COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — The first group of 30 employees graduated earlier this month from the Progathi Academy, part of the Prograthi Program begun in 2015 by Global Rubber Industries Pvt. Ltd. (GRI) to increase manufacturing efficiency.
According to GRI, the initiative has resulted in a 10-percent increase in productivity, a 6.4-percent increase in quality assurance and a 0.9-percent decrease in rejected output. GRI said the program also has aided in the development of GRI's employees that have helped to fuel the company's growth.
GRI said its Pragathi Academy stemmed from the Pragathi program with goal of training and developing GRI's future leaders effectively in order to generate value to the operational performance and practicality of the manufacturing facility.
The Pragathi program educates all employees on the importance of implementing LEAN practices in day-to-day operations. GRI said the program also focuses on fact-based problem-solving in order to ensure graduates are able to resolve real-life situations, including on-the-floor practices that are conducted to assess productivity and performance.
The program allows for in-depth analysis on all machines on the floor area, GRI said, and employees must be aware of any machine deficiencies and highlight any problems to the maintenance team. This practice, GRI said, results in decreased downtime on all machines, ensures the safety of all employees and helps the company attain its manufacturing targets.
All graduates are accredited with a certification from GRI, highlighting their performance and the successful completion of the course on manufacturing excellence.
Earlier this year, GRI inaugurated its $40 million tire factory in Badalgama, Sri Lanka, the first facility in that country to produce pneumatic agricultural tires.