A couple of evenings ago, during dinner with a visitor from the US - someone I know very well, the issue of outsourcing to India and the problems experienced came up as a natural point of debate.
Background
- A major networks product company has outsourced their product development to an Indian vendor. The vendor has been late in delivering the project to such an extent that the original US company has lost it's competitive advantage in the market and with the downturn it may have also lost the window of opportunity.
We started to discuss the different approaches that are taken and why this has either worked / not worked in this particular case
- Getting a 3rd party to validate work : This is being done by an US company and the process has not been effective : could the main reason be that that this "validation" company does not
a) Understand the onsite-offshore play and is hence stuck in-between with no value add ?
or b) The intermediary is not involved in the product development process and hence is always having to fall back on "process" compliance / status reports to understand viewpoints ?
or c) A combination of the above 2 with a the real issue being that the intermediary is playing a "relay" role only and is not capable / empowered to make decisions ?
- Ensuring that a senior person capable of making decisions is working with the offshore team to validate delivery.
On this point, the discussion moved to the next question ie. "what is the value then of the offshore delivery team ?"
- Ensuring that someone from the offshore team acts on-behalf of the onsite team ?
Apparently, this was tried with very little success and the main reason for this being
a) Tendency of the senior management of the offshore team in taking the status mechanism and obscuring the real status !
b) Mixed messages between the team on ground and the reviewers
c) Incapable team leadership in terms of priority of issues to be addressed / sequencing (always supply driven sub-optimal solutions)
Notice though, that at NO time during the discussions, was there a question on the CAPABILITY of the delivery team ?
In the end, does it mean that we have just incapable project managers / general managers in the system ?
Or, are they supremely capable in "whitewashing projects" ?
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
Data access acceleration : HW or SW based GRID ?
For once, I thought I'd blog on a technical subject :-)
The question that has been in my mind is that - which is a better option for large volume data management - is an hardware solution better or a software solution - or even a combined one ?
About 2 months ago, at the Oracle Open World conference, I watched Larry Ellison announce the HP-Oracle DB machine. During the presentation, I was both bemused (with the idea that this was Larry’s / Oracle’s second venture into the hardware territory post NC) and the fact that for Oracle and HP to come up with this meant there was a real issue with the proliferating data.
As most of the readers would be aware, the last few quarters have seen a tremendous number of activities related to Virtualisation, Grid computing, Cloud computing and High volume data management. What are the options?
Hardware Options: Generally handled with Virtualisation and Grid computing effort as is also Custom Built machines (e.g: HP-Oracle DB machine). While it is a clean way to get to an array structure (CPU slices + Storage Array etc), I am not really sure if this is “efficient” – simply because, the core software / application was never written to take advantage of this.
Software Options : For a “pure” software option to work – there has to be two important components; A mechanism for Caching (In memory caches) and a mechanism for load balancing / splitting into parallel processing threads.
In my opinion, there is going to be a push for a combination of the two with distributed service architecture to manage the growing SOA / message structures inherently with a combination of GRID and CACHE (in memory).
I see three major players in the market today with fairly similar / competing offerings;
You can also see similar postings in the cross link at http://calsoftblog.blogspot.com/
The question that has been in my mind is that - which is a better option for large volume data management - is an hardware solution better or a software solution - or even a combined one ?
About 2 months ago, at the Oracle Open World conference, I watched Larry Ellison announce the HP-Oracle DB machine. During the presentation, I was both bemused (with the idea that this was Larry’s / Oracle’s second venture into the hardware territory post NC) and the fact that for Oracle and HP to come up with this meant there was a real issue with the proliferating data.
As most of the readers would be aware, the last few quarters have seen a tremendous number of activities related to Virtualisation, Grid computing, Cloud computing and High volume data management. What are the options?
Hardware Options: Generally handled with Virtualisation and Grid computing effort as is also Custom Built machines (e.g: HP-Oracle DB machine). While it is a clean way to get to an array structure (CPU slices + Storage Array etc), I am not really sure if this is “efficient” – simply because, the core software / application was never written to take advantage of this.
Software Options : For a “pure” software option to work – there has to be two important components; A mechanism for Caching (In memory caches) and a mechanism for load balancing / splitting into parallel processing threads.
In my opinion, there is going to be a push for a combination of the two with distributed service architecture to manage the growing SOA / message structures inherently with a combination of GRID and CACHE (in memory).
I see three major players in the market today with fairly similar / competing offerings;
- Oracle with it’s COHERENCE offering (Object oriented in memory DB cache) which is actually a product / company acquisition – Tangosol.
- Gemstone with it’s GEMFIRE offering (again OODB / in memory DB cache) and
- Gigaspaces with it’s XAP offering
You can also see similar postings in the cross link at http://calsoftblog.blogspot.com/
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Making a shared computer PERSONAL - An experiment in education
Disclosure - this is an overview post, please lookup Sikshana blog for actual details / instances etc.
--------------------------
As part of the Sikshana process, Subbu (the resident computing / education expert) was posed with a simple question : If we distribute a laptop / class in the rural schools, how do individual students preserve their own environment and work over several days / periods / sessions ?
The problem seems simple - but, this has a major impact on the psyche of the individual kid. Today, if a child is working on a drawing / painting project, there is a good chance that while using the shared computer, another child will over-write / update / change the first child's work.
Even if that happens on a rare occasion, the child is left disillusioned about the whole project.
This is a tremendous problem not just with sharing, but, also with preserving the session as "active" so that there is no loss in time the next instance the child logs onto the system.
Subbu has come up with an ingenious solution (I believe). The idea is to provide a USB chip with enough software to make the chip the default session handler.
Every kid is given a 2 GB chip (Sikshana is in the process of distributing a 1000 of these to kids), which the child owns.
Every time the child accesses the computer, the child inserts his / her own chip and is up and away immediately. Saves time and also the heartbreak of having someone else destroy one's own work.
The question in my mind is : Is this not the same for offices too ? Can we not make this a commercial process ?
--------------------------
As part of the Sikshana process, Subbu (the resident computing / education expert) was posed with a simple question : If we distribute a laptop / class in the rural schools, how do individual students preserve their own environment and work over several days / periods / sessions ?
The problem seems simple - but, this has a major impact on the psyche of the individual kid. Today, if a child is working on a drawing / painting project, there is a good chance that while using the shared computer, another child will over-write / update / change the first child's work.
Even if that happens on a rare occasion, the child is left disillusioned about the whole project.
This is a tremendous problem not just with sharing, but, also with preserving the session as "active" so that there is no loss in time the next instance the child logs onto the system.
Subbu has come up with an ingenious solution (I believe). The idea is to provide a USB chip with enough software to make the chip the default session handler.
Every kid is given a 2 GB chip (Sikshana is in the process of distributing a 1000 of these to kids), which the child owns.
Every time the child accesses the computer, the child inserts his / her own chip and is up and away immediately. Saves time and also the heartbreak of having someone else destroy one's own work.
The question in my mind is : Is this not the same for offices too ? Can we not make this a commercial process ?
Sunday, November 30, 2008
The mayhem at Bombay : What ails our security ?
After a long hiatus, I am forced today to blog - more out of anguish and anger. Anguish at the meaningless loss : of human life, dignity to a secure living and life as also property. Anger at the way we have been waiting for deliverance from these by our politicians and babus.
It is these 2 institutions that need to be questioned. I'm not even sure who the bigger culprit is ? Is it the IAS babu who is secure in his / her babudom or is it the politician working the vote banks to get ahead ?
Atleast, with politicians, we the citizens have to take part of the blame in having elected them. However, how about the Babus ?
I see the TV and listen to people mouth the same requirement again and again - co-ordination between the forces, secure border etc. How can we get that when we arm our forces (BSF, Coast gaurd, Police etc) with ancient .22 and .303 rifles / revolvers that are from WWII vintage and NO technology upgradation ?
I did not see night vision glasses, I did not see good smoke masks, I did not see even basic things like body armour. We push these dedicated people to the front and sing to their martyrdom, wait to shake their warm hands when they come back out live ?
I also do not think the structure is a problem - it is just execution.
There is "supposed" to be an emergency cell - atleast this was put together after the Tsunami disaster. There is supposed to be better intelligence sharing. There is a National Security Advisor !!. However, it is the effectiveness that is lacking.
What can be done. Here are a few suggestions - for whatever it is worth.
- Get a "technology" upgrade done immediately with state of the art equipment
- Get the local police and the central teams trained on these new equipment including things like frequency jammers and email traces.
- Get some of the key areas (atleast the public areas like Stations, airports etc) under 100% video surviellance ALL the time.
- Step up random checks on all the roads leading to major cities as also the coast.
I'm not sure if there is a 100% solution - atleast we should make it difficult and with no single point of failure. More importantly, we should pass this set itself to a professional team and not one made up of Politicians and Babus !
It is these 2 institutions that need to be questioned. I'm not even sure who the bigger culprit is ? Is it the IAS babu who is secure in his / her babudom or is it the politician working the vote banks to get ahead ?
Atleast, with politicians, we the citizens have to take part of the blame in having elected them. However, how about the Babus ?
I see the TV and listen to people mouth the same requirement again and again - co-ordination between the forces, secure border etc. How can we get that when we arm our forces (BSF, Coast gaurd, Police etc) with ancient .22 and .303 rifles / revolvers that are from WWII vintage and NO technology upgradation ?
I did not see night vision glasses, I did not see good smoke masks, I did not see even basic things like body armour. We push these dedicated people to the front and sing to their martyrdom, wait to shake their warm hands when they come back out live ?
I also do not think the structure is a problem - it is just execution.
There is "supposed" to be an emergency cell - atleast this was put together after the Tsunami disaster. There is supposed to be better intelligence sharing. There is a National Security Advisor !!. However, it is the effectiveness that is lacking.
What can be done. Here are a few suggestions - for whatever it is worth.
- Get a "technology" upgrade done immediately with state of the art equipment
- Get the local police and the central teams trained on these new equipment including things like frequency jammers and email traces.
- Get some of the key areas (atleast the public areas like Stations, airports etc) under 100% video surviellance ALL the time.
- Step up random checks on all the roads leading to major cities as also the coast.
I'm not sure if there is a 100% solution - atleast we should make it difficult and with no single point of failure. More importantly, we should pass this set itself to a professional team and not one made up of Politicians and Babus !
Monday, August 25, 2008
Teach India - will the format work ?
I have been watching the Teach India series of ads and the campaign with interest. Having been involved in Primary education for a number of years, the development / the campaign to do raise the awareness and create a media structure of "mass" volunteering is very interesting....
However, part of my skepticism and part experience is making me take a bit of a "back seat" and watch what happens next. The reason(s) being
- I've never seen campaigns that start to evoke the "feel good" factor really pick up steam
- In my interaction with the teachers in primary (esp rural) schools, there is a marked interest in continuity or we (the so called arm-chair intellectuals) run the risk of creating an "excuse" for the teachers / local influencers to point their finger and blame "another" set of people
- Continuity DOES NOT come by a few 2-3 hour sessions, IMHO it takes greater committment.
- Was speaking to a few people who have volunteered and ALL of them were looking at 9-11 kind of session once a week ie. on a Saturday. Have never seen this work either as Saturday AM is the most muddled time for a rural school
What has been good though is the campaign coverage. I do sometimes wonder what would be the "effect" if we had just run a similar campaign asking individuals to contribute an hour's salary and then "hire" real full-time teachers to teach ?
I am sure people will lampblast me for suggesting such an idea - but, I must confess, when it was proposed to me, I thought the "efficiency" of such a process should be much better ?
However, part of my skepticism and part experience is making me take a bit of a "back seat" and watch what happens next. The reason(s) being
- I've never seen campaigns that start to evoke the "feel good" factor really pick up steam
- In my interaction with the teachers in primary (esp rural) schools, there is a marked interest in continuity or we (the so called arm-chair intellectuals) run the risk of creating an "excuse" for the teachers / local influencers to point their finger and blame "another" set of people
- Continuity DOES NOT come by a few 2-3 hour sessions, IMHO it takes greater committment.
- Was speaking to a few people who have volunteered and ALL of them were looking at 9-11 kind of session once a week ie. on a Saturday. Have never seen this work either as Saturday AM is the most muddled time for a rural school
What has been good though is the campaign coverage. I do sometimes wonder what would be the "effect" if we had just run a similar campaign asking individuals to contribute an hour's salary and then "hire" real full-time teachers to teach ?
I am sure people will lampblast me for suggesting such an idea - but, I must confess, when it was proposed to me, I thought the "efficiency" of such a process should be much better ?
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Getting people to "Visualize" in India
This is a post after a bit of a gap. I guess I'm as prone to the writers' block as anyone else ;-)
Thought I'd post a few comments on how we are NOT trained in our schools to visalize. ...
As most people in our Business Team will tell you, I have this pet peeve that people cannot put together a proposal if they cannot visualize the work to be done. This may sound insane, but, the idea is to get them to think about what needs to be done before they go about describing it in words.
This is exactly the same principle that is used in design (E-R diagrams, state diagrams, Business flow diagrams) or even in mindmaps.
Unfortunately, this continues to be a struggle. Probably the issue is much deeper ?
Late yesterday evening, I was in conversation with one of the senior members who was going to go to Chennai to train a few people. He mentioned that one of his standard questions to guage thinking capability is to ask people to "draw" the equation (a+b) square. ie. get people to explain the concept of why there should be the "2ab" portion. I was not surpised to hear that less than 30% of the people asked to explain could do so !
Maybe we should do a company wide session on visualization followed by De Bono's 6 thinking hats ?
Thought I'd post a few comments on how we are NOT trained in our schools to visalize. ...
As most people in our Business Team will tell you, I have this pet peeve that people cannot put together a proposal if they cannot visualize the work to be done. This may sound insane, but, the idea is to get them to think about what needs to be done before they go about describing it in words.
This is exactly the same principle that is used in design (E-R diagrams, state diagrams, Business flow diagrams) or even in mindmaps.
Unfortunately, this continues to be a struggle. Probably the issue is much deeper ?
Late yesterday evening, I was in conversation with one of the senior members who was going to go to Chennai to train a few people. He mentioned that one of his standard questions to guage thinking capability is to ask people to "draw" the equation (a+b) square. ie. get people to explain the concept of why there should be the "2ab" portion. I was not surpised to hear that less than 30% of the people asked to explain could do so !
Maybe we should do a company wide session on visualization followed by De Bono's 6 thinking hats ?
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Learning to admit one's mistake - primary lesson to be taught
Last week, I'm told we had the unfortunate and unpleasant task of having to let go of an individual in India for lack of propriety / matter of trust. When I walked through the scenario, I found that the real issue was one of personal ego : as simple as admitting that there had been a mistake on the individuals' part.
What transpired was not at all good for any of the teams involved, neither the end customer, nor Inatech or the individual involved offshore.
What started as a simple mistake that could have been handled quite simply with a "Sorry, we made a mistake" ended up being a standoff. The standoff progressed to a level where "honesty" and "trust" were put up as table stakes. This, IMHO is a no-win game.
What are we doing in schools and colleges if we cannot teach the young that it is "ok" to make mistakes, that, it is "ok" to admit that an error has been committed and an solution / alternative has to be worked together as a team ?
Instead, we end up with a LOT of posturing, threats of walk-outs / resignations etc. When will people learn that there are NO shortcuts in life when it comes to values like "TRUST" ?
What transpired was not at all good for any of the teams involved, neither the end customer, nor Inatech or the individual involved offshore.
What started as a simple mistake that could have been handled quite simply with a "Sorry, we made a mistake" ended up being a standoff. The standoff progressed to a level where "honesty" and "trust" were put up as table stakes. This, IMHO is a no-win game.
What are we doing in schools and colleges if we cannot teach the young that it is "ok" to make mistakes, that, it is "ok" to admit that an error has been committed and an solution / alternative has to be worked together as a team ?
Instead, we end up with a LOT of posturing, threats of walk-outs / resignations etc. When will people learn that there are NO shortcuts in life when it comes to values like "TRUST" ?
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Investing in park and share facilities : eg BIAL travel
I think it is time that we started to explore the options available for Park and Share facilities. If we consider the new services available for travel into BIAL from the city - eg. The Vayu Vajra, Airlift etc. All of them have a basic problem and that is of the last mile connection.
I have read about the last mile taxi option in the Vayu Vajra booking site, but, must confess that I do not want to test it. What would be good is if there were park and travel options at key places in the city. This will certainly reduce the amount of people trying to commute / traveling all the way to the airport in their own vehicles just because there is no option in the city for this.
I would love to be able to park (for example near Mekhri Circle) and then take the bus over to the BIAL airport.
Options ? Maybe time for private participation or even influencing BMRTC to think of an option (as they do have parking on top of Shivajinagar bus stand ?)
I have read about the last mile taxi option in the Vayu Vajra booking site, but, must confess that I do not want to test it. What would be good is if there were park and travel options at key places in the city. This will certainly reduce the amount of people trying to commute / traveling all the way to the airport in their own vehicles just because there is no option in the city for this.
I would love to be able to park (for example near Mekhri Circle) and then take the bus over to the BIAL airport.
Options ? Maybe time for private participation or even influencing BMRTC to think of an option (as they do have parking on top of Shivajinagar bus stand ?)
Thursday, July 17, 2008
The loss of a "left luggage" option - Airports in India
The day before yesterday, I lugged my baggage across to Mumbai and back just because the new airport BIAL has no left luggage option and all the airlines do not accept check-in more than 2 or 3 hours before travel time.
The problem arose as I had to fly out to Mumbai and back before I caught an international flight late in the night / early next morning.
In the end - I had to check in my baggage to Mumbai (waste of fuel / energy). Get to Mumbai to realize that they too do not have a left luggage !. Lug the bag in the boot of the taxi and ask for a "left luggage service" from the taxi driver :-)
I checked it back in the evening - unopened.
How I wish my travel bag had a frequent flyer option :-)
I did enquire and was given the standard "Security reasons sir" reply, but, that does not cut ice !
Contrast this to the left luggage desks you get in most railway stations in Europe. Infact, in Germany, the major stations have an "airline style" check in for left luggage. The bags are x-rayed, tagged and bar-coded before being sent to storage on a conveyor belt.
I think it is time people stopped repeating banal reasons as to why something is NOT workable, but, work towards providing solutions. Anyone for teaming up to provide left-baggage service as an entreprenuership option for BIAL ?
The problem arose as I had to fly out to Mumbai and back before I caught an international flight late in the night / early next morning.
In the end - I had to check in my baggage to Mumbai (waste of fuel / energy). Get to Mumbai to realize that they too do not have a left luggage !. Lug the bag in the boot of the taxi and ask for a "left luggage service" from the taxi driver :-)
I checked it back in the evening - unopened.
How I wish my travel bag had a frequent flyer option :-)
I did enquire and was given the standard "Security reasons sir" reply, but, that does not cut ice !
Contrast this to the left luggage desks you get in most railway stations in Europe. Infact, in Germany, the major stations have an "airline style" check in for left luggage. The bags are x-rayed, tagged and bar-coded before being sent to storage on a conveyor belt.
I think it is time people stopped repeating banal reasons as to why something is NOT workable, but, work towards providing solutions. Anyone for teaming up to provide left-baggage service as an entreprenuership option for BIAL ?
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Plastic Waste : Carry Bags .vs. Small Sachets
Last week, some of us were chatting about "waste" collection and disposal. This was in relation to what gets done in the UK and India.
While we, the Indians at the table spoke at length at how our culture of "Raddi" / "Kabadi" wallas automatically provide a recycling solution, I was forced to contemplate on what is the rising problem ? Surely the "plastic" menance is not just the less than 40 microns carry bags that is banned ?
Surely the real menance is the new found favour in small packaging / sachets ?
Everywhere (even while trekking in a rural / reserved forest setting), I come across empty small plastic sachets. These would have held either Gutka, chewing tobacco, sweets or even Rs. 1 packs of Shampoo and coconut oil !
These are too many in number and too low a form factor for anyone to pay attention. Therein lies the problem.
If we are serious about controling the use of plastic packaging, IMHO, we should start at the bottom of the pyramid. We should look at a new packaging material (or even an age old one like waxed paper) that is more degradable than the LDPE / HDPE sachets.
Ideas anyone ?
While we, the Indians at the table spoke at length at how our culture of "Raddi" / "Kabadi" wallas automatically provide a recycling solution, I was forced to contemplate on what is the rising problem ? Surely the "plastic" menance is not just the less than 40 microns carry bags that is banned ?
Surely the real menance is the new found favour in small packaging / sachets ?
Everywhere (even while trekking in a rural / reserved forest setting), I come across empty small plastic sachets. These would have held either Gutka, chewing tobacco, sweets or even Rs. 1 packs of Shampoo and coconut oil !
These are too many in number and too low a form factor for anyone to pay attention. Therein lies the problem.
If we are serious about controling the use of plastic packaging, IMHO, we should start at the bottom of the pyramid. We should look at a new packaging material (or even an age old one like waxed paper) that is more degradable than the LDPE / HDPE sachets.
Ideas anyone ?
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Common sparrows : A lost sight in Bangalore : BIAL has some !
Another post related to BIAL (Bengaluru International Airport) and this one has NOTHING to do with the facility, size, baggage handling etc. This is to do with the sighting of a number of common sparrows !
I'm not sure how many people remember the time in Bangalore where one would sight sparrows, mynahs and the "did you do it" ? bird in abundance.
I'm told that the increase in the crow and the grey pigeon / dove has almost wiped out the sparrow population in the city.
I was pleasantly surprised to hear loud "chirping" in the arrival hall of BIAL on monday. I stopped, looked around to validate that the noise was NOT from an "electronic bird" and was awarded with the sight of a small sparrow flying from one girder to another !
I stood looking around for more of these and as I was looking around, I also noticed a BIAL official with a Motorola "Walkie Talkie" also looking up and around. He was inside the arrivals area and I was already out of the security area. If not, I was going to go up to him and have a chat about his intentions !
I fervently hope that he was not looking around to chase these sparrows away !. That would certainly be a shame and a loss of opportunity for BIAL in terms of a redemption :-)
I'm not sure how many people remember the time in Bangalore where one would sight sparrows, mynahs and the "did you do it" ? bird in abundance.
I'm told that the increase in the crow and the grey pigeon / dove has almost wiped out the sparrow population in the city.
I was pleasantly surprised to hear loud "chirping" in the arrival hall of BIAL on monday. I stopped, looked around to validate that the noise was NOT from an "electronic bird" and was awarded with the sight of a small sparrow flying from one girder to another !
I stood looking around for more of these and as I was looking around, I also noticed a BIAL official with a Motorola "Walkie Talkie" also looking up and around. He was inside the arrivals area and I was already out of the security area. If not, I was going to go up to him and have a chat about his intentions !
I fervently hope that he was not looking around to chase these sparrows away !. That would certainly be a shame and a loss of opportunity for BIAL in terms of a redemption :-)
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Noise pollution : Making normal citizens aware of this ?
This morning, being a Sunday, I was hoping for a late sleep-in. Unfortunately, it was not to be : I was woken up before light, approximately at about 4:45 in the morning by some idiot in the apartment complex with his noisy audio "reverse" indicator.
Listening to the loud "beep-ep beep-ep" at that time of the tranquil morning, I was forced to imagine all the things I'd do to this person / car if I were the violent kind.
What is it that makes people think they have the right to make as much noise without remorse ?
This is not the first time that I've noticed / commented or even lamented on the noise level of our Indian roads. However, I'm exasperated. I think we should not have only "honk-free" days but, "honk-free" weekends for a start.
Other instances that I'm sure will strike a chord with my fellow citizens
- Honking by a person in the back while you (and the whole world) is waiting patiently for the traffic lights to go from "red" to "green"
- Honking while overtaking even when one knows it is better to wait for another 50 m to get a good sight of the road ahead
- Switching on the "reversing" audio with various options on tunes
- Even making loud "Beep-Beep" when locking / unlocking the car or vehicle
Is this an attitude or is it education ?
Why is it that people do not use the "silent" option available in most autolock / autocop versions where the instrument can be "muted" ?
Listening to the loud "beep-ep beep-ep" at that time of the tranquil morning, I was forced to imagine all the things I'd do to this person / car if I were the violent kind.
What is it that makes people think they have the right to make as much noise without remorse ?
This is not the first time that I've noticed / commented or even lamented on the noise level of our Indian roads. However, I'm exasperated. I think we should not have only "honk-free" days but, "honk-free" weekends for a start.
Other instances that I'm sure will strike a chord with my fellow citizens
- Honking by a person in the back while you (and the whole world) is waiting patiently for the traffic lights to go from "red" to "green"
- Honking while overtaking even when one knows it is better to wait for another 50 m to get a good sight of the road ahead
- Switching on the "reversing" audio with various options on tunes
- Even making loud "Beep-Beep" when locking / unlocking the car or vehicle
Is this an attitude or is it education ?
Why is it that people do not use the "silent" option available in most autolock / autocop versions where the instrument can be "muted" ?
Friday, June 13, 2008
Dubai : The local watering hole in the Gulf
Last week I spent an evening out in a restaurant close to the Dubai International Airport. The whole set / sequence reminded me of a trip I had made to Daman about 20 years ago and I thought I'd document both the set.
On a bored weekend, a few friends and I decided to take off from our shared flat in Andheri, Mumbai and head to Daman. We left on a Saturday morning and were in Daman by late afternoon. We checked into the hotel, went out for a late afternoon lunch. There was really no beach to speak of and bored, tired and sleepy after a heavy lunch, we decided to nap till evening. All of what we had seen until then was a sleepy town with hardly anyone in the street and very little activity.
We were in for a contrast. At around 6:30-7:00 most of us came awake at growing noise outside in the road. By the time we washed up and came down to the front of the hotel lobby, there was a sea change. The roads were filled with people, cars and two-wheelers and generally the place looked as though there was a Mela about.
As the evening progressed, this sleepy town went through a transformation that'd put Las Vegas to shame !. There were brawls in pubs / bars and restaurants, there were people walking the streets with liquor in-hand or upto their eye-balls.
As it turns out, Daman is the closest "drinking hole" to Gujarat (DRY!) and the floating population was just that - float in and out over the evening. It almost seemed as though all the people who'd want a drink in Gujarat had gravitated to Daman !
Now, cut to Dubai.
There were just 2 of us who wanted to have a quiet drink and catch up on business developments. I had about 2 hours to kill late in the evening having already checked in and with my boarding card. As we went into the local bar, we saw some people, but, not much.
As the evening / night progressed, I realized that my "Daman experience" was being replayed. Everyone around was drinking more than they could carry and were pretty boisterous. All the frustrations pent up was being spent in a binge. This even led the person with me to comment that all of them seemed to be "Dharam-Bhrasht". To add to this, I even saw a person with the beads of meditation in one hand and a drink in another. Talk about immediate salvation ?
In Daman, by the next morning, the roads were empty of people / traffic, but, crammed with junk and garbage. In a way am glad I was not going to be there the next morning in Dubai
On a bored weekend, a few friends and I decided to take off from our shared flat in Andheri, Mumbai and head to Daman. We left on a Saturday morning and were in Daman by late afternoon. We checked into the hotel, went out for a late afternoon lunch. There was really no beach to speak of and bored, tired and sleepy after a heavy lunch, we decided to nap till evening. All of what we had seen until then was a sleepy town with hardly anyone in the street and very little activity.
We were in for a contrast. At around 6:30-7:00 most of us came awake at growing noise outside in the road. By the time we washed up and came down to the front of the hotel lobby, there was a sea change. The roads were filled with people, cars and two-wheelers and generally the place looked as though there was a Mela about.
As the evening progressed, this sleepy town went through a transformation that'd put Las Vegas to shame !. There were brawls in pubs / bars and restaurants, there were people walking the streets with liquor in-hand or upto their eye-balls.
As it turns out, Daman is the closest "drinking hole" to Gujarat (DRY!) and the floating population was just that - float in and out over the evening. It almost seemed as though all the people who'd want a drink in Gujarat had gravitated to Daman !
Now, cut to Dubai.
There were just 2 of us who wanted to have a quiet drink and catch up on business developments. I had about 2 hours to kill late in the evening having already checked in and with my boarding card. As we went into the local bar, we saw some people, but, not much.
As the evening / night progressed, I realized that my "Daman experience" was being replayed. Everyone around was drinking more than they could carry and were pretty boisterous. All the frustrations pent up was being spent in a binge. This even led the person with me to comment that all of them seemed to be "Dharam-Bhrasht". To add to this, I even saw a person with the beads of meditation in one hand and a drink in another. Talk about immediate salvation ?
In Daman, by the next morning, the roads were empty of people / traffic, but, crammed with junk and garbage. In a way am glad I was not going to be there the next morning in Dubai
Monday, June 9, 2008
Journalism or Reporting : Where is the media headed ?
A post by P Sainath (author of the book called "Everybody loves a good drought") made me sit up and take notice of the question in the heading of the post.
The book itself is something I picked up on the recommendation of Mr Ramamurty of Sikshana.
While the book is a collection of thought provoking articles, the fundamental question raised at the start needs a very deep / detailed look.
With the proliferation of the online channels (multiple 24x7 news channel included), I think there is less of journalism that comes out of independent thought and reflection and more of "being the first to file a report" happening in India today.
Be it a report on local crime, citizen / civic issue or the coverage of an event that is newsworthy. The worthiness is related to a quick "instant" meal rather than the process of extracting the key essense / doing "root cause analysis"
What I think is needed a bipolar strategy that channels / newspapers and the fourth estate in general should undertake. One that is "responsive" and will file in the reports, while another that is based on reflection and analysis.
The book itself is something I picked up on the recommendation of Mr Ramamurty of Sikshana.
While the book is a collection of thought provoking articles, the fundamental question raised at the start needs a very deep / detailed look.
With the proliferation of the online channels (multiple 24x7 news channel included), I think there is less of journalism that comes out of independent thought and reflection and more of "being the first to file a report" happening in India today.
Be it a report on local crime, citizen / civic issue or the coverage of an event that is newsworthy. The worthiness is related to a quick "instant" meal rather than the process of extracting the key essense / doing "root cause analysis"
What I think is needed a bipolar strategy that channels / newspapers and the fourth estate in general should undertake. One that is "responsive" and will file in the reports, while another that is based on reflection and analysis.
Friday, June 6, 2008
The new Bengaluru International Airport - My take on it :-)
I've waited for about a week before I posted on the new Bengaluru International Airport (BIAL as it is going to be known I guess). The reason for the wait was to ensure that I did not post a "first / biased" comment without letting the thoughts in my own mind settle down :-). I guess, the end result should be a more balanced view ?
Let me get over my cribs first (as it popular with the BIAL bashing brigade)
- Not all loos are working : A whole section was blocked off and people were diverted to another area. Even in the area, where one'd expect a hugh crowd - ie. next to the eating joints at departure level, the mens loo has just 4-5 slots ?
- Food area is crowded : There is NO WAY the area is going to take the load. The gates were not fully operational and in the morning, there was already a team of people walking around the area with breakfast trays in hand trying to get a "parking" slot. The coffee line was about 30 feet long !
- Ground handling sucks : While, I did not have to go through a torture at the baggage retrieval area as I was traveling light, I did have to endure a 20-25 minute wait for the bus to cart us from the aircraft to the arrivals hall. While on the bus, I heard a number of conversations in Kannada where there was a LOT of back and forth as to which gate the bus driver was to go to ?
- Expect a LOT of public injury claims on the outside road : Fairly shoddy finish on the exterior with NO thought to safety. It is absolutely dangerous to walk on the footpath / pavement while wet towards the car park. I had to watch every step gingerly as it was very very slippery. This is while some of the vehicles were zipping past just a few feet away !
- Even the road in and out of the airport is not designed well in my opinion. People have to drop to almost ZERO from whatever speed they are traveling at (it is quite high - believe me), in a few feet when they hit the roundabouts. I will not be surprised to see quite a few "Crashes" into the roundabout. We Indians' just do not have the discipline at circles / roundabouts that one sees in places like UK
Let me cover the positive points now (and being an optimist - I like this)
- The first is the feel : The airport **atleast** feels like one now. Right from the road towards the airport, the area is clean and it feels as though you are heading to an airport / heading from an airport.
- While I did hear a few complaints on check-in. For me, it was a breeze
- Parking was also a piece of cake notwithstanding the rate !(although, there was quite a line at exit time due to a single functional gate)
- I was VERY impressed with the long line of Vayu Vajra coaches at the front of the airport. This should go a LONG way to reduce stress once it gets to work properly.
- Also, very impressed with the lack of touts and the orderly fashion people were going towards their exit : Taxi, parking, coaches, shared transport etc.
Balanced Synopsis ?
Excellent start - but, I think someone needs to start thinking of extensions NOW ?
I think the place is going to run out of space / will not be able to take the load within the close of this calendar year !!!
Let me get over my cribs first (as it popular with the BIAL bashing brigade)
- Not all loos are working : A whole section was blocked off and people were diverted to another area. Even in the area, where one'd expect a hugh crowd - ie. next to the eating joints at departure level, the mens loo has just 4-5 slots ?
- Food area is crowded : There is NO WAY the area is going to take the load. The gates were not fully operational and in the morning, there was already a team of people walking around the area with breakfast trays in hand trying to get a "parking" slot. The coffee line was about 30 feet long !
- Ground handling sucks : While, I did not have to go through a torture at the baggage retrieval area as I was traveling light, I did have to endure a 20-25 minute wait for the bus to cart us from the aircraft to the arrivals hall. While on the bus, I heard a number of conversations in Kannada where there was a LOT of back and forth as to which gate the bus driver was to go to ?
- Expect a LOT of public injury claims on the outside road : Fairly shoddy finish on the exterior with NO thought to safety. It is absolutely dangerous to walk on the footpath / pavement while wet towards the car park. I had to watch every step gingerly as it was very very slippery. This is while some of the vehicles were zipping past just a few feet away !
- Even the road in and out of the airport is not designed well in my opinion. People have to drop to almost ZERO from whatever speed they are traveling at (it is quite high - believe me), in a few feet when they hit the roundabouts. I will not be surprised to see quite a few "Crashes" into the roundabout. We Indians' just do not have the discipline at circles / roundabouts that one sees in places like UK
Let me cover the positive points now (and being an optimist - I like this)
- The first is the feel : The airport **atleast** feels like one now. Right from the road towards the airport, the area is clean and it feels as though you are heading to an airport / heading from an airport.
- While I did hear a few complaints on check-in. For me, it was a breeze
- Parking was also a piece of cake notwithstanding the rate !(although, there was quite a line at exit time due to a single functional gate)
- I was VERY impressed with the long line of Vayu Vajra coaches at the front of the airport. This should go a LONG way to reduce stress once it gets to work properly.
- Also, very impressed with the lack of touts and the orderly fashion people were going towards their exit : Taxi, parking, coaches, shared transport etc.
Balanced Synopsis ?
Excellent start - but, I think someone needs to start thinking of extensions NOW ?
I think the place is going to run out of space / will not be able to take the load within the close of this calendar year !!!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Our most forgotten question : Why ?
Curiosity is a trait that we see diminishing when people grow up and we talk about them getting "wiser" ?
Whenever I talk to a child, I'm struck by the number of times I'm asked "why ?"
I'm also struck at the number of times I'm NOT asked "why ?" by an adult !
How I wish we could all magically retain our ability to ask "why ?". To me, this is the most important question that needs to be asked and it needs to be asked first. Inatech is a company that does business consulting and it takes us a LOT of time to convince our own employees to ask this question. Unfortunately, either the Indian education system or the society has converted all the "whys ?" to "whats ?"
It is hard work to get an individual to ask the customer "Why do you need this process ?" instead of "What do you need done in this process ?" - thereby, missing the whole point of "NEED" ?
Maybe it is due to our education system that encourages learning by "rote". I do remember one of my own science teacher who said - "You do not need to know that to pass your exam" as a response to my question. (incidentally, ever since, She's lost all respect from the child in me)
Or, is it due to the societal pressure of accepting what is said by "elders" and not to "question elders ?". I can almost visualize the conversation - a child asking a parent "why is the sky blue" and the parent replying "Because, it is so" and adding almost casually "don't waste time asking obvious questions".
How many of the "elders" have the maturity to accept that he / she does not know and takes the effort to go and look up "Rayleigh scattering" or just "Why is the sky blue" in google / or an encyclopedia ?
Or, maybe we can also blame this on our famous Indian "fate" and quote like Lord Tennyson : "Ours is not to reason why, ours but to do and die" :-(
Whenever I talk to a child, I'm struck by the number of times I'm asked "why ?"
I'm also struck at the number of times I'm NOT asked "why ?" by an adult !
How I wish we could all magically retain our ability to ask "why ?". To me, this is the most important question that needs to be asked and it needs to be asked first. Inatech is a company that does business consulting and it takes us a LOT of time to convince our own employees to ask this question. Unfortunately, either the Indian education system or the society has converted all the "whys ?" to "whats ?"
It is hard work to get an individual to ask the customer "Why do you need this process ?" instead of "What do you need done in this process ?" - thereby, missing the whole point of "NEED" ?
Maybe it is due to our education system that encourages learning by "rote". I do remember one of my own science teacher who said - "You do not need to know that to pass your exam" as a response to my question. (incidentally, ever since, She's lost all respect from the child in me)
Or, is it due to the societal pressure of accepting what is said by "elders" and not to "question elders ?". I can almost visualize the conversation - a child asking a parent "why is the sky blue" and the parent replying "Because, it is so" and adding almost casually "don't waste time asking obvious questions".
How many of the "elders" have the maturity to accept that he / she does not know and takes the effort to go and look up "Rayleigh scattering" or just "Why is the sky blue" in google / or an encyclopedia ?
Or, maybe we can also blame this on our famous Indian "fate" and quote like Lord Tennyson : "Ours is not to reason why, ours but to do and die" :-(
Monday, May 26, 2008
Handing work over to others : Whom would you choose
Following on my adage bit... I've always held the belief that when you want work done, do not pass it onto someone who has nothing to do, instead, pass is to the busiest chap with a hint that he/she can use the other resources as they deem fit.
The reason is simple. A person who has no work is in such a position for either one of the following reasons
a) The person has no initiative and needs to be told what to do
b) Everyone else thinks that it is a waste of time to get things done out of this individual (and in most cases, they'd rather do it themselves)
Both of these are fundamental issues with either attitude or approach and are not to do with expertise. Expertise is the easiest of the problems to solve, while people use that as an excuse. Ie. you will hear often that someone does not have either the skill or the expertise to do a particular job. While this is true for specific skill based execution, it has no relevance in "getting the job done"
Maybe I'm rambling ?
Net net, you will still me making a beeline to the person who is fully loaded ...
The reason is simple. A person who has no work is in such a position for either one of the following reasons
a) The person has no initiative and needs to be told what to do
b) Everyone else thinks that it is a waste of time to get things done out of this individual (and in most cases, they'd rather do it themselves)
Both of these are fundamental issues with either attitude or approach and are not to do with expertise. Expertise is the easiest of the problems to solve, while people use that as an excuse. Ie. you will hear often that someone does not have either the skill or the expertise to do a particular job. While this is true for specific skill based execution, it has no relevance in "getting the job done"
Maybe I'm rambling ?
Net net, you will still me making a beeline to the person who is fully loaded ...
Saturday, May 24, 2008
My Beach Economy Theory - views expressed in private until now
I have been traveling the last few weeks and hence no recent posts : Well, in reality, that is an excuse.
During the trip, one of the bits that was discussed was my series of "one line adages" - I was then asked as to why I've not posted these onto my own blog - so, here goes .... the first one is an opinion that I've held for over 15 years....
The theory is what I call the "Beach Economy". In this, I theorize that NO economy (other than hospitality industry based) can flourish near good sandy beach towns.
I could state a few examples. In India, I would list : Goa, Trivandrum the good beaches of Orissa etc. The reason is something that I've learnt first hand in Goa.
In Goa, I learnt that an individuals' life ambition / goal is to own a beach front shack that is a combination of beach bar / restaurant. I always felt that while this was an interesting goal - it did not seem to be very ambitious ?
Over the years, whenever I've visited a famous beach, I tend to notice that the complete economy has high migrant population, very few industries and almost the complete economy is based on hotels / tourism and in general hospitality. No major educational institutions, no industries (even high tech) etc.
Would like to know if this is just a statistical occurance or something that is much deeper ? Especially from people who can list proof :-)
During the trip, one of the bits that was discussed was my series of "one line adages" - I was then asked as to why I've not posted these onto my own blog - so, here goes .... the first one is an opinion that I've held for over 15 years....
The theory is what I call the "Beach Economy". In this, I theorize that NO economy (other than hospitality industry based) can flourish near good sandy beach towns.
I could state a few examples. In India, I would list : Goa, Trivandrum the good beaches of Orissa etc. The reason is something that I've learnt first hand in Goa.
In Goa, I learnt that an individuals' life ambition / goal is to own a beach front shack that is a combination of beach bar / restaurant. I always felt that while this was an interesting goal - it did not seem to be very ambitious ?
Over the years, whenever I've visited a famous beach, I tend to notice that the complete economy has high migrant population, very few industries and almost the complete economy is based on hotels / tourism and in general hospitality. No major educational institutions, no industries (even high tech) etc.
Would like to know if this is just a statistical occurance or something that is much deeper ? Especially from people who can list proof :-)
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Akshaya Tadige : Why is it such a big deal ?
I'm sure there is NOT a single person in Bangalore (beyond the age of 6 years atleast) who has not figured out that yesterday was Akshaya Tritiya. I mean, how can people miss this grand event of the year ? TOI carried a very "glossy" addendum that listed the superlative products and excellent "offers" and reasons as to why EVERY SINGLE person in the world had to rush off and buy GOLD!!
What a marketing driven feeding frenzy !
I'm sure if we had someone with a Rip Van Winkle syndrome wake up today, they'd be distraught that they've missed the greatest opportunity and good fortune this year.
Seriously, as an youngster, I did know of Akshaya Tadige (in Kannada, it is Tadige not Tritya - but that is just semantics). Did I pay any attention ? Not at all !!.
Not only did I NOT pay any attention, I do not remember ANYONE paying attention.
Nobody offered special discounts on Gold coins (Infact, there no coins sold and no ads put up)
Nobody listed out the reasons that made buying gold on this day
No shop put up a pandal (makeshift tent) in front to seat the enthusiastic shopper and then fed them glasses of fruit juice, snacks etc.
Nobody put up hoardings that said "We are extending shopping hours for the convienience of our esteemed shopper" (like I care !)
No special editions on paper
No "exhibitions" of the latest design
No......
Is this the consumerism that I had been warned about when discussing the American Consumption ?
What a marketing driven feeding frenzy !
I'm sure if we had someone with a Rip Van Winkle syndrome wake up today, they'd be distraught that they've missed the greatest opportunity and good fortune this year.
Seriously, as an youngster, I did know of Akshaya Tadige (in Kannada, it is Tadige not Tritya - but that is just semantics). Did I pay any attention ? Not at all !!.
Not only did I NOT pay any attention, I do not remember ANYONE paying attention.
Nobody offered special discounts on Gold coins (Infact, there no coins sold and no ads put up)
Nobody listed out the reasons that made buying gold on this day
No shop put up a pandal (makeshift tent) in front to seat the enthusiastic shopper and then fed them glasses of fruit juice, snacks etc.
Nobody put up hoardings that said "We are extending shopping hours for the convienience of our esteemed shopper" (like I care !)
No special editions on paper
No "exhibitions" of the latest design
No......
Is this the consumerism that I had been warned about when discussing the American Consumption ?
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Bangalore - Not yet ready for buildings higher / taller than 50 feet ?
My apartment complex is in the process of getting a new coat of paint. Given, that I live in the top floor of an eight floored building, I find it extremely stressful watching the process / progress. The prime reason is that I see individuals dangling on un-anchored / manually anchored ropes without a safety harness ?
Why is it that we allow for infrastructure to be created without necessary maintainence features built into the system. This is not just buildings - it is also the corresponding infrastructure with the support services / emergency services like the fire department.
We, in Inatech were unfortunate to witness a fire accident and the main reason why we could NOT contain the fire was the level of smoke in the floor that had fire (airconditioned and hence in some ways sealed !).
There were several fire extinguishers spread around the office - but, there were not reachable to be of any use ?
Now, you'd expect that the fire department has the necessary equipment ? My own experience has been a sorry state.
- The "standard" fire engine does not have retractable ladder that can extend beyond 3rd floor
- The "standard" engine crew carry ONE smoke mask. More importantly, this does NOT come with a flashlight fixed on top of the helmet which means that the fireman is expected to carry a flashlight / torch in one hand and the hose in the other
- The "standard" fire mask (lone one) is not oxygen supported, but is of the active filter kind.
I'm sure I can write a lot more of the deficiencies, but, that is not the point.
None of the infrastructure that is coming up seems designed to handle this.
How do we as individuals / citizens ensure that there is enough protection ?
Why is it that we allow for infrastructure to be created without necessary maintainence features built into the system. This is not just buildings - it is also the corresponding infrastructure with the support services / emergency services like the fire department.
We, in Inatech were unfortunate to witness a fire accident and the main reason why we could NOT contain the fire was the level of smoke in the floor that had fire (airconditioned and hence in some ways sealed !).
There were several fire extinguishers spread around the office - but, there were not reachable to be of any use ?
Now, you'd expect that the fire department has the necessary equipment ? My own experience has been a sorry state.
- The "standard" fire engine does not have retractable ladder that can extend beyond 3rd floor
- The "standard" engine crew carry ONE smoke mask. More importantly, this does NOT come with a flashlight fixed on top of the helmet which means that the fireman is expected to carry a flashlight / torch in one hand and the hose in the other
- The "standard" fire mask (lone one) is not oxygen supported, but is of the active filter kind.
I'm sure I can write a lot more of the deficiencies, but, that is not the point.
None of the infrastructure that is coming up seems designed to handle this.
How do we as individuals / citizens ensure that there is enough protection ?
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Electric Cars : Are they **REALLY** environmentally friendly in India ?
I thought I'd write about what I believe is a urban myth.
I'm told time and again how Electric Cars in India are environmentally friendly as against the regular petrol / diesel and CNG cars. However, I think this is a myth - especially in a country like India where power generation is so very inefficient ?
It stands to simple reasoning that Electric cars run on "stored" energy (batteries) that has undergone 2 transformations and in that sense is already subjected to atleast 2 levels of efficiency (or should I say in-effieciency as it is less than 1) conversion ?
The first conversion is when Coal and other fossil fuels (notwithstanding hydro - but that is altogether a separate blog entry) is converted with LOW efficiency. Then there is approximately 40% transmission losses, it then goes to charge a battery with low energy transformation efficiency (heat loss etc). Finally, when one gets motion out of the motor, I'd hazard that we'd probably not even recover a tenth of input -> output energy efficiencies ?
In short, are electric cars really environmentally friendly ?
IMHO - Absolutely not.
I'm sure someone is going to argue that if coal were to be replaced by Hydro, Solar, Wind (and even Nuclear), then, automatically electric cars could be classified as environmentally friendly - but, even then, I'd retort (very easily proved) that given the energy shortage that India faces, having more motors to drive is clearly not going to be efficient ?
IMHO we should be using only ONE major criteria for environmental friendliness and that is "Energy efficiency".
I'm told time and again how Electric Cars in India are environmentally friendly as against the regular petrol / diesel and CNG cars. However, I think this is a myth - especially in a country like India where power generation is so very inefficient ?
It stands to simple reasoning that Electric cars run on "stored" energy (batteries) that has undergone 2 transformations and in that sense is already subjected to atleast 2 levels of efficiency (or should I say in-effieciency as it is less than 1) conversion ?
The first conversion is when Coal and other fossil fuels (notwithstanding hydro - but that is altogether a separate blog entry) is converted with LOW efficiency. Then there is approximately 40% transmission losses, it then goes to charge a battery with low energy transformation efficiency (heat loss etc). Finally, when one gets motion out of the motor, I'd hazard that we'd probably not even recover a tenth of input -> output energy efficiencies ?
In short, are electric cars really environmentally friendly ?
IMHO - Absolutely not.
I'm sure someone is going to argue that if coal were to be replaced by Hydro, Solar, Wind (and even Nuclear), then, automatically electric cars could be classified as environmentally friendly - but, even then, I'd retort (very easily proved) that given the energy shortage that India faces, having more motors to drive is clearly not going to be efficient ?
IMHO we should be using only ONE major criteria for environmental friendliness and that is "Energy efficiency".
Monday, April 28, 2008
Think before you act - Why is it so difficult to enforce this maxim ?
I think we Indians have been "directed" for so long, told what to do and instructed on action being the best policy for so long (primary education to choice of career are all dictated in most cases) that we seem to have lost the ability to think for ourselves. What does it take for us to get to a mode where an individual thinks - one as himself (detached from the problem) and two, as a customer (as a recipient) ?
In my opinion, this will change India to be the leader and not be led.
I was THRILLED when I was told that in my child's class - 6th Std, they introduced a rule that the student is not allowed to start answering immediately after the question paper is distributed.
This is the best thing that I can think of for instigating the thought process ??
How I wish people in my school were forced to do this. In those days (and I'm sure in pretty much the whole of the country today), there is a mad rush to start answering the questions before even glancing through the question paper.
There have been numerous occasions when I was told by individuals in my class that they have answered ALL the questions (including the choices !!!)
This trait of acting without thinking is spilling over to the work arena with disastrous effect. We are fulfilling the prophecy made by a few newspapers / analyst about a decade ago that India was a nation of "Tech Coolies".
It is time we stopped and thought ...
Ideas as to how ?
In my opinion, this will change India to be the leader and not be led.
I was THRILLED when I was told that in my child's class - 6th Std, they introduced a rule that the student is not allowed to start answering immediately after the question paper is distributed.
This is the best thing that I can think of for instigating the thought process ??
How I wish people in my school were forced to do this. In those days (and I'm sure in pretty much the whole of the country today), there is a mad rush to start answering the questions before even glancing through the question paper.
There have been numerous occasions when I was told by individuals in my class that they have answered ALL the questions (including the choices !!!)
This trait of acting without thinking is spilling over to the work arena with disastrous effect. We are fulfilling the prophecy made by a few newspapers / analyst about a decade ago that India was a nation of "Tech Coolies".
It is time we stopped and thought ...
Ideas as to how ?
Monday, April 21, 2008
Urgent and Important : Managing the difference
I thought I'd put up a couple of posts that try and elaborate the Indian difficulty in understanding key differences.
The first one is the difference between what is Urgent and what is important ?
This is a typical issue with the folks who work in an onsite-offshore model. While the person is working on a priority list, the assignments of priority themselves seem to be out of a hidden agenda from the perspective of the onsite person.
While some of this can be put down to communication gaps. I personally think that there is a more fundamental issue related to prioritizing.
There seems to be a mixup in priorities as the individual concerned cannot differentiate between the two. While one requires a response, some acknowledgement that the issue has been picked up, the other requires action.
This invariably leads to the constant Onsite complaint that whatever has gone offshore seems to have gone into a "black hole"
This leads to a post in the near future - one related to "response .vs. reply"
:-)
The first one is the difference between what is Urgent and what is important ?
This is a typical issue with the folks who work in an onsite-offshore model. While the person is working on a priority list, the assignments of priority themselves seem to be out of a hidden agenda from the perspective of the onsite person.
While some of this can be put down to communication gaps. I personally think that there is a more fundamental issue related to prioritizing.
There seems to be a mixup in priorities as the individual concerned cannot differentiate between the two. While one requires a response, some acknowledgement that the issue has been picked up, the other requires action.
This invariably leads to the constant Onsite complaint that whatever has gone offshore seems to have gone into a "black hole"
This leads to a post in the near future - one related to "response .vs. reply"
:-)
Thursday, April 17, 2008
SaaS / ASP model : Is it for India ?
I think over the next few months / years, Software as a service / the hosted Application model is going to get to primetime in a few markets.
The question is, is it the right model for the new "growth" markets in India and China ?
I, for one, think it is. Especially for bits like ERP / CRM and business applications.
Infact, I'd wager that this is the "real" market for such a deployment. There is not enough of process maturity to have implemented differentiated process, but, with sufficient setup on the ISO base to get to a common application process model to be able to share the application set.
In terms of processes that I think is going to go over first.
- SSC components like payroll, GL consolidation / reporting, procurement etc.
- ISO documentation components
etc. etc.
One of these days, I think I'll put in some more thought on this and list what I think is going to work....
As usual, one more TO-DO ;-)
The question is, is it the right model for the new "growth" markets in India and China ?
I, for one, think it is. Especially for bits like ERP / CRM and business applications.
Infact, I'd wager that this is the "real" market for such a deployment. There is not enough of process maturity to have implemented differentiated process, but, with sufficient setup on the ISO base to get to a common application process model to be able to share the application set.
In terms of processes that I think is going to go over first.
- SSC components like payroll, GL consolidation / reporting, procurement etc.
- ISO documentation components
etc. etc.
One of these days, I think I'll put in some more thought on this and list what I think is going to work....
As usual, one more TO-DO ;-)
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
A device to record verbal commitments / add onto mobile phones
Today, again, I have had to control my temper when faced with a set of unkept promises. Maybe I did not get people to take a oath on Gita or Bible or some reference point before I let them get away with a verbal committment - but, you get the picture ?
It seems to be one more of those "Indian" things.... where someone states that they will get back today / tomorrow of next monday with absolutely NO mechanism to follow through !!
I think it is time someone built an application onto the mobile phone. The moment someone commits a deliverable, it should be recorded (voice recording is a standard feature) and then we should assign a date (default to 24 hours reminder). This way, these reminders can be sent across either as an sms or a voice reminder.
If this does not work, then, there should be a cattle prod kind of jolt that goes to the individual ;-)
If anyone were to come up to me with the statement that this is far too harsh, then, I'd be willing to tell them that on the reverse, am happy to get them a "electronic / electric massage" for every promise kept.
That should be an equitable carrot-stick policy ?
It seems to be one more of those "Indian" things.... where someone states that they will get back today / tomorrow of next monday with absolutely NO mechanism to follow through !!
I think it is time someone built an application onto the mobile phone. The moment someone commits a deliverable, it should be recorded (voice recording is a standard feature) and then we should assign a date (default to 24 hours reminder). This way, these reminders can be sent across either as an sms or a voice reminder.
If this does not work, then, there should be a cattle prod kind of jolt that goes to the individual ;-)
If anyone were to come up to me with the statement that this is far too harsh, then, I'd be willing to tell them that on the reverse, am happy to get them a "electronic / electric massage" for every promise kept.
That should be an equitable carrot-stick policy ?
Monday, April 14, 2008
Tourism in India - what ails the industry ?
Yesterday, I was in Savandurga with the kids trying out trekking, cave exploration and rappelling.
While the whole tour was a great success and everyone had a whale of a time, some of the sights / things that I saw made me think of current issues with tourism.
I'm told that the domestic tourists going out of the country has been the highest and growing at a tremendous pace, as is the influx of external folks. However, I do think that we should get to more domestic internal tourists interested. Things that I think are low hanging fruits
- Visibility and access to information
I'm sure it is quite easy with the current information base + technology to provide a very factual and up-to-date information about the tourist spot. Simple tips like the best route to take (given the pothole / roadworks situation), what to watch out for (eg. No water source / shade all the way up the hill), where to park a vehicle (even if there is no separate parking area marked) etc. Other than this, it will be good to get some local weather, nearby places to eat etc. info. I'm sure someone will state that this is what blogs are meant to do - but, that is not the point. These cannot be a "voluntary" bit that has no throat to choke / nobody to hold responsible
- Civic amenities
Given the footfall / number of visitors, I'm sure places like this will sustain (or better even, provide a sustainable employment) local participation in civic amenities - eg. Garbage clearing, distribution of local information pamplet (even if charged on a individual pamplet basis / paid for by local vendors like restaurants etc), manned toilets etc.
- Clear markings
I've seen some boards up in a few places, but, this is another piece I think, that is easily done. Markings for trails, directions, historical significance etc. Simple bits that can be put up without too much of an issue and also linked to a locally available facility / public building. Eg. in this case, there is a temple that seems pretty well attended / taken care of - except the premises outside is under nobodys watch. Even if there were to be resistance in putting up this info board within the temple premises, I'm sure it would stay as long as it was put on the outer compound wall ?
Maybe the start is to come up with a "model" that is clear and replicable. Again, when I have the time, maybe I'll start with a info portal ?
While the whole tour was a great success and everyone had a whale of a time, some of the sights / things that I saw made me think of current issues with tourism.
I'm told that the domestic tourists going out of the country has been the highest and growing at a tremendous pace, as is the influx of external folks. However, I do think that we should get to more domestic internal tourists interested. Things that I think are low hanging fruits
- Visibility and access to information
I'm sure it is quite easy with the current information base + technology to provide a very factual and up-to-date information about the tourist spot. Simple tips like the best route to take (given the pothole / roadworks situation), what to watch out for (eg. No water source / shade all the way up the hill), where to park a vehicle (even if there is no separate parking area marked) etc. Other than this, it will be good to get some local weather, nearby places to eat etc. info. I'm sure someone will state that this is what blogs are meant to do - but, that is not the point. These cannot be a "voluntary" bit that has no throat to choke / nobody to hold responsible
- Civic amenities
Given the footfall / number of visitors, I'm sure places like this will sustain (or better even, provide a sustainable employment) local participation in civic amenities - eg. Garbage clearing, distribution of local information pamplet (even if charged on a individual pamplet basis / paid for by local vendors like restaurants etc), manned toilets etc.
- Clear markings
I've seen some boards up in a few places, but, this is another piece I think, that is easily done. Markings for trails, directions, historical significance etc. Simple bits that can be put up without too much of an issue and also linked to a locally available facility / public building. Eg. in this case, there is a temple that seems pretty well attended / taken care of - except the premises outside is under nobodys watch. Even if there were to be resistance in putting up this info board within the temple premises, I'm sure it would stay as long as it was put on the outer compound wall ?
Maybe the start is to come up with a "model" that is clear and replicable. Again, when I have the time, maybe I'll start with a info portal ?
Friday, April 11, 2008
The rain tree : Uses of the fruit
The best view from outside of my window is the hugh canopy of a raintree. This is IMHO one of the best trees to be found in Bangalore.
They are shady, spread on the top as much as spread below the ground (I always visualise this tree as having roots on top and below !) and very efficient in coverage. Not sure if people have noticed, but, there is almost a "cap" like quality in the foliage. There is almost ZERO foliage that do not receive sunlight !!!
As a kid, we used to collect the fruits of this tree when ripe. They are black / dark brown, the size of a small drumstick and slightly flat. Each fruit has about a dozen seed / bean almost like a giant sized bean.
We would strip the edges of the fruit, remove the seeds and then pulverize the fruit while adding some oil (typically the cheapest oil - used to be the oil that my mother used to ask me to throw out post a couple of fry-ups) and then make balls.
When let to dry, these balls were very hard and would substitute for an "expensive" cork ball during our summer vacation.
The balls were rock-hard and were more akin to cannon balls / missiles !
Change in subject - I've been of the opinion that we should be able to use the pulp as a binding agent while preparing tarmac. The reason I say this is - it is excellent in stickiness and binding properties (In my childhood days - I'd be able to show a couple of shorts / shirts as proof). They are also very hardy on wear / tear. The fact that these would dry up quickly was the reason we'd use oil during the process of pulping. I'm sure the heat / oil in the current road laying process will help. More importantly, this fruit pulp used to bind even plastic waste and I'm sure we can certainly use this property today.....
I guess this is one more of my discoveries that will not see the light of a patent until I have more time for myself :-)
They are shady, spread on the top as much as spread below the ground (I always visualise this tree as having roots on top and below !) and very efficient in coverage. Not sure if people have noticed, but, there is almost a "cap" like quality in the foliage. There is almost ZERO foliage that do not receive sunlight !!!
As a kid, we used to collect the fruits of this tree when ripe. They are black / dark brown, the size of a small drumstick and slightly flat. Each fruit has about a dozen seed / bean almost like a giant sized bean.
We would strip the edges of the fruit, remove the seeds and then pulverize the fruit while adding some oil (typically the cheapest oil - used to be the oil that my mother used to ask me to throw out post a couple of fry-ups) and then make balls.
When let to dry, these balls were very hard and would substitute for an "expensive" cork ball during our summer vacation.
The balls were rock-hard and were more akin to cannon balls / missiles !
Change in subject - I've been of the opinion that we should be able to use the pulp as a binding agent while preparing tarmac. The reason I say this is - it is excellent in stickiness and binding properties (In my childhood days - I'd be able to show a couple of shorts / shirts as proof). They are also very hardy on wear / tear. The fact that these would dry up quickly was the reason we'd use oil during the process of pulping. I'm sure the heat / oil in the current road laying process will help. More importantly, this fruit pulp used to bind even plastic waste and I'm sure we can certainly use this property today.....
I guess this is one more of my discoveries that will not see the light of a patent until I have more time for myself :-)
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Flowering trees of Bangalore : A great sight every year
Just like mary parts of the world have he cherry blossom festival, Bangalore should have a festival on it's flowering trees. I think it is unique in the number of varieties of flowering trees and the colours.....
Just this morning I counted quite a few
The red Gulmohurs
The purple Jacarandas
The yellow Tabubias
The white Frangipanis
The light green Pongamias
The orange / pink Rain Trees
etc etc.
However, I still miss the fragrant roads that Bangalore used to have. There were a few roads (eg. Sampige road in Malleshwaram with the eponymous Sampige trees), the road near Ulsoor lake with the Akash mallige (a tree that, as kids, we used to call - Peepi mara : Peepi being a whistle in Kannada) that used to smell like a treat whenever one'd go past.
Now, I guess the only tree that I've smelt while driving is probably the Neelgiri (Ecalyptus).
Maybe we shoud get a "tree walk" organized where we can go into say Cubbon Park, Lalbaugh and be able to see all flowering trees in a row ?
A throwback on that old rhyme - Mary, Mary, quite contrary....
Just this morning I counted quite a few
The red Gulmohurs
The purple Jacarandas
The yellow Tabubias
The white Frangipanis
The light green Pongamias
The orange / pink Rain Trees
etc etc.
However, I still miss the fragrant roads that Bangalore used to have. There were a few roads (eg. Sampige road in Malleshwaram with the eponymous Sampige trees), the road near Ulsoor lake with the Akash mallige (a tree that, as kids, we used to call - Peepi mara : Peepi being a whistle in Kannada) that used to smell like a treat whenever one'd go past.
Now, I guess the only tree that I've smelt while driving is probably the Neelgiri (Ecalyptus).
Maybe we shoud get a "tree walk" organized where we can go into say Cubbon Park, Lalbaugh and be able to see all flowering trees in a row ?
A throwback on that old rhyme - Mary, Mary, quite contrary....
Monday, April 7, 2008
Ugadi : The start of a new year
Today is Ugadi (or should I write Yugadhi ?) the new year for people from Karnataka and Andhra (primarily the south Indian / deccan lunar calendar followers). It is the day when we mix the bitter and sweet combo (Neem buds and Jaggery) as a symbol that life is full of ups and downs and we need to face both with equanimity....
While all this is fine, I wonder about the new-year significance and it's origin. The reason being, this day is a new year for a few other far-flung communities (eg. Sindhis ...).
Is this just a coincidence ? Or is there historical reference that we have not figured out ?
Neighbouring states in India (eg. Tamilnadu) follow the Solar new year and this is usually a week later ? How come there is this level of diversity in a few hundred kilometers, while there is equivalence in communities far spread ?
I'm told it is also celebrated as new year in a few eastern european communities ?
Maybe it cab be traced to tribal origins before religion(s) were born ?
While all this is fine, I wonder about the new-year significance and it's origin. The reason being, this day is a new year for a few other far-flung communities (eg. Sindhis ...).
Is this just a coincidence ? Or is there historical reference that we have not figured out ?
Neighbouring states in India (eg. Tamilnadu) follow the Solar new year and this is usually a week later ? How come there is this level of diversity in a few hundred kilometers, while there is equivalence in communities far spread ?
I'm told it is also celebrated as new year in a few eastern european communities ?
Maybe it cab be traced to tribal origins before religion(s) were born ?
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Education standards : How can we get the State model inclusive ?
This post is more a reflection on the essential issues we face in the areas of primary education.
For those who want an overview of the current model in India, you have to start with 3 major bits of the process
1. Primary Education is a State issue and responsibility and not a central (federal) issue / responsibility
2. Primary Education has a state allocation of budget - mostly in the form of wholly "owned" / run government schools and partially aided other schools (aid is mostly in areas like mid-day meal, examination process etc). However, this is only for the state run syllabus schools ?
3. Outside of the state syllabus - India has 2 main (not counting the elite education models of IBC) syllabus models : The ICSE and the CBSE
The question I have for myself is...
Can we ensure that the state model (for example SSLC in Karnataka) has common bits that is borrowed as mandatory in the structure.
Things that I'd like to see
- Focus on India as a country and culture with the state covering **ONLY** the local bits
- Inclusion of topics like "Civic Sense" instead or as part of Civics
- History that covers local regions while dis-passionately describing the caste issues ?
- Science that includes environmental science related to conservation (Energy, water, power etc)
I'm afraid that unless we establish a common national "minimum" structure for coverage, we'll continue to talk about the north-south divide etc.
The basic process should be to bring in more PRIDE into the system both as a nation and then as a local community ?
Maybe the pride will help people improve (and want to improve) their own backyards ?
For those who want an overview of the current model in India, you have to start with 3 major bits of the process
1. Primary Education is a State issue and responsibility and not a central (federal) issue / responsibility
2. Primary Education has a state allocation of budget - mostly in the form of wholly "owned" / run government schools and partially aided other schools (aid is mostly in areas like mid-day meal, examination process etc). However, this is only for the state run syllabus schools ?
3. Outside of the state syllabus - India has 2 main (not counting the elite education models of IBC) syllabus models : The ICSE and the CBSE
The question I have for myself is...
Can we ensure that the state model (for example SSLC in Karnataka) has common bits that is borrowed as mandatory in the structure.
Things that I'd like to see
- Focus on India as a country and culture with the state covering **ONLY** the local bits
- Inclusion of topics like "Civic Sense" instead or as part of Civics
- History that covers local regions while dis-passionately describing the caste issues ?
- Science that includes environmental science related to conservation (Energy, water, power etc)
I'm afraid that unless we establish a common national "minimum" structure for coverage, we'll continue to talk about the north-south divide etc.
The basic process should be to bring in more PRIDE into the system both as a nation and then as a local community ?
Maybe the pride will help people improve (and want to improve) their own backyards ?
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Adrenaline level : Post go live "downs"
One of the largest US implementations on ERP done by Inatech just went live over the weekend. It was good to see the various aspects of people behaviour over the last few days.
There were the usual split in individual reactions (What I call as the BELL curve set). There were individuals who were very proactive and prepared to do anything to take the system live. There were the middle players who went with the team spirit and chipped in with whatever they could. Then, there were the few (fortunately only a few) who were waiting on a reactive mode to be told to do things.
More illuminating was the post go live structure.
The former set (the extreme chaps) were actually the ones who were beavering away at the system to ensure all issues were closed.
For some reason, the middle bits tend to drop back and this is I think primarily to do with the Adrenaline levels.
The folks at the end of the curve dropped even further back.
The next challenge is going to be to establish the post go live team. This will almost need a different set of skills & people. What is the next target ? How can we set new goals that are focused and progressive ?
There were the usual split in individual reactions (What I call as the BELL curve set). There were individuals who were very proactive and prepared to do anything to take the system live. There were the middle players who went with the team spirit and chipped in with whatever they could. Then, there were the few (fortunately only a few) who were waiting on a reactive mode to be told to do things.
More illuminating was the post go live structure.
The former set (the extreme chaps) were actually the ones who were beavering away at the system to ensure all issues were closed.
For some reason, the middle bits tend to drop back and this is I think primarily to do with the Adrenaline levels.
The folks at the end of the curve dropped even further back.
The next challenge is going to be to establish the post go live team. This will almost need a different set of skills & people. What is the next target ? How can we set new goals that are focused and progressive ?
Monday, March 31, 2008
MAFA : The various "avatars" of a generation of paper pushers
One of the oft quoted acronym to describe Indian bureaucracy's inaction is MAFA : The quote itself is attributed to Narayanmurthy, Vagul and a host of others, however, the symptoms of the issue are very apparent. Depending on who is quoted - the acronym stands for - Mistaking Articulation for Action or Mistaking Articulation for Accomplishment
The problem IMHO is not restricted to the bureaucracy - it is more widespread and is almost cultural. We LOVE to talk. The more articulate an individual, the more credit we give to the person - almost as if we are equating articulation with wisdom ?
In Inatech, we have some individuals who "talk the talk" very well. If one were to listen to the individuals at a superficial level, it would be very impressive. They always know what is missing, what should have been done etc. They are always saying the "right things". Actioning them is an altogether different matter !
While I've explained time and again that we need higher ownership to the issue and not just the right mouthing of words, it does not seem to sink in ?
Maybe it is to do with our schooling ?
Maybe it is to do with the fact that we are shown the "wrong" set of individuals within the community as we should emulate ?
Maybe we need to change all designation that has the word "manager" or "director" with "owner" or whatever it takes to get them to action bits.
What other words would be appropriate ?
Actor if it is going to imply Action ???? :-)
The problem IMHO is not restricted to the bureaucracy - it is more widespread and is almost cultural. We LOVE to talk. The more articulate an individual, the more credit we give to the person - almost as if we are equating articulation with wisdom ?
In Inatech, we have some individuals who "talk the talk" very well. If one were to listen to the individuals at a superficial level, it would be very impressive. They always know what is missing, what should have been done etc. They are always saying the "right things". Actioning them is an altogether different matter !
While I've explained time and again that we need higher ownership to the issue and not just the right mouthing of words, it does not seem to sink in ?
Maybe it is to do with our schooling ?
Maybe it is to do with the fact that we are shown the "wrong" set of individuals within the community as we should emulate ?
Maybe we need to change all designation that has the word "manager" or "director" with "owner" or whatever it takes to get them to action bits.
What other words would be appropriate ?
Actor if it is going to imply Action ???? :-)
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Restart, Renew and ReUse on Global hour day ?
After a long hiatus, I've found the time or more importantly the inclination to blog again.
What better way to start than to pen a few thoughts on Earth Hour Day ?
As I write this while sitting in a hotel room in the US, it is "TIME" in India. Time for people to switch off for an hour as a gesture to energy conservation. Pity is, it seems to be a very "high brow" campaign.
Not sure how many see this ?
Maybe we should do this on a working day when the schools are in and all the kids are told about this and then they can convince their parents, peers and the public ?
The important factor is to impress upon people and bring in peer pressure. Let me illustrate the point with an example.
In Inatech, I've seen on numerous occasions that systems (PCs) are left on, lights are left on etc while winding up for the day. All opportunities to drill down the message seems to have had very little long-lasting effect. Things simmer down for a while and then cropup again (epidemic mode ?).
As an experiment, we now have BIG laminated notices that are left on each desk when we find the PC left on. This notice remains up during the day just to let the neighbours know that somone has forgotten (again !) to turn off equipment.
It seems to work !
What can we do at a global level for this kind of peer pressure ?
What better way to start than to pen a few thoughts on Earth Hour Day ?
As I write this while sitting in a hotel room in the US, it is "TIME" in India. Time for people to switch off for an hour as a gesture to energy conservation. Pity is, it seems to be a very "high brow" campaign.
Not sure how many see this ?
Maybe we should do this on a working day when the schools are in and all the kids are told about this and then they can convince their parents, peers and the public ?
The important factor is to impress upon people and bring in peer pressure. Let me illustrate the point with an example.
In Inatech, I've seen on numerous occasions that systems (PCs) are left on, lights are left on etc while winding up for the day. All opportunities to drill down the message seems to have had very little long-lasting effect. Things simmer down for a while and then cropup again (epidemic mode ?).
As an experiment, we now have BIG laminated notices that are left on each desk when we find the PC left on. This notice remains up during the day just to let the neighbours know that somone has forgotten (again !) to turn off equipment.
It seems to work !
What can we do at a global level for this kind of peer pressure ?
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