Title: Enhancing firm competitiveness in fast track through total productive maintenance

Authors: G.D. Sardana, S.K. Sinha

Addresses: Institute of Management Education, Ghaziabad 201005, India. ' Star Wire (India) Ltd., 21/4, Mathura Road, Ballabgarh 121004, India

Abstract: Competitiveness is a major challenge before a company. Simply stated competitiveness of a firm refers to firstly management of capabilities to exploit its resources, competencies and knowledge and secondly to manage change with the overall objectives of adapting better and faster than competition. Superior manufacturing performance of a firm leads to competitiveness. Business environment in the last decade has changed radically in India. With the advent of WTO regime of globalisation and liberalised trade, the heavily protected Indian industry has had to face competition both from within as well as established companies practicing world-class techniques. This paper provides an analysis of how National Engineering Industries (NEI), a medium-sized company in India, has reacted to a changing market environment and transformed itself to remain competitive following a focused approach in implementing total productive maintenance.

Keywords: competitiveness; globalisation; plant performance; TPM; total productive maintenance; loss elimination; skills gaps; autonomous maintenance; LCC; life cycle costs; overall line effectiveness; breakdowns; fast track; fast tracking; capabilities management; resources exploitation; competencies; knowledge management; KM; change management; overall objectives; adaptability; internal competition; WTO; trade liberalisation; World Trade Organization; protectionism; manufacturing industry; foreign competition; world-class techniques; National Engineering Industries; small and medium-sized enterprises; SMEs; changing markets; company transformation; focused approaches; India; Indian culture; business management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJICBM.2011.037427

International Journal of Indian Culture and Business Management, 2011 Vol.4 No.1, pp.88 - 103

Published online: 31 Jan 2015 *

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