November 29, 2016
Faber Infinite

Importance of Organizational Change

Change is the need of the hour for every individual, every organization. Engaging in the same old methodology which is turning to be obsolete can lead to failure. This need to change is of highest priority. The failure in recognizing the very urgent requirement to change heads to many serious, critical problems. Change refers to bringing a shift in the way the activities are performed, work is done, problems are solved. Basically, a new approach to deal with everything which would give a positive and successful outcome. This process of change is not easy and is time- consuming but at the end of it, we realize that it was worth it. How would change benefit organizations and employees? Here we bring few pointers indicating the benefits of a change culture in your organization: Build up Competition: Change can be big or small, easy or complex in an organization. Change does not necessarily indicate a major transformation every time. But it can seriously help to build competition, which can help organizations progress and develop themselves. Without change, organizations would struggle to lift up themselves to face the competition put forward by their competitors. Example- When a particular organization changes its way of working and if it attracts more customers, the neighboring competitor will definitely observe the same and would try to bring a change in his usual form of working. Thus, here change plays a very positive role in building up competition which leads to a desire among organizations to develop themselves more than their competitors. Bring Technological Advancement: Technology plays a vital role in development of an organization. Change that results from the adoption of new technology is common in most organizations and while it can be disruptive at first, ultimately the change tends to increase productivity and service. To beat the competition, organizations can make use of new technologies. The same, old, obsolete ways of doing things would not work out when the competitors would be moving fast forward with new technologies. It also enables employees to adopt the new technology and indirectly helps in growth of organization. For Example Toyota – the company to emulate in the automobile industry, it has emerged to become one of the most successful organizations in terms of establishing change management. Develop Satisfied Customers: Adopting change in organizations can create a certain extent of dissatisfaction among employees and also among customers. But, once change brings in a favorable effect, customers and employees start accepting it. Eventually this change brings satisfied customers which inturn acts positively for customers. As always said, satisfied customer is a boon for every organization. Just a mere tweak in the strategy can do wonders for you. The most famous example being Google – The Google experience is a classic example of a company committed to wowing its customers based on consistent quality and constant innovation over the years. Eventually, change plays a very positive role in building up competition which leads to a desire among organizations to develop themselves more than their competitors. Also change is an evitable, unavoidable part of any organization. Every organization strives to change and it eventually leads to business excellence. Ready to embrace the power of organizational change? Discover the transformative impact it can have on your business. Fill out the form below to unlock exclusive insights and strategies on the importance of organizational change. Take the first step towards a brighter future for your company! Written By: Faber Ramya Pillai

November 7, 2016
Faber Infinite

Smart Way Forward for the Indian Engineering Industry

India is on the threshold of major reforms and is poised to become the third-largest economy of the world by 2030. India’s manufacturing sector has evolved through several phases – from the initial industrialization. And the license era to liberalization and the current phase of global competitiveness. Today, Indian manufacturing companies in several sectors are targeting global markets and are becoming daunting global competitors. Many are already amongst the most competitive ones in their sectors. In this blog, we will discuss about how to Improve Continuous Improvement in Engineering Industry. The engineering sector in India attracts immense interest from foreign players.It has a favourable environment and has an advantage in terms of manufacturing costs, technology and innovation. The above, combined with favourable regulatory policies and growth in the manufacturing sector has enabled several foreign players to invest in India. “Thanks to improved monetary and fiscal policies, as well as lower oil prices, the Indian economy has stabilized and now boasts the highest growth among G20 economies,” according to the GCI report. Total Quality Maintenance in Engineering Industry Overall these years the Indian Engineering sector has witnessed a remarkable growth. Over the last few years and has emerged to be a strong player driven by increased investments in infrastructure and industrial production. The engineering sector, being closely associated with the manufacturing and infrastructure sectors of the economy, is of strategic importance to India’s economy. Growth in the sector is driven by various sub-sectors such as infrastructure, power, steel, automotive, oil & gas, consumer durables etc. In today’s highly competitive and dynamic environment, market competition forces organizations to improve productivity and enhance their competiveness. Consequently, the matter of assessing and improving competitiveness in different industry of several countries has received increased attention in recent times. In addition, it has been observed that engineering industries need to focus and invest more on operational improvement and optimization. Value adders/ operators play a key role in operations in spite of the application of machinery and equipment. As per challenges raised by the industry, few listed are low productivity, over staffing, poor labor relations, inefficient handling of operator challenges, high wages and lack of trained or skilled workforce. It can be inferred that all these issues are fallouts of lower manpower productivities and hence scientific approach towards efficiency improvement is the need of the hour. India has come a long way and traversed the concepts of Quality Management Systems (ISO) then Total Quality Management (TQM) and now it aims to go beyond these frameworks. The situation demands for building competitiveness across sectors and specifically in the engineering sector which is pivotal growth driver for the country. Increasingly organizations from all sectors and all sizes are looking at holistic World Class Manufacturing (WCM) practices or transformational practices to eliminate inefficiencies across their value chain which ultimately helps them in building competitive setups. Further, few of the challenges faced by Engineering Sector can be listed as below: On Time Deliveries to customers. Flow organization from raw material receipt to finish goods dispatch. Absence of Overall Equipment effectiveness Issues in labor productivity Customer complaints and rework Absence of Inventory Management Higher Automation cost Absence of improvement oriented culture Going forward, integrating World Class Manufacturing and Smart Manufacturing practices is an effective answer to these existing problems of the engineering domain, which is coming up steadily these days. It’s renovating the entire idea of manufacturing. Smart manufacturing concept has been present since the early days, yet has merely been an ‘in concept’. However, considering the challenging scenarios now and proven results of the said combination, it is the only effective solution the engineering industry can resort to. The smart manufacturing excellence practices can be achieved by developing a culture based on factors such as continuous improvement, problem prevention, zero defect tolerance and customer driven just in time production. Following actions points can streamline the path of smart manufacturing along with world class practices and deal with the challenges in Engineering sector. 4 key points for Smart Manufacturing in Engineering Industry Revival of Traditional Machinery investments is becoming comparatively easier with implementation of foundations of Total Productive Maintenance along with retrofitting sensors to older machinery is surprisingly doable with tremendous results. Deploying Value Stream Maps and Collection of Digital data to find the existing bottlenecks – Refined software can assist to catch up with the flood of data, find meaning, and, as times goes by, leverage that meaning. Streamline a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) with robust internal and external logistics systems is key for supply chains to fulfill the order on time and in the most efficient way. ‘Cos it is said – organizations don’t compete; the supply chains do! The reality checks by getting customer demand rate and producing to the required quantities and specifications, which helps manufacturer to be up to date about the market. This will enable the manufacturers to be reactive to its customer orders. The said few practices ensure the basic stability of the working environment where the health of machines, continuous flow of material, short throughput time and excellent quality ratio are the parameters that determine the competitiveness of the organization as well as decide customer satisfaction. Needless to say, customer is king and it is essential to heighten his/ her satisfaction levels to delight stage to survive in the market. Benefits of implementing the tools to face these challenges Improvement in On Time In Full supplies Increase in the yield and throughput Reduction in throughput time Reduction in rejection Increase in labor productivity Inventory reduction by releasing lots of hidden space Reduction in breakdown time These concept outcomes directly add to the bottom-line while simultaneously customers receive on time delivery and high quality products. Apparently, the organizations are witnessing convergence of technologies and process improvement initiatives with the potential to radically improve the way manufacturers thread processes and systems in the entire product value chain in order to deliver more options and new service models to customers. By each passing day the world

September 20, 2016
Faber Infinite

Leadership – Unlocking People’s Potential to Become Better

Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Leadership is not only about focusing on the day to day work; which by the way does not go away. It’s about focusing on the softer side of development of People’s Potential which enables them to deal with various expected situations. Here are three vital elements to unlock people’s potential: Lead By Example When it comes to superior leadership – don’t ask your people to do anything you are not willing to do yourself. People appreciate a leader who is willing to get their hands dirty. They want someone to mentor them and lead them by example, someone who ‘walks the talk!’ Know Your People Well Instead, of talking about all of your accolades and what makes you so great. Make it about the people who are ultimately going to lead you to further success. Ask them things about them, why they chose your company, what do they enjoy most about their position, and what are their challenges and how you can help. Ask them what motivates them and what gets them going. Don’t make it about you make it about them. Invest in growth and development of your people Investing in people and their development will lead to an extensive growth of an organization. Also make sure that you are directing the efforts in the right direction, so that a good majority of your time is spent on people that are producing results and are giving leverage to the organization. Don’t subscribe to a “Do-It-For-You” methodology of talent management, rather lead, mentor, coach and develop team members by getting them to buy-into a “Do-It-Yourself” work ethic. This helps in keeping the group focused on its vision over the long term. Lift a person’s vision to higher sights, raise his/ her performance to a higher standard, and build a personality beyond his/ her normal limitations. Thus improve your organizations performance through leadership. Successful leaders never stop learning. They learn from their mistakes and they learn from their triumphs, and they’re always changing themselves and mentoring others for the better.

August 16, 2016
Faber Infinite

Smart Manufacturing: The road to World Class Manufacturing

Smart manufacturing is an entirely new concept coming up steadily these days. It’s renovating the entire idea of manufacturing. World class manufacturing concept has been present since, the inception of manufacturing but was merely a concept. But now it has been used widely and the definition changes based on the type of industry and its use can be tweaked accordingly. It has been positioned as an international manufacturing excellence technique achieved by developing a culture based on factors such as continuous improvement, problem prevention, zero defect tolerance, customer driven just in time production, and total quality management. Here are some of the actions points to plan the path of smart manufacturing: Revive Traditional Machinery One of the major gains for manufacturers with investments in aging but still operating machinery has been the plunging cost of sensors. Just two decades ago, not everyone was eager to embrace the change and there were only handful of early adopters eager to invest hundreds of thousands to connect the sensors and controllers and analyze the results. But this is becoming comparatively easier as retrofitting sensors to older machinery is surprisingly doable. It’s possible to successfully add one sensor at a time. Collection of Digital data to find the existing bottlenecks Organizations tend to have a data collection system in place. The question which arises is about the use and purpose of storing this data. Is the data used for record-keeping or being used aggressively to decrease the downtime? The key purpose it serves is to objectively discover what warrants attention and remove the bottlenecks of the system. It also helps in developing a solution to the existing problem. Sophisticated software can assist to catch up with the flood of data, find meaning, and, as times goes by, leverage that meaning. Streamline a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) To build a smart manufacturing system an organization needs to start with manufacturing execution system. This can be initiated by collection of data from the plant floor machinery. This is followed by analysis of data to identify problems and money-saving opportunities which is the driving force behind the fundamental operational improvements. Smart Manufacturing is concerned with the logistics and the supply chain to fulfill the order on time and in the most efficient way. The reality check It is not a compulsion for everyone to upgrade and attain the unsteady levels of digital automation. However even the smallest of a manufacturing firm competing in today’s market should adapt to the latest advances in technology. Also it should try to be up to date to get its share of market. This will enable the manufacturers to fit in the advanced system of its neighbors to fulfill the outsourced orders. As it is quite evident, the organizations are witnessing convergence of technologies and process improvement initiatives with the potential to radically improve the way manufacturers thread processes and systems in the entire product value chain in order to deliver more options and new service models to customers. By each passing day the world of manufacturing is getting smarter and raising the bar, on the road to world class manufacturing. Written By Faber Devna Chaturvedi

August 2, 2016
Faber Infinite

Eliminate the Unnecessary so that the Necessary May Speak

Performance metrics acts as leading indicators and as pointers to changes needed in strategic direction specially when monitored or tracked over a period of time. Focus needs to be shifted from those things which are easy to measure. Performance targets are usually set on the metrics of revenue and target. And if performance targets are not achieved, it is often too late at that stage for corrective measures. Excellence and metrics programs have an interesting relationship. Without excellence initiatives that establish the corporate culture and a common management system, it is very difficult to enable continuous improvement. Many companies are striving to institute some type of excellence or continuous improvement initiative. Below are the key excellence metrics: Customer Satisfaction Many companies use the customer satisfaction score by various metrics like VOC (Voice Of Customer), CSAT (Customer satisfaction), NPS (Net Promoter Score) etc. It is quite essential to measure customer satisfaction in each and every organization. It is applicable for both internal and external customers over a brief period of time. It helps in gauging the areas where gaps are present and helps in identifying the functions that need the most attention. Productivity This is a versatile metric which can be aligned with the strategic goals of the organization. Strategic objectives typically focus on a combination of areas, including finance, operations, quality, manufacturing, energy management, and health and safety. The goal may differ for different organizations. The possibilities of measurement are many here – it is vital to work on goals which the organization is measuring and is directly related to the business strategy and productivity improvement. Cash Flow It is the most important lifeline, the oxygen of business organization and hence one of the most critical aspects of performance management. Financial freedom can be achieved by any business if they work and spend money on revenue generating projects. There are a number of operational inefficiencies that can be pin pointed based on the trend of these two metrics which are DSO (Days Sales Outstanding) and DPO (Days Payable Outstanding). Gross Margin Gross margin is the mother of all business metrics and the best indicator of a business’s health. The higher the gross margin, the more the indication that organization is on the right track in every operational aspect. Organizations do not require waiting for the quarterly or annual financial results to determine profitability, productivity and customer satisfaction. Employee contentment score Although businesses may be moving towards a more automated manufacturing and industrial environment, but, without people at the base, all of the technology in the world would be useless. Strong leadership and executive support are critical for any excellence initiative. Attrition damages the top line and bottom line – everybody knows this now and there is increased focus to build more contented workplaces and organization culture. However the choice of key metrics needs to be reviewed periodically – as business is dynamic so why should the metrics remain constant? No metric is useful unless there is an action plan that arrives out of it and is communicated and implemented with urgency. Otherwise, a metric becomes just another number on a report that nobody pays attention to till it is too late. Written By Faber Devna chaturvedi

July 26, 2016
Faber Infinite

Importance of Organizational Structure

Although there are various issues concerned to leadership, culture and learning, which have been ranking all-time high. In today’s pitch various business organizations have started realizing the importance of organizational design as well, which needs to be implemented in business organizations. Globally, this is the time to change the existing monotonous norms to disrupt the existing pace and match the changing expectations of employees. This Tuesday, we want to share top 5 emerging trends for leaders like you: Operational Design is the New Structure Business operating models are continually evolving to meet the new paradigms of customer, marketplace or expense management. It provides focus, stability and clarity. Operational design is not only restricted to HR, but it extends to the entire organization. In a recent survey by Global Human Capital trends operational design topped the list. Currently, 88% organizations in India are currently either restructuring or planning to restructure their company. Awaken the Leadership Many organizations do not have a proper leadership strategy in place. Many claim to have a leadership development strategy in place which is quite essential. Organizations need to set up leadership succession plan. Leadership positions are potentially helpful for people not only at top positions but across various levels of an organization. The main task is identification of strong leaders, which requires excellent training and better ways of assessment. Building Culture of Change and Engagement Culture is an equally important component in organizational design and has a strong equation with change and engagement. Change and engagement are the most critical human capital issues. Organizations should demand collaboration of change and engagement, which should happen across various levels especially from the top. It helps in mapping areas of opportunity where improvisation can be done. Also it will locate the area necessary to communicate the values of the organization. Accelerate via Design Thinking Crafting employee experience is turning out to be a vital element and is central to all business decisions. Design thinking will help in demarcating the demands of employee to have a simplified and intuitive work environment. Moreover, it allows them to be flexible and focused in the accelerated market place and manage the demands of professional and personal life. Learning Curve is the Earning Curve The best and possibly the biggest part of organizational culture is that organizations believe in continuous learning. Organizations believe that learning curve is the earning curve. In today’s dynamic market it is absolutely essential to stay updated which necessitates the prominence to learn and continue to grow. Many companies are making strides in adopting new technologies and ease the process of learning. Videos are one of the biggest sources to make the employees learn from one another. With more and more investments pouring in organizations need to shift their role from just being enablers to those who become architects of their organization.

February 10, 2016
Faber Infinite

Media Coverage in India’s leading business magazine

Team Faber Infinite is glad to share that it got featured in Small Enterprise – India’s one of the leading business magazine for entrepreneurs. The feature published in Jan 16 edition talks about the organizational achievements and its team. Faber Infinite helps organizations to unlock their hidden potential. The article about the success story of Faber Infinite and its core team – Mr. Vishal Kulkarni, Mr. Jalay Pandya and Mr. Aakash Borse. Faber Infinite offers 360 transformation and improvement of clients, people and communities. It supports the organizations to improve and grow in terms of top line and bottom line with impressive clients are from India, Tanzania, Uganda, UAE, Kenya and Zambia. Faber Infinite is finest management consulting and training company specializing in business excellence. Team Faber Infinite believes that organizational success depends on aspects of strategy, operations and design along with people excellence. The team strives towards helping all client organizations for implementing real transformation solutions. The core team of Faber Infinite is always passionate about crafting culture that supports transformation and innovation. After long deliberation ‘Faber’ which means craftsman in Latin was finalized for the name of the organization. Faber Infinite Differentiators: Differentiation is not only to equip clientele with state of art management practice on strategic and operational level, but also support them for sustainable implementation and long term gains. The team focuses on the people as catalysts for the improvement journey. The focus is on easy way to deploy concepts and objectively gauging of drivers of transformation. Find original success story published in the small enterprise as below. Team Faber Infinite wishes all new entrepreneurs successful journey and we would aspire to work with organizations seeking change and transformation. Reported & Compiled by: Faber Khushboo Vyas

November 10, 2015
Faber Infinite

Identifying your Super Heroes

Today, in the era of change, every transformation and change – irrespective of it being personal or organizational or social has a super hero who leads from the front. These heroes don’t wear a cape and are in disguise! They look like anyone of us or it can be within us. We often identify superheroes as individuals with extraordinary strength, however each of us does possess something that makes us extraordinary. Whatever that something is, that’s your superpower, the source of your strength, and what defines you as a superhero. It is a challenge to identify the crusaders or change agents within an organization or work environment, amongst various leaders trying to build sustainable performance and growth. Have you identified one yet in your organization or within yourself? These people are rare indeed, and they are the most important people in your organization. One who champions the cause of change! It is must to accelerate the transformation journey! The first key ingredient for any organizational transformation are the Heroes – Value Adders (people who are running the show on the ground). Rare identification of your Super heroes is not enough you have to rather support them and encourage them to work even harder for the development of both your organization as well as they themselves. But the question is how you will support your superheroes? In any case, we are not discounting that any journey is a team journey. Super heros also need a team with whom he/ she can work and face all the challenges that comes their way to perform smoothly the transformation journey. Also you need to give them appropriate time and required resources to accomplish the targets. As there is no point in choosing the perfect heroes but not giving them the time, resources, and support to do their job. For any organization, it is necessary to keep their Super Heroes engaged. Below are some tips of how organizations can keep their heroes engaged. Support: Either from external experts, line managers, or peers. Organization can use a buddy system where inexperienced champions are matched up with experienced champions from different parts of the business. By communicating over the phone or even face to face interactions over the lunch or on the coffee table. Training: Besides support, formalized training is a great way to keep people engaged and knowledgeable. This could be training in skill development or sustainability so people know the latest research and policies, or as a way to develop transferable skills that they can use in their day job – be it leadership, strategy planning, communication, or presentation. Reward and Recognition: When they hit / succeed their goals it is important your heroes get the recognition they deserve. It is also important that this recognition comes from the top, especially if people are going above and beyond their job description. This doesn’t even need to be lavish, just knowing you are appreciated is usually enough. So there you have it; identify your heroes by recognizing their extraordinary powers and abilities, unmask them and get them to join your team, then train and support them to reach their full potential. Together you can make any initiative a super success leading your organization towards business excellence. Contributed & Adapted by: Aakash Borse & Raveena Rathi

August 11, 2015
Faber Infinite

Six Key Strategies for Great Leaders for Long Term Success

“To have long term success as a coach or in any position of leadership, you have to be obsessed in some way.” —Pat Riley. The most successful leaders envision a bold future and then make it happen. Real leaders are not just along for the ride — they shape the future by thinking big. A competitive long-term strategy is required to grow and compete in a larger market. And a leader takes this strategy forward with right execution leading to attain the Business Excellence. Please find excerpt from an interesting article, which talks about the strategies, which are used by the great leaders to achieve the long-term success. You may refer further details here.

August 4, 2015
Faber Infinite

Looking for Risk in all Wrong Places

‘Risk’ by nature seems scary. Its uncertain and unpredictable. However, there are times in every individual’s life when they are faced with a choice that involve risk. In today’s era where business excellence is the only choice we have as far as competition is concerned, we all have to live with risks! Hence, it is essential to invest sometime on exploring – how to live with risks. In business aspects we call it managing risk or Risk Management. There are three best practises for accessing and managing risks: Strike the right balance between risk and reward. Focus on decisions, not process. Make employees the first line of defence. You may refer to the original article here for further details.