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Dankotuwa Porcelain Limited, a premium exporter of quality porcelain tableware participated in the "SAVPOT" workshop in Colombo recently. "SAVPOT" which stands for "South Asia and Vietnam Project on Tripartism and Social Dialogue in Action", is a project initiated by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to establish an effective mechanism for managing change, improving productivity and also for expanding social dialogue and interaction between management and employees. This mechanism operates through the formation of work teams who handle work related and non-work related issues and promote the spirit of teamwork.

Dankotuwa participated in the workshop along with two other companies, Bogawanthalawa Plantations and Telecom Ltd. The participants were members of management and trade unions from these respective organisations. At the workshop, DPL presented a study on Social Dialogue as a Problem Solving Tool at the Shop Floor Level and shared the experience of their work teams.

The DPL Work Teams comprise members of the Glazing, Packing and Biscuit Inspection Departments. These teams draw up action plans do problem diagnosis, monitor work processes and prioritise jobs according to specified criteria. A SAVPOT steering committee evaluates the performance of each division. The team is looking at creating performance indicators that will help this kind of assessment.

Work teams co-exist along with Quality Circles at DPL but the difference between the two is that Work Teams focus on a broader range of issues than the Quality Circles who concentrate on quality and productivity.

A positive impact of the Work Teams on employee behaviour has been recorded at Dankotuwa Porcelain. There are less delays in the packing of finished goods, less discrepancy in design, improvement in random inspection practices and the development of a team based culture. Apart from this there has also been a certain amount of autonomy enjoyed by the Work Teams.

The company recently won an award for the "Best Corporate Report" in the Manufacturing Sector from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka and seeks to establish itself as a benchmark to those in the manufacturing field, showcasing best practices, good governance and a work ethos that lives up to its international reputation. 

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