Materialism Trap
The Materials Manager De-Threats

By H S Baral

Most are familiar that the wheels of industry coast along on the four Ms : men, money, machines and material. It is exceedingly rare a company manufactures, under its own roof, every by-itself-complete item/part going into a product, thus obliging it to shop externally certain raw forms/components, etc.In this activity lies origin of the Materials Management (MM) Department, whose primary role is to ensure no machine or labour/site progress is rendered idle/held up because feed source (bought out material) has exhausted.

MM is deemed by some to be a straightforward function of mere purchase,which is probably over-simplifying matters.Bear in mind procurement (Preceded by preparedness on several coordinated fronts) represents one important milestone at a particular stage in a series,which culminates only when concerned file is stamped ‘closed’.Other work-load that preoccupies MM would be to identify a clutch of reliable/approved suppliers, enter into 'rate contract' with them and,equally paramount,explore/develop new sources,resort to strategic buying,etc.

In the Industry arena both materials manager and supplier have definite roles, with inter-dependency forming a vital link.Adopting an attitude that their bills would be settled promptly, making an effort to cultivate the association, readiness to extend cooperation, introducing innovative steps like cross-visits of staff as a continuous working arrangement, etc., is actually a worthwhile investment from which company would reap benefits many-fold.Treat the other as a partner who is also contributing to the cause of business, and every input there from will noticeably improve.

Call it a hazard at the desk, but certain vocations eat in a murky reputation and MM is one such Department that has to fend off the corruption tag. So cutthroat is competition, the subtler practice of passing on commission is being overtaken by brazen ‘under-the-table’ advances/lavish gifts in kind. Against such alluring temptation, deliverance lies in rousing the strong moral fibre to first rein in wayward inclinations and simultaneously convey in an unmistakable tone that brooks no repetition of such influencing-intended tactices. All pervasive in its established network, to eradicate graft is never going to be easy, but so long there exists resolve and a nucleus at sensitive posts to wage a crusade, the movement is bound to gain momentum emboldened by success stories of those who have dared to resist/expose this rot.

Since material costs constitute a major percentage of total cost,this fact starkly defines Purchase as being the most incisive cost paring tool.A slew of economy measures(in overall operations) notwithstanding. MNCs in the global fray are finding basic cost of equipment remain at like levels,but competitive edge is increasingly being honed by ingenuity of the materials manager, who is constantly devising ways to control/lower cost of procurement.Over-arching traditional work-compartmentalisation and commendably adapting to fast changing market conditions/business modes, MM, for quite a while now, has sufficiently demonstrated its prowess so as to be embraced into the core management set-up steering a corporation.