Dabur is India's oldest and largest Ayurvedic company managing one of the oldest supply chains in India for over 125 years. It procures raw materials worth $500 million annually from a wide base of vendors and has an integrated distribution network reaching over 2100 stockists and thousands of retail outlets across India. Dabur implemented a direct shipment strategy to bypass warehouses and distribute products directly to retailers, reducing costs and lead times. This helped minimize inventory and transportation costs while improving supply chain efficiency. Dabur's strong distribution network and efficient tactics have helped it succeed and establish barriers against organized competition in India's FMCG industry.
This is a class presentation on the Emerging Technology Analysis Canvas (ETAC), a framework to assess emerging technologies. It was created for students in a course on emerging technologies.
To be most effective, test managers must develop and use metrics to help direct the testing effort and make informed recommendations about the software’s release readiness and associated risks. Because one important testing activity is to “measure” the quality of the software, test managers must measure the results of both the development and testing processes. Collecting, analyzing, and using metrics is complicated because many developers and testers are concerned that the metrics will be used against them. Join Rick Craig as he addresses common metrics—measures of product quality, defect removal efficiency, defect density, defect arrival rate, and testing status. Learn the guidelines for developing a test measurement program, rules of thumb for collecting data, and ways to avoid “metrics dysfunction.” Rick identifies several metrics paradigms and discusses the pros and cons of each. Delegates are urged to bring their metrics problems and issues for use as discussion points.
ML Times: Mainframe Machine Learning Initiative- June newsletter (2018)Leslie McFarlin
I contributed the featured article in the June 2018 newsletter: Structure and Complexity- Algorithms, Data, and User Experience. In it, I untangle the link between data and algorithms, and how that might limit what design options we have.
To be most effective, test managers must develop and use metrics to help direct the testing effort and make informed recommendations about the software’s release readiness and associated risks. Because one important testing activity is to “measure” the quality of the software, test managers must measure the results of both the development and testing processes. Collecting, analyzing, and using metrics is complicated because many developers and testers are concerned that the metrics will be used against them. Join Rick Craig as he addresses common metrics—measures of product quality, defect removal efficiency, defect density, defect arrival rate, and testing status. Learn the guidelines for developing a test measurement program, rules of thumb for collecting data, and ways to avoid “metrics dysfunction.” Rick identifies several metrics paradigms and discusses the pros and cons of each. Delegates are urged to bring their metrics problems and issues for use as discussion points.
This is a class presentation on the Emerging Technology Analysis Canvas (ETAC), a framework to assess emerging technologies. It was created for students in a course on emerging technologies.
To be most effective, test managers must develop and use metrics to help direct the testing effort and make informed recommendations about the software’s release readiness and associated risks. Because one important testing activity is to “measure” the quality of the software, test managers must measure the results of both the development and testing processes. Collecting, analyzing, and using metrics is complicated because many developers and testers are concerned that the metrics will be used against them. Join Rick Craig as he addresses common metrics—measures of product quality, defect removal efficiency, defect density, defect arrival rate, and testing status. Learn the guidelines for developing a test measurement program, rules of thumb for collecting data, and ways to avoid “metrics dysfunction.” Rick identifies several metrics paradigms and discusses the pros and cons of each. Delegates are urged to bring their metrics problems and issues for use as discussion points.
ML Times: Mainframe Machine Learning Initiative- June newsletter (2018)Leslie McFarlin
I contributed the featured article in the June 2018 newsletter: Structure and Complexity- Algorithms, Data, and User Experience. In it, I untangle the link between data and algorithms, and how that might limit what design options we have.
To be most effective, test managers must develop and use metrics to help direct the testing effort and make informed recommendations about the software’s release readiness and associated risks. Because one important testing activity is to “measure” the quality of the software, test managers must measure the results of both the development and testing processes. Collecting, analyzing, and using metrics is complicated because many developers and testers are concerned that the metrics will be used against them. Join Rick Craig as he addresses common metrics—measures of product quality, defect removal efficiency, defect density, defect arrival rate, and testing status. Learn the guidelines for developing a test measurement program, rules of thumb for collecting data, and ways to avoid “metrics dysfunction.” Rick identifies several metrics paradigms and discusses the pros and cons of each. Delegates are urged to bring their metrics problems and issues for use as discussion points.
Four major causes of difficulty in gathering system requirement and business requirements, Reasons projects were
abandoned.Three Generations of System Development:1. Direct Contact 2. Business Analyst 3.Team Based.
The Agile Manifesto was published in 2001 and much has changed since then. Read on for an opportunity to rethink the Agile Manifesto. View Agile in a new light and deconstruct which concepts were home runs and which still need to evolve.
Become an AI Product Manager
Learn to develop AI products that deliver business value. Build skills that help you compete in the new AI-powered world.
https://imp.i115008.net/15D7ag
Lean/Agile system architecture presentation. Goes through pros/cons of upfront work and the xp/agile approach. Defines important concepts, shows examples of how things could be done and goes through tools/things that can help along the way.
A close look at the methodologies, stages and best practices involved in developing products for our times)
What you will get out of this book:
Why Lean IT + Lean Development methodologies are two must-have approaches in your start-up toolkit
Making the right cloud provider and development partner choice for your startup
A thorough overview of how you can build an app on the Google App Engine and how and when integrations will take place
A guide to what a prospective client must look for in a development partner
Powering Next-Gen Learning with VR and xAPI - DevLearn 2018Margaret Roth
Virtual reality technologies have long been the promise of the future but just out of reach for the mainstream. Recent VR innovations, though, have allowed instructional designers and learning engineers to create and distribute custom VR content in ways that make VR a transformative part of training and learning programs across industries. When combined with xAPI, these futuristic technologies allow you to gain never-before-captured insights from next-gen digital experiences.
This session will take a look at how VR powered by xAPI is currently being used by instructional designers, learning engineers, and L&D professionals to gain new insights from next-gen learning experiences. You will explore case studies that demonstrate how VR interactions allow learners to explore and participate in engaging and intuitive 360-degree virtual environments designed to expand their vision and promote learning, impact, and retention. You will see case studies demonstrating how organizations are using xAPI-enabled VR content to enhance learning, from safety and compliance to onboarding and training.
* Originally presented on 10/26/18 at DevLearn 2018 with Margaret Roth, Mel Milloway and John Blackmon.
Most Advanced Software Testing Solution Providers of 2022.pdfInsightsSuccess4
This edition features a handful of business Software Testing Solution sectors that are at the forefront of leading us into a digital future.
Read More: https://insightssuccess.com/most-advanced-software-testing-solution-providers-of-2022-november2022/
Four major causes of difficulty in gathering system requirement and business requirements, Reasons projects were
abandoned.Three Generations of System Development:1. Direct Contact 2. Business Analyst 3.Team Based.
The Agile Manifesto was published in 2001 and much has changed since then. Read on for an opportunity to rethink the Agile Manifesto. View Agile in a new light and deconstruct which concepts were home runs and which still need to evolve.
Become an AI Product Manager
Learn to develop AI products that deliver business value. Build skills that help you compete in the new AI-powered world.
https://imp.i115008.net/15D7ag
Lean/Agile system architecture presentation. Goes through pros/cons of upfront work and the xp/agile approach. Defines important concepts, shows examples of how things could be done and goes through tools/things that can help along the way.
A close look at the methodologies, stages and best practices involved in developing products for our times)
What you will get out of this book:
Why Lean IT + Lean Development methodologies are two must-have approaches in your start-up toolkit
Making the right cloud provider and development partner choice for your startup
A thorough overview of how you can build an app on the Google App Engine and how and when integrations will take place
A guide to what a prospective client must look for in a development partner
Powering Next-Gen Learning with VR and xAPI - DevLearn 2018Margaret Roth
Virtual reality technologies have long been the promise of the future but just out of reach for the mainstream. Recent VR innovations, though, have allowed instructional designers and learning engineers to create and distribute custom VR content in ways that make VR a transformative part of training and learning programs across industries. When combined with xAPI, these futuristic technologies allow you to gain never-before-captured insights from next-gen digital experiences.
This session will take a look at how VR powered by xAPI is currently being used by instructional designers, learning engineers, and L&D professionals to gain new insights from next-gen learning experiences. You will explore case studies that demonstrate how VR interactions allow learners to explore and participate in engaging and intuitive 360-degree virtual environments designed to expand their vision and promote learning, impact, and retention. You will see case studies demonstrating how organizations are using xAPI-enabled VR content to enhance learning, from safety and compliance to onboarding and training.
* Originally presented on 10/26/18 at DevLearn 2018 with Margaret Roth, Mel Milloway and John Blackmon.
Most Advanced Software Testing Solution Providers of 2022.pdfInsightsSuccess4
This edition features a handful of business Software Testing Solution sectors that are at the forefront of leading us into a digital future.
Read More: https://insightssuccess.com/most-advanced-software-testing-solution-providers-of-2022-november2022/
CdCon + GitOpsCon 2023 in Vancouver Canada. Slidedeck for the talk on Scaling Software Delivery: A framework for developer enablement through devRel and outreach.
Learnbay provides industry accredited data science courses in Bangalore. We understand the conjugation of technology in the field of Data science hence we offer significant courses like Machine learning, Tensor flow, IBM watson, Google Cloud platform, Tableau, Hadoop, time series, R and Python. With authentic real time industry projects. Students will be efficient by being certified by IBM. Around hundreds of students are placed in promising companies for data science role. Choosing Learnbay you will reach the most aspiring job of present and future.
Learnbay data science course covers Data Science with Python,Artificial Intelligence with Python, Deep Learning using Tensor-Flow. These topics are covered and co-developed with IBM.
XYZ Fast Prototyping MGMT 3405 1 Definition – Fa.docxjeffevans62972
XYZ Fast Prototyping MGMT 3405
1
Definition – Fast Prototyping
Fast or rapid prototyping is a methodical exploration of innovative concept(s) by quick assembly
of pieces either tangible or intangible to validate assumptions which are important to
implement the concept. The outline of this concept is described in article “Intuit Inc. Project
AgriNova” published in HBR by Thomas Eisenmann and Tanya Bijlani. Quickly identifying &
rapidly developing solutions for part of the system which could be potential road blocks is key
to ensure success of the product. This does not need complete development of all (or some)
parts
Problem Statement
Our organization is specialized Business Analytics and Data Management expertise. Among
other things, one of the requests often made by our customer is to give guidance on suitability
of tool (or set of tools) for a particular task. Even though this knowledge is available within our
organization, it is dispersed as the consultants are working with different customer.
We set out to address the issue of
- timely availability of comparison metrics across tools
- continuous update to the metrics being used to compared
After discussing with our executives we decided to build a web based application internally so
that we can feed in the comparison data on continuous basis without spending too much time
on reconciliation efforts.
There were few challenges to be resolved while addressing the issues given in problem
statement. We conducted a brainstorming session within our organization. The outcome of this
session was a list of important components outline of which is as follows:
- User Interface: The UI should be easy to use and intuitive enough to hide the complexity
underneath. Unless the tool is easy to use people will be reluctant to use it.
- Data Update: The data should be fed in on continuous basis to ensure updates for the
tools to be compared are captured on regular basis. If the data is stale it will raise the
credibility issue of the presented comparison. We cannot compare data of outdated
version of the tools.
- Contextual Text Mapping: The biggest issue is contextual mapping of text which
describes a particular feature of tool, product or application.
Of course this list is not comprehensive, but we need to address these points to ensure viability
of the entire efforts.
I think using “Fast Prototyping” to validate the feasibility of the components is best course of
action before attempting to build this product.
Leap of Faith
Can we build & expand? As the data volume increase the methods employed, especially the
algorithm employed will perform satisfactorily? We decided to find this out.
Can we win? We did not spend great amount of time with user experience. We took a leap of
faith by assuming that the team who participated in building UX is representative of future
users. I think we should be able to tweak UI based on usage analytics and.
Improving software quality for the future of connected vehiclesDevon Bleibtrey
In the highly regulated environment of automotive, software quality can be difficult but it doesn't need to be. ESG partners with software teams to improve their team's performance through developer operations. From culture to tool integrations, ESG takes a holistic approach to help teams measurably improve their software development lifecycle and the quality of its output.
Nintex Workflow for Sharepoint - Return on Investment Whitepaper by Forrester...David J Rosenthal
Nintex commissioned Forrester Research to conduct aTotal
Economic Impact™ (TEI) study and examine the potential
return on investment (ROI) that enterprises may realize by
deploying Nintex’s workflow platform. The purpose of this
study is to provide readers with a framework to evaluate the
potential financial impact of using the Nintex workflow platform
within their organizations.
To better understand the benefits, costs, and risksassociated
with the implementation of the Nintex workflow platform, which we will refer to as the Platform, Forrester interviewed several
customers with multiple years of experience using Nintex Workflow and Nintex Forms. These customers recognize the value
inherent in automating processes. Their colleagues and customers are working both in offices and on mobile devices and
are spread across many countries. Content necessaryto collaborate and make business decisions is stored in many
applications across these devices. They have some well-defined processes, but the steps leading up to these processes or
to connect closely related processes are loosely defined and manual. With Nintex Workflow, customers can automate their
processes and create workflows that connect their people, processes, and content. With Nintex Forms, Nintex provides an
easy way to collect data from colleagues and customers within the workflow. Using Nintex Mobile, customers can extend
these workflows to users who are on the go. With Nintex Connectors, customers can easily integrate cloud services and lineof-business applications into their workflows.
Prior to using the Platform, these customers were mostly relying on custom code to automate processes. However, it was
difficult and time-consuming to build workflows, and many processes remained manual (e.g. paper-based,email, excel files)
while a backlog of requests for automation grew. This left customers frustrated with process inefficiencies and the inability to
automate faster. With the Platform, customers are able to automate processes in pace with demand, connect the right
people and data in each process, and easily make changes to workflows as processes change. This results in increased
productivity for end users and IT, reduced costs associated with automation, better collaboration, and higher quality of work.
RUNNING HEAD ERP SYSTEM IMPLIMENTATION PROJECT .docxsusanschei
RUNNING HEAD: ERP SYSTEM IMPLIMENTATION PROJECT 1
ERP SYSTEM IMPLIMENTATION PROJECT 17
ERP SYSTEM IMPLIMENTATION PROJECT
Introduction
Selecting the right project to do from so many available projects is a difficult task. Making choice on the project to do may sound obvious, however, choosing the right project increases the chances of being successful in the project. People should take enough time to choose the kind of project that they intent to do. The success and completion of the project is also affected by the time the individual spent in choosing the project and setting up for success right at the start of the project. It is very fundamental to apply some practically perfect filters to the process of selecting of the project to make sure that the good ones get through and the bad ones are disallowed. This process is a part of the practically perfect project management method as it is the initial step in any successful project. The process of project selection begins with all the potential project going through a repeatable and rigorous and appropriate selection process (Frank, 2011).
The project chosen is the installation of the ERP system. The first question before starting this project is knowing whether there is a need for this system. ERP system purchase should be considered if the firm is faced with issues of disparate data, time lag and operational inefficiencies. The firm that is in an excessive need of manual labor, hardships in reconciling financial and problems in coordination of inventory, sales and manufacturing and extracting sound business data out of the system needs to have this system. There is also an increased need for IT for maintaining the firm operations and the system integration. These are some of the things that make the ERP project necessary. The knowledge on the products offered by the firm, the objectives in the IT and operational infrastructure are critical in choosing the ERP system.
Prior to choosing this project, several factors were considered. There are several decision points that need to be looked at before the project starts. The selection criteria that the project team need to know before the start of the project is needed. There are several considerations to guide in the selection of this project.
Identifying the stakeholders
The ERP system is not like other small software packages in a company that only effects only a section of the firm. It is a large system that has impact on every sector of the business. This makes the stakeholders of this project to include the users from all parts of the company and every level of the company that is affected by the system. This includes the end users who get the information collected or the workers who find that the processes of the firm they are used to have been changed. The stakeholders and the users who are involved ...
Slack (or Teams) Automation for Bonterra Impact Management (fka Social Soluti...Jeffrey Haguewood
Sidekick Solutions uses Bonterra Impact Management (fka Social Solutions Apricot) and automation solutions to integrate data for business workflows.
We believe integration and automation are essential to user experience and the promise of efficient work through technology. Automation is the critical ingredient to realizing that full vision. We develop integration products and services for Bonterra Case Management software to support the deployment of automations for a variety of use cases.
This video focuses on the notifications, alerts, and approval requests using Slack for Bonterra Impact Management. The solutions covered in this webinar can also be deployed for Microsoft Teams.
Interested in deploying notification automations for Bonterra Impact Management? Contact us at sales@sidekicksolutionsllc.com to discuss next steps.
Builder.ai Founder Sachin Dev Duggal's Strategic Approach to Create an Innova...Ramesh Iyer
In today's fast-changing business world, Companies that adapt and embrace new ideas often need help to keep up with the competition. However, fostering a culture of innovation takes much work. It takes vision, leadership and willingness to take risks in the right proportion. Sachin Dev Duggal, co-founder of Builder.ai, has perfected the art of this balance, creating a company culture where creativity and growth are nurtured at each stage.
Elevating Tactical DDD Patterns Through Object CalisthenicsDorra BARTAGUIZ
After immersing yourself in the blue book and its red counterpart, attending DDD-focused conferences, and applying tactical patterns, you're left with a crucial question: How do I ensure my design is effective? Tactical patterns within Domain-Driven Design (DDD) serve as guiding principles for creating clear and manageable domain models. However, achieving success with these patterns requires additional guidance. Interestingly, we've observed that a set of constraints initially designed for training purposes remarkably aligns with effective pattern implementation, offering a more ‘mechanical’ approach. Let's explore together how Object Calisthenics can elevate the design of your tactical DDD patterns, offering concrete help for those venturing into DDD for the first time!
Smart TV Buyer Insights Survey 2024 by 91mobiles.pdf91mobiles
91mobiles recently conducted a Smart TV Buyer Insights Survey in which we asked over 3,000 respondents about the TV they own, aspects they look at on a new TV, and their TV buying preferences.
The Art of the Pitch: WordPress Relationships and SalesLaura Byrne
Clients don’t know what they don’t know. What web solutions are right for them? How does WordPress come into the picture? How do you make sure you understand scope and timeline? What do you do if sometime changes?
All these questions and more will be explored as we talk about matching clients’ needs with what your agency offers without pulling teeth or pulling your hair out. Practical tips, and strategies for successful relationship building that leads to closing the deal.
Dev Dives: Train smarter, not harder – active learning and UiPath LLMs for do...UiPathCommunity
💥 Speed, accuracy, and scaling – discover the superpowers of GenAI in action with UiPath Document Understanding and Communications Mining™:
See how to accelerate model training and optimize model performance with active learning
Learn about the latest enhancements to out-of-the-box document processing – with little to no training required
Get an exclusive demo of the new family of UiPath LLMs – GenAI models specialized for processing different types of documents and messages
This is a hands-on session specifically designed for automation developers and AI enthusiasts seeking to enhance their knowledge in leveraging the latest intelligent document processing capabilities offered by UiPath.
Speakers:
👨🏫 Andras Palfi, Senior Product Manager, UiPath
👩🏫 Lenka Dulovicova, Product Program Manager, UiPath
JMeter webinar - integration with InfluxDB and GrafanaRTTS
Watch this recorded webinar about real-time monitoring of application performance. See how to integrate Apache JMeter, the open-source leader in performance testing, with InfluxDB, the open-source time-series database, and Grafana, the open-source analytics and visualization application.
In this webinar, we will review the benefits of leveraging InfluxDB and Grafana when executing load tests and demonstrate how these tools are used to visualize performance metrics.
Length: 30 minutes
Session Overview
-------------------------------------------
During this webinar, we will cover the following topics while demonstrating the integrations of JMeter, InfluxDB and Grafana:
- What out-of-the-box solutions are available for real-time monitoring JMeter tests?
- What are the benefits of integrating InfluxDB and Grafana into the load testing stack?
- Which features are provided by Grafana?
- Demonstration of InfluxDB and Grafana using a practice web application
To view the webinar recording, go to:
https://www.rttsweb.com/jmeter-integration-webinar
Empowering NextGen Mobility via Large Action Model Infrastructure (LAMI): pav...
Document
1. A Discussion with Bradley R. Staats, Assistant Professor of Operations, Technology, and
Innovation Management Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina
Lean principles, exemplified by the Toyota Production System (TPS), have become a vaunted
methodology in the operations community. Many credit Toyota’s sustained success to its
persistent application of these ideas to manufacturing and management systems.
Here’s the $64,000 question: can you translate TPS principles geared to the shop floor to IT
outsourcing? Wipro and an academic team headed by Bradley Staats at the University of North
Carolina decided to find out.
Six years ago Wipro wanted to enhance its service offerings, according to Staats, who is an
Assistant Professor of Operations, Technology, and Innovation Management at the Kenan-Flager
Business School. The service provider wanted to take on more complex assignments that solved
its customers’ business challenges, thereby adding value. To do this, the Indian supplier turned to
TPS. Back in 2004 no one had tried to apply manufacturing principles to software services and IT
work at the scale that Wipro was operating, the professor recalls. Wipro approached him, since
his specialty is the intersection of technology and operations. While the company’s Lean initiative
unfolded, Staats studied the process and then the results.
The study took three years and the partners are still working together periodically to further refine
the process. So, does it work? Staats measured results with the Lean teams against Wipro teams
using the old methodology. “It really did improve performance appreciably,” he reports.
Four steps to Lean tasks
The professor says one of most important tenants of the TPS is to start a project by working
backwards. First, the Wipro teams had to discover the challenges the outsourcing buyers needed
to solve. Then, it had to focus on solutions to that challenge. Finally, they had to establish a
deliverable plan that can do that. “This is how to deliver outsourcing value,” Staats explains.
Staats says Wipro established a four-step process to tailor TPS to its needs:
Specify the task. Do this in great detail. People need to know exactly how to accomplish the work
they are doing.
Streamline communication. Establish direct communication pathways between people. Staats
said in many companies an employee will finish a task and send his work to four or five people,
having to wait to hear from all of them before going on to task B. Instead, he should be able to
send the report to just one person who then responds promptly.
Simplify the process architecture. Map out every step so that everyone understands the
interconnections between steps and can eliminate waste.
Adopt hypothesis-driven problem solving. Discuss how the team thinks it can improve the work.
Create hypotheses and then test them by comparing them with real-world results.
In addition, there were three challenges specific to software services:
Task uncertainty. Staats says in his experience some outsourcing buyers change the
requirements continually. “The challenge is: how does a supplier standardize processes when the
processes change rapidly?” the professor asks rhetorically. The goal, he says, is to create
efficiency by removing variance.
Process invisibility. Often, employees do much of the work using “the knowledge in their heads,”
says Staats. Lean, on the other hand, “tries to bring everything out in the open.” The Wipro team
had to figure out “how to do this with knowledge work.”
Architectural ambiguity. When creating software, the engineers often won’t know if it works until
they do it.
Adapting the Lean process to software services: lessons for everyone
2. While many of the procedures just didn’t apply, TPS’s cardinal rule of lowering inventory wasn’t a
direct issue for a software services company; many of the ideas were valuable. For example, if
there’s a problem on the production floor, Toyota workers pull on an andon cord. This signals a
manager to come running to help the worker solve the problem. Wipro didn’t install these cords
into the offices. But it did put a structure in place to provide immediate assistance to a worker who
faces a work challenge. “This is powerful,” points out the professor.
Staats says, in any operation, managers have to find tools that can identify problems “as early as
possible. Then have the person who made the mistake fix it immediately, right where it went
wrong.” Having that particular employee make the correction is important for two reasons: he or
she has the relevant knowledge to actually fix it and it teaches the employee what to do so he or
she won’t do it again.
Another challenge is for the offshore Wipro team to understand in detail what is happening at the
customer location. Obviously, teams in India can’t just walk out to their offshore customers’
location whenever they face a challenge. Staats says one Wipro team came up with a clever
adaptation.
The buyer was testing new software at its headquarters. The software engineer told the offshore
team about it, but they couldn’t replicate the problem. So the Wipro team used WebEx and
watched the individual go through all the steps to make the problem happen. Then, the buyer’s
engineer went home and the Wipro team solved the problem. “Now they could identify the
problem because they knew exactly what steps to take,” the professor points out.
Another adaptation was modifying the Toyota’s visual control board, which the manufacturer uses
to track progress on the shop floor. “It’s graphically tracks the progress and productivity of the
organization,” explains Staats.
The Wipro project manager puts every team member’s name on a blackboard on the vertical axis.
The days of the week make up the horizontal access. The manager fills in the squares with the
work that each team member is supposed to accomplish each day. The employees fill in what
they actually accomplished each day before going home.
Staats says the control board helps managers see if a team member is not performing as
expected. This doesn’t mean the team member is incompetent. What it usually means is the
person hit a problem and needs other members’ help in solving it. The project manager can
assign others to help so the team gets the job done.
Another benefit is everybody gets to see what everyone else is doing. “Employees often feel they
are doing more work than everyone else. Sometimes they are! But more often they realize
everyone is busy and working hard. This information is good for team motivation,” he says.
Why Lean is good for outsourcing
The Lean solution provides benefits to outsourcing buyers, according to the professor. They
include:
Providing great value because the outsourced supplier can complete the work more efficiently
and with higher quality
Giving the supplier more flexibility to craft a better solution. The professor says some suppliers
use formal outsourcing models, which limits their flexibility. “The early results show this method
produces more flexibility,” he reports.
Focusing the supplier’s attention on the value the customer is looking for. “By working backwards
from the end state of the customer’s value, the supplier is able to design the process and then
drive to that value. This methodology forces the supplier to focus on the end game,” Staats says.
Removing the focus on technology. “Buyers tell me, ‘Sure, the technology is great. But where’s
3. the business value?’”
He says Wipro has received a number of requests from buyers interested in this type of
engagement. “There’s value in talking to them about this,” he concludes.
Lessons from the Outsourcing Journal:
A Lean solution provides benefits to outsourcing buyers including:
Providing great value because they can get the work completed more efficiently and with higher
quality
Giving the supplier more flexibility to craft a better solution
Focusing the supplier’s attention on the value the customer seeks because the supplier works
backwards from the end state
Removing the focus on just technology
Managers who use Toyota Production System (TPS), based on Lean methodology, find tools that
can identify problems as early as possible. Then they can have the person who made the mistake
fix it immediately, right where it went wrong. This procedure works because they have the
relevant knowledge to actually fix it and it teaches them what to do so they won’t do it again.
Using a visual control board tracks progress, creates the opportunity for positive interventions,
maps the productivity of the team, and builds team spirit.
Wipro set up the Council for Industry Research, comprised of domain and technology experts
from the organization, to address the needs of customers. It specifically looks at innovative
strategies that will help them gain competitive advantage in the market. The Council in
collaboration with leading academic institutions and industry bodies studies market trends to
equip organizations with insights that facilitate their IT and business strategies. For more
information on the Research Council visit www.wipro.com/industryresearch or email
industry.research@wipro.com.
Wipro's gains from applying Toyota’s methods a lesson for software export biz
Pankaj Mishra, ET Bureau Apr 15, 2011, 12.12am IST
Tags:
Wipro Ltd.|Wipro|Toyota
BANGALORE: When Sambuddha Deb, 53, now the chief global delivery officer at India's third
biggest software exporter Wipro, was looking for answers to deal with rising wage inflation and
growing complexity in large outsourcing contracts some years ago, Toyota's legendary production
system was nowhere on his mind. After all, there could be no parallel between manufacturing
cars and writing hundreds of lines of codes for customers you do not even get to see till the
project gets over, at least this is what Deb reasoned until late 2004.
Ads by Google
Jobs for Freshers
Companies Hiring Freshers Now. Sign up for Free to Apply.
MonsterIndia.com/Register-Online
All New Indica Vista
New powered engine with long list of features packed together.
cars.tatamotors.com/IndicaVista
"Around the time when Vivek Paul was our CEO, McKinsey came and asked why don't you look
at Lean, but then it did not look very attractive," recalls Deb. Around that time, Wipro, along with
many other Indian peers had all the process and quality certifications the world offered- from ISO
9001 to SEI CMM. But like most new initiatives and certificates, even they had become mere tags
that offered no differentiation.
Unlike traditional methods of improving performance and quality of software projects, Lean
promised to bring about an internal focus for continuously seeking ways to cut waste and
increase value of investments. In a software development context, waste could include
4. duplication of efforts, more people doing the same job, and time spent on readying for a new
project.
Later, after looking at options that included the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award criteria,
TRIZ (short for Theory of Inventive Problem Solving in Russian), and Toyota's Lean, Wipro finally
decided to pick a leaf from the automaker's production system.
Early gains, learnings from Toyota and challenges
What started in 2005 as a 10-projects pilot to apply the automaker's legendary system invented
for eliminating all wasted material and labour is now helping India's third biggest software
exporter make savings of up to 60% in outsourcing projects, and even win new consulting
contracts from customers such as Nationwide Insurance. Of nearly 4000-5000 projects being
delivered by Wipro, over 1600 projects are now Lean, bringing a minimum of 20% savings on an
average.
Bradley R. Staats, who teaches innovation management, technology and operations at the
University of North Carolina, spent over three years working with Wipro on this project. Staats
believes Wipro's Lean experiences can be applied by other software service providers too.
"Things are getting commoditised in the industry and there's pressure to do more with less. This
is where Lean can help," he says. Barring Lockheed Martin, which actually did a much smaller
pilot, no other company in the world has attempted to apply Lean for software services work at
this scale.
According to Staats, for every $1, Wipro makes savings of 20 cents on an average. "For one of
the customers, the gains stretched to over 70% after we used Lean for minimising efforts (read
engineers) while delivering the project," recalls Staats.
Nationwide Insurance, America's fourth largest auto insurer is among customers now applying
Lean with Wipro's help. The insurance firm, which started with around 17 Lean projects two years
ago, has seen $2 million payback from the initiative.
Hunt For Experts
Then started the big hunt for an expert who could help Wipro start its Lean journey. "There were
many experts who had done Lean for manufacturing, some even for hotels, but none had any
experience in applying Lean for a software firm like us," says Deb.
Ads by Google
Manza. The SuperSedan
With an Internationally Acclaimed Engine at just 4.99 lacs. Book Now!
tatamotorsdelhi.com/manzasupersedan
Mobile Recharge Made Free
Freecharge & Get McDonald Coupons. Win Coupons on Every Recharge!
www.freecharge.in/Mobile_Recharge
Another challenge was to find ways of applying Lean principles to the business of software
exports. Deb, along with several Wipro officials visited factories in Japan to understand how
heavy equipment and car manufacturers eliminated waste from their processes. "There's no
recipe or cookbook for applying Lean. The goal is more about building a platform for ongoing
improvement," says Staats.
Initially, Wipro could not get to visit a Toyota factory, Deb managed to visit one of the world's
biggest engine makers for tractors based in Japan. "They were making 200 variants of engines
on a single assembly line-that's unbelievable," says Deb. In another such visit to a Japanese
factory some five years ago, Deb studied how a company was producing 3-4 variants of one
5. excavator machine every eleven minutes.
Later, Toyota invited Wipro's billionaire founder Azim Premji to visit the company's manufacturing
plant in India. "What we saw was Corolla and Innova were mixed and were being produced on
the same line, but the catch was that nearly 70% of both the variants are same so you can use
the same line," he says.
Everything, except main engine and chassis, including seat management system, electrical
system and braking system are same for both the variants. "One of the most brilliant things
Toyota has done is that almost 70% of all their cars are built using standard platforms-they are
designed for Lean," Deb says.
DABUR- “THE OLDEST SUPPLY CHAIN IN INDIA”
11:38 OPEP IIMRAIPUR NO COMMENTS
Dabur the leading personal and healthcare company among the four FMCG giants in India is
managing the Oldest Supply Chain in India. Dabur is over 125 years old and deals with the
diversified product range in ‘Natural and Herbal’ which leads to the EBITDA –quarter growth of
27.8% and consolidated Q1 net Profit up 19.6% at `127.74 Cr with Revenue surges 31.6% to
`1216.24 Cr, for the Q1 2011-12. Building on a legacy of Quality and Experience, Dabur is at
present India’s trusted name and world’s largest Ayurvedic and Natural Helath Care Company
having distinct brand identities such as Dabur master brand for the natural health care product,
Vatika for premium personal care, Hajmola for digestives, Real for fruit juices and beverages &
Fem for fairness bleaches and skin care products.
Dabur procures raw materials worth around `500 Cr from a wide base of vendors. The Company
has wide and integrated distribution network for its around 600 SKU delivering to around 2100
stockiest, further connecting to the thousands of retail outlets covering every small and remote
part to organized stores of India. Dabur has improved distribution system through its unique
Retails Excellence program, “DARE” (Driving Achievement of Retail Excellence). the Program
covers a major objective as a channel focus, activating key customer, improving rural focus,
rewarding distribution efficiency, maximizing brand impact and building information capabilities.
Dabur has used Direct Shipment Strategy which was implemented in order to bypass
warehouses and distribution centers. Thus Dabur delivers products directly to the
retailers/consumer through the Institutions & Modern Trade System. Advantages of implementing
strategy are –
· The retailer avoids the expense of operating a distribution center
· Reducing lead time
Thus, Dabur has achieved cost reduction in the transportation process which overall adds to the
reduction in price of the product. By this strategy Dabur has reduced the lead time, bringing
Dabur and other elements in the Supply Chain closer which improves overall efficiency of the
supply chain as shown in following figure. Reduction in lead time has added in reduction in
Bullwhip Effect of the Supply Chain. Dabur has managed to minimize the Inventory-
Transportation cost Trade-off. By elimination of the warehouse in supply chain, the company has
reduced the inventory carrying cost and Implementing ‘Milk run’ system by the small truck loads
Dabur has managed the increased transportation cost in the chain.
Overall efficient tactics in the supply chain has made Dabur to succeed and sustain in the supply
chain network and has increased the entry barriers in the FMCG industry. Thus, Dabur having
strong distribution network will have to cope up when organized distribution network plays a major
6. role.
Figure : Supply Chain of Dabur
The writer of this article, Amol Deogade is a PGP student of Indian Institute of Management,
Raipur and has done his B.E. from Government College of Engineering, Amravati. Prior to joining
IIM Raipur, Amol was working at Cognizant Technology Solutions. Amol can be reached at
titanamol@gmail.com