Through their work they seek to create in Pakistan's business culture the values of integrity and excellence so vital for developing an independent nation.
THE BASIC PHILOSOPHY OF SAYYED ENGINEERS IS:
1. Think and act with a long term horizon. Build institutions that last, not private fortunes that fade with individuals. (Contrary to Keynes, we are not really all dead in the long run!).
2. The fulfilment of the self lies not in personal aggrandisement, but in being part of a collective achievement. Therefore measure work not merely in terms of the salary, but in terms of what is required for achieving collective success.
3. Status must be based on the quality of work and ideas contributed, and not one's location in a hierarchy.
4. Competition means not seeking underhand means, but a challenge to innovate and reach still higher levels of efficiency.
5. Ultimately, the growth and survival of an organisation depend on the creative ability and motivation of its man-power. To inculcate creative ability and commitment, the organisation must provide not simply an environment to produce and sell, but also an environment for the all round development of its members. Therefore members of the organisation must be provided opportunities for improving their professional expertise as well as opportunities for voluntary work for social welfare.
The sense of freedom and stimulation of the imagination achieved during "play", can be brought into work if there is a team spirit and the team "works" and "plays" together.
At the time Sayyed Engineers was established in 1967, the writing instruments industry in the country was making only conventional products such as fountain pens and lead pencils. Yet, all over the world the ballpoint pen had already made a great impact and people were using it increasingly for its convenience and low price.
This was indeed a revolution in writing instruments industry. The manufacturing factories of ballpoint pens were concentrated in advanced countries and countries like Pakistan were looking towards them to meet their needs of ballpoint pens. This was the time when Sayyed Engineers stepped into the market.
II. THE TECHNICAL CHALLENGES AND ACHIEVEMENTS:
(i) PRECISION ENGINEERING FOR TIPS MANUFACTURE: Sayyed Engineers recognised in the very beginning, that in order to have control over their quality they must have their own tip making facilities. In spite of discouragement from the Swiss manufacturers of tip making machines, they went ahead and established a tip making facility alongside the plastic moulding machines, which make the bodies and refill tubes.
The upshot of this approach was that Sayyed Engineers had to be competent not only in plastic moulding but also in precision metallurgy. The latter was necessary to produce ball point tips to close tolerances of the order of ten thousandth of an inch.
Sayyed tackled these overwhelmingly difficult objectives with vigour and almost missionary zeal. They put together a powerful team of engineers and technicians and went about this task in a professional manner.
The result of their efforts startled European manufacturers, both of machines and ballpoint pens.
They asked Sayyed for reports describing how the dimensions of the tip were controlled to suit the extra-ordinary temperatures that prevailed in Pakistan: From freezing point to over 40oC.
They also wanted to know how Sayyed were able to produce tips of consistency which was not achieved even in Europe. The biggest compliment came when a large European manufacturer of ink bought Sayyed tips so that he could maintain the viscosity of his inks using Sayyed tips as the basis.
(ii) RESEARCH IN CORROSION RESISTANCE OF STEEL BALLS: Another interesting example of the Sayyed research in testing materials is the steel ball, which is fitted into the tip. This ball is very small (the diameter is 1mm or less), and is subjected to heavy pressure. Also, it must be hard enough to withstand the abrasive action of the writing paper. Not only this, it must not corrode in the hot and humid atmosphere of this country.
Sayyed team conducted research to evaluate corrosion resistance of steel balls. On the basis of this research by Sayyed, the European manufacturers were able to produce balls of quality, good enough to measure upto Sayyed standards.
(iii) TRANSFER TO TECHNOLOGY TO EUROPE: This "reverse" transfer of technology has been internationally recognised. In 1979, Denver Research Institute made a study of the Sayyed factory and developed a whole chapter to it in the book titled "Appropriate Technology for Development: A Discussion and Case Histories".
In this study they particularly commented on the "reverse" transfer of technology, on Sayyed's ability to make use of the technical institutions in Pakistan such as PITAC workshop at Lahore to create new equipment, and on the skill of Sayyed management to incorporate the most modern systems of production. They also acknowledged that Sayyed have created a center of excellence which has formed a nucleus for growth of precision engineering in Pakistan.
(iv) DESIGNS AND MODIFICATIONS: Sayyed continue to invest heavily in their tool room and their research and development cell. Not only have they developed many machines, techniques and management systems that are original, but they have also modified, equipment that was purchased from European countries.
European manufacturers have made full use of these developments. There have been many visitors from factories in Europe who came to see the Sayyed factories and took back many designs, modifications and ideas for use in their own machines and production methods.
III. COMPUTER BASED MANAGEMENT AND QUALITY CONTROL SYSTEMS:
(i) COMPUTER BASED PRODUCTION AND QUALITY CONTROL SYSTEMS: During the period 1985 to 2005, Sayyed Engineers (Private) Limited developed new computer based systems of production, quality control, sales and financial management, which have placed Sayyed Management techniques in the forefront of the world writing instruments industry.
(ii) INTERNATIONAL CERTIFICATES AND AWARDS FOR QUALITY:
(a) In the year 1999, Sayyed Engineers (Private) Limited was awarded the coveted ISO 9002 certificate. The ISO 9002 certificate represents an international consensus that the certified firm is engaged in management practices that meet with the highest international standards and has an effective quality management system.
The auditing of the management systems of Sayyed Engineers (Private) Limited was done by an independent organisation called DNV which is known world-wide for its exacting standards and rigorous evaluation. The DNV for example has also audited the Quality Management Systems of NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and Ferrari, manufacturers of sports cars.
(b) In the year 1999 Sayyed was awarded the Certificate of Honour by the European Market Research Center, Brussels, for "...outstanding management, quality, technical innovation, service, business level and prestige in the European market".
(c) In October 2005, Sayyed was awarded the Gold Certificate for Global Quality, by the Center de Marketing et de Management, Geneva.
IV. PRODUCTS AND DIVERSIFICATION: Over the years Sayyed have introduced a wide range of ball point pens. These include Piano, Piano Crystal, Piano Excel, Piano Click, Adagio, Clariflo. Sayyed has also diversified its production into a wide range of fiber pens and markers such as Tempo fiber pen, Rondo fine liners, Lore markers and Highlighter.
Product diversification has been accompanied by backward integration into the manufacture of high precision moulds, using advanced electroforming technology, production of computer hardware panels for automatic machines, and fiber pen inks.
V. EXPORTS: Sayyed Engineers have achieved a standard of quality that by objective writing test criteria (eg, ink consumption for every hundred meters of its life) gives Sayyed ball pens an edge over their European counterparts. Sayyed have exported to 17 countries stretching across the Middle East, Africa, Far East, Central Asia, Europe and Japan.
VI. SAYYED'S CONTRIBUTION TO SOCIETY:
(i) DISASTER RELIEF: Sayyed's team of volunteers including its top management have been amongst the first to reach and provide relief to people on a small scale and in a humble way, during periods of flood and the recent earthquake in NWFP/Azad Kashmir.
(ii) COMMUNITY BASED SCHOOL NEAR OKARA AND HEALTH CLINIC NEAR MUZAFFARABAD: Sayyed's Managing Director personally undertook social mobilisation in a village near Okara to help set up a school and in village Inayatabad near Muzaffarabad to help set up a medical clinic using the Participatory Development Methodology.
(iii) CALENDARS FOR DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL JUSTICE: Over the years Sayyed has introduced a tradition of producing calendars highlighting strategic development policy issues for Pakistan on the basis of original socio-economic surveys.
These include at key historical junctures the advocacy of what were at the time, new development themes such as, A Study of Child Labour (1986), A Study of Female Labour (1987), Hungry and the Homeless (1988), Pakistan: Environment Under Threat (1991), and The Water Crisis (2001).
The advocacy of these development issues by Sayyed have in many cases preceded public awareness and policy action. This work was acknowledged in the official document of the UN titled: UNDP Human Development Report 2000l (Page 119).
(iv) Research on Development Policy and Contributions to Institution building for poverty alleviation in Pakistan: (a) The Managing Director of Sayyed as part of corporate social responsibility has over the years undertaken research, and policy advocacy for poverty alleviation at the national, South Asian and international levels.
(For details, see the website: HYPERLINK http://www.akmalhussain.net www.akmalhussain.net. (b) He also worked on a voluntary basis to help set up the Punjab Rural Support Programme (PRSP) as its first (Honorary) CEO in 1998.
During this period the programme using the Participatory Development Methodology was launched in eight districts of the Punjab for a wide range of income generation projects for the poor. (c) The Managing Director also contributed on a voluntary basis in helping to establish the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF), which is an apex national organisation for poverty alleviation working through partner organisations in a number of districts of Pakistan. (d) Sayyed through its Managing Director has also made a humble contribution to research and advocacy for peace and regional co-operation in South Asia.
In the early 1980s this was done through the UN University South Asian Perspectives Projects, then in the 1990s through the Independent Group on South Asian Co-operation (IGSAC) and more recently through the South Asia Centre for Policy Studies (SACEPS). (e) In the year 2002-2003 Sayyed gave the free time to its Managing Director to work on a voluntary basis for two years for writing Pakistan's first UNDP, Pakistan National Human Development Report 2003.
(See website for details: HYPERLINK http://www.akmalhussain.net) www.akmalhussain.net).
CONCLUSION:
Sayyed is still a small scale manufacturing enterprise that has attempted to contribute in the context of its modest scale to establishing in Pakistan a tradition of excellence in production quality, exports, and innovative management. At the same time Sayyed has attempted to make a humble contribution to building a more human society.