CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
In the past, there was often this confusion in the mind of an average consumer in a developing country like Nigeria regarding the choice of the imported product he preferred, whether it is “the made-in-America” or “the made –in- Japan” especially in the area of electronics. But today, the case is different because he would readily prefer “The made –in- Japan” to “the made-in-America” product. Yet, most of the technologies applied in manufacturing the Japanese products originated in America. The secret behind the Japanese success story is anchored on a common management philosophy which the Japanese called “KAIZEN”, or the Total Quality Management (TQM) and this is the subject of this inquiry. Total Quality Management as a management philosophy is the brainchild of America scholars such as W.E. Deming, Joseph Jorum, Philip Cosby, Armgund and a host of others but it was given a practical relevance by the Japanese.
Some attempts have been made to define Total Quality Management (TQM). According to Ramsey and Roberts (1992),” TQM is seen as people focused management system that aims at continual increase in customers’ satisfaction at continually lower real cost.”
Also, Ewurum (2001) states that the goals of TQM are to integrate all parts and processes of an organization in order to achieve continuous improvements in quality of goods and services along the line dictated by the customer. TQM aims at attaining a zero-defect products and Services by “doing the right thing first time and every time”.
Another powerful tool supporting this study is the concept of Bench marking. Benchmarking, according to Mc George and Palmer (1997), is defined as “a process of continuous improvement based on the comparison of an organization’s processes or products with those identified as best practices. The best practice comparison is used as a means of establishing achievable goals aimed at obtaining organizational Superiority”. Bench marking does not end at comparing ones organization with that of the benchmark, it identifies the gap between its products and those of the benchmark and attempts to bridge this gap through a well planned strategy.
- THE PROFILE OF MAY AND BAKER NIGERIA PLC.
May and Baker Nigeria PLC Commenced business in 1944 as a trading company dealing with sales of human pharmaceuticals; laboratory and photographic chemicals; horticultural and veterinary products. the company was then incorporated as May and Baker (West Africa), being a subsidiary of May and Baker Limited, United Kingdom. The company first settled at 17A Tinubu street Lagos, from where it was relocated to its present site, 3/5 Sapara street, Industrial Estate, Ikeja, Lagos, where it built its factory.
With the factory built in 1976, May and Baker commenced local manufacturing. And it changed its name from May and Baker (West-Africa) to May and Baker Nigeria Limited the same year. Some of its early products include Quinnacrinel Anti-malarial); Gonazole (anti-biotic) sonaryl (sedatives) Ephedrine, Suylphonamides, Nivaquine (anti-malarial) and Rovaycine (then a veterinary product).
having climbed to pre-eminence on the back of its well-known anti malarial drugs (The Nivaquine range) and sulphonamides, the company has since taken leadership position in the biological in the production of biological (vaccines), onocolgy (cancer drugs), and the Anti-infective drugs; and it is achieving a steady growth in her share of the Analgesics and anti-hypertensive drugs market.
The company has undergone some re organization in recent time. In 1992, the company reorganized its business to concentrate on human pharmaceuticals and human vaccines. Also, in 2001, it diversified into consumer products with the introduction of lily Table water and in 2006, it took further leap in the lucrative foods processing business by constructing an ultra-modern pasta food processing factory in Ota, Ogun State where it produces Mimmee brand of noodles.
May and Baker Nigeria PLC has Authorized share capital of five hundred million naira (N500,000,000). It was listed in the Nigerian stock exchange on November 10, 1994 and has 322 employees on its payroll. May and Baker Nigeria PLC is 100 percent owned by Nigerians. Its 5-year turnover results show a steady `rise from N 1.7 Billion in 2003 to N 3.8 Billion in 2007 with a profit after tax of N208.318 million in 2007. The earning per share stood at 30k in 2007 result.
Nature of Business
May and Baker Nigeria PLC undertakes manufacturing, marketing and distribution of Human pharmaceuticals, vaccines and sera, medical diagnostics, food and consumer Health care products.