Coordinators Share Conference Feedback from Amsterdam Conference

Editor's Note: Coordinators who attended the Fall 2004 APS conference in Amsterdam say they were energized, enlightened and inspired. In the following testimonials, conferences attendees tell how they will implement what they learned to increase productivity for their companies and themselves.

Productivity Gain From Installation Of Systems
By Woon Siong Ker

I was particularly impressed with the trainers and their charismatic delivery, which seem so effortless yet had such an impact. The gathering of coordinators from around the world and their presentations made me realize that the methodology and principles of productivity are common in all successful projects.

From my own experience, the success of an organization after installation of a productivity program depends on the follow-up to perpetuate the system. Critical to the success is formation of a TEAM to drive the productivity program and giving credits back to the people -- it is not a one person show! In my organization where about 60 percent to 70 percent of the cost is contributed from raw materials, we find that focusing on the basics alone reap returns in other forms -- improvement in material losses, failure cost, medical leaves and other costs as well.

A productivity system was implemented at first quarter of 2003 and by year end we improved productivity by 24 percent. Now, one year later, and with the ever increasing labor and raw materials cost, we achieved improvement of another 52 percent on top of the earlier 24 percent. This was the best ever in the company's history. It is the people who make it work, a new behavior and culture was set and we are proud of it and setting even higher targets for 2005!

Thinking About Productivity: More Options, Better Results
By Lars Jankowski
Kampffmeyer Food Service GmbH
Hamburg, Germany

Herewith I want to affirm that the APS conference was a great success. The following lectures affected my behavior:
1) Leadership;
2) Decision making.

What I found most interesting about these two topics was that they really broadened my mind. I'm now taking more aspects into consideration than before. That helps a lot to take the right decision.

It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This: Great Programs, Nice Colleagues, Beautiful City
By Julia Ivanchenko,
ZAO
Moscow, Russia

I was very glad to visit this session in Amsterdam -- very useful information, perfect teachers, nice colleagues and beautiful city. What could be better? Actually it's a pity that in my company English language is not so common.

For example other Coordinators don't possess it. That's why now we are looking for a translator for all the materials from the APS trainings. But I've already translated one of the training presentations of Doctor Hernandez, Project Planning. I found it very useful and interesting for my colleagues. I have presented a training session for them and for the productivity engineers, too. And they liked it very much! After that I asked my guys to set up priorities in the training topics. I would like to coach them according to these priorities. I hope to continue this good tradition and we already agreed with our company to have Training Centre plans for education of the pharmacy staff for the next year. So I should insert some training for new Pharmacy Directors in the existing program.

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