Summer Internship Report

Internship at ITC Ltd. – Packaging and Printing Division

Submitted to Prof. Amita Shiroor,

Faculty Guide, SIBM Pune

by

Revathi Ramalingam
31278
MBA I – HR
revathi.ramalingam10@sibm.net

1
Acknowledgement

Learning through experience is the best way of learning and the two months spent at ITC Ltd. have
been a tremendous learning experience in terms of practical application of the theoretical learning I
have gained so far through six projects touching various aspects of Human Resources.

I want to express my sincere thanks to Mr. R. Srinivasan, CMC Member and Mr. R. Senguttuvan,
Chief Executive Officer, SBU PPD, ITC Ltd. for their constant support and encouragement during
the course of my internship.
I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to my project guides Mr. V. Shanmughanathan
(Head – HR), Mr. R. Murugesan (Assistant Manager – HR) and Mr. K. Babu (Assistant Manager –
HR) for their constant support and valuable guidance through the duration of this internship and
across all projects. They have been an inspiration and support in dire situations and have been the
driving force towards the successful completion of the projects.

In a business environment where everyone has their own targets to meet and their own deadlines to
adhere to, I received a lot of valuable time, able guidance, encouragement, feedback and inputs from
many people in the organization. I am indebted to them.
A special mention must also be made of the following people for their support in various projects:

Ms. Deepa Venkat, Quality

Ms. Abhinayah S., Quality

Ms. Archana Ravi, Quality

Ms. Mamata Mishra, HR Secretary

Ms. Jaya Kumari, EHS Secretary

I also wish to thank Prof. Ameeta Shiroor (Faculty Guide, SIBM) without whose help and support
this internship could not have been completed successfully.
My sincere gratitude also goes out to my fellow Summer Trainees at ITC Ltd. for their aid and for
making the internship a great and memorable learning experience.

2
Executive Summary

The Summer Internship program at ITC Ltd. is designed such that the interns get a taste of the fast
paced work culture of ITC Ltd. The projects chosen for the internship ensured continuous learning
and were also of value add to the organization. The author’s internship at ITC’s Packaging and
Printing Division comprised of six projects touching upon different aspects of HR and was a great
learning experience.

Five of the projects - Employee Suggestion Scheme, Employee Monthly Communication, Mentoring
Scheme, Staff Suggestion scheme and Newsletter – were in the area of Employee Involvement and
Communication while the sixth involved creating an HR Scorecard for the Tiruvottiyur factory of the
Packaging and Printing Division (PPD).

3
Contents

1. ITC – A brief profile ................................................................................................................... 5

1.1 The ITC Portfolio ............................................................................................................. 6

1.2 ITC – History and Evolution ............................................................................................ 7

1.3 The ITC Leadership .......................................................................................................... 9

2. ITC Packaging and Printing Division ....................................................................................... 10

3. Enhancing effectiveness of Employee Involvement and Communication Initiatives............... 12

3.1 Project I – Employee Suggestion Scheme ...................................................................... 13

3.2 Project II – Employee Monthly Communication Module .............................................. 31

3.3 Project III – Mentoring Scheme ..................................................................................... 48

3.4 Project IV – Staff Suggestion Scheme ........................................................................... 53

3.5 Project V - Newsletter .................................................................................................... 58

4. Project VI – HR Scorecard ........................................................................................................ 64

5. Appendix ................................................................................................................................... 67

5.1 Questionnaire for Employee Suggestion Scheme .......................................................... 67

5.2 Managers’ Questionnaire for Employee Monthly Communcation ................................ 69

5.3 Employees’ Questionnaire for Employee Monthly Communcation .............................. 70

5.4 Feedback Form for Employee Monthly Communcation module ................................... 72

4
 1. ITC – A brief profile

Vision: Sustain ITC’s position as India’s most valuable corporations through world class
performance, creating growing value for the Indian economy and the company’s stakeholders.
Mission: To enhance the wealth generating capability of the enterprise in a globalizing environment,
delivering superior and sustainable stakeholder value.

ITC is one of India's foremost private sector companies with a market capitalisation of nearly US $
19 billion and a turnover of over US $ 5.1 Billion. ITC is rated among the World's Best Big
Companies, Asia's 'Fab 50' and the World's Most Reputable Companies by Forbes magazine, among
India's Most Respected Companies by BusinessWorld and among India's Most Valuable Companies
by Business Today. ITC ranks among India's `10 Most Valuable (Company) Brands', in a study
conducted by Brand Finance and published by the Economic Times. ITC also ranks among Asia's 50
best performing companies compiled by Business Week.

ITC has a diversified presence in Cigarettes, Hotels, Paperboards & Specialty Papers, Packaging,
Agri-Business, Packaged Foods & Confectionery, Information Technology, Branded Apparel,
Personal Care, Stationery, Safety Matches and other FMCG products. While ITC is an outstanding
market leader in its traditional businesses of Cigarettes, Hotels, Paperboards, Packaging and Agri-
Exports, it is rapidly gaining market share even in its nascent businesses of Packaged Foods &
Confectionery, Branded Apparel, Personal Care and Stationery.

As one of India's most valuable and respected corporations, ITC is widely perceived to be
dedicatedly nation-oriented. Chairman Y C Deveshwar calls this source of inspiration "a
commitment beyond the market". In his own words: "ITC believes that its aspiration to create
enduring value for the nation provides the motive force to sustain growing shareholder value. ITC
practices this philosophy by not only driving each of its businesses towards international
competitiveness but by also consciously contributing to enhancing the competitiveness of the larger
value chain of which it is a part."

ITC's diversified status originates from its corporate strategy aimed at creating multiple drivers of
growth anchored on its time-tested core competencies: unmatched distribution reach, superior brand-

5
building capabilities, effective supply chain management and acknowledged service skills in
hoteliering. Over time, the strategic forays into new businesses are expected to garner a significant
share of these emerging high-growth markets in India.

ITC's Agri-Business is one of India's largest exporters of agricultural products. ITC is one of the
country's biggest foreign exchange earners (US $ 3.2 billion in the last decade). The Company's 'e-
Choupal' initiative is enabling Indian agriculture significantly enhance its competitiveness by
empowering Indian farmers through the power of the Internet. This transformational strategy, which
has already become the subject matter of a case study at Harvard Business School, is expected to
progressively create for ITC a huge rural distribution infrastructure, significantly enhancing the
Company's marketing reach.

ITC's wholly owned Information Technology subsidiary, ITC Infotech India Limited, is aggressively
pursuing emerging opportunities in providing end-to-end IT solutions, including e-enabled services
and business process outsourcing.

ITC's production facilities and hotels have won numerous national and international awards for
quality, productivity, safety and environment management systems. ITC was the first company in
India to voluntarily seek a corporate governance rating.

ITC employs over 25,000 people at more than 60 locations across India. The Company continuously
endeavors to enhance its wealth generating capabilities in a globalising environment to consistently
reward more than 3,62,000 shareholders, fulfill the aspirations of its stakeholders and meet societal
expectations. This over-arching vision of the company is expressively captured in its corporate
positioning statement: "Enduring Value. For the nation. For the Shareholder."

1.1 The ITC Portfolio

ITC has a diversified presence in Cigarettes, Hotels, Paperboards & Specialty Papers, Packaging,
Agri-Business, Packaged Foods & Confectionery, Branded Apparel, Greeting Cards and other
FMCG products. Currently all of these businesses have been consolidated into the following
divisions, namely:

6
 • FMCG - Cigarettes, Foods, Lifestyle Retailing, Greeting, gifting and stationery, Safety
Matches and Agarbattis
• Hotels and Tourism
• Paperboards and Packaging - Paperboards and Specialty paper, Printing and Packaging.
• Agri-Business - Agri Exports (e-Choupal) and Leaf Tobacco
• IT - ITC InfoTech India Limited

1.2 ITC – History and Evolution

ITC was incorporated on August 24, 1910 under the name of “Imperial Tobacco Company of India
Ltd”. Though the first six decades of the company’s existence were primarily devoted to the growth
and consolidation of cigarettes and leaf tobacco businesses, the seventies witnessed the beginnings of
a corporate transformation that would usher in momentous changes in the life of the company.

ITC’s Packaging & Printing Business Division was set up in 1925 as a strategic backward integration
for ITC’s Cigarettes business. It is today India’s most sophisticated packaging house.

In 1975 the company launched its Hotels business with the acquisition of a hotel in Chennai, which
was rechristened ‘ITC Welcomgroup Hotel Chola’. The objective of ITC’s entry into the hotels
business was rooted in the concept of creating value for the nation. ITC chose the hotels business for
its potential to earn high levels of foreign exchange, create tourism infrastructure and generate large
scale direct and indirect employment.

In 1979, ITC entered the Paperboards business by promoting ITC Bhadrachalam Paperboards
Limited, which today has become the market leader in India. Bhadrachalam Paperboards
amalgamated with the company effective March 13, 200 and became a Division of the Company,
Bhadrachalam Paperboards Division. In November 2002, this division merged with the Company’s
Tribeni Tissues Division to form Paperboards & Specialty Papers Division.

In 1990, leveraging its agri-sourcing competency, ITC set up the Agri Business Division for export
of agri-commodities. The division is today one of India’s largest exporters. ITC’s unique and now
widely acknowledged e-Choupal initiative began in 2000 with soya farmers in Madhya Pradesh.
Now it extends to 7 states and over 3.5 million farmers.

7
In 2000, ITC’s Packaging & Printing business launched a line of high quality greeting cards under
the brand name “Expressions”. In 2002, the product range was enlarged with the introduction of Gift
wrappers, Autograph books and Slam books. In the same year, ITC also launched ‘Expressions
Matrubhasha’, a vernacular range of greeting cards in eight languages and ‘Expressions Paperkraft’,
a range of premium stationery precuts. In 2003, the company rolled our ‘Classmates’, a range of
notebooks in the school stationery segment.

ITC also entered the Lifestyle retailing business with the Wills Sport range of international quality
relaxed wear for men and women in 2000. The Wills Lifestyle chain of exclusive stores later
expanded its range to include Wills Classic formal wear (2002) and Wills Clublife evening wear
(2003). ITC also initiated a foray into the popular segment with its men’s wear brand, John Players,
in 2002.

In 2000, ITC spun off its information technology business into a wholly owned subsidiary, ITC
Infotech India Limited to more aggressively pursue emerging opportunities in this area.

ITC made its entry into the branded & Packaged Foods business in 2001 with the launch of the
Kitchens of India brand. A more broad—based entry has been made since 2002 with brand launches
in the Confectionery, Staples and Snack Foods segments. In 2002, the mint-o trademark was
acquired and relaunched in orange and mint flavours. In the same year ‘Candyman’ was added to the
confectionery range and ‘Aashirvaad’ atta was rolled out. The ‘Aashirvaad’ brand now extends to
ready-to-eat foods, ready-to-cook pastes and salt. In 2003, the ‘Candyman’ range was expanded to
include deposited candies and éclairs. In 2003, Sunfeast biscuits were launched. 2007 witnessed
ITC’s entry into the fast growing branded snacks category with Bingo!

In 2002, ITC’s philosophy of contributing to enhancing the competitiveness of the entire value chain
found yet another expression in the safety matches initiative. ITC now markets popular safety
matches brands like iKno, Mangaldeep, VaxLit, Delite and Aim. ITC’s foray into marketing of
Agarbattis in 2003 marked the manifestation of its partnership with the cottage industry sector. ITC’s
popular agarbattis brands include Spriha and Mangaldeep.

In 2005, ITC entered the Personal Care segment with the launch of ‘Essenza Di Wills’, an exclusive
range of fine fragrances and bath and body care products for men and women. Then, in 2007, they
8
launched ‘Fiama Di Wills’, a premium range of shampoos, shower gels and soaps and ‘Superia’, a
range of soaps and shampoos in the mass-market segment. This was followed by ‘Vivel De Wills’ &
‘Vivel’ range of soaps in February and Vivel range of shampoos in June 2008.

1.3 The ITC Leadership

Flowing from the concept and principles of Corporate Governance adopted by the Company,
leadership within ITC is exercised at three levels. The Board of Directors at the apex, as trustee of
shareholders, carries the responsibility for strategic supervision of the Company. The strategic
management of the Company rests with the Corporate Management Committee comprising the
wholetime Directors and members drawn from senior management. The executive management of
each business division is vested with the Divisional Management Committee (DMC), headed by the
Chief Executive. Each DMC is responsible for and totally focused on the management of its assigned
business.

The 3-tier governance structure thus ensures that:

• Strategic supervision (on behalf of the shareholders), being free from involvement in the task
of strategic management of the Company, can be conducted by the Board with objectivity,
thereby sharpening accountability of management.
• Strategic management of the Company, uncluttered by the day-to-day tasks of executive
management, remains focused and energised; and
• Executive management of the divisional business, free from collective strategic
responsibilities for ITC as a whole, gets focused on enhancing the quality, efficiency and
effectiveness of its business.

9
 2. ITC Packaging and Printing Division

Vision: To be the most preferred supplier and key marketing partner for all customers.
Mission: To continuously deliver superior solutions to our customers packaging needs.

ITC's Packaging & Printing Business is the country's largest convertor of paperboard into packaging.
It converts over 50,000 tonnes of paper and paperboard per annum into a variety of value-added
packaging solutions for the food & beverage, personal products, cigarette, liquor, cellular phone and
IT packaging industries. It has also entered the Flexibles and Corrugated Cartons business.

The Division, which was set up in 1925 as a strategic backward integration for ITC's Cigarettes
business, is today India's most sophisticated packaging house. State-of-the-art technology, world-
class quality and a highly skilled and dedicated team have combined to position ITC as the first-
choice supplier of high value added packaging.

The Division supplies value-added packaging to the Company's Cigarettes business. Its client list
includes several well-known national and international companies like British American Tobacco,
Philip Morris International, Surya Nepal Private Limited, VST Industries, UB Group, Nokia,
Flextronics, Foxconn, FMC India Pvt Ltd., Pernod Ricard, Allied Domecq, Whyte & Mackay,
Hindustan Lever, Tata Tetley, Nestle and Reckitt Benkiser India Limited, etc.

With all the three factories at Tiruvottiyur near Chennai, Munger in Bihar and Haridwar in
Uttarakhand certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001, the company offers a
comprehensive product range in packaging:

ITC occupies a leadership position in cigarette and liquor packaging in India. It supplies packaging
to cover 70 billion cigarettes a year domestically, and supplies packaging for 15 billion cigarette
sticks a year for the export market. It is the largest supplier of liquor mono cartons in the country.
ITC has enhanced the value of some of the most favoured brands with superior look-and-feel
packaging, using the best raw materials and process combinations, and an in-house pre-press Design
Centre.

10
A Product Introduction Process team pioneers packaging innovations. The team uses a unique
process to pilot the client's packaging through its manufacturing system. Specifications are evolved
based on clients' needs. Corresponding to the specifications, a variety of packaging solutions is then
generated. The efficacy of the packaging is tested simulating the client's factory conditions.
ITC's Packaging business has won numerous awards for its quality, environmental management
systems and product excellence:
• Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) Gold Award 2007 to the factory at
Munger.
• 5 star rating from the British Safety Council for both factories at Tiruvottiyur and Munger.
• The Greentech Safety Gold Award to Munger Unit for the year 2007 & 2006. The Silver
Award went to the Tiruvottiyur unit in 2007
• The Greentech Environment Excellence Award in the Manufacturing Sector for three
consecutive years since 2004 by the Greentech Foundation. Through these awards, the
Greentech Foundation recognizes industrial and service sector organisations for their
outstanding achievements in environment protection.
• First and the only company in India to be certified at Level 8 on the International Quality
Rating System (IQRS).
• All the three factories at Tiruvottiyur, Munger and Haridwar have obtained ISO 9001, ISO
14001 and OHSAS 18001 certification.
• Both the Tiruvottiyur and Munger factories have obtained ISO 9002 certification. The
Tiruvottiyur and Munger factories have also received the ISO 14001 Environment
Management Systems certification and OSHAS 18000.
• Quality Improvement (QIMPRO) Benchmark Awards for 1997 and 1998.
• British Safety Council Swords of Honour for both the Tiruvottiyur and Munger factories.
• CAPEXIL Special Export Award for 1999, Top Export Award for 2000/01 and Certificate of
Merit for export performance in 2004-05 and 2005-06.
• 12 India Star Awards in 2008 for several key accounts for unique, innovative and visually
appealing packaging. Several India Star awards in previous years as well.
• Several Asiastar awards for packaging excellence
• Several World Star Awards for world class packaging solutions

11
 3. Enhancing effectiveness of Employee Involvement
and Communication initiatives

The Tiruvottiyur branch of the Packaging and Printing Division of ITC (TVT) has initiated a number
of employee involvement and communication schemes which aim to not only increase employees’
participation but also harness the creativity of its employees and create a culture of ownership. The
aim of this project is to study, analyze and increase the effectiveness of these schemes.

The following initiatives were covered under this project.

• Employee Suggestion Scheme
• Employee Monthly Communication
• Mentoring Scheme
• Staff Suggestion scheme
• Newsletter

Project Objectives
• To study the Employee Involvement and Communication initiatives at TVT and determine
their effectiveness
• To effect changes in these initiatives based on the findings

12
3. 1 Project I

Project title:
Increasing effectiveness of Employee Suggestion Scheme

Objectives:
• To study the current Employee Suggestion Scheme and determine its effectiveness
• To analyze the findings and give recommendations

Background:
The Tiruvottiyur branch of PPD launched an Employee Suggestion Scheme as a process to harvest
ideas from employees. It is one of the fruits in the basket of schemes launched as part of the Long
Term Agreement (LTA) signed in November 2002.
The aim of the scheme is to harness the creativity and innovation of its employees and create a
culture of ownership, participation and involvement..
The suggestions from employees cover a wide range of topics like quality, cost, delivery, TPM,
CANDO, Scanlon scheme, hygiene, productivity, attendance and EHS. The employees are rewarded
for coming out with ideas and it is included in their pay every month. Employees can either enter a
suggestion into the Lotus Notes database using computers or write it down on a suggestion card in
the language they are conversant with and drop it in any of the suggestion boxes placed on the shop
floor. These suggestions are then translated into English if required and entered into the Lotus Notes
database.
Every employee has been assigned a mentor to ensure that his suggestions are getting addressed. The
mentor can take the help of a cross-functional team to analyze the suggestion but the final
responsibility for implementation/rejection lies with the mentor. Apart from tracking the number of
suggestions, management also keeps track of implementation. All such information is displayed at
prominent locations in the factory.

Methodology:
• Background research
o Thorough understanding of the Employee Suggestion Scheme through
o Study of available literature on Employee Suggestion Scheme

13
 o Interaction with project guides
• Design of survey
o Preparation of questions
o Translation of questionnaire into Tamil
• Administering the survey in both Tamil and English
• Collation of findings and report out
o Compilation of results of survey
o Analysis of results and preparation of report
o Presentation on key findings and recommendations

Detailed phases/steps of the project

Background research
Before setting out to survey the employees, it was important to have a thorough understanding of the
Employee Suggestion Scheme in order to have a meaningful and effective survey. This required
reading through the relevant material and documentation related to the scheme as well as frequent
interactions with project guides. This helped in:
• Understanding the importance of the Employee Suggestion Scheme
• Understanding the process flow of the scheme
• Understanding where the scheme stands today
• Understanding the participation levels of employees

Design of survey
This phase comprised designing a structured close-ended questionnaire for employees (workers).
This involved detailed discussions with project guides. The questions were then translated into
Tamil, the local language in Chennai.

Administering the survey

The Tiruvottiyur factory has a total of 336 employees (workers) who work in four shifts on a
rotational basis. The survey was conducted for employees across all four shifts in both Tamil and
English. Respondents could choose the language they were most comfortable with.

14
 Shift Timings
First shift 6.25 am to 2.25 pm
General shift 7.55 am to 4.25 pm
Second shift 2.25 pm to 10.25 pm
Night shift 10.25 pm to 6.25 am

Sample Size:
The sample size for the survey was 287

Timeline: One week

Collation of findings and report out

• The next step was to collate and analyze the data from the survey. Key trends were identified
and analyzed.
• The questionnaire also included an open-ended question on how the effectiveness of the
Employee Suggestion Scheme could be improved. The suggestions given by employees were
translated and entered into an employee suggestion matrix.
• A presentation on the key findings of the survey was made and recommendations for changes
were proposed.

15
Key findings:

Survey on Employee Suggestion Scheme - Data Analysis and Interpretation

TABLE *O: 1

How do you submit suggestions?

S.*O OPTIO*S *O OF PERCE*TAGE

RESPO*DE*TS
1 Using the computer 253 85.8
2 Using suggestion 42 14.2
cards
TOTAL 295 100

SUGGESTION MODE
300
253
250
NO OF RESPONDENTS

200

150

100 NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

42
50

0
Using the computer Using suggestion cards
OPTIONS

Interpretation:
It was identified from the above analysis that 85.8% of the employees use the computer to submit
their suggestions while the remaining 14.2% use suggestion card to submit their suggestions.

16
TABLE *O: 2

Do you find submitting ideas simple?

S.*O OPTIO*S *O OF PERCE*TAGE
RESPO*DE*TS
1 YES 285 96.6
2 NO 10 3.4
TOTAL 295 100

EASE OF SUGGESTION
300 285

250
NO OF RESPONDENTS

200

150

100 NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

50
10
0
YES NO
OPTIONS

Interpretation:
It was identified from the above analysis that 96.6% of the employees find it easy to submit
suggestions using computer while the remaining 3.4% find it difficult to submit suggestions using
computer.

17
TABLE *O: 3

How many suggestions do you contribute every month?

S.*O OPTIO*S *O OF PERCE*TAGE

RESPO*DE*TS
1 More than 6 152 51.5
2 Six only 135 45.8
3 Less than six 8 2.7
4 Zero 0 0
TOTAL 295 100

CONTRIBUTION
160 152
135
140
NO OF RESPONDENTS

120
100
80
60
40 NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS
20 8
0
0
More Than Six only Less Than six Zero
Six
OPTIONS

Interpretation:
It can be seen from the above analysis that 51.5% of the employees submit more than 6 suggestions
per month, 45.8% of the employees submit only six suggestions per month, 2.7% of the employees
submit less than six suggestions per month.Thus mostly all employees submit suggestions.

18
TABLE *O: 4
How often are you given feedback on your suggestions?

S.*O OPTIO*S *O OF PERCE*TAGE

RESPO*DE*TS
1 Frequently 99 33.5
2 Sometimes 152 51.5
3 Rarely 27 9.2
4 Never 17 5.8
TOTAL 295 100

FEEDBACK
160 152

140
NO OF RESPONDENTS

120
99
100

80
60 NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS
40 27
17
20
0
Frequently Sometimes Rarely Never
OPTIONS

Interpretation:
It can be interpreted from the above analysis that 33.5% of the employees get frequent feedback,
51.5% get feedback sometimes, 9.2% get feedback rarely while the remaining 5.8% never get
feedback on their suggestions.

19
TABLE *O: 5
How many of your suggestions have been implemented in the last one-year?
S.*O OPTIO*S *UMBER OF PERCE*TAGE
RESPO*DE*TS
1 <1 24 8.1
2 1-4 121 41.1
3 5-10 95 32.2
4 More than 10 55 18.6
TOTAL 295 100

IMPLEMENTATION
140
121
120
NO OF RESPONDENTS

95
100
80
55
60
40 NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS
24
20
0
<1 1 to 4 5 to 9 More than
10
OPTIONS

Interpretation:
It can be seen from the above analysis that 8.1% of the employees feel that none of their suggestions
were implemented in the last one year, 41.1% feel that 1 to 4 of their suggestions were implemented
in the last one year, 32.2% feel that 5 to 9 of their suggestions were implemented in the last one year
and the rest 18.6% feel that more than 10 of their suggestions were implemented in the last one year.

20
TABLE *O: 6
If an idea is not implemented are you given the reasons for the same?
S.*O OPTIO*S *O OF PERCE*TAGE
RESPO*DE*TS
1 Frequently 70 23.7
2 Sometimes 120 40.7
3 Rarely 24 8.1
4 Never 81 27.5
TOTAL 295 100

FEEDBACK ON NON IMPLEMENTATION

140
120
120
NO OF RESPONDENTS

100
81
80 70

60
NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS
40
24
20

0
Frequently Sometimes Rarely Never
OPTIONS

Interpretation:
From the above analysis it can be seen that 23.7% of the employees get frequent feedback on the
reasons for non-implementation of their suggestion, 40.7% get feedback only sometimes, 8.1% get
feedback rarely and the remaining 27.5% never get feedback for non implementation of their
suggestions.

21
TABLE *O: 7
Why do you give suggestions?
S.*O OPTIO*S *UMBER OF PERCE*TAGE
RESPO*DE*TS
1 Recognition 13 4.4
2 For the monetary benefit 67 22.7
3 Because you feel your 27 9.2
suggestions are valuable
tools to improve the
organization
4 All the above 188 63.7
TOTAL 295 100

MOTIVATION
188
200
180
NO OF RESPONDENTS

160
140
120
100 67
80
60 27
40 13
20
0
Recognition For the Because you All the
NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS
monetary feel your above
benefit suggestions
are valuable
tools to
improve the
organization
OPTIONS

Interpretation:
From the above analysis it can be seen that nearly 63.7% of the employees submit their suggestions
for recognition, monetary benefit and consider their suggestions as valuable tools to improve the
organization, 4.4% submit suggestions for recognition, 22.7% submit suggestions for monetary
benefit and the rest 9.2 % feel their suggestions are valuable tools to improve the organization.

22
TABLE *O: 8
Are you aware that suggestions are sometimes repeated?

S.*O OPTIO*S *O OF PERCE*TAGE

RESPO*DE*TS
1 Frequently 183 62
2 Sometimes 84 28.5
3 Rarely 16 5.4
4 Never 12 4.1
TOTAL 295 100

REPETITION
200 183
180
NO OF RESPONDENTS

160
140
120
100 84
80
60 NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS
40
16 12
20
0
Frequently Sometimes Rarely Never
OPTIONS

Interpretation:
From the above analysis it can be inferred that 62% of the employees are aware that suggestions are
repeated frequently, 28.5% are aware that suggestions are repeated sometimes, 5.4% are aware that
suggestions are repeated rarely and the rest 4.1% are aware that suggestions are never repeated.

23
TABLE *O: 9
Do you feel the organization considers your suggestions as valuable tools to the organization?

S.*O OPTIO*S *O OF PERCE*TAGE

RESPO*DE*TS
1 YES 242 82
2 NO 53 18
TOTAL 295 100

IMPLEMENTATION OF SUGGESTION
300

242
250
NO OF RESPONDENTS

200

150

100 NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

53
50

0
Yes No
OPTIONS

Interpretation:
It can be seen from the above analysis that nearly 82% feel that the organization considers their
suggestions as valuable tools while the remaining 18% feel that the organization does not consider
their suggestions as valuable tools.

24
TABLE *O: 10
Do you repeat suggestions?
S.*O OPTIO*S *O OF PERCE*TAGE
RESPO*DE*TS
1 Frequently 116 39.3
2 Sometimes 126 42.7
3 Rarely 24 8.2
4 Never 29 9.8
TOTAL 295 100

REPETITION LEVEL
140 126
116
120
NO OF RESPONDENTS

100
80
60
NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS
40 24 29
20
0
Frequently Sometimes Rarely Never
OPTIONS

Interpretation:
From that above analysis it can be found that 39.3% of the employees repeat suggestions frequently,
42.7% of the employees repeat suggestions sometimes, 8.2% of the employees repeat suggestions
rarely and the remaining 9.8% never repeat suggestions.

25
TABLE *O: 11
What is the role of your mentor in the Employee Suggestion Scheme?
S.*O OPTIO*S *O OF PERCE*TAGE
RESPO*DE*TS
1 To guide you 74 25.1
2 To handle the 43 14.6
grievances
3 To implement the 27 9.2
suggestion
4 All the above 151 51.1
5 None of the above 0 0
TOTAL 295 100

ROLE OF MENTOR
160 151

140

120
NO OF RESPONDENTS

100

80 74

60
NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS
43
40
27

20

0
0
To guide To handle To All the None of
you the implement above the above
grievances the
suggestion
OPTIONS

26
Interpretation:
From the above analysis it can be seen that 51.1% of the employees feel that the role of their mentor
is to guide them, handle their grievances and implement their suggestions, 25.1% feel the role of
their mentor is to guide them, 14.6% feel that the role of there is to handle their grievances and the
rest 9.2% feel that the role of their mentor is to implement their suggestions.

TABLE *O: 12
Who do you think is responsible for implementing suggestions?
S.*O OPTIO*S *O OF PERCE*TAGE
RESPO*DE*TS
1 I/C 153 51.9
2 Mentor 85 28.8
3 HR 39 13.2
4 Others 18 6.1
TOTAL 295 100

RESPONSIBILITY
180

160 153

140
NO OF RESPONDENTS

120

100
85
80
NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS
60
39
40
18
20

0
I/C Mentor HR Others
OPTIONS

27
Interpretation:
From the above analysis it can be inferred that 51.9% of the employees feel that Incharge is
responsible for implementing their suggestions, 28.8% feel mentor is responsible for implementing
their suggestions, 13.2% feel HR is responsible for implementing their suggestions and the
remaining 6.1% feel that others are responsible for implementing their suggestions.

TABLE *O: 13
Are you satisfied with the functioning of the current employee suggestion Scheme?

S.*O OPTIO*S *O OF PERCE*TAGE

RESPO*DE*TS
1 YES 283 95.9
2 NO 12 4.1
TOTAL 295 100

SATISFACTION LEVEL

300 283
NO OF RESPONDENTS

250
200
NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS
150
100
50 12
0
Yes No
OPTIONS

Interpretation:
From the above analysis it can be inferred that nearly 95.9% of the employees are satisfied with the
functioning of the current employee suggestion scheme and the remaining 4.1% are not satisfied with
the functioning of the current employee suggestion scheme.

28
Observations:

Implementation Repetition
Currently, primary responsibility lies Frequent repetition of suggestions
with mentors
43.39 % of employees don’t know who 90.2 % of employees repeat suggestions
mentor is
Cross-functional allotment of mentees is Cross-functional allotment of mentees is
a constraint a constraint
Mentors usually forward suggestions to
respective Area Incharges

Snapshot of suggestions given by employees:

The questionnaire also included an open-ended question on how the effectiveness of the Employee
Suggestion Scheme could be improved. The suggestions given by employees were translated and
entered into an employee suggestion matrix. Some of the suggestions included:
• Mentor should meet the employee once every month
• Inform all employees who their mentors are
• Provide money as per value and benefit of individual suggestion
• Display best suggestions of the month on the notice board
• Have an ‘Urgent Suggestion Box’ for suggestions that have high priority
• Give more feedback on suggestions
• Allow employees to give suggestions orally in the language they are comfortable with

Key Recommendations:
• Give primary responsibility to I/C. This would have the following benefits
o Ease of implementation
o Reduced repetition
o Ease of Feedback
o Simpler to close suggestions
o Less time consuming

29
 • Form a committee to review suggestions that need to be taken up at next level
• Suggestions to be forwarded to committee by I/C
• Committee to meet on a monthly basis to evaluate these suggestions
• Mentors to be kept in the loop

Value-add to ITC - PPD:

This project helped identify the areas requiring improvement with regard to the Employee
Suggestion Scheme
The effectiveness of the scheme could be increased through minimization of repetitions, more focus
on quality as opposed to quantity as well as increased accountability from managers
This in turn would help increase employees’ involvement and participation. This would aid in
aligning individual goals to that of the organization, thus benefiting both of them.

30
3.2 Project II

Project title:
Increasing effectiveness of Employee Monthly Communication (EMC)

Objectives:
• To study the current Employee Monthly Communication (EMC) module and determine its
effectiveness
• To analyze the findings and give recommendations

Background:
Employee Monthly Communication (EMC) is a monthly report sent by the HR Department to all
other departments in the unit with the aim of communicating information to employees.
The report compiles data of the past month from various modules in the factory and is sent via email
to all managers in the first week of every month. However, the onus lies on the line managers in the
factory to communicate the relevant information from the report to employees. The report is also put
up on notice boards and uploaded on the computers so that employees can access them through the
CBT (Computer Based Training) module.
Some of the areas covered in the EMC include
• Scanlon target
• Quality defects
• Non-adherence to OTIF (On Time In Full)
• Machine performance
• Suggestion trend
• Peak output
• CANDO (Clean Up, Arrangement, Neatness, Discipline & Orderliness)
• EHS (Environment, Health and Safety)

Methodology:

31
 • Background research:
• Thorough understanding of the Employee Monthly Communication through
o Study of past Employee Monthly Communication reports
o Interaction with project guides and line managers

• Design of survey for both employees and managers

o Preparation of questions for both surveys
o Translation of questionnaire for employees into Tamil

• Administering the survey in both Tamil and English

• Collation of findings and report out

o Compilation of results of survey
o Analysis of results and preparation of report
o Presentation on key findings and recommendations

Detailed phases/steps of the project

Background research:
Before setting out to survey the employees and managers, it was important to have a thorough
understanding of the EMC module in order to have meaningful and effective surveys. This required
reading through the relevant material and documentation related to the modules as well as frequent
interactions with project guides. This helped in:
• Understanding the importance of the Employee Monthly Communication module
• Understanding the process flow of the scheme
• Understanding where the scheme stands today
• Understanding the participation levels of managers

Design of survey:
This phase involved designing a structured close-ended questionnaire for employees (workers) and a
more open-ended questionnaire for managers. This involved detailed discussions with project guides.
The questionnaire for the employees was then translated into Tamil, the local language in Chennai.

32
Administering the survey:

Employee survey:
The Tiruvottiyur factory has a total of 336 employees (workers) who work in four shifts on a
rotational basis. The survey was conducted for employees across all four shifts in both Tamil and
English. Respondents could choose the language they were most comfortable with.

Shift Timings
First shift 6.25 am to 2.25 pm
General shift 7.55 am to 4.25 pm
Second shift 2.25 pm to 10.25 pm
Night shift 10.25 pm to 6.25 am

Sample Size:
The sample size for the survey was 295
Timeline: One week

Managers’ survey
The Tiruvottiyur factory has a total of 65 managers across departments. Of these, 25 managers have
employees under them to whom the EMC report is to be communicated.
Sample Size
The sample size for the survey was 19
Timeline: Two weeks

Collation of findings and report out

• The next step was to collate and analyze the data from the surveys. Key trends were
identified and analyzed.
• The questionnaires also included an open-ended question on how the effectiveness of the
EMC module could be improved. The suggestions given by employees were translated and

33
 entered into an employee suggestion matrix. A similar suggestion matrix was prepared for
managers.
• A presentation on the key findings of the survey was made and recommendations for changes
were proposed.

Key Findings:

Survey on Effectiveness of Employee Monthly Communication - Data Analysis and

Interpretation

TABLE *O: 1
Are you aware of the Employee Monthly Communication (EMC)?

S.*O OPTIO*S *O OF PERCE*TAGE

RESPO*DE*TS
1 YES 279 97.2
2 NO 8 2.8
TOTAL 287 100

AWARENESS
300 279

250
NO OF RESPONDENTS

200

150

100 NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

50
8
0
YES NO
OPTIONS

Interpretation:

34
From the above analysis it can be inferred that 97.2% are aware of employee monthly
communication whereas the remaining 2.8% are not aware of employee monthly communication.

TABLE *O: 2
How do you come to know of the contents of the EMC?

S.*O OPTIO*S *O OF PERCE*TAGE

RESPO*DE*TS
1 I/C 88 30.7
2 Notice Board 167 58.2
3 CBT 29 10.1
4 Others 3 1.0
TOTAL 287 100

COMMUNICATION MEDIUM
180 167
160
140
NO OF RESPONDENTS

120
100 88
80
NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS
60
40 29
20
3
0
I/C Notice Board CBT Others
OPTIONS

Interpretation:
From the above analysis we can infer that 58.2% came to know about Employee Monthly
Communication (EMC) from notice board, 30.7% came to know about EMC from Incharge, 10.1%
came to know about EMC from CBT and the remaining 1% came to know about the contents of
EMC from others.

35
TABLE *O: 3.1
If through your I/C:
Does the EMC reach you every month?

S.*O OPTIO*S *O OF PERCE*TAGE

RESPO*E*TS
1 YES 88 100
2 NO 0 0
TOTAL 88 100

FREQUENCY
100
88
90
80
NO OF RESPONDENTS

70
60
50
40
NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS
30
20
10
0
0
YES NO
OPTIONS

Interpretation:
From the above analysis we can find that 88 employees who chose Incharge receive it regularly from
the incharge.

36
TABLE *O: 3.2
By when does it reach you?
S.*O OPTIO*S *O OF PERCE*TAGE
RESPO*DE*TS
1 First Week 60 68.2
2 Second Week 22 25.0
3 Third Week 6 6.8
4 Never 0 0
TOTAL 88 100

TIMELINE
70
60
60
NO OF RESPONDENTS

50

40

30
22 NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS
20

10 6
0
0
First week Second week Third week Never
OPTIONS

Interpretation:
From the above analysis we can infer that the Employee Monthly Communication reaches nearly
68.2% employees in the first week, 25% of employees in the second week and the remaining 6.8%
employees in the third week.

37
TABLE *O: 4.1
If through notice boards:
Is the information prominently displayed on the notice boards?

S.*O OPTIO*S *O OF PERCE*TAGE

RESPO*DE*TS
1 YES 163 97.6
2 NO 4 2.4
TOTAL 167 100

DISPLAY
180 163
160
NO OF RESPONDENTS

140
120
100
80
60 NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS
40
20 4
0
YES NO
OPTIONS

Interpretation:
From the above analysis we can find that 97.6% of the employees find the information prominently
displayed on notice boards while the remaining 2.4% find the information is not prominently
displayed.

38
TABLE *O: 4.2
Is the EMC in a language understood by you?

S.*O OPTIO*S *O OF PERCE*TAGE

RESPO*DE*TS
1 YES 162 97
2 NO 5 3
TOTAL 167 100

COMPREHENSION
180 162
160
140
NO OF RESPONDENTS

120
100
80
60 NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS
40
20 5
0
YES NO
OPTIONS

Interpretation:
From the above analysis we can infer that 97% understand the language displayed on the notice
boards while the remaining 3% find it difficult to understand the language displayed on notice
boards.

39
TABLE *O: 5
If through CBT:
Are you able to easily access the EMC using CBT?

S.*O OPTIO*S *O OF PERCE*TAGE

RESPO*DE*TS
1 YES 26 89.7
2 NO 3 10.3
TOTAL 29 100

CBT-EASE OF USE
30
26
25
NO OF RESPONDENTS

20

15

10 NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

5 3

0
YES NO
OPTIONS

Interpretation:
From the above analysis we can infer that 89.7% find it easy to access the EMC using CBT while the
remaining 10.3% find it difficult to access EMC using CBT.

40
TABLE *O: 6
What are the important elements of EMC?

S.*O OPTIO*S *O OF PERCE*TAGE

RESPO*DE*TS
1 Customer quality 39 13.6
issues
2 EHS 32 11.1
3 Productivity/target 38 13.2
4 All the above 177 61.7
5 Others 1 0.4
TOTAL 287 100

ELEMENTS
200 177
180
NO OF RESPONDENTS

160
140
120
100
80
60 39 38
32
40
20 1
0 NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS

OPTIONS

Interpretation:
From the above analysis we can infer that 13.6% find customer quality issues as an important
element, 11.1% find EHS as important, 13.2% find productivity/target as important elements of

41
EMC while the majority 61.7% feel all the three elements as useful and only 0.4% feel others as
useful elements.

TABLE *O: 7
Do you find EMC useful?

S.*O OPTIO*S *O OF PERCE*TAGE

RESPO*DE*TS
1 YES 281 97.9
2 NO 6 2.1
TOTAL 287 100

USEFULNESS
300 281

250
NO OF RESPONDENTS

200

150

NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS
100

50
6
0
YES NO
OPTIONS

Interpretation:
From the above analysis we can find that 97.9% find employee monthly communication useful while
the remaining 2.1% find it not so useful.

42
TABLE *O: 8

If yes, which topics do you find useful? (Choose multiple options if required)

S.*O OPTIO*S *O OF PERCE*TAGE

RESPO*DE*TS
1 Scanlon target 47 16.4
2 Quality defect 46 16.0
3 OTIF 8 2.8
4 Machinery 8 2.8
performance
5 Suggestion trend 10 3.5
6 Peak out put 10 3.5
7 CANDO 7 2.4
8 EHS 10 3.5
9 All the above 71 24.7
10 Any two 18 6.3
11 Any three 16 5.6
12 Any four 17 5.9
13 Any five 13 4.5
14 Any six 5 1.7
15 Any seven 1 0.4
TOTAL 287 100

43
 USEFUL ELEMENTS
80

71
70

60
NO OF RESPONDENTS

50 47 46

40

30

18 NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS
20 16 17
13
10 10 10
10 8 8 7
5
1
0
OTIF

EHS
CANDO

Any four
Peak out put

Any three
All the above

Any five
Any six
Scanlon target

Any two
Suggestion trend
Machinery performance
Quality defect

Any seven

OPTIONS

Interpretation:
From the above analysis we can infer that 16.4% find Scanlon target as useful, 16% find quality
defects as useful, 2.8% find OTIF as useful, 2.8% find machinery performance as useful 3.5% find
suggestion trend and peak output as useful, 2.4% find CANDO as useful, 3.5% feel EHS as useful
while the majority 24.7% feel all the above as useful, 6.3% find any two as useful, 5.6% feel any
three as useful, 5.9% feel any four as useful, 4.5% feel any five as useful, 1.7% feel any six as useful
and the last 0.4% feel any seven as useful.

44
TABLE *O: 9
Are you given the opportunity to discuss the EMC with your I/C?

S.*O OPTIO*S *O OF PERCE*TAGE

RESPO*DE*TS
1 YES 253 88.1
2 NO 34 11.9
TOTAL 287 100

COMMUNICATION WITH I/C

300
253
250
NO OF RESPONDENTS

200

150

NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS
100

50 34

0
YES NO
OPTIONS

Interpretation:
From the above analysis we can infer that 88.1% of the employees feel that they are given the
opportunity to discuss the EMC with their respective Incharge while the remaining 11.9% fell that
they are not given the opportunity to discuss the EMC with their corresponding Incharge.

45
Snapshot of suggestions by employees

• Provide EMC in Tamil also

• Arrange shift-wise communication
• EMC should be communicated by I/C – this will have more effect
• News reports about the company should be included in EMC
• Conduct TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) meeting everyday. EMC contents like quality
defects, customer complaints can be discussed then.

Observations based on managers’ survey

• Lack of time considered a constraint

• Communicating to night shift employees difficult
• Majority do not document communication done and feedback received from employees
• Only 15 % managers send monthly feedback report to HR

Observations:

Managers
89.4 % of managers surveyed say
communication takes place regularly
Employees
58.2% of employees surveyed receive
Employee Monthly Communication
through notice board
30.7% come to know about EMC from
Incharge
10.1% come to know about EMC through
CBT

Key Recommendations:

• Use of electronic boards on shopfloor

• Condensed version of EMC in Tamil

46
 • Feedback form to be provided by HR*
• This form was designed and provided to the HR Department
• Highlight importance of monthly communication to new managers
• Provide monthly communication document in a common folder along with archives of past
communication

* The feedback form is provided in Appendix 5.4

47
3.3 Project III

Project Title
Redesigning Mentoring Scheme – One 2 One

Objectives
• To study the existing mentoring scheme and identify changes required
• To design a new mentoring scheme that would help facilitate direct, one to one
communication with employees

Background

The Mentoring Scheme One 2 One was introduced at the Tiruvottiyur plant with an aim to facilitate
an effective dialogue between the management and employees. Cross functional groups of
employees have been assigned to every manager who acts as their mentor, guiding and counseling
them on job and non-job related issues.
However, studies of the workplace have revealed that the scheme has not been taken up very
seriously by both management and employees of the plant. Thus, it was felt that the mentoring
scheme needed to be redesigned and the new system implemented with renewed vigour.

Methodology:

Background research:
Research on literature available and discussions with project guides and managers revealed the
following salient points of the mentoring scheme
• Mentoring scheme – One 2 One - launched in 2005
• Cross functional groups of employees were assigned to managers
• Mentors to meet with mentees once in three months and guide and counsel them on job and
non-job related issues
• Onus on mentors to implement the scheme

48
 • Mentoring log books forr two-year
two period to be maintained by mentors
• However, mentoring sessions failed to take place regularly
• Primary responsibility was then taken up by HR
• Mentoring log books redesigned as quarterly mentoring log sheets
• Log sheets for each three--month period to be filled up after mentoring session and submitted
to HR
• Mentoring sessions still infrequent mainly due to
o Cross-functional
functional allotment of mentees
o No proper monitoring mechanism in place

Determine mentor awareness

The survey on the Employee Suggestion
Suggestion Scheme revealed that only 56.61 % of employees knew who
their mentor was. The remaining 43.39 % of the employees don’t know their mentors.

MENTOR
180 167
160
NO OF RESPONDENTS

140 128
120
100
80
60 Series1
40
20
0
YES NO
OPTIONS

Table showing level of awareness about mentor among employees

Redesign of mentoring scheme

• Mentor-mentee list reworked to make it more department-wise
department
• Decision to take mentoring scheme online
49
• Discussions with the MIS department – decision taken to use KAROMI software
• Mentoring log sheets redesigned and format given to MIS

50
 Fig: *ew mentoring log sheet format

Determining requirements of new mentoring scheme

The following requirements were identified for the new mentoring scheme
• Title to be One 2 One – Mentoring Scheme
• Creation of login ids and passwords for mentors
• Overall access for HR
• Home Page (when each mentor opens the portal using their login id and password) should
display
o List of Mentees
o Employee Record for the Period
o Reports (all fields to be populated, and the user can customize the fields he wishes to
view )
• HR to upload employee records
• Meeting Scheduler
o Where meeting schedule is randomly generated for the span of 3 months (Jan-Mar,
Apr - June, July - Sep, Oct - Dec) - one meeting per mentee

51
 o Option to change date also be made available
• Log Sheet (to be filled in by the mentor)
o Option to print hard copy of the log sheet
• Reminder System
o First email reminder to be sent to mentor two days before the scheduled meeting
o Second Reminder to go 5 days (if the meeting has not taken place and log sheet not
filled) after the scheduled meeting
o Third reminder to go 10 days after the scheduled meeting (if the meeting has not
taken place and log sheet not filled) with copy to HOD and Head - HR
• Facility for HR to generate mentoring records
• Feedback to be given to Works Manager by HR on quarterly basis

Development of software
The new mentoring scheme currently being developed by KAROMI /MIS

Fig: Sample form in KAROMI

52
3.4 Project IV

Project title:
Redesign of Staff Suggestion Scheme

Objectives
• To study the effectiveness of the existing scheme using available data/information
• To identify the changes required in the scheme and give recommendations
• To design a new staff suggestion scheme based on these recommendations
• To create awareness about and implement the redesigned scheme

Background
The Packaging and Printing Division of ITC (ITC-PPD) initiated a staff suggestion scheme in 2005
to harness the creativity and innovation of its managers and office associates and create a culture of
ownership.
The main objective was to tap suggestions directed at cost cutting, enhancing quality, waste
reduction etc. and to create a culture of ownership, participation and involvement.
However, this initiative has failed to take off at the Tiruvottiyur plant and hence it was felt the
system needs to be redesigned for it to succeed effectively.

Methodology

Background Research
Based on background research and study of the current staff suggestion scheme, the following key
points were identified
• Staff Suggestion Scheme launched in 2005 - Ibay portal used
• Initial response was good but none of the submitted suggestions were reviewed
• No formal review process
• 284 old suggestions pending review
• As a result, low awareness of scheme

53
 Fig: Staff Suggestion Box on PPB portal

Fig: Snapshot of Ibay portal used to submit ideas/suggestions

54
 Fig: Snapshot of Ibay portal showing old suggestions pending review

Identifying changes required

• Based on background research and study of the current staff suggestion scheme it was found
that the main reason behind the failure of the scheme was that there was no formal review
process available.
• Since 2005, 284 suggestions had been submitted in the Ibay portal but not a single one of
them had been reviewed till date.
• Of these, 260 had been submitted between 2005 and 2007, 2 were submitted in 2008 and a
total of 22 suggestions had been submitted in 2009 (till April)
• As a result, there was currently very low awareness of the scheme

Therefore, it was decided that the following actions needed to be taken

• Establish a formal review process
• Design a new staff suggestion scheme process flow
• Create awareness about the new scheme among staff

55
Establish formal review process
The first step was to establish a structured review process for the staff suggestion scheme.
To this end, a review committee consisting of the following members was created:
• Mr Sethu Subramanian (Works Manager)
• Mr V. Shanmughanathan (Head – HR)
• Mr R. Sundar (Head – Materials)
• Ms. Archana Ravi (Quality)
y)

Design of new staff suggestion scheme process flow

The new staff suggestion scheme had the following salient points
• Atleast one suggestion per staff member per month
• Suggestions to focus on
o Cost cutting
o Waste reduction
o Enhancing quality
o Process improvement
o Work-life balance
o EHS

Fig: Process flow of new staff suggestion scheme

56
Creating awareness about new Staff Suggestion Scheme
• Presentation made to Works Manager and all HODs at the factory
• Emails sent to all staff members
• 26-slide user guide on how to use staff suggestion scheme software created using Microsoft
PowerPoint
• User guide uploaded on the internal portal – PPB portal - of the factory

Fig: Slide 1 of the User Guide

Value-add to TVT
• Increased awareness of staff suggestion scheme
• Twelve new suggestions submitted in two weeks since emails sent
• Review mechanism in place for the first time since launch of scheme in 2005

57
3.5 Project V

Project title
Creating and in-house newsletter

Objective
To design an in-house newsletter for employees to
• Align employee goals with unit goals
• Develop a better informed workforce
• Foster a greater sense of involvement
• Build morale

Background
Employee newsletters are an ideal way to provide recognition, boost morale, improve employee
relations and educate employees, so they work together toward common company goals.
Keeping this in mind, my project involved designing an in-house bi-annual newsletter for the
Tiruvottiyur factory, one that would be easily understandable to employees and in a format attractive
to them.

Methodology
• Decide on a name for the newsletter
The name had to be one that was catchy and attractive to readers. After deliberations, the title
TVT Sudar was decided upon.

• Designing the template

This phase involved the actual design of the template for the newsletter, one that could be
used for future issues as well. The design was kept simple and user-friendly.

• Generating content
The content for the newsletter was generated from the HR department, managers and
employees. The various sections included.

58
  Message from the Works Manager
 Awards/Certifications received by PPD – TVT
 Employee achievements
 Employee weddings
 Welcome for new employees
 Remembering retired employees
 Long Service Awards
 Achievements of employees’ children
 Introduction to standards IQRS – Level 9, BRC/IOP, SA-8000
 New technologies/machines/facilities
 Training programs
 Ayudha Pooja Celebrations
 Employee contributions
 Health tips

• Designing the newsletter

Once all the content was collected, the actual newsletter was designed using Microsoft Word.
Two issues of the newsletter were created. Apart from being distributed in printed format, the
newsletters would also be loaded on computers giving access to employees through CBT
(Computer Based Training) module.

59
60
61
62
63
 4. Project VI

Project title
Developing and HR Scorecard for PPD - TVT

Objectives
To understand the business strategy of ITC – PPD and determine HR’s alignment to this strategy
To identify critical HR perspectives and strategic objectives
To determine critical HR deliverables and develop an HR scorecard

Background
An HR scorecard is a measurement as well as an evaluation system for redefining the role of HR as a
strategic partner. It allows HR to position itself as a strategic planning partner with line managers
and executives in the organization. While it is a challenge for managers to make HR a strategic asset,
the HR scorecard is a lever that enables them to do so.
This project aims to develop an HR scorecard for the Tiruvottiyur plant in Chennai. This scorecard
will act as a framework to link HR functions, activity and investment with the overall business
strategy.

Methodology

• Background Research
o Understanding what an HR Scorecard is through study of textbooks and other
available literature as well as discussions with project guides.
o Understanding business strategy of the unit
o Understand the functioning and practices of the HR department
• Discussions with HR managers at ITC – PPD to determine key HR perspectives and goals
Eight key HR perspectives were identified. Strategic objectives were then identified for each
perspective which included
o Developing Talent Pool
o Performance management and appraisal

64
 o Employee Health and Welfare
o Learning and Development
o Organization culture
o Employee involvement and communication
o Customer Orientation
o Social Accountability

• Determine critical HR deliverables

o 62 deliverables indentified

• Measurement of deliverables identified

o 30 deliverables measured as part of project
o Ongoing talks with company – Careers India - to conduct survey on employee
engagement – Dipstick
o Survey to cover dimensions ranging from leadership to teamwork and would cover
remaining deliverables
o Discussion with MIS
o Survey to be uploaded on intranet
o Can be administered again after six months or one year

65
Fig: Snapshot of HR Scorecard

66
 5. Appendix

5.1 Survey on Employee Suggestion Scheme

Name (Optional):

Token No (Optional):

Machine / Module:

Date of Joining:

1. How do you submit suggestions?

a) Using the computer

b) Using suggestion cards

2. Do you find submitting ideas simple? Yes/No

3. How many suggestions do you contribute every month?

a) more than 6 b) 6 c) less than 6 d) 0

4. How often are you given feedback on your suggestions?

a) Frequently b) Sometimes c) Rarely d) Never

5. How many of your suggestions have been implemented in the last one year?

a) 0 b) 1-5 c) 5-10 d) More than 1 0

6. If an idea is not implemented are you given the reasons for the same?

a) Frequently b) Sometimes c) Rarely d) Never

7. Why do you give suggestions?

a) Recognition

b) For the monetary benefit

c) Because you feel your suggestions are valuable tools to improve the

67
 organization

d) All of the above

8. Do you feel the organization considers your suggestions as valuable tools to

the organization? Yes/No

9. Are you aware that suggestions are sometimes repeated? Yes/No

10. Do you repeat suggestions?

a) Frequently b) Sometimes c) Rarely d) Never

11. Who is your mentor?

12. What is the role of your mentor in the Employee Suggestion Scheme?

13. Who do you think is responsible for implementing suggestions?

a) I/C b) Mentor c) HR d) Others

14. Are you satisfied with the functioning of the current employee suggestion

scheme? Yes/No

15. If not, what are your suggestions to make it more effective?

68
 5.2 Survey on effectiveness of Monthly Communication - Managers

Name:
Department/Module:

1. Do you send the information/data required to prepare the monthly communication module to
the HR department on time i.e. by the 4th of every month?

2. Is the monthly communication module in a format that is easily understandable to employees

and managers?

3. How do you communicate the module to the employees in your department? What are the
difficulties faced in communicating to employees working in all shifts?

4. Does communication take place regularly? If so, is this documented?

5. Is feedback received from employees? If so, how is this recorded?

6. Is the monthly communication used to identify issues causing quality defects, customer
complaints and non-adherence to OTIF? What steps are taken to address these issues?

7. Do you give a feedback report on monthly communication to the HR department? When do

you send this report?

8. How do you feel you can contribute to the monthly communication system?

9. Do you have any suggestions to make the monthly communication system more effective?

69
5.3 Survey on effectiveness of Monthly Communication - Employees

Name (Optional):
Token No (Optional):
Machine/Module:
Date of Joining:

10. Are you aware of the Employee Monthly Communication (EMC)? Yes/No

11. How do you come to know of the contents of the EMC?

(a) through your I/C
(b) through the notice board
(c) through CBT
(d) Others

If through your I/C:

12. Does the EMC reach you every month? Yes/No

13. By when does it reach you?

a) First week b) Second week c) Third week d) Fourth week

If through notice boards?

14. Is the information prominently displayed on the notice boards? Yes/No

15. Is the EMC in a language understood by you? Yes/No

If through CBT?
16. Are you able to easily access the EMC using CBT? Yes/No

70
17. What are the important elements of EMC?
a) Customer quality issues
b) EHS
c) Productivity/target
d) All of the above
e) Others (please specify)

18. Do you find EMC useful? Yes/No

19. If yes, which topics do you find useful? (Choose multiple options of required)
a) Scanlon target
b) Quality defects
c) Non-adherence to OTIF
d) Machine performance
e) Suggestion trend
f) Peak output
g) CANDO
h) EHS

20. Are you given the opportunity to discuss the EMC with your I/C? Yes/No

21. Do you have any suggestions to make the monthly communication system more effective?

71
 5.4 Monthly Communication Feedback Report

Date:

Name:

Department/Module:

No. of employees communicated to:

Communication details:

Feedback received from Action taken (if

S. *o. Issue discussed
employees (if any) any)
1

Suggestions to increase effectiveness of monthly communication:

72