It is only during tough situations that heroes emerge, and it was no different during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Our design-led manufacturing (DLM) unit in Mysore, India, showed immense grit and determination in ensuring that our customers in the medical industry were not impacted even as the nation-wide lockdown was declared with barely any notice.
The nature of work meant that the work-from-home option was not viable for the DLM team, and the pandemic situation demanded that manufacturing processes continued. What added to the challenge was that Mysore was declared a containment zone—no public transportation facilities were available and stringent police vigils. Further, with strict social distancing measures and the disease spreading fast, family members of our DLM associates were understandably anxious to have them stay at home.
Here’s how our DLM BCP team addressed the situation:
Reassuring family members and focusing on safety measures
The DLM team reached out to all the workers and assured them and their families of complete safety at the manufacturing facility. With the help of the facilities and the HR teams, Cyient transport was made available to the workers. The buses were sanitized thoroughly every day to prevent the spread of COVID-19. For those workers who could not take the company transport, e-letters and passes were provided so they could commute to the unit without any police interference.
Ensuring safety for associates at the workplace
Cyient is committed to ensuring workplace safety for associates and workers. The DLM team took all the necessary precautions to keep the office premises safe, including conducting regular briefings for the workers to educate them about the importance of following safety measures. The associates were also continuously informed about ways and means to better deal with the COVID-19 situation.
Further, informative collaterals were strategically placed across the premises to increase awareness and to emphasize the significance of social distancing. Besides, all the necessary steps were taken to ensure that utmost hygiene is maintained in the entire manufacturing unit. Snacks and beverages, too, were provided within the campus so that our associates did not have to step out.
Maintaining output while ensuring social distancing
A key challenge during these unprecedented circumstances was to ensure social distancing while maintaining output. We also faced dwindling strength since several workers left for their hometowns when the lockdown was announced. It was tough to keep up with production targets with factory floors functioning with only 50% of the usual workforce strength. However, the DLM team quickly re-aligned the factory floor to make sure that the social distancing norms are maintained while still ensuring factory output. Today, the factory is operating in shifts, with almost all shop-floor workers returning to work.
As they say, not all heroes wear capes. We applaud our DLM team for ensuring the safety of the workers while maintaining the factory output of crucial medical material to fight the pandemic.