“A great maturity that helps them hold their own with the professionals”, is how Dirk Bernaerts, engineer at Pauwels Trafo Belgium in Mechelen, describes Niels Hermans and Roy Martin, two Electromechanics engineers. His company asked the now Group T alumni to analyze and optimize the assembly process of distribution transformers. Their outstanding job was awarded the KPMG Management Prize.
Niels Hermans and Roy Martin, winners of the 2009 KPMG Management Prize, together with Mr. Guido de Grefte, partner of KPMG Belgium and Prof. Guido Ceulemans. (Photo: Filip Van Loock)
19th edition
The KPMG Management Prize celebrated its 19th edition this year. Every year, the multinational audit agency awards a graduation project or master’s thesis that deals with a specific management theme that can also address information management or quality care.
A winning combination
Prof. Guido Ceulemans, supervisor for the winning thesis: “Our graduates know how to supplement their technological know-how with skills in the field of management and communication and KPMG appreciates this type of engineer. Another advantage in the eyes of KPMG," Prof Ceulemans continues, "is that our master’s theses are always the fruit of a well-oiled interaction between student, professor, and entrepreneur and that they are not realized on campus but in a company, at the heart of the real engineering practice.”
From 13 to 20 units
Niels and Roy first met representatives from Pauwels Trafo Belgium during Entrepreneurs’ Day, the annual job fair at Group T. They left their résumé and soon afterwards had an appointment at the company. They were immediately presented with a very concrete assignment: try to increase significantly the production of the assembly process of distribution transformers.
Production management
Prof. Ceulemans explains how this matter had already been discussed in the Production Management course. "However, the mathematical policy techniques were first approached theoretically here. Both students approached the assignment very practically and pragmatically. This was their strength and it no doubt contributed to the success of their work.”
Just-in-time
"We had to deal with several problems at once," says Roy. "Not only in terms of labor but also in terms of stock management. Not all problems could be considered in the scope of a single master’s thesis. In consultation with our supervisor, and after a thorough study of the literature, we decided to focus on the effective production: working hours and flow improvement. In the end we dropped stock management. Furthermore, we decided to apply Toyota’s just-in-time production principle.”
The client’s objectives were met. “In the last part of our work we drafted a proposal for a future layout. This had to meet a number of restrictions which we formulated together with the section supervisors”, according to Roy.
Implementation is ongoing
Co-supervisor Dirk Bernaert is very positive about both winners. “Their powerpoint presentations were remarkable and their great flexibility and strong focus on safety has played to their advantage."
The end result is now being assessed at the company's Engineering Department. The implementation is ongoing. Whether or not they are going to implement everything has not been decided yet, but the fundamental ideas certainly will be.
Consultants
When asked why the company did not use consultants, the co-supervisor had a clear answer: “If you appeal to young people, you get new and fresh ideas. No limitations, no standard solutions. Mind you, initially we did put consultants to work, but the plan they came up with was certainly no better than that of the Group T students: it soon turned out that the consultants had underestimated the complexity. The students did not. If only for that reason, they deserve the prize."
Pauwels Trafo Belgium recently changed its name to CG Power Systems Belgium.
15-17 september 2010
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