Alexander Burkov: Fifty more Omsk enterprises may join the national Labor Productivity project

The Governor of the Omsk Region assessed the results of the introduction of lean manufacturing technology at the VELTA plant. The company took advantage of the advantage that is provided free of charge under the national project - targeted support from experts from the Federal Competence Center.

The High-Voltage Electrotechnical Devices Production Association has been a participant in the national Labor Productivity project for only six months, but it has already achieved tangible results in improving production processes and increasing their efficiency. With the help of experts, it was possible to identify and reduce unforeseen costs, time losses, and their impact on the production process. This led to a change in the principles of workplace equipment, approaches to the introduction of lean manufacturing tools, and attitudes within the team towards improving production processes. No one expected an instant effect, but positive changes are already noticeable today, and they will make it possible to achieve a tangible increase in labor productivity in the future, and with it an increase in output.

"When we first started participating in this project, everything didn't seem very obvious, that is, small improvements were made - a shelving was installed somewhere, a workplace was organized more or less conveniently. But over time, you begin to realize that these small improvements form such a huge puzzle called "lean manufacturing," the technical director of WELTA shared his impressions of the transformation processMikhail Kudinov. – And if you look at these six months, many specialists have really changed their understanding of what lean manufacturing is, and people have become actively involved in training. Now we have our own training center, two trainers.  And the young guys are taking the initiative - they want to learn and develop, they have an inner motivation to improve. That is, in fact, it is, indeed, a very big job. I think that in another six months we will see concrete changes."  

The plant for the production of electrical switchboard equipment has extensive experience in the design, development, manufacture and installation of medium and low voltage switchgear. The plant's products are in demand, the number of regular customers is growing, and the geography of supplies is expanding, including for export. Last year, the plant's revenue increased twofold, and the number of employees increased to 170 (less than a hundred a year earlier).  Andrey Gerashchenko, Director of WELTA, told Governor Alexander Burkov about the plans for the development of production and the company's participation in the national project. The first results have already exceeded expectations. The plant's management also notes the effectiveness of the formed training system, which creates a positive attitude of the team to reconfigure processes.

"The heads of the enterprise really have bright eyes, and they are grateful to the Federal Competence Center for providing them with such great assistance in organizing production, reducing costs, and increasing labor productivity," the Governor commentedAlexander Burkov. – And this is only one production chain that has been worked out in detail, proposals have been given, standards have been developed, and we are already seeing the effect. The management recognizes what a good thing it is, because they didn't get around to it themselves, they didn't have the time, and they didn't have the level of understanding that an expert had either. All 14 Omsk enterprises that participate in the national project give only a positive assessment and thank them for being included. Our task is to increase the number of participating enterprises so that, using new methods and new technologies for managing production processes, we can reduce costs, thereby increasing the profitability of the enterprise and increasing production volumes. Creating new jobs and increasing the profitability of our business entities is what our region needs today. Therefore, the Omsk Region was among the first to start implementing the national Labor Productivity project. Today, 50 more enterprises can enter the project according to the quota, which has been approved at the federal level until 2024."

The National Labor Productivity project was approved by the May decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2018 and is designed to create conditions for an annual increase in labor productivity in the country by 5% by 2024. To achieve these goals, the Government of the Russian Federation has developed a set of state business support measures, which includes financial incentives, employment support, and expert assistance in optimizing production processes. Experts from the Federal Center for Competence in the Field of Labor Productivity, in cooperation with regional authorities, provide assistance to enterprises in optimizing processes and implementing a culture of lean manufacturing in the regions.

The Omsk Region started implementing the national project "Labor Productivity" in 2020. By 2024, the regional authorities plan to involve at least 64 Omsk enterprises in the national project. 14 Omsk enterprises have already become participants in the national project.