Asian execs join productivity training in Japan

The Japan-based Asian Productivity Organization (APO) recently conducted a two-week training on "Innovations in Production Systems" in Tokyo, Japan for its member economies, including the Philippines. The training, from November 29 to December 10 this year, was aimed at enhancing the capability of Asian production managers, executives and consultants in introducing innovative production systems. The participants were exposed to the practice of Japanese companies such as the Toyota production systems and value engineering. APO’s database on Asian quarterly growth map shows that as of the 2nd quarter of 2010, the Philippines ranks only fourth in growth among its Asian neighbors, behind Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia but ahead of Vietnam and Indonesia. COUNTRY 2009 Q4 2010 Q1 2010 Q2 Singapore 3.8% 16.9% 19.5% Thailand 5.9% 12.0% 9.1% Malaysia 4.4% 10.1% 8.9% Philippines 2.1% 7.8% 7.9% Vietnam 6.9% 5.8% 6.4% Indonesia 5.4% 5.7% 6.2% Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) President Antonio Kalaw, Jr. says DAP, being the implementing arm of the APO, aims to enhance competitiveness of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the country. Kalaw said DAP hopes to develop SMEs' capacities through the integration of productivity improvement tools and techniques in their operations. For this training, APO and DAP, its local national productivity organization (NPO), chose Rommel Juan, director of the Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (MVPMAP) as Philippine delegate to this training. APO is an intergovernmental organization of 20 member-countries. It aims to contribute to the socio-economic development of the Asia-Pacific region by enhancing productivity. The Philippine government is a founding member of the APO and for the last 50 years has worked closely with the APO in implementing various programs that promote productivity in agriculture, industry and services sectors. APO promotes human resources development, policy research and institutional capacity-building. The DAP itself, along with other Asian counterparts, has also been a recipient of numerous productivity-raising programs because one of APO’s main thrust areas is strengthening the capabilities of the NPOs. Juan, whose Philippine company produces the innovative and internationally acclaimed electric jeepney says that the APO training had been an entirely all-new learning experience for him. “I was exposed to the so-called knowledge-based economy where innovation holds the key to improving productivity and to keeping costs down," Juan says. "To ensure long-term success, we were taught to innovate constantly to differentiate ourselves from the competition. APO hopes that by exposing us to innovative approaches that are practiced in Japan, our own skills and knowledge would in turn be raised to international perspectives and standards", he adds. “We were encouraged to be receptive to new ideas and think outside of our own boxes of conventional thinking. The concept of ‘creative destruction’ was emphasized," Juan says. "In reality, innovations make obsolete any old ideas, technologies, and even skills. All these I hope to trickle down to MVPMAP member-companies as our own local auto and parts making industries themselves gear up for globalization and tighter competition," he says. (Press release)