Improving productivity of the SMEs in Singapore — Case studies

Abstract

For the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore, survival and growth depend critically on improving their productivity and thus helps Singapore to develop into an Operational Excellence Manufacturing hub in the world. Unfortunately, most of the current productivity planning methodologies is being developed from the perspective of the larger multinational companies (MNCs). This paper presents the Operations Management Innovation (OMNI) Programme with a productivity planning methodology that provides practical and procedural aid for productivity planning efforts for SMEs in Singapore, and applies it to three industry case studies. The discussions will highlight how the programme together with the methodology guides the practitioner through a series of well-defined steps necessary to improve productivity and achieve operational excellence.