Knowledge Cluster (CLOCK)

Continuously Learning Organisation's Combine for Knowledge-Pool (CLOCK)

A Value-Offer where member companies learn together in a cluster!

Why does one need to join a CLOCK Team? What Benefits does it offer?

The CLOCK helps top and senior decision makers of the member (large corporate) entities to learn from each other in a speedy manner as to ‘How to become a Hi-PerformanceLEANer Organization’.  

As a natural sequel, this approach is especially beneficial for larger organizations in order to develop their supply base (smaller suppliers in particular) on a fast-track in sync with their own lean objectives. 

Benefits that the CLOCK member companies can derive if they take recommended steps to become an Environment-Friendly LEANer Organization and Workplace (The TOYOTA Kaizen model) are something like in the table if not better.

Benefits (achieved so far at some of our client companies) 

What is so different about the CLOCK?

Arjuna (in the great Indian epic Mahabharata) was lucky to have a guru like Acharya Dronacharya to hone his skills. On the flip side, circumstances forced Ekalavya to manage to hone his skills by himself. But the process was lengthier than that of Arjuna. Can there be a better learning process that offers best of the both? Yes! 

CLOCK learning process is conceptualized in order to precisely address the combination of both the Ekalavya-and-Arjuna method, especially that of the corporate world.

Like-minded corporate entities, that wish to learn as an on-going process, come together as members of a CLOCK. A CLOCK member needs to be self-motivated to force itself to stretch beyond its current capabilities.

Philosophy of the CLOCK 

Study with each other, learn from each other and help each other in achieving stretch objectives. The shared learning is not on industry-specific-intrinsic-technology practice/s but is essentially on broader issues of operational effectiveness, HR and organizational culture practices. Hence, members need (in fact, must) not, obviously, belong to the same sector but could well have a cross-industry composition.

Size of a CLOCK

Up to 5 (five) is ideal membership in order to ensure proper communication and bonding that is essential for effective development within the CLOCK.

How will the CLOCK learn?

A senior faculty from Quality-Management-Systems (QMS) facilitates learning process as external catalyst under the guidance of Shyam Talawadekar (Chief Faculty).

Over a few months, improvement projects (called as ©Instant-Kaizens and ‘©Distant-Kaizens’) led by Sponsor/Management-Representative (MR) of each CLOCK member are organized on their respective shop-floors (Gemba).

Sponsoring CEO, her successor and MR attend at least once a quarter while their functional counterparts attend every month. 

Spending a day with each CLOCK member once or twice every month, corresponding action based teachings, themes & tips are imparted to the group as a whole. Members are invited to find ways to customize those learning's so that implementation of improvement projects is enabled in their respective companies before next meet.

Is there any additional benefit of the CLOCK?

This process ensures sharing in more ways than one. 

First, it involves everyone in the problem-solving and improvisation, thus generating more alternatives than that would have been possible with only one set of people present. 

Second, it diversifies the base of problems that crop up: one company could be working on housekeeping-visual management; another, on a cell-optimised continuous flow of products/services; a third, on leaner inventory management; fourth, on a problem similar to the one encountered by a member.  

Most of all, it creates a captive network of capable facilitator/trainer/auditors that can reduce dependence on outside consultants to find creative solutions. By the time a visit is through to one shop-floor, the CLOCK members shall be bubbling with ideas to implement on a similar problem in their own companies.

More frequent sessions can be held internally in between the scheduled visits to review progress on the (road-map driven) agenda set out in the previous meeting.

What learning topics does the CLOCK offer?

In the nascent stage of a typical CLOCK Team, this process might sound a little tough to observe. However, a lot of constructive criticism within the CLOCK helps the members for their own good. During their internal meets, the members can narrow down on additional training they may need in support of the problems at hand. 

Training may be needed to upgrade knowledge, skills, and competence in following areas apart from change in attitudes towards work which is the prime objective of the CLOCK

1- Managerial Abilities

2- Behavioral Changes

3- Application of Intrinsic Technology.

4- Strategy deployment process

5 - Any Improvement Avenues in line with company objectives.

Corresponding courses shall be customized to suit needs of the (CLOCK Member/s) combine.

What resources does a member need?

The ideas that the CLOCK generates shall necessarily be common-sense ones based on the Zero-investment principle of Kaizen.

The focus is on the optimized usage of whatever resources are available. Rather, monitory investments are discouraged unless they are justifiable as an absolute necessity, only as a last resort. Such Zero-investment approach is one of the foundation stones of Kaizen, the management approach pioneered, used and spread by TOYOTA across its supply chain clusters under its Keiretsu programme. 

This CLOCK programme is based on the learnings from the same. It is suitably modified and adapted to conditions of developing nations by Shyam Talawadekar.

What action do you take now? 

If you are a corporate entity or an 'Industry Association', contact us NOW for Training and Consulting Needs. 

We shall help you form a self-sustaining CLOCK group that can begin ticking right away and benefits on achieving business AOP & KRA results.