Management Development Programme: Phase 4 - Process Improvement

This posting is actually the second posting of the same topic as for some reason it did not save well in the blospot server when I first wrote it last week. There goes my 1 hour work on this blog but be as it may, I feel compelled to complete the MDP series in by blog for my future reference and as also as a serving reminder of how I enjoyed this programme.

Ok enough for that, the last topic for MDP Phase four was conducted by Mr. Mah Kong Howe on the topic of Process Improvement. Mr. Mah did not reveal his age to us but I guess he is probably about my age or younger judging from his facial appearance. Maybe Li Ling from the MIM, if you are reading this, you could enlighten me with the actual age of Mr. Mah for the benefit of all participants !. Mr. Mah is a certified professional trainer with the MIM and has a lot of experience in management training locally and also in the ASEAN region. He is indeed an excellent scholar on management training and he has won several awards from the MIM, RMIT and Maaastricht School of Management for his scholarly work and contribution on management trainings.


Mr. Mah module focusses on understanding the basic principles underpinning the systems, process and value concept. In the class we were asked to relate specific technique to the organisation's needs and also to interpret the principles via class exercises and discussions. He also stressed the important of quality culture. One unique thing about his class was that everytime we resume after tea or lunch break, he would ask two volunteers to give quality slogan such as "Kualiti Teras Kejayaan" and and later he deliberated on the importance of this slogan.


Modern perspective on organization is that every organization is essentially a SERVICE, the only difference being that traditional manufacturers have more tangibles relative to the traditional services. Universal responsibility of managers include to develop synergistic relationships and to manage them continually.


One of the process improvement methodology and tools he taught in class was the CPM or critical path method. This is a very efficient method in determining ways to improve overall process duration and obviously I could see everyone in class grasped this concept quite easily. Another technique is process improvement taught to us in class was the PERT or Project Evaluation & Review Technique. PERT is similar to the CPM method except that a better idea of the duration of a particular process is obtained through building in the consideration of three scenarios, viz., optimistic, most likely and pessimistic estimates of each activity's duration.


Mr. Mah module is a good module in understanding processes and how we can improve them. The assignment given for us is to describe a process in the department which can be improve using the methods already learnt in class. I hope to complete this assignment as soon as possible as I have another 2 assignments from the previous modules yet to be completed. On top of that, from 21 to 31 May, I will be attending the General Manager's Programme at Hyatt Kuantan organised by the company under the Talent Pool programme. I already skipped the one in PD two weeks ago in favour of the MNC-CIGRE colloqouium and this time I must go or risk losing the oppurtunity to be part of this programme once and for all....