“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.” And the operations students of batch 2021-2023 rekindled their fire of knowledge.
Mr. P M Balaji, Vice President, Supply Chain Management, Toshiba Plant Systems & Services Corp ( TPSC Engineering ), organized an industrial visit for MBA students on 29th August 2022. After a brief meeting with SETPAC’s Director, Mr. Vibhushan, all the students were directed to the shop floor, where the person in charge gave the students a tour of the entire facility to help them thoroughly understand the company’s process.
The shop floor supervisor walked the students through the entire process, explaining the products’ planning, manufacturing, sales, and delivery. There was a greater emphasis on quality, service, technology, and lead time. Vendor management, supplier integration, customer relationship management, and product marketing are crucial factors for the company to remain competitive.
Throughout the visit, the students discussed machine-related specifications. They received the practical exposure and the application of the process of how Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) is used to control the speed manually and automatically, how Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) is used to automate the process, UV lamps to eliminate the contamination, and horizontal & vertical heaters to seal the pouches.
Once the students understood the process and machinery involved in the company, the internal technical team organized a doubt-clearing session in which the students’ questions were answered. Multiple process, machine, and maintenance-related questions were posed, and the team answered each. Mr. P.M. Balaji provided insights on how the students can relate the subject of Business Process Management to actual company processes.
After the question-and-answer session, the professor gave the students the assignment of discussing their thoughts and observations with everyone else in the room. The students provided their suggestions for modifying the practices or procedures that the company is currently using.
Through such an insightful interaction of the students with the company’s technical team, several new topics have emerged for the students to discuss, and a lot of new learnings to take away from such a knowledgeable visit.
– NSB Akhil and Rachit Waghray
OP$-ERA – The Operations Club