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ILO SCORE Training improves productivity and workspace that benefits all
As the COVID-19 pandemic was raging around the world, the plans of many exporters had to change This case study shows how one company participated in SCORE Training and worked to implement improvements that resulted in significant productivity gains despite grappling with the unknown business environment.
Company profile
| SME Name | Woodsland Tuyen Quang |
|---|---|
| Staff | 820 workers (of which 52% are women) |
| Established | 2008 |
| Product | Wooden furniture |
| Markets | 90% production exports to North America, Europe and Russia |
Woodsland Tuyen Quang, located in Vietnam, is a medium-sized company that employs 820 employees, half of whom are women. The company specializes in the production of wooden furniture for export. Indeed, 90% of its production goes to North America, Europe and Russia. The company, which was established in 2008, decided to enrol in SCORE Training in 2020 through the Handicraft and Wood Industry Association of Ho Chi Minh City (HAWA).
Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the company has been able to make great improvements within its business as a result of SCORE Training. Although the country has been relatively spared from the crisis, the export sector, as everywhere else, has been hit hard. However, the company has been able to use the platform of SCORE Training to achieve excellent levels of productivity as well as improve the working environment for employees.
Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the company has been able to make great improvements within its business as a result of SCORE Training. Although the country has been relatively spared from the crisis, the export sector, as everywhere else, has been hit hard. However, the company has been able to use the platform of SCORE Training to achieve excellent levels of productivity as well as improve the working environment for employees.
Productivity gains to the benefit of workers and managers
Firstly, the company was falling behind in its packaging line. SCORE Training helped to identify opportunities for improvement in shaping and packaging, thus achieving better results in terms of productivity. Secondly, the company was struggling to encourage employee participation in the process of implementing improvements. The advice from SCORE's expert trainer helped the company realise the importance of investing in its staff and placing a greater emphasis on training. | “Since the launch of SCORE methodologies in the factory, many improvements have been made to reduce the workload for the workers and to reduce production costs. Workspaces have also been improved for greater comfort and efficiency.” Pham Thu Dung, Worker in processing line |
In addition, SCORE Training benefited workers by improving the workplace. More ergonomic workstations and a more balanced workload has led to productivity gains. Setting up the machines to allow for better working postures has clearly made work less tiring for the workers. A win-win situation for the benefit of the company's workers, managers, owners and customers.
| “The entire production system has been improved in order to improve the productivity of the workforce and reduce the stress and effort of the workers. Thanks to our participation in the SCORE Training we have analyzed and better understood the manufacturing process.” Nguyen Van Nam, Production Manager |  |
A workplace for all
The results are undeniable in terms of increased productivity and reduced workload for employees. However, efforts were not only made in these two aspects. Many SCORE Training tools have been implemented successfully to achieve an excellent level of cooperation in the workplace. As the company already had a fairly gender-balanced workforce, it ensured that this gender balance was replicated at the level of the enterprise improvement team (EIT). This has led to a reduced workload for employees while increasing productivity and thus extending the benefits of SCORE Training to all staff.
Although the situation has been complicated by circumstances, Woodsland Tuyen Quang proves once again that with good will and good practice, everyone can get something out of SCORE Training. The expertise of the SCORE trainers coupled with the desire to make the workplace better made it possible to identify and solve persistent performance problems in the company.
Although the situation has been complicated by circumstances, Woodsland Tuyen Quang proves once again that with good will and good practice, everyone can get something out of SCORE Training. The expertise of the SCORE trainers coupled with the desire to make the workplace better made it possible to identify and solve persistent performance problems in the company.