How the WPC clusters function - the current WPC Programme for world-class manufacturing

There are several stages through which companies go, once they join a Workplace Challenge Cluster:

STAGES OF PARTICIPATION

• Nurturing (appreciation of the WPC process).
• Orientation (diagnostics, appointment of plant-level committees, development of individual company implementation plans, collaborative structures and capacity building).
• Implementation (implementation of the improvement plans through collaborative structures, quarterly milestone workshops and monthly cluster/sector networking meetings).
• Diffusion (sharing of information and diffusion of lessons learnt to other firms and industry sectors, promotional efforts concentrate on changing attitudes by using video testimony).
• After Care (continuing to apply Best Operating Practice (BOP) and sharing of information and lessons learned).

THE WPC CLUSTER PROGRAMME ENABLES COMPANIES TO BECOME WORLD-CLASS THROUGH THE FOLLOWING PROCESS:

STEP 1: ORIENTATION

• Members receive orientation (they are helped to diagnose their challenges, to appoint plant-level committees, to develop company programme implementation plans, to establish collaborative structures).
• Members select a consultant to guide them through the world-class manufacturing Programme (four consulting firms are accredited service providers: CDI, ODI, BICIT and WCI).

STEP 2: CAPACITY BUILDING

• Supervisors attend capacity building workshops (supervisors and management are helped to understand and support the transformation process).
• The programme makes shop-floor participation in improving performance, a key element of membership. Employees attend capacity building workshops (labour is trained to ensure full participation in the decision-making process and understanding of the transformation process).
• Stakeholders attend Best Operating Practice workshops (plant level stakeholders are shown the practical effects and impact of world-class interventions on both hard and soft issues).

STEP 3: IMPLEMENTATION

• Member companies are helped to implement the programme (implementation of the improvement plans through collaborative structures, quarterly milestone workshops and monthly cluster/sector networking meetings).

STEP 4: CHANGE MANAGEMENT PROCESSES

• Plant-level consulting - participating companies implement best operating and world-class competitiveness practices (BOP).
• Consultants (best-in-class change agents) share their expertise and train and coach Cluster Facilitators in change management processes).
• Cluster Facilitators facilitate implementation of BOP and world-class competitiveness in clusters and participating companies.
• Diffusion of success stories - WPC collates packages and disseminates the methodologies, processes and lessons learnt that lead to improved operating practices.

STEP 5: NETWORKING

• Sharing - cluster members are helped to share information and lessons learnt with other participating firms and industry sectors. Promotional efforts concentrate on changing attitudes by using video testimony. The programme allows multi-site and multi-sector sharing of the lessons learned by companies as they apply BOP.
• Small companies benefit from being in a cluster with larger companies. The programme exposes small companies to BOP in a practical way that they could not otherwise afford.

BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATION IN WPC CLUSTERS

• The programme clusters companies with a common interest to achieve world-class performance. The cluster approach enables proactive and cost-effective interventions that serve as valuable lessons for an entire cluster and sector.
• Companies that have worked with the Workplace Challenge gain critical productivity management tools that allow them to continue increasing their productivity and competitiveness, thus helping to build capabilities that can entrench South Africa’s future economic survival and growth.

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