Project Profile - Optimum Manpower Assessment Study

OPTIMUM MANPOWER ASSESSMENT STUDY

Penden Cement Authority Limited (PCAL), Bhutan
Bhutan has four cement plants located in the south western part of the country. These have a combined clinker capacity of approximately 0.3 mio tpa. PCAL is the largest local player, with its works at Gomtu. It was commissioned in 1977 and started with a capacity of 300 tpd. It was later upgraded to 800 tpd in 1994, by adding an additional preheater string and a separate line precalciner. The plant currently produces 900 tpd. PCAL appointed Holtec to carry out an Optimum Manpower Assessment Study in order to derive the manpower required to run the augmented plant. Alignment of processes and systems to the recommended manpower, enhancing employee productivity, specifying skill sets & training requirements, evolving separation plans, designing incentive systems, and detailed action planning and implementation assistance were some of the other components of the assignment.
Location of PCAL	Key Assignment Information Focus on jobs and not on people. Job descriptions (around 100) formulated focusing on Key Performance Areas. Headcount proposed on the basis of Work & Methods Study and international benchmarking. Attitude, Knowledge and Skills assessed for a sample size of 15%; Training Needs thus identified. Selection of a Managing Knowledge team of three people (Analysts) using proprietary Holtec software. Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) and Medical Retrenchment Scheme (MRS) implemented. 125 consulting days spent at the plant and about 150 consulting days at the home office.
Objective and Coverage The initiation of the assignment involved a complete Situation Analysis of PCAL’s current headcount, Attitudes, Knowledge, Skill and Leadership abilities of representative staff, analysis of workloads through Work & Methods Study and the functioning of HR systems and processes. The above, along with Hotec’s international database, were used to draw up a proposed Headcount Plan. Multi-skilling, process redesign, efficiency boosters and outsourcing were used, wherever relevant, to design the plan components. A Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) and a Medical Retrenchment Scheme (MRS) were recommended for those identified to be surplus. Phasing out of people was also identified in the process of separation. Proposals for an Incentives & Rewards System were also drawn up. Specific implementation-oriented Action Plans for each of the above key parameters were created incorporating detailed activities, time frames and responsibilities. Specific Job Descriptions for around 100 jobs were prepared, focussing on key performance areas and the responsibilities towards internal and external customers. A Change Management Process was initiated to prepare people for transition, manage their anxieties, enhance morale and reduce any deleterious effect on productivity. A Training Master Plan was prepared to improve attitudes, knowledge, skills and leadership effectiveness. Holtec’s intervention in Penden Cement was instrumental in improving manpower productivity. It also helped in enhancing both internal and external customer focus, and augmented the oreganisation’s capacity to manage knowledge more effectively. *Holtec has executed 5 similar assignments.*