Singapore Manufacturing Award Welcomes New Partner on Board

MAXA Award Continues to Honour Companies with Best Manufacturing Practices and Innovations in Singapore

1. After three years of recognising and celebrating Singapore’s best manufacturing operations, the organizers of the Manufacturing Excellence Award (MAXA) are pleased to welcome a new partner, the Singapore Manufacturers’ Federation (SMa). SMa represents the interests of the Singapore manufacturing community driving its competitiveness and sustainable growth through serving industry-specific needs, as well as bridging communications and tripartite partnerships with manufacturers and government agencies.

2. MAXA is presented by the Economic Development Board (EDB), together with its partners, McKinsey & Company (McKinsey), the Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA) and from today, the Singapore Manufacturers’ Federation (SMa). It seeks to honour companies which have achieved world-class practices and standards in their manufacturing operations in Singapore.

3. In addition, starting this year, the MAXA application and assessment processes will be integrated with SPRING’s Singapore Quality Class (SQC). The SQC certification recognises organisations for commendable performance on a business excellence framework which is internationally aligned with the frameworks adopted in leading economies such as the US and Japan.

4. In view of the strong synergies between manufacturing excellence and business excellence, the integration allows companies to be assessed on both aspects though a single application and assessment process, thereby minimizing the duplication of work by companies. Companies interested to apply for the MAXA Award will now have to apply for SQC by submitting an integrated application submission. Companies from the manufacturing sector applying for SQC certification will be considered for MAXA, and companies that meet MAXA requirements would be invited to participate in an integrated MAXA-SQC site assessment.

5. The overlap between the SQC and MAXA frameworks for understanding business and manufacturing excellence respectively have presented an opportunity for synergy between the two different programs, and created the opportunity for further learning between companies. The integration also highlights the cooperation and concerted efforts of the agencies tasked to promote the excellence of the manufacturing industry in Singapore.

6. The award aims to identify and recognise exceptional Singapore-based operations, benchmarked to global standards in manufacturing excellence and innovation. A MAXA winner is characterised as a manufacturing company or an operating unit within a company which continually innovates to retain its competitive edge both locally and internationally. It also demonstrates excellence in its operating systems, and sustainability in its operations.

7. Selection process:

i. First, the companies are assessed based on their written submission pertaining to innovation, manufacturing excellence and sustainability in their Singapore-based manufacturing operations. This application is integrated with the SQC application. Companies will be short-listed for further assessment in phase two.

ii. Thereafter, the assessors will make a two-day visit to each short-listed applicant, and conduct plant visits and interviews to validate the written submission and to enable a more comprehensive review of operations. A two-day integrated MAXASQC site visit is carried out for applicants without SQC or who reapply for SQC certification. The MAXA finalists will be identified by the end of this phase and companies that meet SQC requirements will be certified to SQC.

iii. Lastly, each finalist will make a presentation to, and answer questions from, the panel of eminent MAXA judges who will then determine the winner.

8. Companies interested to participate in MAXA can apply through www.maxa.sg. More information on the MAXA Award is also available through the MAXA website. Please be notified that there will be a MAXA briefing at the Singapore Economic Development Board on 28 August 2009.

9. MAXA application is open all year round. Completed applications must be submitted by 30 April 2010 to be considered for the MAXA Award 2009/2010. The process will culminate in an award ceremony in June 2010, when the winners will be unveiled.

ANNEX A: Partners’ quotes

ANNEX B: Company’s summary

ANNEX C: Integrated MAXA-SQC application – various scenarios (see applications)

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ANNEX A: Partners’ quotes

EDB’s quote

“MAXA is Singapore's award to celebrate and honour companies that meet the highest global standards in manufacturing innovation and excellence. We are very proud to be working with such distinguished organizations to jointly present MAXA, and warmly welcome the Singapore Manufacturers' Federation as our new partner,” Dr. Beh Swan Gin, Managing Director, Singapore Economic Development Board.

McKinsey’s quote

“McKinsey is pleased to participate in this important manufacturing award. We view manufacturing excellence as a function of three major sets of factors: plant operating systems, the management practices used to optimize resources, and perhaps most important, the mindsets and behaviors of the people in any manufacturing operation. Through MAXA, Singapore-based operations can learn from their peers and measure themselves against global benchmarks in these three dimensions,” said Chinta Bhagat, a leader of McKinsey’s Operations

Practice in Asia.

SMA’s quote

“The addition of the Singapore Manufacturers’ Association (SMa) as a new partner for the Manufacturing Excellence Award (MAXA) both emphasizes and recognizes the importance and contribution of SMEs and their continued efforts in manufacturing excellence. The Singapore-MIT Alliance is gladdened by this development and will continue to work with all MAXA partners to promote and recognize manufacturing excellence in Singapore.” Prof Hardy Chan Sze On, Co- Director (Singapore), Singapore-MIT Alliance.

SMa’s quote

“As Singapore manufacturers strive to improve their competitiveness through the use of technology and innovation, as well as constant skills upgrading and reviewing for sustainability practices, the Manufacturing Excellence Award (MAXA) is an excellent platform to recognize world-class manufacturing initiatives amongst our manufacturing community. It will also serve as a great booster to capitalize on the quality mark for Singapore-made products and venture into new and emerging markets,” said Mr Renny Yeo, SMa President.

SPRING’s quote

“The integration of SQC and MAXA application and assessment processes will reduce duplication of work for companies as they strive to achieve business and manufacturing excellence. This approach will enable companies to push for higher standards of excellence in a more systematic, efficient and seamless manner,” said Mr Png Cheong Boon, Chief Executive, SPRING Singapore.

ANNEX B: Company’s summary

Singapore Economic Development Board

EDB is the lead government agency for planning and executing strategies to

enhance Singapore’s position as a global business centre and grow the Singapore economy. We dream, design and deliver solutions that create value for investors and companies in Singapore. In so doing, we generate economic opportunities and jobs for the people of Singapore; and help shape Singapore's economic future.

‘Host to Home’ articulates how EDB is sharpening its economic development strategies to position Singapore for the future. It is about extending Singapore's value proposition to businesses not just in helping them improve their bottom line, but also in helping them grow their top line. EDB plans to build on existing strengths and add new layers of capablities to enable Singapore to become a ‘Home for Business’, a ‘Home for Innovation’ and a ‘Home for Talent’.

For more information on how EDB can help your business, please visit www.sedb.com

McKinsey & Company

McKinsey & Company is a management-consulting firm that helps leading corporations and organizations make distinctive, lasting and substantial improvements in their performance. Over the past eight decades, the Firm’s primary objective has remained constant: to serve as an organization’s most trusted external advisor on critical issues facing senior management. With consultants deployed from over 90 offices in 50 countries, McKinsey advises companies on strategic, operational, organizational and technological issues. The Firm has extensive experience in all major industry sectors and primary functional areas as well as in-depth expertise in high-priority areas for today’s business leaders.

The Singapore Manufacturers’ Federation (SMa)

Established since 1932, SMa’s mission is to represent the interest of the Singapore manufacturing community and to drive its competitiveness and sustainable growth through serving industry-specific needs. SMa is supported by 11 industry groups to serve diverse industry-specific needs, as well as five Centres of Excellence to offer a holistic approach towards improving competitiveness, upgrading skills and capitalizing on new technologies to grow market share. Current membership is more than 2,600 corporate ranging from MNCs to SMEs, and SMa carries out a myriad of activities to enhance the competitive edge of our members.

For more information, please visit http://www.smafederation.org.sg

The Singapore-MIT Alliance

SMA is a graduate education and research collaboration in science andengineering between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), theNational University of Singapore (NUS) and the Nanyang Technological University(NTU).

SMA plays a vital role in contributing to Singapore’s drive to be a global hub foreducation and research. It is recognised as a model that is increasingly beingnoticed, studied and featured. SMA’s achievements can be attributed to itssuccess in attracting and engaging top talent, in leveraging on joint expertiseand resources as well as in using state-of-the-art interactive distance technology.

SPRING Singapore

SPRING Singapore is the enterprise development agency for growing innovative companies and fostering a competitive SME sector. We work with partners to help enterprises in financing, capabilities and management development, technology and innovation, and access to markets. As the national standards and accreditation body, SPRING also develops and promotes internationally recognised standards and quality assurance to enhance competitiveness and facilitate trade.

Please visit www.spring.gov.sg for more information and news about SPRING Singapore.