"Build a better lawnmower," they say - "and the world will beat a path to your door."
That's exactly what the IOM has done by building ROMEtex - the virtual lawnmower factory nearing completion in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.
By the end of April, ROMEtex virtual lawnmowers will be tumbling off the assembly line to take the UK market by storm. Your lawn may never notice - but operations management training in SME and larger companies will never be the same.
ROMEtex is the interactive pivot point for ROME - Remote Operations Management Education - the IOM's unique PC/web-based distance learning package.
"Why unique," you ask. "And why does it matter to me and my company?"
"Because ROME puts the virtual factory on the desktop of every supply chain practitioner who wants to be a supply chain professional," says ROME Project Editor Bop Irwin.
"It's all about a more efficient supply chain - improving the flow of information, materials and money. The aim is to cut waste, inventories and costs. For the customer, the payoff is quality, value and satisfaction. For the company - it's competitiveness and survival."
Investing in People
Surviving is one thing. World class is entirely another. The road between them is called Continuous Improvement.
It's all about making small but measured improvements - and then sustaining them over the long haul.
Experience has shown that the UK workforce lags behind our European competitors in one key area of continuous improvement - education. Until now, a major roadblock on the road to continuous improvement through training has been time.
Ask the MD. Ask the manufacturing director. Ask the operations manager, planner or supervisor. Their comeback on training is like a broken record… "Big job on. Can't be spared. Maybe next month."
In other words: How and where does the employee gain access to practical knowledge that can be applied day-by-day, on the job?
The IOM has traditionally provided a range of successful public and in-company courses to fill this need. Bur for many companies and individuals, the problem remained - The key employee was too busy to leave the plant. Training took a backseat to the bottom line.
With ROME the IOM breaks the mould. Training in the fundamentals of operations management is yanked out of the classroom and into the 21st century - into the Rometex virtual factory. Inside Rometex and the linked Handbook, operations management training is available when and where you want it.
Sneak Preview - Inside the ROMEtex Virtual Factory
Just like a computer game, you move around the virtual factory using a "point and shoot" control panel - full installation and driving instructions provided! The key is - you are free to explore where you want, when you want.
"So, what does a virtual factory look like," you wonder. Probably a lot like your own - a mixture of manufacture and assembly with similar kinds of problems.
- How do you turn a strategy into operations excellence and business success?
- How do you improve and measure performance?
- How do you add value and satisfy your customer?
Linking Virtual Factory To IOM Syllabus
Just like most factories, the virtual factory is full of problems and opportunities for improvement. These are linked to specific subject areas in the ROME Handbook.
The ROME Handbook is based on the syllabus of the IOM's Certificate in Operations Management. The link you follow could take you to a general overview of a strategy or process. Or, to a nuts and bolts technique - at tool with everyday value to your job or company.
The IOM Certificate and ROME provide a fundamental understanding of production and inventory management. For many, the qualification is the first step toward the more advanced Diploma course.