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Special Reads
Special Reads Effective Contract Manufacturing Solutions
Layam Group emerges as the prime mover in providing bestin-class contract manufacturing services. G.S. Ramesh, Founder and Chairman of the Layam Group shares how.
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Cost, Quality and Productivity have emerged as prime movers in the aftermath of globalisation wherein there is a pervasive environment of stiff competition. In the present times for any industrial establishment to succeed, one must follow the unwritten rule of ‘LowCost High Productivity’ with a philosophy of ‘Do More with Less’. Most of the industries have become used to managing competitiveness by conducting business with low-cost manpower due to which we saw the arrival of a migratory workforce. In addition to this, we have experienced the impact of the pandemic in 2020 and the subsequent reverse migration aspect that resulted in a shortage of manpower. The industries are left with no choice but to revisit their style of operations to keep themselves alive in the system. This situation became critical and after revisiting and reengineering themselves, the concept of ‘Contract Manufacturing’ was conceived.
Contract Manufacturing is not an easy business or a comfortable solution to be adopted immediately because the client hands over part of his operations to a third party expecting him to perform more professionally with a concept of ‘Do More with Less’ with a focus on quality and productivity. So, it has to be understood that the foundation for contract manufacturing is professional trust and quality delivery which would result in a win-win situation. Taking into consideration a holistic approach, Layam Group has developed this model on the same basis and established its credibility by giving results on the desired performance. We understand the specific needs and recognise the potential hurdles with the process and accordingly devise effective solutions.
The contract manufacturing model is basically an agreement between Layam and the client with an intention to undertake the production activities and facilitate the delivery of products in a seamless manner. Contract manufacturing is growing at a rapid stage, the reason being it gives the opportunity for companies/ Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to concentrate on their strategic growth areas of business while companies like us handle the operational process. The uniqueness of the contract manufacturing model lies in the fact that it focuses on what the deliverable should be in business terms rather than how they should be delivered. Through contract manufacturing, we focus on reducing cost, scaling productivity and achieving 100 per cent quality for the clients.
What sets us apart is our focus on brain count instead of head count. We strongly believe that brain count level is diminishing at a faster pace than ever before. An issue that cannot be overlooked or ignored. At Layam, we tackle this problem head-on. Since inception, we have supplied manpower with intellect because we know that a person who is talented and capable becomes an asset to our client. To sum it up, all activities undertaken in contract manufacturing is about deploying brain count and achieving the desired target to the satisfaction of the client by adopting our model of hiring, training and deployment.
It’s quite obvious that the need of the hour is the contract manufacturing model as it has established its credibility by enhancing productivity. Layam Group has initiated this model along with other activities such as ‘Job Contract’, ‘Stores & Logistics Management’ and presently we are extending these services to OEMs like Ashok Leyland, and Tata Marcopolo etc. Hence, all the industries should re look their manufacturing model and strategically initiate our contract manufacturing services to achieve a better bottom line. ACI ------------------------------------------The expert views and opinions of the author are his personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the ACI magazine.
special reads
The Wonder Women
The wonder women of the automotive components industry continue to make their presence felt with exemplary commitment and will to deliver against the odds. Our own, Deepti Thore looks at their growing stature across the board.
@DeeptiT9
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reaking all stereotypes, women today no longer just occupy desk jobs. They are managing seemingly complex jobs akin to their male counterparts, be it a desk or a field job, managerial level or laborious blue-collar jobs. While working in the automotive industry was earlier considered to be a male suited profile, the landscape continues to change at a steady pace. Albeit it leaves a lot desired. According to a McKinsey Global Institute report only 25.per cent of India’s labour force is accounted for by women. This is no different in the automobile industry. Gender diversity has certainly improved over the years across roles however the gap remains quite substantial and needs to be addressed to make work places more inclusive offering an equal opportunity for all genders. Many automotive component and ancillary makers, ancillary providers, tyre manufacturers among others are looking at changing this grim picture as it looks to come off age.
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These include the likes of Schaeffler, Fleeca, Bridgestone India, Continental, Sundaram-Clayton, BorgWarner, Anand Group to name only a few.
Women clearly bring a lot of value on several parameters including a great eye for quality and detail orientation, skill-sets to work on shop floors, discipline and decision-making ability. Neeru Ahuja, Chairperson, CII Core Group on BEPS Partner, Deloitte says good people will continue to grow irrespective. She advised that the need of the hour is to be ambitious for yourself- the sky is the limit - and never be afraid of hard work. Talk about the work you are doing, take ownership and initiative to out forward your ideas. I cannot emphasise enough how important it is to communicate! Speaking about women empowerment, Tikam Jain, CEO and Founder at Fleeca India said, “We wanted to integrate women power in the sector of tyre management, tyre service, and tyre maintenance. Though it continued crawling into my thoughts, I always wanted to make Fleeca India more inclusive because of the nature of this job role, which is a rigorous and challenging field job, but that fear dissipated after I learned about the growing number of women working in the logistics and transportation industry.”
q Adopting Diversity
Taking a lead on placing the women in shopfloor, Anand Group, is said to have aced gender diversity at workplace.
A senior once told me : a good person is like vine - nobody can stop it from growing!
In my 30 odd years of experience, I have learnt that the key to success is doing what you enjoy the most. Be ambitious for yourself- the sky is the limit - and never be afraid of hard work. Talk about the work you are doing, take ownership and initiative to out forward your ideas. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to communicate!
The company was also acknowledged as ‘India’s Best Workplace for Women in 2019’ by Great Place to Work Institute in the past. The company under the leadership of Anjali Singh, Executive Chairperson, ANAND Group and Gabriel India is claimed to have constantly challenged this statement and have acted unconventionally. For instance, at the Anchemco Anand Plant, women run 100 per cent of the shopfloor. Addressing the need for a diverse and inclusive workforce, Rainer
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Latha Chembrakalam, Head of Technical Centre India (TCI) Anjali Singh, Executive Chairperson, ANAND Group and Gabriel India Shradha Suri Marwah, Vice President, ACMA and Chairperson and MD, Subros Ltd.
Hetzer, Head of Human Relations Autonomous Mobility and Safety, and HR sponsor for Continental India said, “At Continental, we are persistently working to ensure gender parity at the workplace, especially in areas underrepresented by women talent. Focused measures and topics including learning initiatives, sensitising programs, mentorship, leadership development programs, and equal pay scales are in place for women across different levels.” The industry needs to acknowledge the change and create an atmosphere to nurture diversity. It will not only help create opportunities but will also bring forth the key skill sets and perspectives that women bring to the workplace in greater numbers.
Bridgestone Group, on the other hand, has been encouraging active participation and advancement of women in the workplace at each strategic business unit. As of December 31, 2020, the percentage of women workforce across the group was approximately 11.5 per cent. Focused on gender diversity, Schaeffler India has been hiring women from campus since 2015. With the world transitioning towards digitisation, electric, connected and autonomous future, the automotive components industry is looking at recruiting and encouraging talented women which have a lot to offer in the field. While the change is slowly seeping in the industry, it was quite challenging to penetrate the male dominance in the field of core production, primary functions and the ability of nurturing, building and leading strong teams. Tier suppliers across the board have since then adopted a more inclusive approach and backed the intent with many initiatives to drive the change. It comes as no surprise then that apex body ACMA supports these drivers of change. Notably, Shradha Suri Marwah leads as the Vice President with an over two decade of automotive experience having joined Subros Ltd., leading the company as Chairperson and MD.
q Initiatives to promote women
As per the recent announcement made by the Ministry of MSME, under the Samarth initiative of the Ministry, 20 per cent of MSME Business Delegations sent to domestic and international exhibitions under the schemes for Marketing Assistance implemented by Ministry will be dedicated to women owned MSMEs. Continental aims to nurture and inspire girls and women to better understand the industry through access to resources and learning. It’s ‘Women
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for Manufacturing’ initiative is aimed at empowering and supporting women to take up a career in manufacturing through various skill development programs. “Women for manufacturing program is Continental’s commitment to prepare and mobilise untapped women talent, towards achieving a more gender-balanced manufacturing society,” commented Prashanth Doreswamy, Head of Continental India, and Managing Director Continental Automotive.
Schaeffler India has a special Employee referral campaign in place, designed specially to increase the number of female hires in our organisation. The automobile industry has long been perceived as unsuited for women, resulting in a significant under representation of women in this profession. Lack of understanding, the diversity of manufacturing across industries, and restricted access to skill development programmes are to be blamed to an extent. To address this issue, Fleeca is working to bridge the gender gap. It is working towards empowering and inspiring girls and women to get a greater understanding of the tyre industry, gain access to tools and training, and consider a career in tyre management, for example. Women at all levels have access to targeted measures and themes such as learning initiatives, sensitization workshops, and mentoring. As per the company, “We are seeing a significant shift in the industry as a result of the presence of women in this area, as individuals are more organised, producing a clean and sustainable ecosystem, and being efficient and disciplined.”
With the ongoing technological evolution driving Industry 4.0, it is expected that women representation in manufacturing companies will continue to grow. Supporting this cause, Bridgestone India through its Samaan Social Development Society, Indore is attempting at changing the society’s beliefs and thinking.
It’s women mechanic project received a special recognition award. The project aims to change gender norms by promoting livelihood skills among girls and young women. The goal of this project is to connect women with technical and mobility-based jobs.
Prashanth Doreswamy, President and CEO, Continental India
q Achievements
Continental Automotive has women leading verticals, from the front. Latha Chembrakalam, Head of Technical Centre India (TCI) is responsible for leading TCI to the next level of growth and innovation, including objectives like infrastructure expansion, head count growth and expansion of engineering competence for both the global and local markets.
Mahua Acharya, Convergence Energy Services Limited of Government of India, is fiercely driving green transportation in India. Rashmi Urdhwareshe, Former Director of the Automotive Research Association India (ARAI) has long proved her mettle and continues to serve as President - SAEINDIA and in senior advisory roles. The National Commission for Women, Government of India felicitated extraordinary women from different fields and celebrated their achievements. The ‘Women Extraordinaire’ included Dr Tessy Thomas, the “Missile Woman of India”, and Director General (Aeronautical Systems), DRDO and Dr Kalpana Saroj, Padma recipient and Chairperson, Kamani Tubes. ACI
