July 2016 - Volume 2 , Issue I
Desperate to throw out and implement every tool and technique we were enlightened with during our studies , diligent schemers trying to control our little worlds , convinced of our significance in the existing industrial sector and most of us carrying the brand value of one Pakistan ’ s most renowned University on our shoulders ; the taste of success was only a matter of time . But something went wrong ; things didn ’ t feel right . Hidden behind the smiles and pride , the monthly bar-b-q get-togethers loomed with concerned and confused questions ; is this really what Industrial Engineers do ? Do our bosses understand the scope of our work ? From the definition quoted by one of our most recognized Professors , an Industrial Engineer designs and optimizes systems . But before that nothing was more significant than the good old-school struggle of the fresh graduate ; to work your socks off at the grass root levels and establish a strong base . This was imperative considering the fact we were distributed throughout different sectors . The tools & dies manufacturing sector is not exactly a giant in this region ; flexibility was key to finding a stair way that goes up the climb of accom-plishment in different sectors . But we felt directionless , our progress haphazard , and felt the lack of implementations and initiatives that were true to our academia . We faced severe misconceptions about our field and were limited to distinct roles across the country : the data analyst , the safety engineer , the production planner , the documentation guy ; the sales support team member , the production in-charge , the parts designer ; and most annoyingly the layout drawer . The perception that we couldn ’ t go beyond that was fuming to say the least . It was not until later that some industries unveiled Operational Excellence or Continuous Improvement Departments where we were offered the platform to exhibit our abilities and flourish . And like the countless social , religious and political norms of conflict and misconception in our country , our best way to establish ourselves was not to force the initiative ; but to stand up and define our field and explain our scope , capacity and the wide range of possibilities we have to offer in making noteworthy contributions to our industries . Years have passed and the argument only grows further , with every individual firmly defending his sector as our ultimate bumper prize ; stand-out areas being Supply Chain , Designing , Quality , Inven-tory , and Planning . Various Industrial Engineering Societies , Consultancies and Advisory Groups are growing in number and demand as industries continue to rely on External Support for executions they should be coping themselves with ; which is my reason to believe that this is our chance to prove ourselves . Why rely on External parties when we can clean up the mess ourselves ? Our curriculum covers courses that polish such expertise that make us the perfect candidate for the jobs .
It would save money , it would save time , it would promote growth , and it would satisfy a breed of Engineers desperate to get the front seat . * According to PEC , there are a total of 170,992 Registered Engineers in Pakistan out of which only 2,231 are Industrial Engineers ; a measly 1.3 %! We are in such small num-bers and yet have such high concerns of landing a job ; that ’ s because we have been searching in the wrong place . * Industrial and Manufacturing sector of the 6th largest country in the world contributes 24 % and 18.5 % respectively to the GDP . Considering the fact that a high majority of capacity is not fully utilized and wastages and quality levels are rather compromising , if the limited Industrial Engi-neers divert their focus to this area it would be a win-win situation for all . Having been exposed to the textile sector for nearly three years , I have felt the resistance to change . The culture , the traditions and the old-school techniques are costing us immensely in the form of wasted utilities , opportunities , developments , material and ideas . But my experience in systems , quality , a local six sigma certifica-tion , and an International Lead Auditor certification gave me immense opportunities to analyze the situation throughout the country . My priority has always been to not only judge the performance of my projects on the documented KPIs , but also the intangible contributions I can make to bring forth a breath of change in the Quality approach and problem solving techniques . Pakistan is the ultimate definition of the 8th and 9th wastes of Lean manufacturing – Untapped and Misused resources . The wayward systems , requirements of training and awareness programs , the instilment and sustainability of a culture of traceability , transparency , standardization and continuous improvement are the ideal platform for us . There ’ s more ; * Pakistan ranks 56th out of 103 countries in the list of ISO Certified countries , hence showing immense opportunities for Total Quality Management Systems Develop-ment . Some argue it as being an old philosophy which was implemented and even replaced by Mod-ern quality terminologies in the west , but considering the state of our Industries with belied Quality Systems , this is indeed the logical initiative . Innovations of Six Sigma are more often than not used not for the target of a 99.9997 % success rate , but merely to get close to it . The greatest prospect is the newly introduced philosophy of Lean Six Sigma , which would be a fantastic methodology to work on the existing Industrial waste of the country ; * out of which only 20-30 % is recycled . Food waste of 17 %, Soil 9 %, Textile Waste nearing 7 %, Plastics / Glass / Papers 6 % and Rubber 5 % are all screaming for us to take advantage . The few Projects I have been fortunate enough to participate in gave me a glimpse of how easily we can work on our deficiencies by targeting the Pareto function ; 80 % problems originating from 20 % rea-sons .
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