CMI - Manufacturing New Zealand's Best

What's it all about?

What is Competitive Manufacturing?

Competitive manufacturing uses a systematic approach to producing high quality goods, for the least cost and with the least waste.

Businesses that use competitive manufacturing concepts typically:

Save money by reducing the costs of making its products.
Reduce their product cycle time
Improve workflow through the plant, reducing everyone's workload
Involve everyone in continuously improving its products and processes

CMI Video:
Click on this link to hear first-hand how Kaizen - a competitive manufacturing process - has improved company performance in a number of companies.

Workplace Productivity Diagnostic Tool:
Click on this link for a quick snapshot of how your company might be able to improve workplace productivity. Fill in the short questionnaire and take time to prepare action plans for specific business areas.

Definitions:

Manufacturing: Traditional manufacturing is synonymous with mass production, assembly and automation. Modern manufacturing now and in the future is likely to be increasingly focused on the process of developing much more complex offerings and experiences. The physical product is only part of the value created and value chain relationships are critical to success. This occurs now for many of New Zealand's world leading manufacturers. Whereas production once dominated their strategy and thinking, they are now as concerned with efficient supply of services, distribution and branding.

Competitive Manufacturing: The term Competitive Manufacturing describes a large range of systematic manufacturing practice concepts and approaches leading to improved performance. It covers but is not limited to: lean manufacturing; agile manufacturing; monitoring and data gathering systems such as Systems Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) software; Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems; Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP); proprietary systems, such as SAP; statistical process control system, such as six sigma, three sigma, just in time, kanban and other pull related manufacturing control systems; and supply, value and demand chain monitoring and analysis, and other continuous improvement systems. Popular brands linked to competitive manufacturing implementation in the workplace include: Kaizen, The Toyota Way, TPM, 20 keys and TQM.

What is the Competitive Manufacturing Initiative (CMI)

The Competitive Manufacturing Initiative is a trans-Tasman effort to develop training products; and promote and implement competitive manufacturing practices in the manufacturing and associated industries.

Australian Roots: Five Industry Training Advisory Boards (ITABs) developed the Competitive Manufacturing Initiative (CMI) in Australia in 2003. The group formed to implement cross industry competencies in generic manufacturing skills. They explored the potential for improving performance by using 'modern' manufacturing techniques, and developing competencies and qualifications to recognise skill sets using 'lean' and 'agile' competitive manufacturing philosophies. The majority of Australian manufacturing industries endorsed a training package (competencies; qualifications) based on these 'modern' manufacturing techniques in 2004. For further information on the Australian package, click here: www.cmi.org.au

New Zealand Partnership: In 2001, several New Zealand Industry Training Organisations (ITOs) created a level 3 qualification in Total Product Manufacturing (TPM) through FITEC as the Standard Setting Body. Industry requested an expansion of the existing qualification to staircased products with a wider range of skills in 2004. ITOs investigated the potential of the Australian CMI project products to meet this need.

In 2005 a Consortium of New Zealand ITOs entered into an agreement with CMI Australia to share resources and create a trans-Tasman suite of qualifications for competitive manufacturing, emphasising:

the recognition of 'modern' manufacturing skills and the standardisation of assessment across Australia and New Zealand;
an agreement to work collaboratively in future to minimise duplication of trans-Tasman efforts;
the registration of Australian standards on to the New Zealand framework.

A Memorandum of Understanding between the respective Standard Setting Bodies on either side of the Tasman (Manufacturing Skills Australia / FITEC) formalised the partnership. Regular exchanges of ideas and activities occur between the Australian and New Zealand CMI partners.