UAE-based aluminium major Emirates Global Aluminum (EGA) revealed that a record total of 34,419 ideas were submitted by individual employees through its suggestion scheme in 2017, generating Dh36 million ($9.80 million) in cost savings.  

This is the most savings ever generated through the suggestion scheme in a single year, said a statement from the company.

EGA has operated an employee suggestion scheme since 1981, based on the belief that individuals closest to a work process can best spot improvements that are required and implement simple solutions, it said.

Cost savings from ideas are shared with the employees who propose them. The best suggestions are also recognised within the company each month.

Abdulla Kalban, managing director and chief executive officer, EGA, said: “Continuous improvement is a foundation of our global success and we believe everyone has a role to play in making our business better every day.”

“Our suggestion scheme enables all 7,000 of our employees in the UAE to contribute their knowledge and experience to improve our operations,” he said.

EGA won two gold awards for continuous improvement from Dubai Quality Group in November, and has received many international awards for its suggestion scheme and individual ideas including at Ideas America last year, said a statement.

EGA also runs a programme called ‘Tamayaz’ to generate and implement bigger improvement opportunities. Under the programme mid-level managers bring together their teams to understand problems, conduct detailed analyses to find potential improvements, and implement them, supported by continuous improvement experts, it added.

EGA has also developed its own technology in the UAE for over 25 years to continuously improve the aluminium smelting process. EGA’s latest technology is amongst the most efficient in the global aluminium industry.

EGA has used its own technology for every smelter expansion since the 1990s and has retrofitted all its older production lines, it stated. – TradeArabia News Service