1.      What is the role of Icon Matrix to organizations like SMEs?

Icon Matrix Solutions helps in

·         Identifying the key issues affecting the performance of the department, function and people.

·         Provide alternative strategies and roadmap to overcome the underlying problems through a time bound program.

·         Results are measured every quarter to monitor progress through management commitment.

2.       What if the resource constraints come in the way of strategies and solutions; Organizations have tried in the past with excellent blue prints for improvements, but implementation is really frustrating because nobody wants to invest money on depleting assets and people?

Firstly, for all roadmaps to improvement, may not end up in capital budget requirements. Icon Matrix Solution suggests

·         A way of cost-benefit analysis for short-term and long-term objectives.

·         Guiding the process that stands competitive in the years to come.

·         Today your product is customers' delight, and if process improvements are not continual in nature, productivity as well as acceptance criteria may affect the overall profitability of the organization.

3.        My supplier is reputed and established. Rejection level is hardly noticeable. But he is escalating the price every year by 8 to 12 %, this squeezing my net profit. Do you have any solutions to such precarious situation?

Does your customer identify in a similar situation with your supplier to offset the rise? If not you are paying high price for the incoming materials, which may not be warranted.

Icon Matrix helps in

·        Eliminating this kind of conflict by market study for alternative source,

·        Plan for switching to secondary and tertiary market to buy what you can pay.

4.       My logistics (transportation, handling and delivery) are very time consuming and requires high-level personal attention both at receipts and delivery of final goods. Is there any relief for owners from you to streamline this process?

Basically this is due the misconception that transportation is only a phone call away, and is a fixed time job in manufacturing cycle. Audits have proved other way that customer satisfaction is very poor in this segment because a transporter has missed the timing, or item. He may not understand personalization in delivery management. Icon Matrix will help

·         You in customization of delivery process and handling of goods can be done with care any time 24 X 7.

5.       My infrastructure is reasonably good but aged, I do not want to spend additional investment on fixed assets because I am not sure returns are proportional to investments and change in image may invite trouble with my employees who may demand rise. What is your opinion on this tricky issue on infrastructure?

The moot question is if you want to be in business how long this can be delayed. Icon Matrix will

·         Survey this issue whether the business is viable for next 10-15 years. 

·         If it needs to be working and living the minimum infrastructure needs will be linked to return on investment for the next 1/3 of the asset life or less.

·         Image building is just a psychological and motivational exercise.

·         Help and provide feedback what image building will help in productivity and indirect benefits before they are being implemented. 

6.       My utilities and energy consumptions are unaccounted. People say they are negligible, but when I receive bills every month, I worry how I will be in this business paying so high utility bills. What I should do to contain and conserve energy and payouts?

It is very serious concern for every industry and is like a tip of iceberg. Icon Matrix will

·         Audit energy and utility requirements.

·         Survey and monitor consumption for a quarter and benchmark the process requirements.

·         Provide you a blue print of operational guideline optimizing the energy and utility consumption.

·         Also provide you various options and source for energy and utility requirements if containment of one point is expensive. 

7.       Some of my customer demands you need to be ISO Certified, QS approved, TS recommended. Once I get all these Certification brands don't you think my process cost will increase? Will my customer pay for these process improvements? There are certain old traditional customers who are not perplexed by these process brands and say do not follow any process to our products, just gives us the best price and deliver the product in short time. What is your suggestion to such diverse situation?

This is not surprising. Today you have customers who are very demanding to the core. A standard component may not be bought by all customers with the same specifications, because of the changing market perception, technological advancement, end user knowledge of product. 

Icon Matrix will help

·         In tailoring your process for each customer so that overheads are not passed to all the customers and you will not loose through the process-in-line where it is not required.

·         At the same time you will have stringent Quality Assurance System of International Quality repute to meet all the demands of crying customer.

8.      I have been facing tough problem of expediting, inspection of my capital equipment, special purpose machinery, and project liasioning. My project plan never goes in line with implementation dates. Equipment suppliers promised date are never met. The project, which is to be completed in 14 months, has now escalated to 19 months. My promoters and bankers have already expressed dissatisfaction about the project slipping. What is the solution from Icon Matrix?

This happens invariable with lot of projects. There are many hidden components in every project module and is very difficult for an owner to ingrain with the situation and predict what is the best completion time.

Icon Matrix will

·         Encapsulates all these issues, do a study of similar projects and identifies all the open issues and provide you a fairly achievable plan to the satisfaction of all stakeholders in the project.

·         Identifies critical path, takes care of inspection, provides early warning to you about a particular supply being delayed and needed corrective action,

·         Do liaise with other inspection authorities to ensure all specification and safety requirements of equipment and structures are met at all levels.