asian productivity organization monthly newsletter june 2010

8/9/2019 Asian Productivity Organization Monthly Newsletter June 2010

1/8Printed on Recycled Paper

The power of data

2....p-Watch4....Productivity methodologies, tools, and

techniques5....Seeking strategies for SMEs6....Bangladesh hosts KM practitioners

7....Program calendar7....Photo op7....New APO publication7....APO/NPO Update7....APO Productivity Photo Contest 20108....20th Preparatory Committee Meeting

for the EPIF8....People behind the scenes

6, Training, Bangladesh

5, Expert meeting, Japan

The APO ocuses on productivity in the context o economic growth and development in the Asia-Pacic re

Readers should take a moment to consider what exactly productivity is. As a generalization, productivity

ratio o output quantity versus the quantity o labor input, claried Yasuko Asano, Secretariat Research and

ning Program Ocer. The key is to note that economic growth is derived heavily rom labor productivity enhancem

The APO Secretariat Research and Planning

Department unctions as a think tank, conduct-

ing research on the emerging needs o membercountries as the basis or ollow-up and in

determining appropriate assistance. Utilizing

her background as a United Nations program

ocer and belie in continuous learning, Asano

is committed to organizing relevant productiv-

ity measurement research projects that will

benet APO member countries. I eel that it is

our duty and responsibility as an international

organization to create a credible database that

will help member countries improve their levels

o productivity. It is thereore essential to de-

termine these levels, based on ocial data romtheir respective national accounts.

Every country has a dierent system o national accounts, data denitions, and coverage, and thus adjustments need

made beore the raw data can be used. It is necessary to create harmonized, scientically sound methodology. Ater tha

quality o data has to be improved. We support our members in improving their national data and provide the APO me

ology to develop productivity statistics that are comparable to those rom other countries. It is a matter o accountabili

the APO to comply with and provide international comparisons o productivity levels or our member countries.

Data are powerul. This is the basis o our productivity measurement projects. Both regional and global comparison

necessary, and you can see the wide range o data coverage provided in our Asian Quarterly Growth Map (http://w

apo-tokyo.org/AQGM.html), which goes beyond the Asia-Pacic. There cannot be much meaning to data unless the

compared on a global scale, including benchmark economies such as the USA and EU members. Productivity datasubstantial value, allowing us to understand the changing status o the economy and to ormulate sound, pro-growth

nomic policies. Data orm a core public asset or any organization or nation.

Asano devotes her energies to the Research and Planning Departments pillar projects: the previously mentioned

base; the Asian Quarterly Growth Map, which orms part o the database; and the annual APO Productivity Dat

(http://www.apo-tokyo.org/PDB.html#apodbseries).

With the database project, we developed the methodology, in the orm o APO questionnaires. Under the data

project, we identied experts in each country who could gather the relevant national data in accordance with our de

questionnaires on key indicators. The growth map is updated each month. We obtain statistics released by govern

C O N T E N T S

Volume 40 Number 6 June 20

7, Submission call

APOnews

InformationtoMakeaDifferenceinProductivityISSN: 1728-0

(Continued on p

Secretariat Research & Planning Oicer Yasuko Asano checks the

update o the Asian Quarterly Growth Map on her computer screen 12010.


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APO News June 010

T

he potential pitalls or producers wish-

ing to market their ood and beverageproducts in the USA are many. Formula

developers must ensure that each ingredient is

generally recognized as sae. Manuacturers

and processors must comply with current Good

Manuacturing Practices. Relationships with

importers and distributors must be ostered to

ensure reliable trading. These challenges are well

known, however, and successul exporters are

thereore prepared to meet them. A more dicult

challenge is conirming that products comply

with US regulations beore exportation.

An array o ederal agencies is responsible

or ensuring the saety o the US ood supply,

including both domestically produced and im-

ported ood and beverages. Together, the Food

and Drug Administration (FDA), which is part o

the Department o Health and Human Services;

Food Saety and Inspection Service, part o the

US Department o Agriculture (USDA); National

Marine Fisheries Service, part o the Department

o Commerce; and Environmental Protection

Agency regulate these products.

Most exporters will primarily contend with theFDA, whose many regulations set orth require-

ments rom the minimum type point size or

speciic statements to the maximum tolerance

or limited ingredients. The Food, Drug, and

Cosmetic Act authorizes the FDA to take action

in response to ood that is misbranded, or not

appropriately labeled. Under this provision, the

FDA has developed hundreds o pages o regula-

tions deining what it means to be misbranded.

While many o these regulations are codiied

in the Code o Federal Regulations, still more

requirements are set orth in theFederal Register,the ocial daily publication or rules, proposed

rules, and notices o ederal agencies and organi-

zations. Individual agencies also issue guidance

documents, which provide insight on how they

intend to interpret the oten vague, conusing

regulations.

Faced with such a huge body o requirements,

it is understandable that mistakes are requently

made in labeling ood products. The Economic

Research Service (ERS), a research and analysis

division o the USDA, stated that 33% o the

violations reported rom 1998 to 2004 were due

to misbranding (ERS Report Summary, ERS,

September 2008). While ood and beverage

products are requently, even commonly, misla-

beled, this does not mean that the FDA takes the

oense lightly. Misbranding violations can cause

nancial, public, and private loss; nes and other

expenses are compounded by the public repri-mand, as violations are announced in the FDAs

public database, and the private consequences, as

violators can be held personally responsible and

may even ace jail time.

Some labeling violations are purposeul; the

labeling is designed to mislead consumers in an

eort to make the product more attractive. Exam-

ples o this kind include ood labels that state a

product will cure cancer or declare the net weight

as 500 g, when actually the package contains

ar less. Frequently, though, the violations areunintentional, caused when an exporter has not

invested the time or resources necessary to en-

sure that the labeling is compliant. Unortunately

or well-intentioned exporters, the FDA will not

excuse a labeling violation simply because the

exporter did not know any better.

The FDA does not oer any review or preap-

proval o labeling or ood and beverage prod-

p-Watch

Exporting food, beverages, or dietary supplements to the USA?Pay close attention to product labeling requirements

ucts. As a result, it is the burden o exporters to

conrm that their product labeling is compliant.Furthermore, regulations are requently changed.

I a product is not in compliance when a new rule

goes into eect, it will be deemed misbranded.

Again, it is the responsibility o the exporter to

make sure that labeling remains current with the

requirements.

Some o the most common mistakes occur in

ormatting, stating the net quantity o contents,

declaring the presence o major allergens, and

using languages other than English. The FDA has

extensive regulations regarding the various type

point sizes o almost every statement that must

appear on labeling. Some o these requirements

are based on the size and shape o the container,

so copying a competitors label, even i correct

or the competitor, may result in a label that

does not meet type size requirements. The FDA

even goes so ar as to set regulations regarding

the weight, or thickness, o lines in the Nutrition

Facts chart. While these issues may seem minor,

the FDA regards consistency in labeling as a

way to allow customers to understand nutritional

inormation easily and thereore takes this matter

very seriously.

Regulations pertaining to the declaration o

the net quantity o contents are extensive and

concern even minute details. Minimum size

requirements must be met, the position o the

statement on the label is regulated, and even the

required space that must be kept blank around

the net quantity is dened. The FDA has specic

requirements or how the net quantity may be

stated, and, unlike most other countries, a met-

ric statement alone is not suicient. As the net

quantity statement is one o only two statementsto appear on the ront panel, also known as the

principal display panel, o labeling, it is subject

to close scrutiny.

Packaged oods and beverages that contain a

major ood allergen must declare its presence

on the product labeling. Major ood allergens

include ingredients rom milk, eggs, sh, crus-

tacean shellsh, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, and


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APO News June 010

soybeans. These major ood allergens account or 90% o all ood aller-

gies. As such, the FDA has required that they be declared since 1 January

2006, as a result o the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection

Act o 2004.

When any language other than English is used, a separate set o regulationscomes into eect. Food and beverages on the US retail market must include

an English version o all required statements. This oten comes as a surprise

to those who intend to market their products to specialized markets, such as

grocery chains that serve primarily Spanish-speaking consumers. Further,

the FDA requires that i any declaration is made in a language other than

English, all other required declarations must be made in English. This may

be a concern or those who market products in packages too small or all

inormation to be repeated.

While the regulations or labeling are extensive and can be conusing, the

requirements or a product to qualiy or an exemption rom a regulation are

even more dicult to determine. The ollowing are a ew examples o such

exemptions:

Under certain circumstances, the size requirements or declarations may

be relaxed or waived altogether.

The Nutrition Facts chart may be presented in a special ormat, such as

tabular ormat, or replaced with a toll-ree phone number through which

consumers can obtain nutrition inormation.

Certain products, such as resh ruit and vegetables, may be exempt rom

allergen labeling i they meet other requirements.

When only a products brand name is in a non-English language, the

product may not be required to repeat the required inormation in the

non-English language.

Special exemptions may apply in these and other circumstances, but deter-

mining whether a product qualies or an exemption takes thorough research

and a ull understanding o applicable regulations.

Mistakes in labeling can spell disaster or an exporter. In authorizing the

FDA to take action in response to misbranded ood and beverage products,

the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act authorizes the FDA to detain the product.

While in detention, ees or demurrage, analysis, and nes quickly add up.

When a product is detained, the FDA district oce will issue a Notice o

FDA Action speciying the nature o the violation to the owner or consignee,

who is entitled to an inormal hearing to provide testimony regarding the

admissibility o the product. I the owner ails to submit convincing evidencethat the product is in compliance or an acceptable plan to bring it into com-

pliance, the FDA will issue another Notice o FDA Action reusing admis-

sion to the product. The product then must be exported or destroyed within

90 days. To the costs already incurred, new costs or return reight or loss o

product due to destruction are now added.

Even i a violation can be corrected by relabeling, the cost o doing so can

be staggering and the time needed oten means late or cancelled orders.

Forward-thinking exporters will invest the time, money, and energy to

conirm that their product labeling complies with applicable requireme

beore shipping to the USA. Compliant, polished, proessional labeling

only aids in successully exporting products to the USA, but also meets U

consumers expectations or the appearance and content o ood and bev

age labels. By designing labeling in compliance with regulations, exportcan make their products more likely to receive approval not only rom U

inspectors and ocials but also rom US shoppers.

David Lennarz is Vice President of Registrar Corp based in Hampton, Virginia. Registrar Cor

assists companies in complying with US FDA regulations. Lennarz has served as a Technic

Expert for the US FDA and has over 15 years experience in the food and beverage, dru

medical device, and cosmetic industries. He may be contacted at [email protected]

or visit http://www.registrarcorp.com.

by David Lennarz

Figure. Noncompliant (upper panel) and compliant (lower panel) labeli

under US FDA regulations


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APO News June 010

US$10 million reduction in inventory value at the hub warehouse; reduction o order processing time rom two days to one hour; and

increase in on-time delivery rate rom 85% to 99%.

It is critical to have eective coordination and collaboration among the mem-bers in the supply chain, on the basis o trust and communication. The roles and

responsibilities, cooperation mechanism, and confict resolution model must bedened and claried to acilitate mutual benet and avoid ambiguity and misun-

derstandings. A supply chain can help a company become an order winner rath-er than only an order qualier, as the competition is not only among individualcompanies but also among their supply chains. Supply chain competitiveness

can be increased by selecting a good supplier as a partner. The ollowing aremajor evaluation actors: quality, price, lead time, on-time delivery, fexibility,

location, reputation and nancial stability, capacity, inventory policy, productand/or service, capability or the development and changes to products and/orservices, globalization capability, and crisis/event management capability.

A bullwhip eect is widely observed in supply chains. The scale o demandoscillations increases rom downstream customers to upstream raw material

producers. As companies usually carry saety stock to manage unstable de-mand, the inventory level increases backward through the supply chain dueto the amplied variation in demand upstream in a supply chain. Visibility

through data transparency and inormation sharing are important in supplychains, as this can help upstream partners to manage the bullwhip eect bet-

ter by looking ahead and making necessary preparations and adjustments inadvance. Typical shared inormation includes order orecasts, order status,inventory, promotion, and shipment.

Ater 30 years o development in SCM, there is still room or improvement

due to the ollowing progress in recent years: emphasis on green/reverse supply chains (considering the recycling o prod-

ucts and components) and global supply chains;

development o management philosophies such as collaborative planning,orecasting and replenishment, the supply chain operations reerence model,design chain operations reerence model, and SCM 2.0; and

advances in inormation and communication technologies, such as radio re-quency identication and global positioning systems.

Productivity methodologies, tools, and techniques

A supply chain is the network o raw material producers, component manuactur-ers, nal product manuacturers, wholesalers and distributors, retailers, and cus-tomers, interconnected by several types o fows, including material, inormation,

nance, and people fows. The gure shows a typical ootwear and apparel supplychain network. The APICS (Association or Operations Management) dictionary

deines supply chain management (SCM) as the design, planning, execution,control, and monitoring o supply chain activities with the objective o creatingnet value, building a competitive inrastructure, leveraging worldwide logistics,

synchronizing supply with demand, and measuring perormance globally.

Figure. A typical footwear and apparel supply chain network

SCM and other similar terms (such as supply chain synchronization, integrated

logistics, value chain management, and value stream management) have becomeincreasingly popular in recent years, since SCM rst received attention in the early1980s. Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Walmart, Zara, 7-Eleven, Toyota, and ASUS are

successul SCM players that manage supply chains well to gain and sustain a com-petitive edge in todays global business environment. The benets o SCM include:

heightened customer satisaction; better sustainability; greater customer loyalty; lower inventory; higher competitiveness; less transportation; higher prots; shorter lead times; lower costs; shorter times to market; higher quality; quicker decision making; and greater fexibility; better data transparency. higher productivity;

As one example, Case Studies o Manuacturing and Commerce Integration

published by the Ministry o Education, Republic o China, in 2004 citedASUS, which implemented an e-logistics project to improve SCM by integrat-

ing its motherboard and notebook PC assembly actories with 200 componentvendors, 50 logistics service providers, and three banks. This project devel-oped an e-procurement and an e-payment system and integrated them with the

enterprise resource planning system. A vendor-managed inventory model wasintroduced, and materials can be tracked through the entire supply chain on areal-time basis. The ollowing results were achieved:

30% increase in productivity per man-year; 30% increase in customer service level;

30% reduction in processing time;

Supply chain managementProf. James C. Chen

Contributed by Proessor James C. Chen, Department o

Industrial Management, National Taiwan University o Sci-

ence and Technology, Taiwan, Republic o China. Chen is

the ounder o Inoreverest (IET) o PouChen International

Group and has been an expert or the APO TES Program.

To provide easy re e rence to

productivity-related terms includingmethodologies, tools, and techniques,

the APO developed the p-Glossary,available on its Web site (www.apo-tokyo.org).


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APO News June 010

The power of data ....................................................................................................................... (Continued rom page 1

statistics oices in real time to ensure timely economic growth compari-sons. The map covers 88 countries throughout the world, including Europe

and the Americas, and we are working to expand to the Gul States and oil-

producing countries. By taking a look at quarterly movements, short-term

economic growth fuctuations can be seen on a wide array o variables.

The R&P oicer hopes that more people will make use o the resources

oered. Our inormation, o course, should be o value to national produc-

tivity organizations. The growth map can also help people looking or busi-

ness and investment opportunities to examine the rapidly changing status

o various Asian economies. The map is also useul or individual analyses.

It can help policymakers to determine the true state o their economies in

comparison with neighboring countries and the rest o the world.

Data are powerul, Asano reiterated. I believe that we have been able

to achieve tangible research outputs, based on solid methodology. These

eorts could not have been realized without our collaboration ramework

with Keio University. Productivity specialist Pro. Koji Nomura at the

Keio Economic Observatory, Keio University, has been a key player in the

projects, providing invaluable contributions and support.

On a cold March day three and a hal years ago, I knocked on the door o

Proessor Koji Nomuras oice in Tokyo and we ended up discussing theuture APO productivity measurement project or six hours, recalled Asano

Pro. Nomura is a widely recognized expert in the elds o economic meas-

urement and productivity analysis, with numerous publications and other

accomplishments to his credit, including his tenure as Senior Research Fellow

at the Economic and Social Research Institute, a orum or knowledge set

up under ormer Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

I went to Proessor Nomura with a desire to create a truly useul productiv

ity measurement database that was scientiically sound and credible and

that would become an asset or the APO and all o the Asia-Pacic region

Ocial statistics are, ater all, part o the basic intellectual inrastructure

o a country; I want to help transorm the intangible inrastructure o ourmember countries into a key to urther economic development. I told Pro

Nomura that while I was not an expert in the eld, I was eager to learn and

would handle all the coordination necessary or the collaboration between

the APO Secretariat and Keio Economic Observatory. I needed his help and

partnership to create the database as an important inrastructure or Asia.

The results and ongoing progress o the Research and Planning Departmen

eorts can be seen on the APO Web site (http://www.apo-tokyo.org/PDB

html#apodb_data).

The two-day Expert Group Meeting on the Development o Competitive

Strategies or Asian SMEs was held at the APO Secretariat in Tokyo

on 15 and 16 April 2010. Emeritus Pro. Hirotaka Takeuchi o Hitotsu-

bashi University, Japan, served as the chie expert. Formerly the Dean o the

Graduate School o International Corporate Strategy, Pro. Takeuchi will soon

become a ull-time proessor at Harvard Business School and teach courses on

competitive strategy in tandem with Pro. Michael Porter. The meeting was

held under the APOs Research Fund to investigate the possibility o applying

new productivity concepts, tools, and techniques and whether they could spe-

cically benet SMEs in member countries.

The kicko presentation by Pro. Takeuchi on Competitive Strategy was given

to an audience o 35 including consultants, researchers, and government o-

icials as well as Japan Productivity Center and APO Secretariat sta. Pro.

Takeuchi emphasized that although operational eectiveness, which is doing

things better, is necessary or a company to achieve superior protability, stra-

tegic positioning, which is doing things dierently than rivals, is even more

crucial or a rm to achieve sustainable, superior protability, especially in an

unattractive industry. A competitive strategy is inding a unique positioning

that allows an enterprise to compete in a distinctive way.

Pro. Takeuchi continued, I a company is in an unattractive industry, it is

important to be unique. That is where competitive strategy plays a role. I a

rm is in an attractive industry, there is less need or it to be unique. The in-

dustry structure will make prots, not the strategy. He assured SME owners

that there are advantages or them, stating, Most SMEs are in an unattractive

industry but SME owners have the guts and leadership to position themselves

strategically to be unique in the industry. Numerous other strategic insig

were covered, including ive-orces analysis, speciically to allow SMEs

achieve competitiveness through appropriate strategy.

The APO has had a special ocus on SMEs since its establishment. To impro

their productivity, quality, speed, and marketability, tools such as 5S, total qua

management, and kaizen have been transerred to SME owners and managers. T

experts at the April meeting examined the concept o competitive strategy and h

it could be applied eectively in the Asia-Pacic SME context. They were assis

by examples o the implementation o competitive strategy in case studies provid

by Hitotsubashi University covering all the important elements needed.

Seeking strategies for SMEs

Pro. Hirotaka Takeuchi outlining competitive strategy options or SMEs


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APO News June 010

Bangladesh hosts KM practitioners

Knowledge management (KM) is eective in driving excellence and

growth in business and has the potential to make a signicant dier-

ence in the perormance o SMEs. Interest in KM among NPOs and

APO member countries has been on the rise, as evident in an e-learning course

on Knowledge Management Concepts and Practices organized by the Secre-

tariat in February and March in which over 300 participants rom 15 member

countries enrolled.

As a ollow-up, an in-depth training course on Knowledge Management or

NPO Trainers and Facilitators was hosted by the National Productivity Or-

ganisation o Bangladesh, 913 May 2010. Twenty participants rom 14 APO

member countries gathered in Dhaka to acquire advanced knowledge o KM

tools and techniques and consolidate specialist skills in KM acilitation and

consultancy. The course was designed to provide guided assistance to NPO

trainers and consultants in the application o a specic skill set under the APO

KM ramework in practical, clear steps.

Inaugurating the course, the Hon. Dilip Barua, Minister o Industries, Gov-

ernment o Bangladesh, said that the present-day knowledge economy de-

mands highly trained, eicient, skilled human resources, which are critical

in improving the living conditions o our common people and building a

poverty-ree, stable, democratic, and harmonious Bangladesh. He went on to

commend the APO or strengthening the productivity movement in Bangla-

desh and its other member countries.

According to Secretariat Research and Planning Oicer Kamlesh Prakash,the initial interest o the APO was in understanding what KM is and why it is

relevant to member countries. However, the ocus has now changed to how

it can be implemented. For this reason, the APO developed an entire suite o

KM training materials including theKM Facilitators Guide,KM Case Studies,

andKM Tools and Techniques Manualand completed two KM demonstration

projects in India and the Philippines. Another practical manual targeting SME

owners is being developed.

An overview o the APOs KM ramework was presented by Elena Cruz, o

the Development Academy o the Philippines (DAP). She also gave a detailed

case study o Moonbake, Inc., a snack producer that is a member o the SME

Benchmarking Group set up by the DAP. Moonbakes KM results have been

positive, encouraging other SMEs in the Philippines and elsewhere in the

Asia-Pacic to undertake similar eorts.

The e-learning course and the ace-to-ace training in Bangladesh were su-cient to prepare Noshaba Itikhar, a trainer in the NPO o Pakistan in Islamabad,

to initiate KM projects within the NPO and SMEs in Pakistan. She remarked,

I particularly liked the sessions on communities o practice and the knowledge

ca, and look orward to the opportunity to apply them in Pakistan.

Aek-orn Pramotekul, o the Human Resources Department o Bangchak Petro-

leum Co., Ltd., Thailand, was grateul or being selected as a participant in the

KM e-learning course in February as well as the Dhaka ace-to-ace course.

The e-learning was a blessing or me, and I acquired practical knowledge o

KM tools like storytelling, communities o practice, and collaborative work-

spaces in Bangladesh. Now I can apply these techniques in my company and I

cant wait, she commented. Aek-orn currently convenes our communities o

practice in Bangchak Petroleum and plans to introduce more KM tools.

Collaborative workspaces were one eature o the presentation by Naoki

Ogiwara, o Fuji Xerox, Japan. They are a low-cost yet surprisingly eective

method o creating and sharing group knowledge. Ogiwara pointed out that

while a ormal meeting room is not necessarily a good place or team collabo-

ration, small spaces equipped with simple devices like paper, magnetic strips,

and magnets allow team members to organize, rearrange, and discuss ideas.

One key to making collaborative workspaces eective is to give employees

a reason to return there, which could include the placement o mailboxes,

printers, or copy machines or the provision o drinks, snacks, and proessional

journals and newspapers.

The concept o the knowledge ca, pioneered by David Gurteen, was ex-

plained in detail by Praba Nair, o KDi Asia, Singapore. He described it as

a group discussion to relect and to develop and share any thoughts and

insights that will emerge in a very nonconrontational way. The guidelines

or a meaningul knowledge ca are: 1) comprised o between 15 and 50

participants, with 30 being ideal; 2) taking one to two hours; 3) a ocus on

conversation, with presentations and eedback sessions not required; and 4)

conducted at any point in time, depending on workloads and organizational

culture. Ideally, ater participation in a knowledge ca, each member leaves

eeling more motivated and inspired.

Dr. Rajat Sharma, Deputy Director, Economic Services o the National Pro-ductivity Council o India, stated, I was excited to undertake the e-learning

course on KM along with others rom Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and

Sri Lanka, and there was a lot o sharing among us. The course in Bangladesh

oered the chance to meet ellow participants and experience real-time, inter-

active training. This made KM easy or me to understand and customize or

our clients back home.

As part o the course, the participants ormulated individual action plans and

were eager to implement them upon returning home.

APO Expert Praba Nair bries participants during a KM training group exercise inDhaka 11 May 2010.


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APO News June 010

APO/NPO UpdateNew Acting Director of the Agriculture Department in APO Secretariat

Mr. Joselito Cruz Bernardo, Senior Program Oicer, Secretariat Agriculture

Department, was appointed Acting Director o the Agriculture Department, w.e. .

8 May 2010.

AugustSri LankaTraining Course on Planning and Management of Community-basedRural Tourism and Agrotourism Enterprises, 1017 August 2010.

Objectives: To equip participants with knowledge o the concept o rural

tourism and help them develop skills in planning, managing, and marketingrural tourism projects and products.

Participants: Managers and ocers o rural tourism-oriented enterprises,national and local governments, and NGOs involved in the promotion and/ormanagement o community-based rural tourism projects, or academics involvedin the provision o extension and training to local tourism stakeholders.

Republic of KoreaTraining Course on the Food Safety Management System ISO22000:2005for Auditors/Lead Auditors, 2327 August 2010.

Objectives: To acquire the knowledge and skills to audit according tothe ISO22000:2005 ood saety management system (FSMS) and satisy therequirements or registration as an FSMS auditor.

Participants: Management personnel working in organizations related

to the ood chain, or personnel in charge o ISO22000 implementation/ISO22000/HACCP auditors; and consultants o NPOs or other organizationsinvolved in FSMS or in charge o promoting ISO22000.

Study Meeting on the Eco-products Database, 31 August3 September 2010.

Objectives: To review recent developments in theEco-products Directory;ormulate practical measures or collecting eco-product data and promotingthe directory to enhance Green Productivity; discuss the criteria or eco-products and -services in the region; and develop plans or producing eco-product directories at national level.

Participants: Managers and ocers rom Green Purchasing Networks andecolabeling organizations and senior ocials rom environmental ministriesin charge o ecolabeling/certication.

Program calendar

Please contact your NPO or details o uture activities, including eligibility or

participation. The project details along with the address o your NPO are avail-able rom the APO Web site at www.apo-tokyo.org.

Photo op

APO Secretary-General Shigeo Takenaka (L) smiles as he presents AgricultureProgram Ofcer Muhammad Saeed with a Long Service Award recognizing his 10years with the Secretariat during a ceremony marking the 49th anniversary o theestablishment o the APO 10 May 2010.

The August deadline is approaching for this year's APO Produc-tivity Photo Contest.We're waiting for pictures that illustrate efforts in productivity(people working together for improvement in agriculture, indus-try, schools, communities... there are topics all around us). Fordetails, see our Web site (www.apo-tokyo.org).

A scene o daily lie captured in Chonburi, Thailand, by Nanuch Nijnananant, Thland, Merit Prize, APO Photo Contest 2001

New APO publication

ORGANIC AGRICULTUREAND AGRIBUSINESS:Innovations and Fundamentals

APO 146 pp. May 2010

ISBN: 92-833-7090-2 (e-edition)


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APO News June 010

Published monthly byAsian Productivity Organization, Hirakawa-cho Dai-ichi Seimei Bldg. 2F, 1-2-10 Hirakawa-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0093, Japan;

People behind the scenes: Alwina binti Alwi Tan

This young lady who hails rom Malaysia likes sports, shopping,

watching movies, and cooking during her ree time.

Alwina is in the Customer Relation Unit o the Strategic Planningand Corporate Communication Department, which is in charge o handling

customers complaints, eedback, inquiries, and the Malaysia Productivity

Corporation (MPC) Business Inormation Centre. In addition, she represents

the MPC on a committee or the Ministry o International Trade and Industry

s weekly bulletin and other corporate communication tasks.

The 52nd session o the APO Governing Body (GBM) was the rst interna-

tional program Alwina handled. She still eels the sense o excitement that

ran through her when she was rst inormed that she would be part o the

MPCs GBM team. It was truly a challenge or me to be directly involved in

an international program such as the GBM, she conrmed.

The preparations or the GBM started ve months prior to the day the delegates

and advisers arrived in Kuala Lumpur. Aside rom having a detailed checklist,

Alwina made sure that discussions and meetings were held regularly with her

superior and colleagues to troubleshoot anything that might possibly occur.

She was lucky to have a good team to work with, she acknowledged. Regu-

lar communication, especially through e-mail messages with the APO Secre-

tariat, APO Conerence Ocer, APO Liaison Ocer or Malaysia, and other

colleagues all helped to make the GBM a success.

Reminiscing about the good times enjoyed dur-

ing the GBM and preparatory period, when her

speciic role included assisting with hotel logis-

tics, fight schedules, and arranging the welcomedinner, Alwina recalled that the toughest aspects

were last-minute changes in either fights or the names o delegates. These

continued to occur even up until the day beore the GBM convened, but

all were coped with smoothly. However, once the participants arrived in

Kuala Lumpur, all my worries began to ade. I elt happy and relieved, but

know that the next challenge awaits, she said. Even though not every-

thing went as expected, as there were last-minute changes, we managed

to overcome them with the help o our Conerence Ocer and the APO

Secretariat sta.

Alwina was sure that all the APO delegates enjoyed their stay in Malaysia

based on their smiling aces. She regarded the GBM as a valuable experi-

ence, allowing her to work behind the scenes and get to know people and

cultures rom dierent countries. She also appreciated the experience she

gained rom working with the APO Secretariat sta. Alwinas advice or oth-

ers who would like to take on similar responsibilities in event preparation

is to be diligent. This kind o job requires a lot o preparation, continuous

communication, and commitment. Always be prepared and ready to act i

there is any unexpected or sudden change in the fow o the program.

20th Preparatory Committee Meeting for the Eco-products International Fair

The 20th Preparatory Committee Meeting or the Eco-products InternationalFair (EPIF) was held at the APO Secretariat in Tokyo on 19 May 2010.

The meeting was chaired by Mr. Takashi Yamagishi, new chairperson othe EPIF Preparatory Committee and Executive Vice President and Chie Technol-

ogy Ocer o Teijin Limited, and attended by around 30 members who are alsomembers o the Green Productivity Advisory Committee (GPAC), ocials romthe Ministry o Foreign Aairs, Ministry o Economy, Trade and Industry, and

Ministry o the Environment o Japan, and others.

Chairperson Yamagishi highly evaluated the implementation results o the sixth

EPIF in Jakarta, Indonesia, 47 March 2010. The event attracted 90,004 visi-tors over our days. Chairperson Yamagishi emphasized that the sixth EPIF had

contributed to the promotion o environmentally riendly products and services inIndonesia. Based on the experience with the sixth EPIF, the Preparatory Committeemeeting acknowledged the importance o incorporating environmental actors at

the center o a companys business policy. Japanese businesses are taking a leadingrole in conserving the global environment and conveying this concept to the world.

Another major subject o the meeting was the report on the preparation status o thenext EPIF scheduled to be held in New Delhi, India, 36 March 2011. The Secretari-

at reported general inormation on the preparatory work and the new implementationstructure or the EPIF 2011 to the committee members. It was decided that urtherdeliberations on ideas and suggestions or the 2011 air would be necessary. Other

topics discussed during the meeting include the promotion plan or the EPIF 2011

across India and other APO member countries, measures to promote environmen-tally riendly products and services among consumers and business partners, and

orging stronger networks to work or the global environment.

In wrapping up the meeting, Chairperson Yamagishi reiterated the role o the EPIF

Preparatory Committee in organizing the seventh EPIF in New Delhi, encouragingmembers to bring innovative ideas and inormation to the table to ensure sound

oundations or promoting Green Productivity through the event and to expandnetworks in the region and beyond to support conservation globally.

Teijin Ltd. Executive Vice President and Chie Technology Ofcer and newly elected EPIFPreparatory Committee Chairperson Takashi Yamagishi (standing) reviewing the 2010 EPIF

asian productivity organization monthly newsletter june 2010

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