the marketing team in new product development. The visit to the Yokohama plant o Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. illustrate

product management in a major corporation.

The mission ended with a hal-day workshop in which participants exchange

views on how to apply advanced Japanese MOT systems in their own enterpriseand countries.

Professor Miyanaga (standing) introducing Japanese MOT

We are sure thatour publications,i n c l u d i n g t h e

new manuals, cang i v e t h o s e w h oare interes ted or

involved in specicields new insights

and perspectives.Given this, we are

looking into howto disseminate this

resourceul inor-mation to the widest audience, said Lee. APO publications are distributed toNPOs, university libraries, research institutes, government agencies, private-

sector corporations, university aculty members, researchers, APO resourcepersons, and senior corporate executives. To reach out to a wider audience and

make distribution o these valuable productivity resources easier, the APO hasmade them available in both print and e-book ormats since 2003. The PDFormat o these publications is available ree o charge on the APO Web site

(www.apo-tokyo.org). The APO hopes that its inormation program will assistall productivity practitioners worldwide in their endeavors.

Participants at the Nepal dissemination seminar


6/8

APO NewsAugust 009

Entrepreneurial agribusiness through innovation

Business incubation is emerging as one o the most innovative in-struments to support SME creation and development all over theworld. The exceptionally ast growth o business incubators has

to be replicated in the agribusiness sector, asserted APO resource speaker Dr.Kiran A. Sharma, International Crop Research Institute or Semi Arid Tropics,

India, during the recent APO multicountry observational study mission on Entre-preneurship and Agrotechnology/Agrobusiness Incubation held in the Republic

o China (ROC), 2226 June. The mission was organized in collaboration withthe Council o Agriculture (COA), Executive Yuan, China Productivity Center,and National Chung Hsing University (NCHU) to help participants promote in-

novation in agriculture, enhance the capacity o agribusiness entrepreneurs, andcreate modern technology-based SMEs by learning rom the experience o the

host country.

The ve-day mission was packed with inormation rom overseas and local re-

source speakers. Director Steven Chiang, Agribusiness Incubator Program (AIP),University o Hawaii, USA, spoke on the agripreneur incubation approach o

the AIP, which is customizable/fexible, ast, simple, and applicable by clients.The NCHU operates the Innovation and Incubation Center (IIC), a leading agro-technology/agrobusiness incubator in the ROC. NCHU Vice President Dr. Yung-

Sheng Huang explained that the IIC consists o a proessional incubator teamworking in partnership with proessors, incubator partners, and industry allies.

NHCU Institute o Technology and Innovation Management Pro. Ta-June Lureviewed government strategies to promote innovative technology and the ROCs

innovation incubators. Local speakers Dr. Robert Lai, Ministry o EconomicAairs, and Pro. Benjamin Yuan, National Chiao Tung University, spoke on

government policies or innovation and in agriculture and the importance oknowledge-based innovation or uture agricultural growth, respectively.

Site visits were made to seven technology/business incubators and their clients:the Innovation Incubator o the NCHU (IINCHU) that provides companies in

technology-based industries with a service package comprising nance, market

ing, public relations, mentoring, and international business support; LivestocResearch Institute; Taiwan Orchid Plantation; the COA; IINCHU section iTaichung Science Park; Nankang Biotech Incubation Center; and 7th Taipei In

ternational Food Show.

The study mission conrmed that the ROCs success in business incubation in th

agriculture sector is primarily due to strong policy and institutional support, thprovision o an environment conducive to generating and promoting innovation

and close linkages between universities, research institutes, and industry. Atesharing inormation rom each country, participants concluded that the concept oagrotechnology/agribusiness incubation is relatively new to the Asia-Pacic re

gion. It was also noted that the roles and unctions o incubators vary and depenon the level o development. The ROCs initiatives and methods or promotin

innovation motivated participants to plan their own uture activities.

Visiting the Taiwan Orchid Plantation, a public facility for orchid entrepreneurs

KM to improve service-sector productivity

The ather o knowledge management (KM) Peter Drucker once statedthat, In postcapitalism, power comes rom transmitting inormation

to make it productive, not rom hiding it. Realizing that economicstructures are shiting rom primary commodities and goods-based productiontoward knowledge-intensive services, the APO has undertaken several KM

projects. It has also developed an APO KM ramework or SMEs. Eorts areongoing to reine that ramework or the service sector, which accounts or

the largest share o the economy in the majority o member countries. A studymeeting on KM in the Service Sector in Malaysia, 1518 June, was thereore

held to raise the overall productivity and perormance o the service sector

through the application o KM.

The our resource speakers included Monash University, Australia, Senior Lec-turer Dr. Henry Linger and MPC Senior Director Ab. Rahim Yusu. Dr. Linger

outlined KM in the service sector with examples rom Australia. Yusu spokeon the signicance o the service sector and KM in Malaysia. KDi Asia Direc-

tor Praba Nair, Singapore, introduced the APOs KM ramework approachand explained how service excellence and innovation could be enhanced withKM. He stated that, KM practice can lead service eciency to service excel-

lence. Knowledge Management Division Chie Charity L. Tan, Departmento Health, the Philippines, agreed, noting that, The APO KM ramework is

very well crated and comprehensive and should be o enormous assistanceto organizations starting their own KM or which have already launched KM

programs.

Knowledge is the key strategic asset to be managed, said Young International

Group CEO Ronald Young, o the UK, in his presentation on knowledge as-sets in both tacit and explicit orms. He stressed the necessity o establishing a

platorm to convert rom the tacit to the explicit by mentoring and discussion.The healthcare industry KM case study he presented was appreciated by many

participants as a clear blueprint showing how KM can be implemented in serv-

ice enterprises.

Participants lauded APO eorts to develop a simple KM ramework to encour-age member countries to implement the concept. They discussed details o the

our accelerators that help to propel organizational KM initiatives: leadership; people; process; and technology. Managing Director George Wong, Hoclink

Systems and Services Pvt. Ltd., Singapore, said, The study meeting helpedme understand how KM should be implemented in organizations to completeinitiatives undertaken over the years. This will enhance productivity and qual-

ity in l ine with innovative thrusts in the knowledge-based economy.


7/8

APO NewsAugust 009

APO/NPO updateNew APO Alternate Director for Lao PDRMr. Soutchay Sisouvong, Deputy Director o the Small Enterprise Promotion andDevelopment Oce, was appointed APO Alternate Director or Lao PDR, w.e.. 1August 2009.

October

Sweden

Study mission to a Nonmember Country on Quality and Innovation,

59 October 2009.

Objective: To learn rom Swedish quality management experiencesand provide rsthand exposure to the best Swedish practices in quality

and innovation.

Germany

Multicountry observational study mission to a Nonmember Country

on Exporting Processed Agrifood Products, 812 October 2009.

Objective: To study the trends and developments in importing, whole-saling, and retailing o processed agriood products in Germany and

help participants develop their export promotion strategies.

Republic of China

Workshop on e-Waste Management, 1216 October 2009.Objective: To review current e-waste generation, storage, processing,and disposal scenarios in member countries and evolve methods or

the systematic management o e-waste using the Green Productivity

approach.

Indonesia

Workshop on Benchmarking for Service Quality in the Public Sec-

tor, 1216 October 2009.

Objective: To enable participants to develop the capacity to providequality services using the benchmarking methodology in the public

sector.

Lao PDR

Training course on Planning and Management of Agroprocessing

Enterprises, 1924 October 2009.

Objective: To equip participants with tools and techniques ordeveloping business plans or starting and managing agroprocessing

enterprises.

Republic of China

Multicountry observational study mission on the Application of Ad-

vanced Technologies in Aquaculture, 1923 October 2009.

Objective: To observe and learn rom the achievements o the hostcountry in the eld o green aquaculture industry.

Thailand

Study meeting on Lean Six Sigma for the Service Sector, 2730 Oc-

tober 2009.

Objective: To develop roadmaps deploying lean Six Sigma to address

the specic needs o various sectors within the service industry.

Program calendar

Kindly contact your NPO for details of future activities, including eligibility forparticipation. The project details along with the address of your NPO are avail-able from the APO Web site at www.apo-tokyo.org.

New APO publication

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS:ISSUES AND PERSPECTIVESFROM THE ASIA-PACIFICREGION

APO 150 pp. July 2009

ISBN: 92-833-2396-3 (print edition)

ISBN: 92-833-7081-3 (e-edition)

Photo report

National Metal and Materials Technology Center researcher (R) explaining centeactivitiesWorkshop on Applications of Nanotechnology in the Food Industry, Bangkok, Thailand, 1519 June 2009.

Seminar participant examining salak trees on a farm in Sleman district, YogyakartaSeminar on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Safety for Fruit Crops and Vegetables: Managing Food Quality, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 29 June3 July 2009.


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APO NewsAugust 009

Published monthly byAsian Productivity Organization, Hirakawa-cho Dai-ichi Seimei Bldg. 2F, 1-2-10 Hirakawa-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0093, Japan;

APO e-learning courses have ourished thanks to the advantagesthey oer in reaching a large audience in a timely, cost-eectivemanner. truly a productive endeavor rom the APO, which de-

serves to be replicated and carried orward on a much wider and intensescale, commented one resource speaker. e -Learning courses, like otherAPO projects, require joint eorts. But in this project modality, a critical ele-ment is necessary: technical support to connect all parties involved online.

This months People-behind-the-scenes subject is not an individual butthe team at the Tokyo Development Learning Center (TDLC) which assiststhe APO in conducting its videoconerencing-based e-learning coursesutilizing the Global Distance Learning Network o the World Bank.

An important rst step in conducting a videoconerence course is arrang-ing a suitable venue in each participating country. This may sound simple,although procuring a acility that meets technical requirements, can ac-commodate numerous people, and is easily accessible is complicated. Theavailability o advanced inrastructure in some countries is limited, mean-ing that personnel with technical knowledge and communication and co-ordination skills must be on hand to ensure stable connectivity and clearaudio and video streams. The TDLC team is incredibly proessional andproactive when complying with requests and instructions, troubleshoot-ing, and problem solving, commented one APO program ofcer.

H o w e v e r , n omatter how highthe level o pro-ess i o na l i sm , i tcannot competewith a vocation.

The TDLC sta arespecial because o the extra eorts they make, support when dealing withunexpected problems, and the pleasure o their company until the endo a session no matter how late. Our team members have a keen sense oclient orientation, achieving results, and working together, said TDLC Pro-gram Coordinator Eiko Wataya.

All o us are very happy that participants learn rom the courses and ap-ply that new knowledge in their own countries. In that sense, the APOse-learning courses always give us a high level o job satisaction, saidWataya. When questioned on the success actors in APO e-learning cours-es, she listed good design; energetic, proessional ofcers; and committedparticipants and resource speakers. The APO News would add one moreelement to that list: the contribution o the proessional sta o the TDLCwho are always happy to go the extra mile.

People behind the scenes:TDLC e-learning team

The world economy has suered greatly rom the results o the global i-nancial meltdown that began in the USA. Unemployment has increased asbusinesses downsize and ew opportunities are available or those entering

the job market. Japan is one country badly aected. However, some are trying toprepare or growth and success even in this dicult time. Industrial advisers andtop and senior managers o major Japanese companies who attended this years

Karuizawa Top Management Seminar, 810 July, suggested human capitalismmanagement, or human-based management.

The Karuizawa Top Management Seminar is organized annually by the JapanProductivity Center (JPC), and the 2009 event was the 54th. In its long history,the Karuizwa seminar has introduced management philosophies, methodologies,and world economic trends to Japanese business and industry leaders. This yearstheme was Human Capitalism Management or the Next Society. The event wasattended by 140 private-sector corporate managers including 21 participants romthe Republic o Korea led by Chairman and CEO o the Korea Productivity Center(KPC) Dr. Dong Kyu Choi. JPC Chairman Jiro Ushio, in the opening address, cau-tioned that, We will not be able to see the clear sky by just waiting or this stormto pass by itsel. Ushio stressed the importance o human energy and dynamics incorporate management in the 21st century, which is the key to human capitalism

management.

The three-day seminar eatured presentations by industrial leaders, panel discus-sions, and a break-out session. Many speakers declared that todays hardshipscould be an opportunity to push or innovation and reorm or uture growth.However, success will depend on building relationships o trust with employeesvia human-based management.

President and Chie Executive Ocer Shigenobu Nagamori, Nidec Corporation, in hispresentation entitled Management by Passion, Enthusiasm, and Persistence, advisedmanagers to take the initiative in working passionately to convince others to committheir passion and enthusiasm. Director Kanji Okubo o the Human & ManagementResearch Institute, spoke on Management or Making People Happy and detailed howgood companies make the happiness and growth o employees their rst priority. Okuboalso stated that companies should invest more in improving the work environment.

One o the highlights o this years seminar was the participation o Korean CEOsand managers, a result o a Memorandum o Understanding on collaboration be-tween the KPC and JPC. It was a great opportunity or me to hear the ideas o topmanagers o big Japanese companies and challenges that they ace. I believe thiswill help me advise Korean managers how to develop and allow their expansion tothe global market, commented Dr. Choi o the KPC.

Human-based management for the next societyNPOfocus

Korean participants utilizing simultaneous interpretation during a presentation(photo courtesy of JPC)

volume 39 number 8

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