RIL, HDFC Bank bag QualTech prize

The Qimpro Convention 2009 drew to a close on Friday, with Reliance Industries and HDFC Bank being declared winners of the QualTech Prize for Improvement in the manufacturing and services categories respectively.

Yes Bank and Hindalco Industries won the BestPrax Prize for Innovation in manufacturing and services, respectively.

Reliance Industries’ Hazira complex near Surat in Gujarat manufactures a wide range of polymers, polyesters, fibre intermediates and petrochemicals. The project which won the prize reduced costs incurred by the company to the tune of Rs 66 lakh per annum. In addition, capital expansion plans of Rs 100 lakh were also scrapped on the basis of the project.

HDFC Bank won its prize for improving lobby management at its Fort branch in Mumbai. The changes helped reduce overcrowding and long delays at various counters, improving customer satisfaction. Some 22 teams were shortlisted for the final vetting of their projects for achieving excellence through improvement and innovation. The convention was organised in association with Sterlite Industries, Yes Bank, and DNA.

Sunil Sinha, CEO, Tata Quality Management Services, who delivered a keynote address on Friday, said that ordinary people can do extraordinary things if they are empowered and have fire in their belly. One of the learnings in the Tata Nano project, he said, was that it was “important to trust young minds.” According to him, companies must develop a culture of risk taking to foster innovation. They must also be tolerant of some failures.

Suresh Lulla, managing director, Qimpro Consultants, said we need to be innovative in our visible products, as well as our relatively invisible practices. “To accomplish this, we need to capture the dormant creativity in our people, in a structured way, using creativity tools,” said Lulla.