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JAAF Secretary General Tuli Cooray explaining the concept to MAS Holdings Deputy Chairman Sharad Amalean
CH17 CEO Jumar Preena presenting a sample card to MAS Holdings Deputy Chairman Sharad Amaleanat the MAS Head Office last week
MAS Holdings introduceda branded smart welfare card for its employees. Unlike the conventional plastics, this is a smart card capable of carrying out multiple functions for a smooth and efficient employee welfare program.
The card is an ‘intelligent’ chip embedded protocol system that can carry out complex programs and solutions from production related processes to vehicle tracking and employee management systems in the apparel sector.
Mooted in the latter part of 2013, this welfare program is endorsed by the Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) with the support of the Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen with the objective of providing relief and economic benefits to the entire apparel sector workforce across the country.
“We wanted to give something back to the employees who have contributed so much to this sector in their own unique way. This card developed and designed exclusively for the industry people itself is a thing to be proud of,” said JAAF Secretary General Tuli Cooray.
“With the participation of several leading private sector companies who are either manufacturers or promoters of essential consumer products and services, our RansaluPranama Privilege is a dedication to all the apparel associates,” he said.
This program is an initiative of the Smart Loyalty Solutions company CH17, which has had vast experience in handling PR and employee welfare, perception management and image building of the apparel industry for a number of years.
Already 35,000 cards have been issued to employees attached to factories spread throughout the country.
In order to take this program to the next generation of solutions, JAAF also signed up with Millennium IT ( the leading IT solutions provider in Sri Lanka) to maximise potential, taking the Smart card program from the basic welfare program to much more complex time management, vehicle tracking, employee monitoring, access control, etc., all in one card.
Speaking of the welfare program, Cooray said those in the private sector dealing in consumer goods and services had contributed immensely toward the welfare program. This support has helped all levels of employees including the senior staff considerably.
“We hope to add more value to this card as we progress in membership acquisition,” said CH17CEO JumarPreena. “We will be enrolling merchants from other vital sectors such as insurance, bank (for debit and credit services), wellness and healthcare, jewellery, pharmaceuticals (Harcourts), books and stationeries very soon,” he added.
“We are also talking to commercial banks and other financial institutions to see how best they service this employee base,” he stated.
As per the arrangements, merchants who have been enrolled in to this program offer year-round cash discounts to those who walk in and produce the card.
MAS Holdings Deputy Chairman SharadAmaleanwho was presented with a replica of the card said that this was a novel idea and that he was glad that MAS employees were able to enjoy these benefits thanks to the JAAF effort.
He said he would recommend all unit heads within the group to extend this facility to their associates as well.
MAS is the region’s number one supplier of intimate apparel. MAS supplies the world’s leading brands of intimates, activewear and leisurewear, and is a $1.2 b conglomerate and is positioned as one of the world’s most recogniseddesign-to-delivery solution providers in the realm of apparel and textile manufacturing.
The organisation is headquartered in Sri Lanka with 42 manufacturing facilities placed across 10 countries, with design locations placed in key style centres across the globe and with over 70,000 people involved in its operation.
The seamlessly integrated supply chain that is balanced to perfection with the organisation’s strategically placed design houses gives MAS the knowledge, the means and the speed to delivery that is demanded by the industry.
