The core objective of the
design clinic scheme being to improve manufacturing competitiveness of the
MSMEs in the country, design projects form important component of the scheme.
And the design outcomes of the projects completed so far with the financial
support from the scheme have effectively demonstrated the benefits and capabilities of design towards achieving this
goal. These projects have helped improve productivity and also the market share
for their beneficiary MSMEs. Design
interventions have helped reduce materials, weight, product size /foot print
area, etc. of the products designed. Product components and manufacturing
processes have been optimised. The products have been improved from their usage
/ergonomics, functionality perspectives. These design interventions have helped
improve product aesthetics and overall brand image for their beneficiary MSMEs.
The scheme secretariat has
till date received 240 professional design project proposals and 143 student
design project proposals. These proposals have been received from as many as 14
different MSME industry sectors. The
project proposals are first assessed by external experts and then placed, along
with their recommendations, to the
committee (Project Implementation Committee, PIC, for the student
project proposals and Project Monitoring and Advisory Committee, PMAC, for the
professional projects) for their final approval. The project implementation
team facilitate the entire process right from encouraging MSMEs to take up
project; help identify designers wherever required; guide, advise and
facilitate applicant MSME and the designer/s in developing project proposal;
scrutinise the application/ proposal as per scheme guidelines; facilitate external experts for project proposal
assessment; present the proposal and the recommendations to the committee and
finally informs committee's decision to
the applicant MSMEs. Thereafter the implementation team facilitate the awardee
MSME and the designer complete the required formalities to start the project,
process their requests for payments etc., and constantly monitor the progress
at every stages of the project.
Implementation team's
association with each project and with it's main stakeholders, i.e the MSME and
the designer/s, thus ranges from minimum of 8 weeks to more than about a year.
This close association with the projects submitted to the scheme, have helped
the team understand the concerns and expectations from each of the stakeholders
of the scheme - the MSME unit owner; designer; subject experts, designers
and/or academicians as project evaluators; industry apex bodies as members of
the committee, and that of the government. Each proposal is thus scrutinised
from different perspectives, reviewed and discussed in detail, before arriving
at the final decision for its approval or rejection.
Financial support, as can be
availed only once and by the first time users of design, majority of the
applicant MSMEs may not be aware of the design process followed as well as the
expectations from the design project. For
majority of the MSMEs, even though financially subsidised, their part of
contribution for the design project and the subsequent investments required to
take the new design further to the market becomes a major investment and
commitment. Thus, while developing the guidelines and formats for the projects,
we were conscious in retaining the required flexibility and scope for the MSME
unit and the designer to develop terms and conditions suitable and agreeable to
both; their commitments and project deliverables; as well as the approach to be
adopted for the project. The objective being to reduce the financial burden and
the risks involved in exploring design, through reimbursing part of the design
cost and providing assurance of deliverables through detailed scrutiny of the
proposal, comparative assessment and supervisions are avoided and kept to a
minimum, only to monitor the progress of
the project.
The Design Clinic Scheme is
one of the ten components of the National Manufacturing Competitiveness
programme (NMCP) of the ministry of MSMEs. The scheme thus expects design to be
used as a tool to improve the manufacturing competitiveness of this crucial
sector of Indian industry. The criteria of assessment are developed accordingly
(http://www.designclinicsmsme.org/Prof_Project_Evaluation_Criteria.pdf), and thus include
productivity improvement; processes, components, material optimisation etc., as
part of the expected project outcomes. The project that assists industry move
up the value chain, reduce import substitute, increase export potential are some of the important scheme criteria. The project evaluation team - the external experts and the
members of the committee, thus face difficult task, starting from gauging the
experience and capabilities of both the MSME and that of the designer to
undertake the proposed project; scope
for design intervention and for the introduction of new design in the
market; as well as to gauge the design fees and the project duration proposed;
besides assessing the project from the perspective of the the scheme criteria
mentioned above, and the basic expected design criteria.
From the project proposals
received, 135 professional projects and 77 student projects have been approved
and are at various stages of their progress. Over 35 professional projects and
30 student projects have already been completed from these approved projects.
However, as far as the design projects are concerned, we have not been able to
achieve the targets at the speed we had expected. And as mentioned earlier,
design project outcomes are important to create the much required interests in
design among the MSMEs. The slow response, as is understood from the analysis
of the projects and their progress, is due to variety of reasons, some of which
can be listed as..
(a) Slow response from MSMEs in
taking up projects - As new user of design and with substantial investment
(even though subsidised) from the point of view of MSMEs, they do not find
themselves to be ready to explore this option of design projects. MSMEs would
like to be convinced of the benefits through demonstrable outcomes.
(b) Delays of completing approved
projects - The approved projects are getting delayed during different stages of
their progress for the reasons ranging from differences of opinion between MSME
and the designer; reduced level of interest and motivation from MSME while the
project is in progress due to their
other commitments, new priorities and/or changed situations; non availability
of funds, materials for prototype; etc.
(c)
Slow
response from the Indian design fraternity - The scheme is yet to be
embraced by the Indian design community
at the level expected, and for them to be its ambassadors to take the message
of design to the needy MSMEs of the country. Though the projects have been
approved at a fairly good overall rate of approval at about 60%, the rejection
of the project proposals do create disappointments, especially considering the
small design community in the country.
Though various new initiatives
such as field executives visiting individual MSMEs to explain the scheme and
it's benefits; actively participating in various industry expo, exhibitions,
conferences etc.; setting up a webpage for interested MSMEs on scheme website,
etc. have been implemented by the team, the conversion of MSMEs' interests into project proposals is still
low.
Design projects are normally
generated by the designers /design firms through their personal contacts and
personal repo developed with the industry /client. The proposals are thus
discussed at individual level, clarified and negotiated before its approval by
the client. As a normal practice followed, the design task/design process for
the proposed project is initiated by the
designer only after the contract /agreement is finalised and the advance amount
of the design fee is released. Unlike in architecture, where the architect
pitches for the project with the proposed design direction /design concept,
thereby providing required clarity for its client to understand the expected
outcomes from the project before
entering into the contract, design projects are normally undertaken on the
basis of the project proposals developed based on initial discussions. Such
proposals, developed with limited information and within short time, would then
comprise of generalised statements within a common proposal format developed
based on individual experiences. These proposals lack the much required clarity
and specificity, in terms of its detailed scope of work, process to be adopted,
as well as the expected deliverables of the project. MSMEs expect handholding
support from the designer till the product is launched in the market. And in
the absence of any R&D department /activity within the industry, designer
is expected to develop all the necessary details and if required, help develop
new vendors for their new design. These proposals would thus leave scope for
unexpected situations, misunderstandings, conflicts in the process.
Over and above these, in the
case of the scheme, though all the efforts are made to get the clarifications
wherever required before its final decision by the committee, largely distant
/remote evaluation process leaves limited scope for further addition,
clarifications and/or corrections in the proposal once submitted. Sketchy
proposals would fail to create that much required clarity, transparency and
confidence among its evaluators. These proposals would fail to communicate and
reflect the purpose, vision and understandings of the designer and that of
the client. It is important to note that
for the scheme and the distant evaluation process thus followed, it is the project
proposal that is being assessed, and not the capabilities of the
designer/design firm, which is normally the case for the projects undertaken at
individual level.
The expectations of the
committee normally is to see the project creating measurable, significant and
demonstrable difference from the one already exists in the markets. And these
improvements are expected to be in the context of the NMCP criteria. The
project proposal is thus expected to clearly highlight, and as far as possible
in a tangible form, the opportunities / gaps identified, scope for
improvements/ changes, and the expected outcomes of the project. Inclusion of
background study, product and business audit, market analysis, other related
references, thus form important support document / information to clarify,
convince and justify the scope for the project and thereby help substantiate
the proposal. Detailed project specific terms and conditions, considering
variety of factors effecting each stages of the project would help plan
required resources well in advance.
Little investment of time and
efforts from the designer at the stage of developing the proposal, would help create the much required clarity for all
the stakeholders involved, that is the MSME, the designer and the evaluators.
Avoiding undue delays, conflicts and disappointments, this would help complete
the project in systematic, timely and professional manner. Specific, detailed
and contextual project proposals, would certainly help address majority of the
issues for slow response mentioned earlier. While offering better clarity to
the client and the evaluators, thereby reducing its chances of rejection, and
once approved, increasing chances of their timely completion, the clarity
developed at the initial stage of the project forms crucial parameter towards
achieving the success of each of the projects and thereby the overall objectives of the scheme.
The implementation team, based
on the experiences gained over these last three and half years, is constantly
improving and refining the proposal format to assist the MSME and the designer
to include all the necessary information and thereby help effectively
communicate their views and objectives of taking up the project. Though
proposal writing and especially detailed description of every steps may not
interest most designers, it is felt most necessary for establishing the clarity
and confidence among the evaluators. As a broad-based scheme covering so many
industry sectors (scheme has covered 28 industry sectors through seminars and
awareness programmes and received proposals from 14 different industry sectors of MSMEs), from such varied
enterprises as micro, small and medium enterprises, and from across the
country, specific and contextual details of the proposal would help evaluators
and the committee members better understand the MSME's and that of the
designer's perspectives and intents for undertaking the project.
The project proposal,
especially from the point of view of the scheme, can thus be divided into the
following sections ..
Background /context - Especially as the proposal
is being submitted to the scheme (a third party) for financial assistance, it
is critical to establish the background and the context for the project to be
part of the scheme. The purpose for undertaking this project, therefore needs
to be clearly established upfront. Also important will be to establish the
capabilities and availability of resources to undertake the project and
subsequent efforts thereafter to bring the product into the market. Providing
details in terms of MSME unit's (including the owner/s) historical background;
experience, capabilities and interests; range of other products/ components
produced by the unit; market share and unit's current position in the market
(may include list of few of it's clients); competitors and competition faced in
the market; technology and market trends; etc. will help develop the much
needed confidence among the evaluators and the sponsors (in this case the
government) to support the project. As a formal requirement, the scheme guideline
expects the MSME to be profitable for the last three years. These, and any
other supporting documents for the information/details provided in the proposal
as suggested above, would help better communicate the intent and seriousness to
undertake the project.
Scope of the project - Detailed product description at this stage of
the proposal, would help bring the reader/evaluator and the designer/author of
the proposal to a common ground/level of understanding. The description should
cover all the different aspects of the product, including its technology and
operational details, functionality and features, usage, areas of application,
etc. It will be advisable to consider that the reader/s of the proposal may not
have experience /knowledge of the product being discussed, considering the vast
range of products and the industry sectors the scheme covers. Coupled with
this, providing reference of competitors' products would help reader understand
the status of the product discussed and the need for its improvements/design.
Mapping the opportunities
/gaps to develop specific scope of work forms the core of the project proposal.
This calls for systematic, detailed and holistic product, processes and
business audit. Investment of little time
and efforts at this stage will help clearly identify areas of improvements
leading to developing possible directions for project in consultation with the
client. Detailed criteria for project assessment developed for the scheme and
uploaded on the scheme website as guideline may be used for carrying out this
audit. While helping narrow down the scope of work for specific and focused
design intervention efforts and avoiding over ambitious commitments, these
would also help quantify (provide tangible form) the level of improvements
proposed for the project. Each of the areas of improvements identified and
quantified (as is expected as part of the project proposal, as per the format)
can then be clearly justified through
proper visual documentation and description. While providing the much
required confidence to both the client as well as to the evaluators, the
clarity thus developed will help develop concise project proposal with clear
deliverables. It will also help plan and arrange for the resources required at
different stages of the project.
The scheme objective being to
improve manufacturing competitiveness of the products thereby focusing majorly on their redesign,
the format thus developed will be applicable for most of the projects proposed.
And visual documentation of the audit process would form major support to contextualise, clarify and
justify majority of the improvements proposed.
Design Process - As mentioned earlier, most
MSMEs would be new to design. The proposal should help explain the quantum of
work and efforts involved. Every steps of the design process to be undertaken
by the designer, therefore need to be described in detail. By their very
nature, most MSME's would be impatient as far as the outcomes are concerned.
Projects of longer duration may reduce their level of interests and motivation.
The project therefore should be tightly scheduled with clearly defined phases
and tangible deliverables at the end of each phase. Lack of communication can
create doubt. The MSMEs therefore need to be constantly engaged, informed and
involved in the project.
Deliverables - It will be easier for both the MSME client as
well as for the scheme secretariat to monitor and gauge the progress of the
project, if clear deliverables are identified and agreed for each steps, for
each phases and for the entire project. These deliverables should be in
tangible form and as far as possible should be quantified, to avoid any
dispute, misunderstandings or conflicts at a later stage. Design project
specific terms used in the proposal
should be well described and clearly defined (design drawings, mock-up models,
renderings etc.) The scheme expects prototype of the new design as the final
deliverable for every design projects supported.
The MSME needs handholding
support from the designer up to the time the newly designed product is launched
in the market. And the scheme expects
the designer to be involved with the MSME/ with the project at least up to the
completion of the first prototype. However in most cases, the responsibility of
making the prototype as would be left on the client/MSME and with its/his
largely unorganised approach, it becomes difficult to complete the tasks in
time. It is therefore important to plan this activity well in advance, right
from the beginning of the project, with well defined tasks and schedule. The
closure report of the project should include detailed guideline for the MSME,
in case of any further development work
required.
The scheme reimburses 60% of
the total approved design project cost (max. up to Rs. 9.0 lakh for individual
MSME unit and max. up to Rs. 15.0 lakh for group of four or more MSME units)
covering the design fees, and prototype and project related expenditure
(travel, documentation etc.) on actual basis. Detailed description of the steps
/design process and that of the deliverables along with the list of resources
(including human resources) helps develop and justify the project fees quoted.
Detailed break up of the involvement of human resources including their
duration of involvement/ engagements with the descriptions of the
tasks/responsibilities, rate of their payment, etc. and similarly, break up of
the deliverables in the form of materials /resources, estimated quantities,
labor and processing costs, etc. will help estimate the project cost on fairly
realistic level. This will also help better explain the fees charged, to the
client MSME and the sponsor (evaluators and the committee members). Though
prototype and other project related expenditure are reimbursed by the scheme and
thus also charged by the designer, on actual basis, it will be important to
help MSME /client get the overall and realistic estimate of the project cost.
Well developed project
proposal would thus help clarify most doubts and help instil confidence among the client MSME
unit and the sponsors. While increasing chances of its approval, it will help successfully complete the
project within the specified time duration. Such detailed and contextual
proposals will help designers deliver projects in transparent and professional
manner, thereby helping MSMEs gain the much needed confidence to compete in
today's fast changing markets and plan their future progress to move up in the
value chain.
***
Guidelines, proposal
format, project assessment criteria, list of approved projects etc. can be
found at
http://www.designclinicsmsme.org/about-dcs/design-project
