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Expert Database
INTER-AGENCY DESIGN AND ENGINEERING ASSESMENT Team
(IDEA Team)
RATIONALE
As part of the attempt to further enhance the implementation of the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program SET-UP, support activities and services are continuously being identified and pursued to ensure that the target impact of the program are attained in the shortest and most cost effective manner. One of the most recent concerns raised is the so called “after-sales services” for equipment, tools, jigs and fixtures often associated or attached to the technologies that are being introduced to SMEs.
During recent visits to SET-UP assisted companies, a number of observations regarding the performance of equipment were noted:
Some of the equipment/tools/jigs and fixtures that are associated with the technology that is being introduced have no concrete data available on efficiency, maintenance and troubleshooting information or guidelines; There was a tendency to recommend and therefore acquire new equipment immediately when some of the heavy and therefore relatively expensive equipment available in the firm can be reconditioned/repaired at a much lower cost maintaining the same performance and efficiency as the newly purchased equipment; The specifications and capacity of the recommended equipment do not fit the actual requirements of the firm resulting to either under or over utilization of the equipment and therefore, ultimately less cost efficient operation of the firms; The efficiency of some of the equipment was reduced due to the absence of accessories that could have been easily fabricated given designs and plans; and Some of the operations followed by the SMEs could have been improved tremendously if only these could be semi-mechanized or automated to ensure quality, uniformity and efficient given some jigs and fixtures that could have been easily identified by the experts.
Proposed or new projects likewise should be assessed careful as to the specifications of the proposed e quipment to be purchased to ensure that these are suitable to the needs and capacities of the enterprises that are to be assisted.
However, in the absence of the appropriate technical know how both by the beneficiary and the concerned PSTO, the potentials of the technologies are at best under-tapped if not totally undermined.
Given the experiences and expertise of the researchers/experts from the RDIs and selected members of the NRDN, we feel that many if not all of these concerns could be addressed if only there is a body to which the Regional Offices could refer said technical concerns. It is therefore, against this backdrop that the information of the IDEA Team was conceptualized. Interaction of the Regional Staff as well as the PSTOs and the IDEA Team could likewise lead to the development of local expertise that could further be enhanced through the appropriate training and hands-on experience. It is expected that in the long run the Regional Offices could organize similar local-based experts who could most adequately and easily respond to simple and urgent requests for technical services in the region.
TERMS OF REFERENCE
As indicated above, the functions of the IDEA Team seem to already be cut and died for them:
Establish or assist in the development of efficiency indicators, maintenance and troubleshooting guidelines for the most common equipment/tools/jigs and fixtures associated with the technology transfer that is being or has been introduced; Assess old or non-functional equipment already available in the firm that could still be reconditioned/repaired and compare the cost of doing so vis-à-vis purchasing new equipment; Assess the specifications and capacity and capacity of the recommended equipment to fit the actual requirements of the firm to avoid under or over utilization of the equipment; Determine/identify and whenever possible design some accessories that could be fabricated to improve or enhance the efficiency of some of the equipment; Assist in training local experts (both internal and external to DOST Regional Offices) on trouble shooting, material/energy balance assessment among others; and Assist SMEs in improving production operations by introducing concepts that could help semi-mechanize or automate regular operations and processes to ensure quality, uniformity and efficient given some jigs and fixtures that could have been easily identified by the experts.
COMPOSITION
The IDEA Team shall be composed of engineers, researchers and experts recommended by the DOST R&D Institutes and Councils and chaired by the DOST Undersecretary for R&D:
CHAIR: Undersecretary for R&D
CO-CHAIR: Undersecretary for Regional Operations
MEMBERS:ASTI
FNRI
FPRDI
ITDI
MIRDC
PNRI
PTRI
RESOURCE PERSONS: Relevant DOST Council Representatives as needed.
IMPLEMENTATION MECHANISM
With the Undersecretary for R&D as chair and Undersecretary for Regional Operations as Co-chair, the IDEA Team shall meet at least once a month or as needed to discuss concerns related to the design and engineering of various equipment, tools, jigs, and fixtures especially those referred to the Team by the Regional Offices and other DOST agencies and clients.
DOST Regional Offices will be requested to provide the IDEA Team a list of concerns regarding the performance of various equipment acquired by current and potential beneficiaries especially those funded thru SET-UP. It is expected that the Regional Offices shall provide complete data on the problem or concern to be addressed to be addressed to optimize the efforts of the Team should it decide to visit the firms. One of the targets of the Team is to train the region-based experts including PSTOs on how to identify the exact problem and not simply the symptoms of the problem so that the Team could easily address these.
Click the link below for the people behind the IDEA Team:
Directory of IDEA TEAM
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