End to End Innovation – Page 6

What is your “Professional Effectiveness – PE” Score?

Are you a professional? — An Engineer, Scientist, Manager, Consultant, Doctor, Lawyer, ………….. ?

You are busy more than ever, working literally on a 24 x 7 clock? Why is this? To help you assess your situation better, we offer you a simple test.

Everything you do, as part of your job or work can be divided into three distinct categories of work:

A = Clearly identifiable contribution of your work, in terms of Product (which generates revenue), Process (to make or create the product) and Application/USE of the product of your department, team or company. This may sound a bit abstract at first. But, if you think carefully you will find, these are the only outcomes that ultimately determine your value or use to your team or the employer. This category of work requires active and deliberate use of your professional knowledge, your experience in creating and implementing New Solutions. It requires thinking, reflection, data analysis, inferences, conclusions, risk taking, …….. Only you can do this category of work. Try as best as you may, you can not simply delegate this category of work!
B = Your effort in processing information (e-mail, phone calls, net browsing, voice mails – recording/receiving, paper work, keeping track of budgets, accounts, expense reports, budgets, booking travel tickets, etc.. With the increasing capability of IT Tools and their applications , each of us are increasingly drawn into this category of work. Gone are the days where administrative assistants and support staff could be used to carry out these tasks. It appears easier to do it all by yourself and apparently more efficient. Companies may see it as a cost reduction, when you do all this by yourself. But, it has every opportunity to distract and diminish your output under category A. You can delegate this category of work if you choose to. May be some one has already put this monkey – more of it – on your shoulders?
C = Your effort in physical work, such as travelling, commuting, sit in meetings, typing, etc. When you over do this category of work, it leads to your lower back pain, Carpal tunnel syndrome, lack of sleep, jet lag, physical exhaustion, and all other ailments!

Your total effort = A + B + C

Your PE = A / (A + B + C )

In a recent informal survey of professionals, over half of them felt that their PE is less than 20% While individual professionals attempt to increase their contribution through “A”, most companies are reducing the “B” and “C” content through IT applications, outsourcing, globalization, etc. The combined effect of these is a steady increase in labor productivity, where fewer people are producing more perceived outcomes. But, unless the “A” category of work is deliberately increased the innovative outcomes – in terms of new Products, Processes and/or Applications/USE – will continue to slide down. All that is left will be cost reduction (like squeezing the last few drops of water from dry wood)!

Any one at any level of responsibility has to be worried about the PE score. Integrated across all the professionals in the company, PE score will be the true measure of innovation or lack there of, in the company.

Senior executives, HR managers, as well as individual professionals need to become aware of the PE score. Such awareness, has to be followed by next steps to increase the PE score, which in turn will require formal and structured education, training and practice of Transformational Skills

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The three legs of Work force skills development promoted by STIMS Institute, quoted in a recent article in Lexington Minuteman

Lexington Minuteman, a newspaper well known in the New England area recently carried an article on November 28, 2013 in their ECONOMY section titled, “Skills gap has a high cost” authored by Spencer Buell and Caitlyn Kelleher Lexington@wickedlocal.com

An abstract from this article is cited below:
Three-legged approach for high-tech
……………….
In Lexington, K. “Subbu” Subramanian, a mechanical engineer and President of STIMS Institute Inc., said closing the skills gap to foster a more vibrant economy in the future is going to require building a triangle: Education and training are its two legs, with motivation to create and implement new solutions – the Transformational Skills serving as the base.

The STIMS Institute, according to Dr. Subramanian is focused on developing physical, science-based technology innovation and management solutions. “There is a need to combine academic education and training application educations with a passion to create new solutions, Subramanian said. “This
triangle has to be created no matter what level we are going to. We are not thinking of the triangle. Nobody wants to come together to create a triangle.” The triangle needs to include educational institutions and businesses, he said, adding academic schools should take a lesson from vocational schools and encourage internships.

This year, Subramanian wrote the book “Thriving in the 21st Century Economy: Transformational Skills for Technical Professionals,” which focuses on the changing economy and the need for a new model for workers because of an increasing demand for high-tech skills.

“The parents have to push because their kids need the Transformational skills,’ Subramanian said. “The schools have a need because they have a social obligation. They can’t say we have high scores and we are good with that. They need to give kids the Transformational skills to get a job.” Businesses are not hiring, he said, because they want people with practical experience and Transformational skills.

Indeed, a National Manufacturing Institute study estimates that failure to fill 600,00O jobs due to a lack of qualified workers would cost the economy $67.8 billion in exports, $47.4 billion in foreign investment and $8.5 billion in lost research and development investment. Add that to that the $17.6 billion in unemployment insurance claims, $17.6 billion in lost income taxes and $6.6 billion in lost corporate taxes.

……………………….

Dr. Subramanian, President, STIMS Institute presented the key note lecture at the international seminar on Innovation and Higher Education

Key note lecture BBDIT 10 26 13 (FINAL)(1)

The international seminar on Innovation and Higher Education held on Oct. 26^th at BBDIT highlighted the following points. Every speaker seemed to converge on similar themes:

Education must promote skills for thinking (i.e.) challenge the status quo and ask the question “Why?” relentlessly.
Any education has to also promote an ability to apply the knowledge acquired to some useful end purpose.
Education has to be linked to some target industry or user. This makes the students work force ready.
Education has to be project oriented. Such project and their execution is a measure of the problem solving skills of the students.

The Key Note lecture also acknowledged the above points. In addition the following additional points were offered for Innovation and Higher Education.

At this time – in the 21^st century – we live in a Binary Economy: A high skills work force creating and exploiting a stream of New Solutions (Economy1) as a parallel and distinct from a low skills – low wage work force (in larger numbers) employed to carry out well defined tasks to Replicate known solutions (Economy 2).

https://stimsinstitute.com/2013/07/17/learn-to-swim-against-the-tide-of-binary-economy/

All educational efforts to meet the work force needs of Economy 1, have to make the student (and later the engineer) more comprehensive in his/her outlook as a professional, who can identify, develop and deploy/implement a stream of New Solutions. This requires System Thinking and Transformational Skills.
Such education on ST and TS has to be formal, structured and results oriented. Such formal education on ST and TS is a MUST, in order for all the academic education and industry oriented training to become effective and useful and achieve the end result of value to all: the students, the company and the industry.
Such education for students with effectiveness will also be the differentiating advantage for the colleges (academic institutions) in the long run.

Every one of us needs a strong dose of “System Thinking”. Do you agree?

Every one of us needs a strong dose of “System Thinking”. This includes all of us – those in the Government, business, professionals, academics, fellow citizens, …. Do you agree?

Recently I posted the two comments in the LinkedIn as noted in this message. I wrote them as a response to two blog essays. These essays suggest a need for a strong dose of System Thinking – looking at the big picture, as a whole and not in bits and pieces.

One of the blog essays suggested that Government and political leaders must act like the way businesses are managed:

We agree with this need for a focus on long-term sustainability and not on the short term gains. We also need to recognize complexities of Democracy and each of us need to do our part.

If you hired 500 workers and about thirty among them said “we want to bring down the President of the company no matter what”, then what will you do? Suppose these thirty employees are also guaranteed that they cannot be fired from their job – thanks to “safe seats” – then what will you do? Suppose the “supervisor” – the speaker in this case, does not want to take any action and side line these 30 workers, then what will you do? You cannot fire the supervisor ad-hoc and you need a rigorous process – next election ? – Then what will you do? It is time the CEOs and journalists and those who fund these non-performing employees and their elections speak up and say “enough is enough” and call the spade a spade! The political correctness and being superficially equal to all sides can be very harmful. The poor who are affected by sequestration and the un-insured who are poor do not have any voice. The rest of us who are fortunate not to be poor or be already insured also need to speak up. Beyond that, ballot box is the loudest voice available. That is the price and privilege of democracy. Other than that, we can call upon the national pride and plead with those who are driven by ideology to think of the nation at large, her economic needs and avoid the deep self-inflicted wounds.

http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20131003131039-73785410-we-are-still-waiting?anchorTime=1380814227134&deepLinkCommentId=5791554636129079296&trk=hb_ntf_MEGAPHONE_LIKE_TOP_LEVEL_COMMENT

System thinking also requires attention to details and avoid pithy phrases and cliché. Commenting on the current crisis in Washington, one blogger wrote: “Don’t hate the players, hate the game”. What does it really mean? Drop the rules and principles of a democratic process (the game), because few politicians want to impose their will ad-hoc?

At the end of the day, any system or organization works only to the extent the people play by the rules. If required, rules can be changed again through a set of rules established for such change. “Don’t hate the player, hate the game” means nothing when the game is not played by the rules! You can not play basketball with those who want to spill water on the court to deliberately injure some players! This will happen when people coming to the basketball court not to play ball but cause havoc to those who want to play. President Obama was elected twice and the ACA was passed by the congress, upheld by SCOTUS and was re-affirmed through a national election. Now 30+ congressman from districts where Obama was defeated by 20% or more, do not want to play ball. This is like a few players from a team who lost the game don’t want to leave the court, instead want to rip and tear the court. Sadly there is no security force that can be called upon for this unruly behavior! The only people who can fix this are those voters in these “safe districts” who need to talk sense into their elected representatives. Otherwise those fellow citizens will be the laughing stock of the nation. Are they listening?

http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20131002122233-201849-who-caused-the-government-shutdown?anchorTime=1380822830677&deepLinkCommentId=5791590722003955712&trk=hb_ntf_MEGAPHONE_LIKE_TOP_LEVEL_COMMENT

“Automotive industry is doing well in the USA; Detroit goes bankrupt” – What does it tell us about the claimed resurgence of manufacturing in USA?

Dr. K. (Subbu) Subramanian, Fellow – SME, is the President of STIMS Institute Inc. www.STIMSInstitute.com. His company specializes in growth strategies and innovation for industrial manufacturing companies and education / training for mid-career professionals and their development. After graduating from MIT, he has worked across the globe in the manufacturing sector for over 34 years. His new book, “Thriving in the 21st Century Economy: Transformational Skills for Technical Professionals” is co-authored by Prof. Srinivasa Rangan.

“Automotive industry is doing well in the USA; Detroit goes bankrupt” – What does it tell us about the claimed resurgence of manufacturing in USA?

In the past, there was a close connection between the innovators and investors. Both of them lived and worked in the same place like Detroit. The role of investors and innovators was inseparable and inter-mingled. Today, the roles of investors and innovators have been separated.

Innovators are those who Discover, Develop and Deploy a stream of new solutions of added value. These end to end innovators displayed unique Transformational Skills to render new ideas into reality. Their impact also helped the community around them flourish. While they relied largely on local resources, the financial fruits of their labor was also shared and enjoyed by the community around them. They also invested their rewards for further growth of the community. As a result Detroit flourished.

The innovators and their Transformational Skills are needed today as well. To identify a need as an “opportunity,” frame that as a solution in a comprehensive manner (as an input/transformation/output system), and execute that to completion is the need today as much as it was in the hay days of Detroit. The reach for resources across the globe as well seeking out customers across the globe is a great boon for all innovators.

While the innovators live and work in the main streets, the investors now work in the Wall Street. The investors also live (or at least park their wealth) across the globe. The focus of the investors on their needs vs. the need to focus on the community around them has also been separated. These divergences have been evolving for the past four decades. “Let Detroit go bankrupt” was the slogan. Now Detroit is indeed bankrupt!

What are the lessons to be learned, If you are a manufacturer?

Do not wait for some investor to tell you what you are good at? Do not wait for someone to define what “Manufacturing” is? Products, Processes and Applications knowhow are your core capabilities, which are embedded in the knowledge of many people connected with your company – through your employees, suppliers and customers and their customers. These three core capabilities and the value exploited through them is manufacturing.

Product is something of value to someone (the user), who is willing to pay you (the manufacturer) the value you deserve.

How well do you know your Processes to manufacture your products? They are not “black box” that nobody knows anything about, after Joe Smith retires from the company! They are not merely SAP, ERP, MRP or any of the myriad of IT driven tools. All processes are “Input/Transformation/Output” systems. In the past years, the few who knew about the physics of the process intuitively could tweak them and keep them going, while others were simply pairs of hands to help them out. You can no longer think like that.

You would not like to see any medical professional without a stethoscope and a thermometer. Then, why would you not want all your manufacturing process professionals – your employees as well as suppliers and customers – have similar capability to measure and diagnose and cure the problems with respect to all the manufacturing processes and their health?

How well do you know your customer’s processes (Application) and how can you add value in their processes through your products? You can make your Applications Technology (AT) the enabler for your growth and success in the manufacturing industry, just as you have IT solutions providers for your computers and IT systems. It is about time, you helped your customers in a “health checkup” on their processes, while they use your product. After all, strong and healthy customer processes are essential for your long term strength and success.

Product, Process and Applications know-how are your core capabilities. They are the bench strength of your team. Build your bench strength and then you can do more with them enabled by all the plug and play IT capabilities. Your journey for the future can start right here and now, by developing a common definition of your “Product” and the key “Physical Processes” that enable your product, as well as the “Applications”. Then develop a system view to study and manage these core capabilities across all your business functions that support them. Build further alliances based on these core capabilities with your customers and suppliers. Let this manufacturing eco-system flourish. If you do, then Detroit along with others will also flourish.

You certainly need investors to help you out. But, you cannot build a manufacturing industry without the brick and mortar (i.e) Product, Process and Applications Technology. Have you taken the time to cultivate the manufacturing eco-system based on these core capabilities? The alternative is to repeat the history of Detroit in many other cities and communities in the USA.