The Economic Development Board (EDB), in collaboration with the National Productivity and Competitiveness Council (NPCC) and the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC), hosted a Capacity Building Programme on Lean Manufacturing targeting SMEs and Mid-Market manufacturing enterprises.
The various speakers discussed ways and means to help companies weather challenges and improve competitiveness and efficiency during the two-day training programme on May 11 and May 12, described as structured training and in-factory implementation support. The major highlight was the six-month Lean Manufacturing implementation programme (including in-factory interventions) offered freely to participating companies.
Minister of Industry, SME & Cooperatives, Aadil Ameer Meea, underlined that the manufacturing sector has for long been one of the major economic pillars in terms of job creation, expertise, while supporting thousands of families and at the same time significantly contributing to the country’s export performance and economic resilience over the years. He added that the sector employs more than 89,000 while contributing an excess of Rs 60 billion in terms of domestic exports.
The world has witnessed profound changes with cut-throat competition and intensified rise in production costs, laden with uncertainty across the global supply chain marked by labor shortage, operational pressures, and declining margins, calling for higher quality products, swift delivery, and greater efficiency. The Minister told, “This is precisely why we must act now, decisively, intelligently, and collectively. Mauritius cannot compete as matters stand. I can assure all of you that fundamental changes are underway. We must compete by producing smarter.”
He also urged the need to reduce ineffectiveness, improve productivity, and optimise processes, calling for value-added production. “This is exactly what the programme strives to achieve in terms of capacity building. We must reduce ineffectiveness. We must improve productivity. We must optimise processes. Lean manufacturing and industrial engineering are not simply another training exercise.
“Lean manufacturing is based on a simple but powerful principle – eliminating waste while improving efficiency, quality, and productivity. But more importantly, lean manufacturing is not about making people work harder. It’s about helping enterprises work smarter with better organisation, better coordination, better planning, and better use of talent and resources by combining awareness, technical expertise, and practical implementation,” he enumerated.
He added that the second phase will entail a six-month implementation process, where 10 selected enterprises will receive direct in-factory support and mentoring from certified ILO school trainers through the NPCC. That’s how real transformation happens, the minister argued.
Minister Meeah didn’t flinch in saying that Mauritius has never succeeded by remaining static. He asserted, “We succeeded because we adapted. We evolved over a period of 21.3 years. We diversified our exports. We opened ourselves to international markets. And at every difficult moment in our history, we found ways to innovate.”
For him, the country again finds itself at the crossroads with a sheer belief that successful countries tomorrow will not necessarily be the biggest ones, but rather the ones that are the most innovative, the most productive, and the most capable of adapting quickly to change.”
He urged, “Mauritius must be among those countries. And this requires a new mindset. A mindset where productivity is not seen as a burden, but as a pathway towards sustainability and growth. A mindset where continuous improvement becomes part of our industrial culture. And a mindset where we embrace transformation instead of failing it.”
The Director – Export Promotion & Market Access, EDB Geerish Bucktowonsing, pointed out that the programme remains relevant, arriving at a critical moment for the manufacturing sector where industries are facing unprecedented challenges in the form of rising costs, supply chain disruption, and volatile energy prices, putting an increasing burden on the private sector.
“The island is no exception, for these global realities bear a direct impact on our industrial system set against a higher and lower cost producing economies, where the traditional methods alone are not adequate to win the competition.
As a manufacturing industry, to be able to compete successfully, there is a need for our industries to compete successfully and enterprises must become smarter, faster, and more agile. This is precisely where lean management becomes critical. It’s no longer an option and rather a strategic necessity.”
He called on the need for an increase in productivity as one of the most effective and sustainable ways to slash operational costs without compromising on quality, while urging entrepreneurs that lean management implies eliminating waste, reducing delays, and optimizing resources. “Lean management is fundament and it’s about mindset and culture,” he insisted.
He hinted at India as one speaks about lean management, considered as a pioneer in apparel manufacturing, where they have adopted the practices for many SMEs.
He threw interesting insights, “At the level of EDB before this event, we surveyed the feedback of enterprises about this particular project. We have found out that our enterprises remained at the early stage of technology, where a significant number of them are still grappling in terms of understanding structure and process mapping.”
The NPCC Director, Dr. Vinaye Ancharaz, underlined that the Government is sparing no effort to promote digitalization on the island, while at the same time underlining that the country is still lagging. In context, he explains that the training will put enterprises at the forefront, where a lot will depend on those adopting digital tools.
“There is another project that we have been running for a couple of years, the enterprise digital project, ‘Enterprise Go Digital Platform,’ where we have developed a steady number of modules that could help support you. Some of the modules are mostly in demand such as sales, inventory, customer relationship management suiting your needs that you can come and still where we will dispense training in leveraging those modules.”
He believes that the SMEs today could emerge as the bigger enterprises of tomorrow urging companies to grab the opportunity with the Government posing as a facilitator.
