Three key points about learning from Asian companies:
1. Many Asian companies have a history of managing with limited resources which has led them to focus on cost-cutting, waste reduction, and productivity. They utilize tactics like outsourcing, contracting with Asian vendors, and sending Asian headquarters staff on projects.
2. Asian companies also engage in "reverse innovation" - developing solutions originally created for emerging markets and bringing them to industrialized nations at a lower cost. Examples include low-cost health innovations from India.
3. Western companies can learn from Asian competitors' focus on continuous improvement, removing unnecessary costs, and engaging employees to solve problems and boost productivity in order to better compete globally.
My Cover Story Article (Reverse Logistics Magazine)Mudit Agarwal
This document provides a summary of articles from the Reverse Logistics Magazine issue 4 volume 5. It includes summaries of 3 articles:
1. "Boothmanship" Post Show Follow Up: Avoiding the Pitfalls of International Directing Reverse Logistics discusses the importance of following up on trade show leads properly.
2. Police Use New Tools to Build Case Against “The Richmond Girls” discusses how criminals are using new technologies in organized retail crimes.
3. Bad Economy May Not Be So Bad for Third Party Service Providers discusses how the economy may increase demand for reverse logistics vendor services and solutions.
Office Depot believes that diversity and inclusion are instrumental to their business success. As women make up over half their customer base, it is important that they provide products and solutions to help women-owned businesses grow. They demonstrate their commitment to empowering women-owned businesses through various organizations and conferences. For suppliers, Office Depot desires unique, value-based products and suppliers that are professional, knowledgeable about their business, coachable, and committed to building relationships over time.
The document discusses the benefits of establishing a bespoke Management Academy for an organization. It can help save on employment costs by developing internal talent for senior roles rather than external recruiting. An Academy framework provides individual development plans and nationally accredited qualifications. Case studies show Academies improving performance, developing succession plans, and increased staff retention which offsets the costs. Customized Academies focusing on an organization's specific needs and challenges can produce measurable results.
DynaTek Media is a digital signage company founded in 2002 with headquarters in Scottsdale, AZ and offices in Austin, Cleveland, and the UK. They currently have over 2000 sites operational and are looking to expand further. The document discusses DynaTek's strategy to converge their digital signage networks across multiple consumer touchpoints like at the pump, on cell phones, in stores, and on the web to more effectively engage and convert customers.
Social media to target clients by it’s very nature (lack of privacy) is a difficult task, but there are ways to make it work. Use social media to reach the influencers and the connecters in your clients networks. By employing the powerful strategy you will reach clients, help change hearts and minds, and move the dial towards the great work of pregnancy help ministries.
This document outlines an experiential learning experience called "Experiencing NetsLorenz" that aims to raise awareness of networks and nets. It involves participants mapping their existing company networks, identifying past and future problem-solving nets, and developing an action plan. The activities generate data for analysis and a bespoke report. Participant feedback found it highly relevant for businesses in enabling immediate networking benefits, increased awareness of network strengths and weaknesses, and specific actions to implement.
My Cover Story Article (Reverse Logistics Magazine)Mudit Agarwal
This document provides a summary of articles from the Reverse Logistics Magazine issue 4 volume 5. It includes summaries of 3 articles:
1. "Boothmanship" Post Show Follow Up: Avoiding the Pitfalls of International Directing Reverse Logistics discusses the importance of following up on trade show leads properly.
2. Police Use New Tools to Build Case Against “The Richmond Girls” discusses how criminals are using new technologies in organized retail crimes.
3. Bad Economy May Not Be So Bad for Third Party Service Providers discusses how the economy may increase demand for reverse logistics vendor services and solutions.
Office Depot believes that diversity and inclusion are instrumental to their business success. As women make up over half their customer base, it is important that they provide products and solutions to help women-owned businesses grow. They demonstrate their commitment to empowering women-owned businesses through various organizations and conferences. For suppliers, Office Depot desires unique, value-based products and suppliers that are professional, knowledgeable about their business, coachable, and committed to building relationships over time.
The document discusses the benefits of establishing a bespoke Management Academy for an organization. It can help save on employment costs by developing internal talent for senior roles rather than external recruiting. An Academy framework provides individual development plans and nationally accredited qualifications. Case studies show Academies improving performance, developing succession plans, and increased staff retention which offsets the costs. Customized Academies focusing on an organization's specific needs and challenges can produce measurable results.
DynaTek Media is a digital signage company founded in 2002 with headquarters in Scottsdale, AZ and offices in Austin, Cleveland, and the UK. They currently have over 2000 sites operational and are looking to expand further. The document discusses DynaTek's strategy to converge their digital signage networks across multiple consumer touchpoints like at the pump, on cell phones, in stores, and on the web to more effectively engage and convert customers.
Social media to target clients by it’s very nature (lack of privacy) is a difficult task, but there are ways to make it work. Use social media to reach the influencers and the connecters in your clients networks. By employing the powerful strategy you will reach clients, help change hearts and minds, and move the dial towards the great work of pregnancy help ministries.
This document outlines an experiential learning experience called "Experiencing NetsLorenz" that aims to raise awareness of networks and nets. It involves participants mapping their existing company networks, identifying past and future problem-solving nets, and developing an action plan. The activities generate data for analysis and a bespoke report. Participant feedback found it highly relevant for businesses in enabling immediate networking benefits, increased awareness of network strengths and weaknesses, and specific actions to implement.
This document discusses DrugCo's options for entering the H1N1 vaccine market. It analyzes the risks, profitability, and market forces involved. Key risks include unpredictable demand and costs of vaccine production. Profit depends on revenue from sales and costs of production. Market forces like government subsidies and new technology can impact supply and demand. The recommendation is to use existing capacity for both seasonal and H1N1 vaccines, and lobby for subsidies to mitigate risks and boost profits.
Bluesign Innovation For Extremes 06.05.2009Mary Rose
- The document discusses the bluesign standard, which aims to create transparency and sustainability across the textile industry supply chain by focusing on reducing the environmental impact of input streams and optimizing resource use.
- The bluesign standard establishes criteria for approving chemical and material inputs and provides tools to help textile manufacturers select approved materials, track performance, and implement best practices.
- Adopting the bluesign standard helps manufacturers control costs by reducing resource use while ensuring product safety and compliance with regulations.
This document discusses the value of research and what can be researched. It provides examples of how research findings can help advertising campaigns and provide new business opportunities by better understanding target audiences and identifying overlooked customer segments. Research improves services, generates more work, strengthens arguments, and is interesting. The document suggests starting research with products and then exploring demographic and psychographic factors to gain insights about audiences.
The document discusses the benefits of exercise for mental health. Regular physical activity can help reduce anxiety and depression and improve mood and cognitive functioning. Exercise causes chemical changes in the brain that may help protect against mental illness and improve symptoms.
The Event Industry’s Evangelist of Open SourceMichelle Bruno
Visual summary of the EventTechBrief.com article, "The Event Industry’s Evangelist of Open Source." Read the full article or subscribe to the e-newsletter at EventTechBrief.com.
The document discusses the benefits of exercise for mental health. Regular physical activity can help reduce anxiety and depression and improve mood and cognitive functioning. Exercise boosts blood flow, releases endorphins, and promotes changes in the brain which help regulate emotions and stress levels.
Analytical processing for Linked Data using OLAPHiroyuki Inoue
This document proposes a method for applying OLAP (Online Analytical Processing) to analyze typical numerical or statistical data published as Linked Data. It describes retrieving RDF data, storing it in a relational database, creating dimension tables, and generating an OLAP schema. Experiments applying the method to radiation observation and weather data are discussed. Dimension tables were generated using hierarchies extracted from the data, external datasets, or by using attribute values directly. This allows applying OLAP to analyze Linked Data.
The document discusses the benefits of exercise for mental health. Regular physical activity can help reduce anxiety and depression and improve mood and cognitive function. Exercise causes chemical changes in the brain that may help protect against mental illness and improve symptoms.
Domain names are important for businesses to be found online and resolving disputes is important to reduce confusion; ICANN manages the domain name system and disputes can be resolved through negotiation, UDRP filing, or courts. The UDRP process provides a mandatory, global mechanism for resolving disputes over identical or confusingly similar domain names registered and used in bad faith.
Some first-day talking points about what is news, what is media literacy and why young people aren't paying as much attention to the news as older generations.
This document summarizes HomeSight's services for increasing revenue and improving outcomes for healthcare agencies. It discusses how HomeSight can help agencies enhance revenue through increasing patient volumes, referral sources, billing accuracy and collaboration between medical disciplines. HomeSight also aims to help agencies reduce adverse events, medication errors, hospital readmissions and increase patient satisfaction. The document answers frequently asked questions about why an agency should partner with HomeSight over developing their own low vision program internally, and invites the reader to learn more on HomeSight's website or through an in-person presentation.
The document describes a vacation to Coronado Island at the Glorietta Bay Inn, with photos showing a room patio overlooking Glorietta Bay and the Pacific Ocean in the distance. The inn is located near the beach, where the author took walks along the shore.
Complexity of the work that I am capable of performing as viewed through the "eyes" of software project maintenance documentation. Also shown are three software applications that I developed on my own initiative.
Maruthi Prithivirajan, Head of ASEAN & IN Solution Architecture, Neo4j
Get an inside look at the latest Neo4j innovations that enable relationship-driven intelligence at scale. Learn more about the newest cloud integrations and product enhancements that make Neo4j an essential choice for developers building apps with interconnected data and generative AI.
Communications Mining Series - Zero to Hero - Session 1DianaGray10
This session provides introduction to UiPath Communication Mining, importance and platform overview. You will acquire a good understand of the phases in Communication Mining as we go over the platform with you. Topics covered:
• Communication Mining Overview
• Why is it important?
• How can it help today’s business and the benefits
• Phases in Communication Mining
• Demo on Platform overview
• Q/A
This document discusses DrugCo's options for entering the H1N1 vaccine market. It analyzes the risks, profitability, and market forces involved. Key risks include unpredictable demand and costs of vaccine production. Profit depends on revenue from sales and costs of production. Market forces like government subsidies and new technology can impact supply and demand. The recommendation is to use existing capacity for both seasonal and H1N1 vaccines, and lobby for subsidies to mitigate risks and boost profits.
Bluesign Innovation For Extremes 06.05.2009Mary Rose
- The document discusses the bluesign standard, which aims to create transparency and sustainability across the textile industry supply chain by focusing on reducing the environmental impact of input streams and optimizing resource use.
- The bluesign standard establishes criteria for approving chemical and material inputs and provides tools to help textile manufacturers select approved materials, track performance, and implement best practices.
- Adopting the bluesign standard helps manufacturers control costs by reducing resource use while ensuring product safety and compliance with regulations.
This document discusses the value of research and what can be researched. It provides examples of how research findings can help advertising campaigns and provide new business opportunities by better understanding target audiences and identifying overlooked customer segments. Research improves services, generates more work, strengthens arguments, and is interesting. The document suggests starting research with products and then exploring demographic and psychographic factors to gain insights about audiences.
The document discusses the benefits of exercise for mental health. Regular physical activity can help reduce anxiety and depression and improve mood and cognitive functioning. Exercise causes chemical changes in the brain that may help protect against mental illness and improve symptoms.
The Event Industry’s Evangelist of Open SourceMichelle Bruno
Visual summary of the EventTechBrief.com article, "The Event Industry’s Evangelist of Open Source." Read the full article or subscribe to the e-newsletter at EventTechBrief.com.
The document discusses the benefits of exercise for mental health. Regular physical activity can help reduce anxiety and depression and improve mood and cognitive functioning. Exercise boosts blood flow, releases endorphins, and promotes changes in the brain which help regulate emotions and stress levels.
Analytical processing for Linked Data using OLAPHiroyuki Inoue
This document proposes a method for applying OLAP (Online Analytical Processing) to analyze typical numerical or statistical data published as Linked Data. It describes retrieving RDF data, storing it in a relational database, creating dimension tables, and generating an OLAP schema. Experiments applying the method to radiation observation and weather data are discussed. Dimension tables were generated using hierarchies extracted from the data, external datasets, or by using attribute values directly. This allows applying OLAP to analyze Linked Data.
The document discusses the benefits of exercise for mental health. Regular physical activity can help reduce anxiety and depression and improve mood and cognitive function. Exercise causes chemical changes in the brain that may help protect against mental illness and improve symptoms.
Domain names are important for businesses to be found online and resolving disputes is important to reduce confusion; ICANN manages the domain name system and disputes can be resolved through negotiation, UDRP filing, or courts. The UDRP process provides a mandatory, global mechanism for resolving disputes over identical or confusingly similar domain names registered and used in bad faith.
Some first-day talking points about what is news, what is media literacy and why young people aren't paying as much attention to the news as older generations.
This document summarizes HomeSight's services for increasing revenue and improving outcomes for healthcare agencies. It discusses how HomeSight can help agencies enhance revenue through increasing patient volumes, referral sources, billing accuracy and collaboration between medical disciplines. HomeSight also aims to help agencies reduce adverse events, medication errors, hospital readmissions and increase patient satisfaction. The document answers frequently asked questions about why an agency should partner with HomeSight over developing their own low vision program internally, and invites the reader to learn more on HomeSight's website or through an in-person presentation.
The document describes a vacation to Coronado Island at the Glorietta Bay Inn, with photos showing a room patio overlooking Glorietta Bay and the Pacific Ocean in the distance. The inn is located near the beach, where the author took walks along the shore.
Complexity of the work that I am capable of performing as viewed through the "eyes" of software project maintenance documentation. Also shown are three software applications that I developed on my own initiative.
Maruthi Prithivirajan, Head of ASEAN & IN Solution Architecture, Neo4j
Get an inside look at the latest Neo4j innovations that enable relationship-driven intelligence at scale. Learn more about the newest cloud integrations and product enhancements that make Neo4j an essential choice for developers building apps with interconnected data and generative AI.
Communications Mining Series - Zero to Hero - Session 1DianaGray10
This session provides introduction to UiPath Communication Mining, importance and platform overview. You will acquire a good understand of the phases in Communication Mining as we go over the platform with you. Topics covered:
• Communication Mining Overview
• Why is it important?
• How can it help today’s business and the benefits
• Phases in Communication Mining
• Demo on Platform overview
• Q/A
Observability Concepts EVERY Developer Should Know -- DeveloperWeek Europe.pdfPaige Cruz
Monitoring and observability aren’t traditionally found in software curriculums and many of us cobble this knowledge together from whatever vendor or ecosystem we were first introduced to and whatever is a part of your current company’s observability stack.
While the dev and ops silo continues to crumble….many organizations still relegate monitoring & observability as the purview of ops, infra and SRE teams. This is a mistake - achieving a highly observable system requires collaboration up and down the stack.
I, a former op, would like to extend an invitation to all application developers to join the observability party will share these foundational concepts to build on:
Essentials of Automations: The Art of Triggers and Actions in FMESafe Software
In this second installment of our Essentials of Automations webinar series, we’ll explore the landscape of triggers and actions, guiding you through the nuances of authoring and adapting workspaces for seamless automations. Gain an understanding of the full spectrum of triggers and actions available in FME, empowering you to enhance your workspaces for efficient automation.
We’ll kick things off by showcasing the most commonly used event-based triggers, introducing you to various automation workflows like manual triggers, schedules, directory watchers, and more. Plus, see how these elements play out in real scenarios.
Whether you’re tweaking your current setup or building from the ground up, this session will arm you with the tools and insights needed to transform your FME usage into a powerhouse of productivity. Join us to discover effective strategies that simplify complex processes, enhancing your productivity and transforming your data management practices with FME. Let’s turn complexity into clarity and make your workspaces work wonders!
Removing Uninteresting Bytes in Software FuzzingAftab Hussain
Imagine a world where software fuzzing, the process of mutating bytes in test seeds to uncover hidden and erroneous program behaviors, becomes faster and more effective. A lot depends on the initial seeds, which can significantly dictate the trajectory of a fuzzing campaign, particularly in terms of how long it takes to uncover interesting behaviour in your code. We introduce DIAR, a technique designed to speedup fuzzing campaigns by pinpointing and eliminating those uninteresting bytes in the seeds. Picture this: instead of wasting valuable resources on meaningless mutations in large, bloated seeds, DIAR removes the unnecessary bytes, streamlining the entire process.
In this work, we equipped AFL, a popular fuzzer, with DIAR and examined two critical Linux libraries -- Libxml's xmllint, a tool for parsing xml documents, and Binutil's readelf, an essential debugging and security analysis command-line tool used to display detailed information about ELF (Executable and Linkable Format). Our preliminary results show that AFL+DIAR does not only discover new paths more quickly but also achieves higher coverage overall. This work thus showcases how starting with lean and optimized seeds can lead to faster, more comprehensive fuzzing campaigns -- and DIAR helps you find such seeds.
- These are slides of the talk given at IEEE International Conference on Software Testing Verification and Validation Workshop, ICSTW 2022.
Unlocking Productivity: Leveraging the Potential of Copilot in Microsoft 365, a presentation by Christoforos Vlachos, Senior Solutions Manager – Modern Workplace, Uni Systems
Introducing Milvus Lite: Easy-to-Install, Easy-to-Use vector database for you...Zilliz
Join us to introduce Milvus Lite, a vector database that can run on notebooks and laptops, share the same API with Milvus, and integrate with every popular GenAI framework. This webinar is perfect for developers seeking easy-to-use, well-integrated vector databases for their GenAI apps.
Encryption in Microsoft 365 - ExpertsLive Netherlands 2024Albert Hoitingh
In this session I delve into the encryption technology used in Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Purview. Including the concepts of Customer Key and Double Key Encryption.
Generative AI Deep Dive: Advancing from Proof of Concept to ProductionAggregage
Join Maher Hanafi, VP of Engineering at Betterworks, in this new session where he'll share a practical framework to transform Gen AI prototypes into impactful products! He'll delve into the complexities of data collection and management, model selection and optimization, and ensuring security, scalability, and responsible use.
Goodbye Windows 11: Make Way for Nitrux Linux 3.5.0!SOFTTECHHUB
As the digital landscape continually evolves, operating systems play a critical role in shaping user experiences and productivity. The launch of Nitrux Linux 3.5.0 marks a significant milestone, offering a robust alternative to traditional systems such as Windows 11. This article delves into the essence of Nitrux Linux 3.5.0, exploring its unique features, advantages, and how it stands as a compelling choice for both casual users and tech enthusiasts.
Pushing the limits of ePRTC: 100ns holdover for 100 daysAdtran
At WSTS 2024, Alon Stern explored the topic of parametric holdover and explained how recent research findings can be implemented in real-world PNT networks to achieve 100 nanoseconds of accuracy for up to 100 days.
For the full video of this presentation, please visit: https://www.edge-ai-vision.com/2024/06/building-and-scaling-ai-applications-with-the-nx-ai-manager-a-presentation-from-network-optix/
Robin van Emden, Senior Director of Data Science at Network Optix, presents the “Building and Scaling AI Applications with the Nx AI Manager,” tutorial at the May 2024 Embedded Vision Summit.
In this presentation, van Emden covers the basics of scaling edge AI solutions using the Nx tool kit. He emphasizes the process of developing AI models and deploying them globally. He also showcases the conversion of AI models and the creation of effective edge AI pipelines, with a focus on pre-processing, model conversion, selecting the appropriate inference engine for the target hardware and post-processing.
van Emden shows how Nx can simplify the developer’s life and facilitate a rapid transition from concept to production-ready applications.He provides valuable insights into developing scalable and efficient edge AI solutions, with a strong focus on practical implementation.
2. Indian engineers work a 35-hour services, albeit with poorer-quality research and development laboratory
day.” Forty-hour workweeks are outcomes. Hence it is common for work are being transferred to Asian
common in many parts of Asia, and the well-known Indian outsourcers, head offices. This provides the benefit
coupled with an expectation to work for example, to themselves outsource of large-scale work, but more impor-
late, the average employee in these their own work. tantly has the advantage of shifting
companies puts in 55 to 60 hours Building on those cost advantages, work to low-cost sites. To illustrate the
every week. (The Western norm is a many Asian companies will use some of benefits, consider the Asian-owned
35-hour workweek.) The concept of the following tactics to achieve success: chemicals manufacturer that used
work-life balance and the accompa- ❙ Outsource technology to provide access to its
nying angst is a relatively unknown ❙ Contract with Asian head office business analytics team,
phenomenon in many parts of Asia. branches of vendors weekly sales, operations and manu-
In addition to the differential in ❙ Send Asian headquarters’ staff facturing production data of its U.S.
work hours, the wage gap provides on project assignments plants. The head office analytics team
a cost advantage for many Asian ❙ Use the Jugaad management was able to develop a much-needed
employers. Although Asian salaries style — an improvisational style sales and operations plan at one-third
have grown rapidly in the past of innovation driven by scarce of the cost quoted by its U.S. subsid-
decade, the gap is still large at middle resources and attention to a iary. And by throwing more low-cost
management and below. For example, customer’s immediate needs resources at the project, the delivery
a data entry operator’s fully loaded ❙ Use reverse innovation. timeline was shortened to three weeks
salary in India is $4,000 annually compared to the planned 12 weeks.
compared to a similar role in the Outsource Figure 1 shows labor arbitrage
United States at $30,000 annually. Upon acquiring Western companies, (difference in labor costs) generally
For specialized roles like a computer many Asian owners will rapidly ranges from 50 percent (through a
programmer the cost differential is assess work that can be centralized supplier given a tightly negotiated
approximately 10 times. Many Asian at the head office. Work that is not contract) to 65 percent (through a
companies will aggressively increase required to be done physically in captive operation). Savings are lower
this cost gap by outsourcing their the West such as payroll, HR and if the operation that is offshore was
own project-based work to bottom- finance administration, accounts originally located in a low-cost region
feeder companies in Asia — these are payable/receivable, customer service like Canada or the U.S. Midwest.
companies that aggressively strip out centers, call centers and IT support
costs in terms of real estate, training, are obvious candidates. As many of Contract with Asian
technology and employee benefits the Asian labor markets have matured Branches of Vendors
and offer only project-based pay. and technology has improved, more Some of the large costs businesses
Operating with razor-thin margins, intelligent tasks like regulatory filings, incur are for management informa-
these companies offer low-cost legal analysis, business analytics, and tion systems. By contracting for
these systems at the vendors’ Asian
branches, some Asian companies
Figure 1 | Savings Achieved Across 24 Offshore Case Studies shave off up to 75 percent of the cost.
This figure shows the percentage of cost savings achieved by 24 offshore cases in 2004 after The vendors are able to provide these
accounting for all direct and indirect costs including implementation.
cost savings since they are competing
in markets that need a lower price
10 level, and their labor costs are signifi-
cantly lower than what their own
Western head offices can afford.
7
Send Asian HQ Staff on
Project Assignments
Given the abundant supply of educated
3 3 candidates and the lower wages, it is
easier for some Asian companies to
1 send their home-country headquarters’
20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60+ staff on short- or long-duration project
assignments. In the short-duration
Source: Everest survey of 25 leading suppliers. assignments of up to 12 months, the
employees continue to be paid in
30 | workspan may 2011
3. using the their home countries at the low salary
levels while staying economically in
Use Reverse Innovation
According to an October 2009 article
groups at company-rented apartments. in the Harvard Business Review, Asian
inherent Such employees come on visitor- or
business-meeting visas to the United
companies engage in the practice of
translating innovations created for the
Jugaad style, States, Canada and Europe.
For assignments longer than a year,
developing world to the industrialized
world, dubbed “reverse innovation” by
some Asian companies apply for General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt.
employees nonimmigrant visas even if similarly
skilled talent is available locally.
To illustrate, consider the inexorable
rise in Western health-care costs and
actively They get employees who are used to
thinking and operating in a low-cost
its negative impact on employees,
companies and government expen-
methodology, working longer hours, ditures. At a macro level, this sector
look for and who have fewer demands on
work-life balance and compensa-
provides tremendous opportunities
for reverse innovation. In May 2009,
opportunities tion issues, provide HQ insight into
the subsidiaries operations and are
General Electric announced that
during the next six years it would
deeply obliged to the employer for spend $3 billion to create at least 100
to cut corners the opportunity to work in the West
and the future potential to grow and
health-care innovations that would
substantially lower costs, increase
on time return to their home country. access and improve quality. Two prod-
ucts it highlighted at the time — a
Follow Jugaad $1,000 handheld electrocardiogram
and cost in Management Style
The Hindi term Jugaad roughly trans-
(ECG) device and a portable PC-based
ultrasound machine that sells for as
every project lates as “overcoming harsh constraints
by improvising an effective solution
little as $15,000 — are revolutionary,
and not just because of their small
using limited resources.” Writing in size and low price. They’re also
implementation the Harvard Business Review, authors
Navi Radjou, Jaideep Prabhu and
extraordinary because they origi-
nally were developed for markets in
and task Simone Ahuja note that this spirit
is alive and kicking in fast-growing
emerging economies (the ECG device
for rural India and the ultrasound
emerging economies like India, China, machine for rural China) and are
execution. Brazil and South Africa.
Using the inherent Jugaad style,
now being sold in the United States.
A January 2011 Globe & Mail
employees actively look for oppor- article discussed the opportunity
tunities to cut corners on time and to learn from the developing world
cost in every project implementa- to decrease health costs in the
tion and task execution, improving developed world. This benefit was
productivity at their plants and in highlighted by Princeton University
their office operations. With what economist Uwe Reinhardt and former
can be viewed as lax internal and British National Health Service CEO
external enforcement of regulations in Nigel Crisp. For example, during the
some parts of Asia, cutting corners in past 20 years, Aravind Eye Hospital
practice contrary to the documented in India has performed more than
process is easy. For example, it is 3 million cataract surgeries. It has a
not uncommon for IT departments in staff of 3,000, with 200 eye surgeons
India to replace employee computers each performing 2,500 procedures a
only when they fail and not based on year. Aravind developed an inexpen-
their documented policy of a three- sive ocular lens for the procedure,
year replacement. (Sometimes there is and surgeons can go from patient
an audit, ethical, long-term health and to patient much quicker because
safety or environmental downside to those patients have been prepared
these actions, but such a discussion for surgery by other team members.
falls outside the scope of this article.) At a total of 300,000 cataracts a year,
may 2011 workspan | 31
4. Aravind performs about as many ❙ Challenge your vendors to find
cataract surgeries as are done in all solutions to reduce costs. Go to
of Canada, at a cost of $80 compared the market to find alternate options
to $700 in Canada. In a comparison Avoid so you can negotiate better. And
with Britain, Aravind’s costs were remember, the market is global just
1 percent of the total British costs knee-jerk like your competition is global.
for cataract surgery, and its clinical
outcomes were comparable or better. reactions of Conclusion
Other examples of game-changing In a global business world, the Asian
innovations from India include a layoff and hiring, competition is next door. Learning
psoriasis treatment (price reduction: what helps these employers succeed
from $20,000 to $100), the Jaipur which typify will help you prepare your company
prosthetic foot (from $12,000 to $28) to compete. To paraphrase Sun
and the hepatitis vaccine (from $20 a boom-bust Tzu, Know Your Competition. Many
to less than $1). Asian companies have a hunger for
cycle, erode growth and their acquisition spree
Taking Action at Your Company in recent times shows that they have
How can your business improve and employee loyalty the resources to fulfill their dreams.
better compete against some of the Western expectations of work-life
distinct advantages and approaches and impact balance, pay, benefits and work
highlighted above? A number of environment reflect our aspirations for
companies headquartered in the the quality a better life, but we should not lose
West have already implemented sight of the need to compete globally.
some of these approaches, such as of products Trade and brand barriers are not long-
outsourcing and off shoring their term solutions. Western companies can
transactional work and instead and customer continue to build on their strengths
focusing on cutting-edge technology of innovation in new products,
and innovating new products/ service. processes and technologies, produc-
processes in the West. In addition, tivity improvement and removing
HR leaders can help create and foster unnecessary costs. In all these areas,
a culture focused on winning by HR leaders have the opportunity to
taking the following actions: ❙ Keep costs competitive by building initiate, enable and support through
❙ Educate the workforce on global a structured and fair pay and their practices and programs and
competition and its impact on the benefits programs. In examining become true business partners.
company’s future. Encourage greater compensation costs, look at your
focus on improving productivity national and global competition and Rajiv Burman is a senior strategic HR consul-
through higher performance in the impact of labor costs on your tant and has more than 20 years experience in
all HR programs: hiring, training, company’s products and profitability. HR leadership roles in a number of global multi-
pay, incentives and recognition. ❙ Sustain the company by building nationals in North America and Asia. He can be
Create a sense of urgency. a long-term focus, loyalty to the reached at burman7@yahoo.ca.
❙ Implement programs such as Kaizen, company and its mission. Avoid
Total Quality, Continuous Improve- knee-jerk reactions of layoff and Web Extra For more information about
ment, Lean Manufacturing and Six hiring, which typify a boom-bust the Jugaad management style, log on to
Sigma. Engage the entire work- cycle, erode employee loyalty www.worldatwork.org/workspan and click
force, rather than the management and impact the quality of prod- on Web Extra.
group alone, in solving problems, ucts and customer service.
reducing costs and improving ❙ Eliminate waste in processes
productivity. Celebrate employee and inefficiencies. Revise the resources plus
engagement and teamwork. focus from wealth creation for For more information, books and
❙ Improve retention by involving a few to building a sustainable education related to this topic, log
on to www.worldatwork.org and
employees through clarity on company and community. use any or all of these keywords:
the company’s mission, vision ❙ Engage with the government to ❙❙ Global + competition
and values, supporting informal identify skill upgrade programs ❙❙ Productivity
relationships and investing in and incentives for research and ❙❙ Cost reduction.
their long-term careers. development and training.
32 | workspan may 2011