Business

I have worked for organizations that are hard core manufacturing organizations, the ones which are largely trading organizations and there are ones which are Research and Development organizations. I found that everywhere , I had to change my mind set and position supply chain differently though using fundamental principles of quality, cost and delivery in practice. Having said that I also find the organizations which have been largely trading and had some manufacturing abilities have been the smartest ones and lets examine Why ?  Read More

I remember having read about a Buyer who was a very good negotiator . So good that he could buy anything Cheapest and used to clinch deals on a daily basis . His job required him to do so and he was best at it and had a penchant to buy Cheap. Well he was lured by a hospitality company to join them because of his overall ability but during his interview he was told that this hospitality company wants him to choose him for his experience but wants to buy the best stuff, not really cheap. They wanted to create a chain of Restaurants which was to create a niche amongst the upper strata of society. Read More

Supply Chain has evolved worldwide as a specialists job over past two decades. There are people and organizations focused on giving it due importance and also reaping the benefits. A lot of credit must be given to Automobile Industry for really focusing early on its evolution and IT development across the world, that has facilitated its advancement leaps and bounds and evolving it as a discipline of experts. Having said there is another school of thought largely lead by Promoters and majority of Industries where Supply Chain/Purchasing is considered like a housewife’s job assuming any one can do that and it does not generate revenue and the assumption that Supply Chain is a cost Centre. Majority of Organizations, rather vast majority of them treat Supply Chain as Cost Centre and do not even define Cost Innovation/Optimization through Supply Chain as Profit Centres. Read More

It’s about a decade and little more that I first time experienced China Phenomenon during a visit to South China in the famous Canton fair. Most of the progress or the Scale I saw was from sidelines  and just got impressed and came back to India with the same.

In 2007 when I landed up there for a long term (About 3 years assignment till 2010), that i went t through understanding of the capabilities, experiencing Strength of the culture, Speed at which things can happen or not and what makes China the world factory. The size and scale and ambition of the business has been truly Global, whilst keeping simple business thinking by the whole system. Truly it was the cheapest and most productive space to manufacture and with unparalleled supply chain along-with other advantages like lack of distraction from religion, Mult Party Political system etc. Etc. In 2008 , Labour Laws were introduced in China and the cost of labour acquisition started going up and then 2008 Global recession hit Chinese factories with some consequences.  Read More