The representative from Yamaguchi Vietnam present about the implementation of WISE project in the company. (Photo Courtesy of JIC).

This is part of the project for “Improvement of employee satisfaction and work environment”, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) from May 2016 to April 2018.

The project, also known as the WISE Project, has helped companies identify factors that hinder their productivity and develop solutions to common industry problems.

Almost all the Vietnamese companies, especially small-scale enterprises, are considered to be seriously lacking in practical consulting skills and human resources that could improve business and workers’ welfare.

Under the project, companies are instructed to apply the 5S - a workplace organization method that uses a list of five Japanese words: seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu, and shitsuke. Their translations from Japanese are “sort”, “set in order”, “shine”, “standardise” and “sustain”, respectively.

The list describes how to organize a work space for efficiency and effectiveness by identifying and storing the items used, maintaining the area and items and sustaining the new order. The decision-making process usually comes from a dialogue on standardization, which builds an understanding among employees of how to work.

Do Van Dung, deputy director of Yamaguchi Vietnam, major producer of the auxiliary mechanic, lab equipment and factory supplies, said before joining the WISE Project, the flow of product lines in the company was not effective.

He said the company had no standard, no specific regulations, no training policy, no check-sheet for machine maintenance and no periodic maintenance plan.

He also admitted that previously, communication to the staff at the company was not good. But this changed with the WISE Project, Dung said.

The brief explanation of 5S.

The company restructured and redesigned the flow of products (for example, raw material, completed product, quality test) so that distances between the stages of production were narrowed, helping save time and labor, and increasing connectivity.

Yamaguchi worker Ha Thi Linh said after learning about and practicing the 5S method, workers put office equipment in an orderly manner and the workplace became cleaner and brighter.

Other causes included unreasonable work organization, lack of funding for updated technology and a training system relying heavily on theory instead of practical skills.

Once the problems were solved, productivity increased, which also led to better income for employees, Huong said, adding if the employees were satisfied with the working environment and income, they would be with the company for further growth.

Source: VNA