TOPIC: A STUDY ON PRODUCTIVITY CHALLENGES FACED IN OPERATION

ENVIRONMENT AT LAFARGE AGGREGATES & CONCRETE INDIA PVT LTD.

Submitted by

: Bala Mahendran

Roll Number

: 1110MBA1280

Register Number:
1. NEED FOR THE STUDY:
Severe competitive pressures and costly restructurings are partly offset by some positive
signs of renewed growth, due in no small part to ongoing product and process
innovations with a set of circumstances currently impacting the industry and Lafarge
faces severe competitive challenges and are undergoing difficult restructuring as they
struggle to bring their capacity and workforce into line with their diminished market
shares. This work will definitely bring out the new innovations and techniques for
production management and for its challenges to Production Managers.

2.1 PRIMARY OBJECTIVE:

To identify the productivity challenges confronting operations management in
Lafarge cement.

2.2 SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

. To understand the growth trend in cement manufacturing company like lafarge.
To understand the factors influential in labor productivity and to identify productivity
performance in Lafarge Cement.
To understand government interventions and regulations involved.
3. METHODOLOGIES:
Sources of data
Data has been collected from various sources; there is a combination of both
primary and secondary data that has been used in this research.
Detailed Research Methodology

The research methodologies to attain the objective of Project are:

I.

Primary Data will be collected by preparing a set of questionnaires and getting the
feedback from employees and experts in Lafarge. The sampling would be done
a)
b)
c)
d)

II.

with
Production Managers
HR Managers
Quality Managers
Supervisors
Secondary Data will be collected through materials available on internet

Sampling Segment
A structured questionnaire will be set after integrating the information collected through
lead survey. The primary data was collected throughout questionnaires. Formal and informal
interviews with the Production Managers, HR Managers, Quality Managers and supervisors
within the companies have produced enough information to understand the productivity
challenges. The secondary data will be collected through internet where company information
obtained from the sites and theories from various marketing books.
Sample size will be 100 and the Statistical tool like weighted average method and Quality
concepts will be done.
Tools used for Hypothesis Testing

Weighted average method

Chi-Square test
Interval Estimation method

Chi-Square test- Hypothesis Framing

Null hypothesis H0: There is no significant relationship between gender and techniques in
human resource in the company.
Alternate hypothesis Ha: There is a significant relationship gender and techniques in human
resource in the company.
4. DATA COLLECTION:

(a) Primary Data

The primary data has been collected by conducting In -depth Interview with key employees,
like Production department of the Organization. Primary data also been collected through a
questionnaire and feedback from 100 respondents were collected.
(b) Secondary Data
Articles have been sourced from magazines and journals dealing with current issues in
Productivity Challenges, Operations concepts, Internet & Text books related to
Quality concepts & Research Methodology have been a major secondary source for
the extraction of the experts opinion.

5. DATA ANALYSIS:
6. WORK TO BE DONE:

Work consisting of statistical tool analysis, findings, suggestions & conclusions will be
completed.
Final draft of the project

QUESTIONNAIRE
Dear Sir/Madam,

Im Bala Mahendran pursuing MBA in Anna University (As part of my final 4th Semester, Im
doing a thesis titled A STUDY ON PRODUCTIVITY CHALLENGES FACED IN
OPERATION ENVIRONMENT AT LAFARGE AGGREGATES & CONCRETE INDIA
PVT LTD. In continuation with my thesis work, Ive prepared a questionnaire, which will help
me to gather more information based on the individual perspective. The Information given by
you will be kept truly confidential, no names will be revealed. I request you to kindly spare few
minutes of your time in filling this questionnaire. Please ensure factual replies, which alone will
result for trustworthy conclusion in my study.
Thank you in advance for your co-operation.
Respondents Details
Name
Position in company:

Department:

Production

Human
Resource

others

1. For how long have you been working for this company?
Less than one year
1-3 years
3-5 years
5 years and above

2. In which of the following do you think that your company is facing much intricacy in
regards with productivity
a) Relentless Competition
b) Diminished Market Shares
c) Workforce

d) Technology
e) Others
3. Do you think our Cement Industry needs more growth in engineering and technology in
regard to productivity?
Yes
No

4. Did the recent layoffs have reduced the productivity of your company?
a) Strongly Disagree
b) Disagree
c) Strongly Agree
d) Agree
e) Neutral (Both)
5. Would you say outsourcing would facilitate your company to perform better productivity?
a. Strongly Disagree
b. Disagree
c. Strongly Agree
d. Agree
e. Neutral (Both)
6. Do you think that simultaneous impede in the electricity supply by the government had
reduced the productivity?
Yes
No

Maybe

7. Would you think that constant supply of electricity, good roads for transportation (for raw
materials to arrive) and early shipment would increase productivity of your company?
a. Strongly Disagree
b. Disagree
c. Strongly Agree
d. Agree

8. Do you think new concepts to convert the consumers buying experience would enhance
productivity?
a.
Yes

No

Maybe

9. How do you rate the changes in technology, capital investment, the level of output, capacity
utilization measures the labors productivity? Tick appropriately.

x-----x-----x-----x-----x-----x-----x-----x-----x-----x-----x
Very Low
Very High
10. Do you think that advanced techniques in Human resource management should be able to
bring them as the best performers in increasing the productivity
Yes
No
11. Do you think that logistics and SCM plays an important role in productivity?
Yes
No

12. Delivering the next important increment of value to customers while remaining profitable will
require striking increases in productivity

a. Agree
b. Strongly Agree
c. Disagree
d. Strongly Disagree
13. Is your company require any quality tools to increase productions?
a) Yes
b) No
14. Which one of the following do you chose that needs improvement when comes to the
future measures for supporting the companys effort in SCM?
a)
Finance
b)
Transportation
c)
Information Technology
15. Is your company facing any problem by using the present quality tools systems?
a) No Problem
b) Not serious problems

c) Serious problems
A special thanks for your answers. All answers and your personal information will be kept
confidential unless agreed otherwise.
I am gathering this information as part of my project work. Kindly let me know your opinion to
make my project successful.
Regards,
Bala Mahendran