HKPC Organizes Manufacturing Solution Day – Second Event under its

Over 300 industry representatives from the textile and apparel, toys, electronics and electrical sectors attended the Manufacturing Solution Day 2006 organized by the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) today (16 June 2006).

Comprising a seminar, workshops and an exhibition, the Manufacturing Solution Day 2006 is the second event of the "Productivity Conference Series" under the "HKPC – Into the 40th Year" Programme. Today's opening ceremony was officiated by Mr Francis Ho, Permanent Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology (Communications and Technology) of the HKSAR Government; Mr K K Yeung, Executive Director of HKPC, and Mr Herman Lam, Deputy General Manager of Microsoft Hong Kong Limited.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Yeung said, “In today's globalized economy, manufacturing processes are often digitized and web-based. Information-driven activities along the supply chain, including intellectual property management (IPM), product design and innovation, logistics and distribution, as well as brand building, are gaining significance."

"Coupled with the challenges of rising production costs, labour shortage and the call for environmental compliance in the Pearl River Delta, Hong Kong manufacturers need to extend their roles in the global value chain to stay ahead of competition. The adoption of information technology (IT) will provide manufacturers with a wide range of solutions to enhance their productivity and facilitate their reach," he said.

"With its experience in project management, the local IT sector is the ideal partner for manufacturers. Through this Manufacturing Solution Day, HKPC aims to provide a platform for synergy building and business collaboration between the manufacturing sector and IT solution providers, creating a win-win situation for their mutual development," he said.

According to Mr Herman Lam, compliance management and IPM are critical issues for manufacturers and are trends that all industries need to be aware of. He said, "For example, the China Ministry of Information Industry has announced the implementation of the Administration on the Control of Pollution Caused by Electronic Information Products, which is expected to come into effect on 1 March 2007. Similar RoHS directives have been announced in Europe and the United States. Microsoft is committed to supporting manufacturers with innovative technologies and services, assisting them to better manage their business processes for their compliance with global RoHS regulations."

"In the area of IPM, effective knowledge capture and intellectual property protection can help manufacturers tap greater value by transforming themselves from OEMs into ODMs or OBMs. Working with HKPC, Microsoft is committed to developing a comprehensive IPM Framework for the manufacturing community, setting a benchmark for worldwide best practices," Mr Lam said.

The keynote speakers of the Manufacturing Solution Day included Dr Gordon Yen, Vice Chairman of Textile Council of Hong Kong Limited, and Prof. K B Chan, Chairman of Hong Kong Electronics Industries Association.

Following the seminar, 12 workshops were held to introduce the latest IT solutions for the manufacturing sectors, covering the areas of IPM, workflow and business process management, electronic data and document exchange, as well as product and customer relationship management. The event was sponsored by Microsoft.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Ms Betty Lee
General Manager
Corporate Communications and Events
Tel: (852) 2788 5895
Fax: (852) 2788 5056
Email: justina@hkpc.org
Website: www.hkpc.org

16 June 2006