Saturday, November 11, 2023

Why India is with Israel ..

We see lot of pro-palestine demonstrations across the world. People have right to protest.

As long as Israeli refugees are in Hamas / Palestine custody and Hamas leaders are continuing attacking Israelis from under the hospitals, let Israel decide.. 

Let us ask Hamas / Palestine to release all the 240 hostages and then if Israel attacks the hospital, Israel is at fault. Not until all the Israeli hostages are released..

For Israel it is a question of survival. And Israel is not going to budge to these radical Islam followers targeting to wipe out Israel from the earth. 

In spite of defeat in all earlier wars with Israel, radical Arab leaders and their countries have not learnt any lesson of modesty and accommodation. They are nothing and a big zero in front of Israeli intellectual, economic, technological and military might. This is why Arabs and Islamic terrorists are fuming at Israel.

Even defeat after defeat, why do the *Arabs shamelessly* poke the Jews repeatedly and invite reprisals, violence and death ?

The feeling of inferiority and repeated defeat of the Arabs in Jewish hands is boiling in their minds, leading them to replicate such blunders regularly from time to time. They know Arabs are no match for the superior Jewish brains and its war machines. Wars of 1948–49, 1956, 1967, 1973, 1982, and 2006 are examples for the world to see. 

" The hardest thing in war is not dying, but living with defeat." - Paul Fussell

Peace loving countries are always on the side of TRUTH. Eventhough India as a vibrant democratic nation will not suppress dissent arising from some quarters, India as a great peaceful, cultural, intellectual leader of the world always remains with ISRAEL, ALWAYS ..  

George 

Friday, November 3, 2023

Top ten technological Innovations of all time ..

I have compiled a list of the top ten innovations (through Internet resources) that have had a profound and lasting impact on human history and society: starting with the first at number 1 to the tenth at number 10.

  1. The Wheel (circa 3500 BC): The invention of the wheel revolutionized transportation and machinery, enabling the development of carts, chariots, and various mechanical systems.

  2. The Printing Press (15th century): Johannes Gutenberg's printing press made mass production of books and documents possible, democratizing knowledge and information dissemination. Paved way for mass education and raising human life standards.

  3. Electricity (18th century): The harnessing of electricity has led to a wide range of technological advancements, including electric lighting, motors running generators, electronics, and modern smart grid power systems.

  4. Steam Engine (18th century): The steam engine powered the Industrial Revolution, transforming manufacturing, transportation, and agriculture.

  5. Telegraph (19th century): The telegraph enabled long-distance communication by transmitting coded messages over electrical wires, laying the foundation for modern telecommunications. Precursor to the Internet.

  6. Internal Combustion Engine (19th century): The internal combustion engine powered automobiles and revolutionized transportation, leading to the modern automotive industry and the development of the Spark Ignition high capacity engines powering all global heavy duty land based transportation.

  7. Internet (20th century): The creation of the World Wide Web and the internet has transformed how people communicate, access information, and conduct business globally. Geographical Information systems through Internet maps has made transportation and exploration of unknown land quite easy

  8. Penicillin (20th century): The discovery of antibiotics, starting with penicillin, revolutionized medicine by treating bacterial infections and saving countless lives. Even though we are come very much ahead in antibiotics since Penicillin, it has improved our health and helped us successfully wade through many global health threats.

  9. Transistors and Microchips (20th century): The development of transistors and microchips paved the way for the birth of the digital revolution enabling modern electronics, including computers, smartphones, and the digital age including AI, Robotics, 3D Printing, IoT etc to thrive

  10. Solar Power (20th century): The harnessing of solar energy for electricity generation is a major step toward sustainable and renewable energy sources, addressing environmental concerns. Our dependence on non-renewable energy resources and the environmental pollution it resulted in is being turned upside down by the emergence of renewable resources, most important being solar energy, besides wind and tidal energy.

    Nuclear energy through fission and fusion has also been a great technological innovation of the 20th century, but it poses as great a threat to humanity (with potential to wipe out the whole human race) as it is a blessing and development.

    Artificial Intelligence in the growing stages (Artificial Narrow Intelligence - ANI and Artificial General Intelligence - AGI) is also a great technological innovation that it is to have the same impact as electricity has had on humans for over two and a half centuries and still continues to have a strangling grip.

This list represents just a small selection of significant technological innovations throughout history. Many other inventions have had a profound impact on human society, and the importance of each innovation can be viewed from different perspectives, depending on the context and the criteria used for evaluation. 

 As a person born in the 60s, I have had the good opportunity of living through the emergence and commercialisation of the innovations of 

  • Internet, 
  • transistors and microprocessor chips and 
  • Solar power. 

I am hopeful that in the coming years with the 4th Industrial revolution heating up, we can see many more great technological innovations that will make our life comfortable and productive.

George.


 

Wednesday, October 25, 2023

What should SCM providers be looking at AI to attract customers and retain them ?

The key operational factors that influence customer purchasing decisions for supply chain management facilities in the SCM sector include:

  • Cost: Customers want to find supply chain management facilities that can help them reduce their costs. This includes factors such as the cost of storage, transportation, and labor.
  • Reliability: Customers need to be able to rely on their supply chain management facilities to deliver their products on time and in good condition. This includes factors such as the facility's track record of on-time delivery, its security measures, and its disaster recovery plan.
  • Flexibility: Customers need supply chain management facilities that can adapt to their changing needs. This includes factors such as the ability to handle different types of products, the ability to scale up or down operations quickly, and the ability to meet customer-specific requirements.
  • Technology: Customers want to work with supply chain management facilities that use the latest technology to track and manage their products. This includes factors such as the use of warehouse management systems (WMS), transportation management systems (TMS), and real-time tracking.
  • Customer service: Customers want to work with supply chain management facilities that are responsive to their needs and provide excellent customer service. This includes factors such as the availability of 24/7 customer support, the willingness to go the extra mile to meet customer needs, and the ability to resolve problems quickly and efficiently.

In addition to these key factors, customers may also consider other factors when choosing a supply chain management facility, such as:

  • Location: Customers may prefer to work with supply chain management facilities that are located near their own operations. This can help to reduce transportation costs and lead times.
  • Reputation: Customers may also consider the reputation of a supply chain management facility before making a decision. This includes factors such as the company's financial stability, its industry awards and recognition, and its customer testimonials.
  • Sustainability: Customers may also be interested in working with supply chain management facilities that are committed to sustainability. This includes factors such as the company's environmental practices, its social responsibility initiatives, and its ethical sourcing practices.

Supply chain management facilities can use this information to develop marketing and sales strategies that appeal to potential customers. For example, a supply chain management facility can highlight its cost-effectiveness, reliability, flexibility, technology, and customer service in its marketing materials. The facility can also invest in building a strong reputation and demonstrating its commitment to sustainability.

Saturday, October 14, 2023

How I am exploiting AI in my professional and personal life ?

My school friend asked me, how much AI do I use or how can I use AI in my life ? Very interesting question. Here is my reply ..

Big example is Amazon Echo dot, Alexa. 

An example, best musical experience and best songs, be it any language, genre, Amazon AI helps with the best collection of songs on echo dot depending on my likes and preferences. 👍

Reg my teaching, I am able to deliver world class content to my students, give quizzes and subject outlines for teaching. I can feel the students feeling better and appreciating it. The satisfaction is writ large on their faces.

If I give any management qualitative problem to the AI pods like Bard or ChatGPT, it gives me excellent responses. 🙂🙏

I ask it to explain as to a 10 year old any tough concepts of knowledge not understood and it explains the concept to me in simple language, a great teaching tool...

One already uses AI when we access Google maps, shop at Amazon, watch Amazon prime or Netflix..

Like electricity has become a part of our lives to simplify and enrich it, AI is also going to play a more important role in our lives, enriching it.

George..

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

Nehru and modern India

Contributions of Nehru to ensure India's forward march

Jawaharlal Nehru, the great-

grandfather of Rahul Gandhi, was one of the most important figures in the history of modern India. He was the first Prime Minister of India, and he played a key role in shaping the country's identity and institutions after independence.

Nehru was a visionary leader who had a clear vision for India's future. He wanted to build a modern, secular, and democratic India that would be a beacon of hope for the developing world. He also wanted to create a society where everyone had equal opportunities, regardless of their caste, religion, or gender.

Nehru made significant contributions to India's development in a number of areas. He established a strong foundation for democracy by ensuring that India held free and fair elections. He also oversaw the development of India's economy, which grew rapidly during his time in office. Nehru also played a key role in promoting India's interests on the world stage.

One of Nehru's most important contributions was his role in drafting the Constitution of India. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land, and it guarantees the fundamental rights of all citizens. Nehru played a key role in ensuring that the Constitution was fair and just, and that it reflected the values of democracy and equality.

Nehru also made significant contributions to India's economic development. He established a number of key industries, such as steel, coal, and power. He also invested in education and healthcare, which helped to improve the lives of millions of Indians. Nehru also played a key role in promoting India's interests on the world stage. He was one of the founders of the Non-Aligned Movement, which was a group of countries that sought to remain neutral during the Cold War.

Nehru was a complex and controversial figure, but there is no doubt that he was one of the most important figures in the history of modern India. His contributions to the country's development are immense, and his legacy continues to inspire Indians today.

Here are some specific examples of Nehru's contributions to building a modern India:

  • Nehru established the Planning Commission of India, which has played a key role in the country's economic development.

  • He oversaw the construction of dams and irrigation canals, which helped to boost agricultural production.

  • He established the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) which are some of the world's leading engineering and business schools.

  • He founded the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), which is one of the country's leading medical schools.

  • Nehru established the Atomic Energy Commission, Space Research Organisation and oversaw the white revolution and green revolution and was instrumental in ensuring India's scientific progress and development.

  • He played a key role in establishing the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Nehru's contributions to building a modern India are vast and far-reaching. He was a visionary leader who laid the foundation for India's success as a democracy and a developing economy. His legacy continues to inspire Indians today.


Wednesday, September 6, 2023

Nvidia growth prospects..

Watch top global co. #6 Nvidia price-sales ratio (August '23), it is 41.1 (3.7x nearest competitor Microsoft. Confidence of the market on AI hardware co. Large LLMs used in Generative AI are all powered by Nvidia GPUs.

Different medical systems in yhe world

Different medical systems practiced across the world
  • Ayurveda - (oldest and originated in India around 1000 BC, ref. Brittanica) aims at detoxification of body and restoring the imbalanced bodily elements and bring them back to normalcy
  • Traditional Chinese medicine - like Ayurveda treats the root cause of medical conditions and diseases 
  • Physiotherapy - strengthening of muscles
  • Chtropracty - setting bone joints right
  • Homeopathy - alternative medicine that believes in treating like with like, corrects root problems in body
  • Allopathy - treating disease with remedies (such as surgery or drugs) that produce different effects from those caused by the disease. (Western or modern medicine is youngest about 300 years old)
George..

Friday, August 25, 2023

Being successful in life..

Becoming a successful person involves setting clear goals, staying motivated, continuous learning, networking, and perseverance. 

Focus on your strengths, work hard, manage time effectively, and be open to adapting and improving. 

It is always good to remember that success is a journey that requires dedication and a positive mindset.

Sunday, August 20, 2023

Torbjorn Pedersen - the man who has visited all countries of the world

Imagine visiting all 203 countries of the world over a period of ten years, even getting married and spending a minimum of 24 hours in each country - all the travel either by  road, rail or ship, no flights. Danish Torborn Pedersen is the first person in the world to visit all the 203 countries of the world on a shoestring budget. 🙂🙏🌹

He started at age 34 in October 2013 from Denmark and when he returned home in May 2023, he was already 44 ..

Pedersen believes most of the solutions in life are found through other people. No man is an island..  Always there is someone somewhere willing to help you .. 

*You might have to try 1000 closed doors, but there is always an open door somewhere. Never ever give up ..* ❤️❤️🙏🙏🙏

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2023/aug/16/take-the-high-road-the-man-who-visited-every-country-in-the-world-without-boarding-a-plane?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Monday, July 31, 2023

Phases of elimination in life ..

Four Stages of Elimination in Life:

At 60, the workplace eliminates you. No matter how successful or powerful you were during your career, you'll return to being an ordinary person. So, don't cling to the mindset and sense of superiority from your past job, let go of your ego, or you might lose your sense of ease!

At 70, society gradually eliminates you. The friends and colleagues you used to meet and socialize with become fewer, and hardly anyone recognizes you at your former workplace. Don't say, "I used to be..." or "I was once..." because the younger generation won't know you, and you mustn't feel uncomfortable about it!

At 80, family slowly eliminates you. Even if you have many children and grandchildren, most of the time you'll be living with your spouse or by yourself. When your children visit occasionally, it's an expression of affection, so don't blame them for coming less often, as they're busy with their own lives!

At 90, the Earth wants to eliminate you. Some of the people you knew have already departed forever. At this point, don't be sad or mournful, because this is the way of life, and everyone will eventually follow this path!

Therefore, while our bodies are still capable, live life to the fullest! Eat what you want, drink what you desire, play and do the things you love.

Remember, the only thing that won't eliminate you is the Whatsapp group. So, communicate more in the group, say a hello, maintain your presence, be happy, and have no regrets! 🌹🌹❤️❤️

Friday, June 30, 2023

Discovery of India by Nehru ..

Among the 118 books Jawaharlal Nehru wrote in his life time, this 635 page Magnum Opus *Discovery of India* of Indian history (Indian viewpoint) from 1000 BC to 1940 AD, written in 4 months under imprisonment for 36 months at Ahmednagar Fort prison in Maharashtra for three years from 1942-1945, (of the total 9 years 9 months he spent in British prisons in India), this is indeed the best .. 👍🙏🌹🙏 Commented by none other than the great Albert Einstein on the back cover...

Yours humbly tried a hand to read it, though not complete. Surprised by Nehru's terrific depth of knowledge combined with his inimitable, fluent, articulate and eloquent writing style. 🙏❤️🌹

Sadly, Nehru critics will not be able to complete even the first chapter of this terrific book ..

Saturday, April 15, 2023

Vishu and vernal equinox ..




Very often we read of important festivals and relate them to Gods and religions. But more often than not, all festivals are related to the sun and the movement of our planet around it.

Thursday, April 6, 2023

A global business executive interacts with Alliance BBA sem 6 Operations students

It was interesting to see how on 6 April 2023 at around 12 noon about ten BBA sem 6 Operations students of Alliance School of Business Bangalore interacted with Easaw George, Amazon executive in an online session from his Bangalore home. 
The BBA students were very inquisitive with questions right from the moment Easaw finished his initial explanation about the Amazon initiatives in environmental sustainability. The class was on Green Energy and Sustainability. 
Easaw explained about the Climate pledge of Amazon which already has more than 200 global corporations signed in and participating besides Amazon initiatives like buying 100,000 EV delivery vans in US. Click here for the latest 101 page Amazon Sustainability report for 2021. 

Besides asking questions relating to Anazon's commitment to environmental Sustainability, the students asked how Amazon is interested in playing the lead role in environmental sustainability initiatives across the world. Being #2 in the Fortune 500 list of companies, just behind Walmart (btw Walmart and Amazon are the only 2 global corporate giants who have crossed $500 billion annual turnover) Amazon has a lot of responsibility and commitment to ensure it's operations are least damaging to the environment.  Read what Fortune magazine writes on Amazon.
If the corporate giants like Walmart, Amazon, Toyota and Volkswagen besides the other six in the top 10 of the Fortune 500 global list ensure and insist their suppliers also be equally responsible to the environment, it can tackle at least 20-30 percent of global pollution, resource depletion, optimal energy usage, reduction in biodiversity and waste management issues of the world. In terms of supply chain effectiveness and transportation efficiency, Amazon is already working at 4x the industry standard.

When a global giant like Amazon takes the lead it is not only about taking the climate pledge, but also on enforcing environmental sustainability among its huge network of suppliers, partners and other stakeholders, like a domino effect in the whole supply chain.

The students were interested besides professional knowledge on the environment in knowing what Easaw's worklife balance was like in Amazon. A 15 hr workday for 4 days and 3 days of recuperation weekly is indeed exciting for an executive.

Since the  facility was one of the largest Amazon fulfilment centres in UK, part of the middle mile logistics network, the scale of operations was huge. Easaw carefully avoided going into the nitty gritty of daily Operations, he was strongly stressing throughout the interaction on Amazon's need for energy in  big scale, especially in their cloud services. He proudly was mentioning how Amazon globally is on the right path to getting 100 % powered by renewable energy (net-zero energy Carbon footprint) by 2025. 

Amazon is also committed to all its facilities across the world going net-zero in terms of Carbon emissions by 2040, a full ten years ahead of countries themselves going net zero emissions, as promised in the Paris Conference Meeting of 2015. The interaction ended in a very positive note, the students were motivated enough to understand the positive effects of environmental Sustainability initiatives of global corporations and countries. The fears and apprehensions of the national association of local retailers in India protesting the meeting of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos with Indian PM Narendra Modi in New Delhi in early 2020, which finally did not materialise also figured in the interaction.

Overall, in brief the learning for the students from this interaction was excellent. 

Tuesday, March 21, 2023

Playing an SOP Paper Folding Game game in class..

As usual this time in the Lean Operations class we brought in the activity style of pedagogy to teach an important concept in lean operations - Standard Operating Procedure.

Standard Operating Procedure - A standard operating procedure is a set of step-by-step instructions compiled by an organization to help workers carry out routine operations. SOPs aim to achieve efficiency, quality output, and uniformity of performance, while reducing miscommunication and failure to comply with industry regulations. Wikipedia

On Monday 20th of March 2023, I engaged the topic of Standard Operating Procedure with the fourth sem MBA operations students through a game. Earlier I had introduced the topic of Kaizen and continuous Improvement with the straw game.

Since the class strength was about thirty I asked for ten volunteers who were asked to stand with A5 paper in the different corners of the large classroom. It was the paper folding game. 

  • Initially the students were given vague instruction on folding the sheets of paper and tearing off the corners. The results were highly variable, we got as many as 5 separate designs with one design taking a frequency of 3. 
  • This got reduced as I gave more detailed instructions to the volunteers in different stages of the game.
  • Finally in the last and fifth stage the volunteers were clearly explained what was meant by corners, edges, long edge, short edge etc and when the instructions were given, all the 8 volunteers gave an identical design.

The learning from the game was that if proper Standard Operating Procedure is given to the workers and if all the terminology in the SOP is properly understood by the workers, there is very less probability of working committing mistakes and all the output will be similar, zero variability, leading to high quality uniform output and customer acceptance and satisfaction.

There was no other way to practically demonstrate to the students other than through this practical insightful simple game on how SOPs can bring quality to the process and enhance customer satisfaction.

George..

Becoming a world class Professor..

I asked Open AI how a person can become a world class Professor. According to some of the top Professors in world class institutions good teaching and research record are essential prerequisites. When I interact with my colleagues I get to know many factors and the important ones remain the same.

According to Open AI a world-class professor requires a combination of factors, including academic achievements, personal qualities, and professional experiences. Here are some essential prerequisites that can help one become a world-class professor:
  • Education: A solid foundation of formal education, such as a doctoral degree in the field of study, is typically required to become a professor. Being taught by great Professors is a great motivation for humans. Though the academic institutional heritage does carry some weightage, more often than not, hardwork and individual brilliance sidelines it. Edison or Einstein neither of them had access to great education but still they are recognised world over as great professionals. 
  • Research Experience: It is essential to have a strong background in research in the specific field. This means having experience in designing and conducting research studies, analyzing data, and publishing research papers. Normal good quality research output reach is limited due to the high costs of subscription to world class journals. In Web 3.0 personal publishing is an important aspect. Doing formal research and knowledge updation, keeping aspects of research integrity is the future of high quality research. 
  • Teaching Experience: You need to have experience in teaching and communicating complex ideas to students at various levels, from undergraduate to graduate programs. How to engage topics and in what order in the class, what all intellectual group activities can be assigned to students, all bring value to the students. Being able to bring latest knowledge concepts in the class to arouse student anxiety and understanding is necessary to make lectures captivating and motivating to students. 
  • Strong Communication Skills: Excellent communication skills are essential for a professor, including the ability to convey complex information in an understandable manner, and to engage and motivate students. A Professor should also be well read on a lot of interesting aspects and global events to captivate the students and push them to reach greater heights. A good commanding voice with command of the
  • Intellectual Curiosity: A world-class professor should have a deep intellectual curiosity, a desire to explore new ideas and theories, and a passion for learning. Keeping up-to-date with reading quality research material and global events with frequent interactions with learned well read professional colleagues can be enlightening for professors. When they bring these intellectual discussions back to the classroom interacting with the students, the students unknowingly are taken to a different high level of interaction and thinking. 
  • Dedication and Commitment: Dedication and commitment are essential qualities for a professor. This means being willing to put in the time and effort necessary to excel in teaching, research, and service. This aspect gets meaningful with the understanding that great teaching comes with great humility too.
  • Professional Network: Building a strong professional network with colleagues, peers, and researchers in the field is important for sharing ideas, collaborating on research projects, and staying current with the latest developments. Sharing one's knowledge with peers is a great way to go forward. If external networking is difficult, one can always try to network with professionals online and in our own community and benefit immensely from the high quality interactions.
  • Professional Ethics: Upholding ethical standards is essential for a world-class professor. This means maintaining integrity in research and teaching, being respectful of students and colleagues, and adhering to the principles of academic freedom and free speech. Respecting other people's Intellectual property is very important. Whenever quoting somebody else's work quoting them, living or dead, adds value to our own authenticity and worth too. 
  • Accessibility to students and colleagues. The moment we stay aloof from the students and from experimentation and learning, we are losing touch with reality and we will fumble. 
  • Being open minded without bias : This is very important as most of the professors out of their seniority and experience develop biases and remain inaccessible to some sections of students, colleagues and the public. This kills the intellectual growth of the faculty member and kills or blights the intellectual curiosity of the student.
  • Practice intellectual humility : given opportunities and facilities everyone can attain greatness and expertise. Understanding and accepting this truth would allow us to motivate and promote others to do good for the students.
  • Having a cooperative mindset : cooperating with other faculty members and professional colleagues is vital in the success of a professor. The acceptance of the fact that no one is inevitable in the world will make us realise that we all live in a highly networked cooperative world. 
  • Admitting to one's ignorance : No one knows everything in the world and admitting one's ignorance on some facts requires lot of courage and guts. If only one knows the limits of his/her knowledge can one improve and become a great Professor.

Overall, becoming a world-class professor requires a combination of academic excellence, teaching and research skills, strong communication abilities, intellectual curiosity, dedication, and professional ethics.

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

What matters in business?

This morning I was having a talk with my colleagues on what constitutes a good business model. While my friends came up with what constitutes a good business model with enough strategic planning, financial planning, market research, costing, production planning, HR planning, suppliers, supply chain partners, sc design etc, I was insisting on the aspect of customer value. 

I kept stressing from an Operations perspective how organisations that are obsessed with customers and offer great value will be the ones that finally will survive in the long run. Amazon continues to be an example of an organisation that repeatedly delivers great customer value, a reason why customers keep visiting Amazon for purchases. 

In spite of what employess feel about Amazon and it's policies, customers are super excited at the value delivery.

My colleagues kept stressing how employee motivation policies and retention strategies along with long term growth projections are equally important as customer delight and value delivery.

Great business performance involves achieving a healthy balance between financial success, customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, and market share. I still believe customer obsession and service, combined with equally good employee motivation and retention policies are important. 

Literature points to a more detailed picture. Revenue growth through high value delivery and good employee policies make a big difference. Great business performance is typically measured by a variety of key performance indicators (KPIs) that indicate the overall health and success of the organization. 

After giving a search on OpenAI some of the most common KPIs used to evaluate business performance include:
  1. Revenue growth: This measures the percentage increase in revenue over time. Consistent growth in revenue is a sign of a healthy, successful business.

  2. Profit margin: This measures the percentage of revenue that remains after deducting expenses. A high profit margin is a sign of good financial management and efficiency.

  3. Customer satisfaction: This measures the satisfaction levels of customers with the products or services provided by the business. High customer satisfaction is essential for maintaining long-term success.

  4. Employee satisfaction: This measures the satisfaction levels of employees with their work and work environment. A happy, motivated workforce is crucial for maintaining productivity and achieving long-term success.

  5. Market share: This measures the percentage of the total market that the business controls. A growing market share is a sign of a successful business that is gaining traction in the marketplace.

  6. Return on investment (ROI): This measures the return on investment for the business's capital investments. A high ROI indicates that the business is generating significant returns on its investments. - OpenAI

Along with other points value delivery to customers and good employee policies can contribute to remarkable growth of organisations in the long run.

George 

Friday, March 3, 2023

How can stretching exercises benefit the human body ?

My friends have always instructed me to do not just exercises like walking etc but also stretching exercises. At first I did not know the benefits, but later on came to know that stretching is much better than just doing regular exercises. My better health for the past one year is based on this realisation.

Stretching exercises provide numerous benefits for the human body, including:
  1. Improved flexibility: Stretching helps to increase the range of motion of your joints and muscles. This can improve your overall flexibility, which can make it easier to perform physical activities and reduce the risk of injury.

  2. Better posture: Stretching can help to lengthen and strengthen your muscles, which can improve your posture and reduce the risk of back pain.

  3. Increased blood flow: Stretching can increase blood flow to your muscles, which can help to reduce muscle soreness and stiffness after exercise.

  4. Reduced stress: Stretching can be a great way to relieve stress and tension in your muscles. It can also help to improve your mental focus and concentration.

  5. Improved athletic performance: Stretching can help to improve your athletic performance by increasing your range of motion, flexibility, and strength.

  6. Reduced risk of injury: By improving flexibility and range of motion, stretching can reduce the risk of injury during physical activity.

  7. Improved balance and coordination: Stretching exercises can help to improve your balance and coordination, which can be beneficial for activities such as yoga, dance, and sports.

Overall, incorporating stretching exercises into your daily routine can help to improve your physical health, reduce the risk of injury, and improve your overall quality of life.


Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Maintaining a healthy l;ifestyle ..

What should we be doing to lead  a happy and healthy life ?

To lead a happy and healthy life one needs to keep good health, exercise and get good food and rest

  1. Eat a healthy and balanced diet: This means including a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins in your meals. Avoid processed and sugary foods as much as possible.
  2. Exercise regularly: Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week. This can include activities such as walking, running, swimming, or cycling.
  3. Get enough sleep: Adults should aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Getting enough sleep helps to repair and rejuvenate the body, and can improve physical and mental health.
  4. Stay hydrated: It is important to drink enough water throughout the day. Aim for at least 8-8 ounces of water per day.
  5. Avoid tobacco and excessive alcohol consumption: Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can have serious negative impacts on your health. If you do smoke, try to quit, and if you do drink alcohol, do so in moderation.
  6. Practice stress management: Chronic stress can have negative impacts on your physical and mental health. Find ways to manage stress, such as through exercise, meditation, or talking to a therapist.
  7. Get regular check-ups: Regular check-ups with your doctor can help identify potential health issues early on and allow for timely treatment

George..

Does ChatGPT write better English ?

The below text was the original text I write for the blog on our Aravind visit last Novenber to Madurai.

Aravind Eye Care Success - George Easaw

Pl write this article in a better way 

First it is the extremely high levels of efficiency, while an ophthalmologist in an eye hospital does almost 1-2 cataract surgeries per day, an Arvind hospital eye doctor does about 15 cataract surgeries a day, almost 10x.

Secondly so many surgeries are done daily in the hospital, besides the high level of medical expertise of the doctors, the Intra-ocular lens that the hospital manufactures on its own, it is able to sell at $5 apiece, while an imported IOL would cost anywhere above $80. The low cost of the lens helps support cheap surgeries and thus results in increased cost efficiencies in a vicious cycle.

The third factor is the economies of scale and assembly lines concepts that are taken from the industry helping increase operational efficiency, besides organising outreach camps nearer to the customer to generate the necessary demand. 

While Aravind Hospital does not invest much in advertising or other frill activity, it invests heavily in the latest state of the art machinery in the hospital and top world class training and exposure for its doctors and nurses, which is the fourth factor.

The fifth factor is the value set imparted by the founder Dr. V Govindaswamy in eradicating needless blindness from the country that has helped the hospital in offering more than 50% of its surgeries to the needy people in society free of charge and giving world class trainig to medical personnel from other hospitals at very low rates.

A later article by Prof. Vijay Govindarajan in HBR of January 2012 points of the audacious nature of Aravind's goals and how the hospital has managed to rise above expectations. Click here .. The benefits of lower costs of labour and process innovation steps have helped Aravind steal the limelight and become one of the world's top and high quality eye care centre.  

I have been asked by MBA students, would the Aravind eye care system have survived in another culture or country ? According to me, the high population always ensures a high demand for Aravind services. The high poverty levels in society puts pressure on the system to offer high quality low cost services to the masses, pushing the system to continuously strive for innovative methods of functioning and service delivery. 

---------------------------

ChatGPT edited improved text

The Aravind Eye Care System has become one of the world's top and high-quality eye care centers due to several factors. Firstly, it boasts an exceptional level of efficiency. An ophthalmologist in an eye hospital typically performs 1-2 cataract surgeries a day, while an Aravind Hospital eye doctor performs around 15 cataract surgeries a day, a nearly ten-fold increase.

Secondly, the hospital's high volume of surgeries each day is made possible not only by the medical expertise of its doctors but also by its in-house manufactured intra-ocular lens (IOL). The IOL, which is sold at $5 each, enables the hospital to offer cheap surgeries and helps to sustain a low-cost, high-efficiency cycle.

Thirdly, the hospital leverages economies of scale and assembly line concepts from the manufacturing industry to increase its operational efficiency, along with organizing outreach programs to reach its customers.

The fourth factor that contributes to the hospital's success is its investment in state-of-the-art machinery and world-class training and exposure for its doctors and nurses. The hospital prioritizes these investments over advertising or other extraneous activities.

Finally, the fifth factor is the value set imparted by the hospital's founder, Dr. V Govindaswamy, to eradicate needless blindness in the country. This mission has motivated the hospital to offer more than 50% of its surgeries to those in need for free and to provide low-cost training to medical personnel from other hospitals.

In conclusion, the Aravind Eye Care System's success can be attributed to its high efficiency, low-cost IOL, economies of scale, investment in technology and training, and its mission to eradicate needless blindness. While it is difficult to determine if the system would be successful in another culture or country, its success in India is likely due to the high demand for its services, driven by the country's high population and poverty levels

 The way in which the text is neatly rewritten also tells us that ChatGPT language model is indeed a very good one. 

George..

Interaction with Amazon UK Manager..

It was a great opportunity for the sem 4 MBA Operations students to know about global operations from Amazon in the classroom from a senior Amazon employee. 

We arranged a professional interaction with an Amazon Sr. Manager from UK (Easaw George) with students of MBA sem 4 operations at Alliance School of Business, Bangalore to know more about Amazon global middle mile logistics and product returns.

The interaction happened from 10.10 AM to 11.10 AM on 2 March 2023. Easaw started with what he does and how middle mile logistics adds value to the Amazon network. 

Be it in product consolidation or choosing the best transportation modes or even ensuring improved forward handling rates from 400 packages per hour per employee to 1200 packages per hour per employee, the focus Amazon keeps on improving their final customer service is appreciable.

Answering a question on how Amazon was increasing the costs for customers in India to access privileged Amazon services like Prime and so on, Easaw was quick to respond that as an organisation Amazon also incurs heavy costs. The ecommerce facility does not bring all the revenues for Amazon like AWS. But having customers and ensuring they get great value out of the system is the foremost concern for Amazon. 

Due to professional constraints Easaw could not discuss specifically about Amazon processes but he gave the students a birds eye view of the happenings in middle mile network of Amazon. Easaw also discussed about the Value Improvement and waste reduction processes at Amazon and also especially about the environmental sustainability efforts at Amazon.

The interaction was a confidence booster for the students. This is the second time Easaw is interacting with Alliance Bangalore students. Click here for a brief writeup on middle Mile logistics ..

George..

AI mediated refined above text (it is interesting to find how AI can write good english)

 March 2, 2023, the MBA sem 4 Operations students at Alliance School of Business, Bangalore had the opportunity to engage in a professional interaction with Easaw George, a Senior Manager from Amazon UK. The session focused on Amazon's global middle mile logistics and product returns.

During the interaction, Easaw highlighted the value that middle mile logistics adds to Amazon's network. He discussed how Amazon is continuously improving its customer service by optimizing product consolidation, transportation modes, and forward handling rates.

In response to a question about increasing costs for privileged Amazon services in India, Easaw explained that Amazon incurs heavy costs as an organization and that customer satisfaction is the company's top priority.

Although Easaw was unable to discuss specific Amazon processes due to professional constraints, he provided students with an overview of the middle mile network and shared insights into Amazon's value improvement and waste reduction processes, as well as its environmental sustainability efforts.

The interaction was a confidence booster for the students, and it was the second time Easaw had interacted with students from Alliance Bangalore. Interested readers can find a brief write-up on Amazon's middle mile logistics here.

Being happy and healthy ..

Build Confidence and Courage

How can a person be confident and courageous?

Being confident and courageous is a trait that can be developed and strengthened over time with practice. Here are some tips that can help a person become more confident and courageous:
  1. Know yourself: Understanding your strengths and weaknesses can help you build confidence in your abilities.

  2. Set goals: Setting realistic goals and working towards achieving them can boost your confidence.

  3. Take risks: Facing your fears and taking risks can help you build courage.

  4. Practice self-care: Taking care of your physical and emotional needs can help you feel more confident and resilient.

  5. Surround yourself with positivity: Surrounding yourself with supportive and positive people can help you build confidence and courage.

  6. Learn from failures: Instead of being discouraged by failures, use them as opportunities to learn and grow.

  7. Practice assertiveness: Learning to communicate your needs and boundaries in a respectful manner can help you build confidence and assertiveness.

  8. Take action: Taking action towards your goals and dreams, even if it feels uncomfortable, can help you build courage and confidence.

Remember that building confidence and courage takes time and practice. Be patient with yourself, celebrate your successes, and learn from your mistakes.


Being confident and courageous ..

How can a person be confident and courageous ? 

Being confident and courageous is a trait that can be developed and strengthened over time with practice. Here are some tips that can help a person become more confident and courageous:
  1. Know yourself: Understanding your strengths and weaknesses can help you build confidence in your abilities.

  2. Set goals: Setting realistic goals and working towards achieving them can boost your confidence.

  3. Take risks: Facing your fears and taking risks can help you build courage.

  4. Practice self-care: Taking care of your physical and emotional needs can help you feel more confident and resilient.

  5. Surround yourself with positivity: Surrounding yourself with supportive and positive people can help you build confidence and courage.

  6. Learn from failures: Instead of being discouraged by failures, use them as opportunities to learn and grow.

  7. Practice assertiveness: Learning to communicate your needs and boundaries in a respectful manner can help you build confidence and assertiveness.

  8. Take action: Taking action towards your goals and dreams, even if it feels uncomfortable, can help you build courage and confidence.

Remember that building confidence and courage takes time and practice. Be patient with yourself, celebrate your successes, and learn from mistakes.

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

A teaching plan for Lean Operations..

Lean Operations is getting important day by day aas a manufacturing and service philosophy cutting across manufacturing and service organisations. Toyota Production System that got metamorphasised as Lean Operations, with the addition of value concepts and Value Stream Mapping, is now the rage of operations across the world. 

A sample teaching plan for Lean Operations:

  1. Introduction to Lean Operations:

    • Explain the purpose of Lean Operations and its history
    • Describe the key principles of Lean (such as eliminating waste, continuous improvement, and customer focus)
    • Discuss the benefits of implementing Lean in an organization
  2. Value Stream Mapping:

    • Define value stream mapping and its purpose
    • Explain how to create a value stream map
    • Demonstrate how to identify waste in a value stream map
    • Discuss how value stream mapping can help organizations identify improvement opportunities
  3. Lean Tools and Techniques:

    • Introduce the key Lean tools and techniques, such as 5S, Kaizen, Standard Work, Genchi Genbutsu, Jidoka, FMEA, Kanban, JIT philosophy and Total Productive Maintenance
    • Explain how each tool works and its benefits
    • Provide examples of how these tools have been used in real-world organizations
  4. Implementing Lean:

    • Discuss the steps involved in implementing Lean in an organization
    • Explain the role of leadership, teamwork, and employee engagement in a successful Lean implementation
    • Provide case studies of successful Lean implementations
  5. Continuous Improvement:

    • Discuss the importance of continuous improvement in Lean
    • Explain how to establish a continuous improvement culture in an organization
    • Discuss the role of metrics and data in continuous improvement
  6. Conclusion:

    • Summarize the key points covered in the lesson
    • Discuss the future of Lean and its impact on operations and the broader business landscape
    • Encourage students to continue their learning and engage in Lean initiatives in their personal and professional lives.

The evaluation process would include a mini project, quizzes and End semester exams with two assignmenrts. Assess student understanding through quizzes, group discussions, and individual presentations. Encourage students to provide feedback on the course and suggest areas for improvement.

This plan provides a comprehensive overview of Lean Operations, from its history and principles to its implementation and continuous improvement.


Tuesday, January 24, 2023

Teaching Kaizen effectively to students

While teaching Lean Operations to students, there are so many tools that are used, but the most important ones I feel are the 5S and Kaizen.  5S teaching is done through small projects in the hostel or mess hall while teaching Kaizen requires little more dedication and understanding. The following steps can help.
  • The meaning and philosophy of Kaizen: Kaizen is a Japanese term meaning "improvement" or "change for the better." It is a philosophy of continuous improvement that focuses on small, incremental changes to improve efficiency and productivity.
  • The 5S principles: The 5S principles are a key component of Kaizen and include Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain. These principles help to organize and maintain a clean, safe, and efficient workplace.
  • The use of data and metrics: Kaizen relies on data and metrics to track progress and identify areas for improvement. Students should learn how to collect and analyze data to support their improvement efforts.
  • The importance of involving employees: Kaizen is a bottom-up approach and it is important that all employees are involved in the improvement process. Students should learn how to engage and empower employees to take ownership of their work and drive improvement.
  • The role of leadership: Kaizen requires strong leadership to drive change and create a culture of continuous improvement. Students should learn how to lead and communicate effectively to build a strong Kaizen culture.
  • The use of visual management: Kaizen uses visual management tools such as Kanban boards, andon systems, and control charts to make information transparent and easily accessible for all employees.
  • The use of PDCA cycle: Kaizen uses the PDCA cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act) to plan and implement changes, evaluate the results, and make adjustments as needed. Students should learn how to use the PDCA cycle to plan and execute improvement projects.
These are the basics of how Kaizen concept can be effectively communicated to students. Toyota is the world's largest manufacturer and continues to remain so just because of their continued adherence to Toyota philosophy of working with employees and thei commitment to excellence through Kaizen.

How to teach Lean Operations Management effectively to PG management students

Lean Operations is a very humble and efective tool used by all major manufacturing organisations around the world to improve operations, reduce waste and reduce the cost of manufacturing and services.
  • Start by providing an overview of the principles of lean operations management and its history.
  • Use real-world examples and case studies to illustrate the concepts and show how they have been successfully implemented in various industries.
  • Encourage interactive learning through group discussions, problem-solving exercises, and simulations.
  • Provide opportunities for hands-on learning by visiting companies that have implemented lean operations management.
  • Use a variety of teaching methods such as lectures, guest speakers, and online resources to cater to different learning styles.
  • Encourage the application of lean operations management principles in individual or group projects.
  • Assess students' understanding and progress through quizzes, exams, and presentations.

Sunday, January 15, 2023

What population can the earth support ?

We were about 1.5 billion on planet earth in 1920. By Nov 15, 2022, we had touched 8 billion, an increase of 530%. 

Live science journal reports (click here) the earth population will peak at about 10.8 billion between 2070 and 2080 AD and afterwards global population will decline.

Population distribution and density are also affected by human factors such as geopolitical structures, levels of economic development, and quality-of-life issues that address education, health care, housing, and employment opportunities. (www.nationalgeographic.com)

The factors that influence global population are growth rate, death rate, initial age profile and migration. (www.pewresearch.org). Better healthcare over the past seven decades has seen global population surge. With better technology, better agriculture and crop management, biotech advances in agriculture, the output from limited farm area is increasing. Though the land for agriculture globally has remained stagnant for a year now, the output from this land is increasing and is feeding more mouths.

In 2070, when UN is claiming the population will stagnate, we are still not sure on what basis they have made this assesment. What will happen to the elderly people around at that time ?

It is to complicated to find how the globalpopulation varies from decade to decade. 

5000 BC                     5 m
1000 BC                    50 m
500 BC                    100 m
1 AD                        170 m
600 AD                    200 m
1000 AD                  275 m            
1500 AD                   450 m
1800                         1 bilion
1900                         1.6 billion
1927                         2 billion    (Ten years after First world war over)
1950                         2.6 billion ( Second world war over, UN formed, global peace..)
1960                        3 b
1970                        3.7 b
1980                        4.5 b
1990                        5.3 b
2000                        6.1 b
2010                        7 b
2020                        7.8 b
Nov 15, 2022          8 bilion       Data from 1950 to current year: elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2019 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Projected ..
2030                         8.6 b
2040                         9.4 b
2050                        10.2 b
2060                        11 b
2070                        11.8 b
2080                        12.6 b
2090                        13.4 b
2100                        14.2 b

Three questions that keep bothering humanity for the past twenty years are the following - 
1. What will be the lifestyle of our succeeding generations on planet earth ?
2. Will technology play the saviour or enemy in their lives ?
3. With growth in technology and AI, will they need to exert themselves physically or cognitively then ?

Very interesting questions the whole of humanity need to ponder over the next couple of decades.

George

Are ChatGPT responses plagiarised ?

I asked ChatGPT whether it's responses were plagiarise from other resourc es on the Internet. Yhis is a reply I got from it.

ChatGPT is a language model that is trained on a large dataset of text from various sources on the internet. During the training process, the model learns patterns and relationships in the text, which allows it to generate new text that is similar to the text it was trained on. However, the generated text is not copied or plagiarized from any specific source. The model uses the patterns it learned during training to generate new text that is unique and original, even though it may be similar in style or content to text that it was trained on. Additionally, the model generates text based on the inputs given to it, so the response may be different when prompted with the same inputs.


Thursday, January 12, 2023

A simple experiment on Artificial Intelligence Text-to-image generation ..

Text-to-image generation in AI is a task where a machine learning model is trained to generate an image based on a given text description. The text description can include information about the object or scene in the image, such as its size, shape, color, and location. The goal of text-to-image generation is to generate an image that is visually similar to what the text describes. This task is challenging because it requires the model to understand the meaning of the text and be able to generate an image that corresponds to it. - ChatGPT

To study whether these images had any relationship to each other or were solely decided by the nature of the data on which it was trained (training data) and to find whether images generated on different apps ( and hence data sets) had different images generatged, I set up this small experiment. These are 27 images generated by AI on the seed words temple on a mountain using AI app Dream in my attempt to understand AI and how it performs. As we see the aim of this exercise is to generate an image similar to the description given by the text.

This text-to-image generation is by diffusion method. The potential in limitless, but we cannot predict what will be the output.

I wanted to check whether the images generated on the same prompt words Temple on a mountain with other AI apps, would be different. The analogy in this case is of a craftsman chipping on blocks of marble got from different geographical locations to arrive at different output 3D carvings.

Learning 1 - It shows that the data set on which each of the app works is different and this results in the variety of image generation. (the basic marble block on which carving is generated is taken from different geographical locations)

Learning 2 - the words generate different calculations on the image bank on which the basic images data set works (the craftsman uses different tool set on the marble block)

Learning 3 - the different themes available which in turn generates the different images (each craftsman uses the tools in his own style)

If I were to use the same prompt words on a different app which has been fed on different data set, the output would also differ. 

The data set is like a black box, we do not know what comes out of it. i.e. if we ask it to do repeat generating on the same prompt words and the same style, the images are different. There is no firm clarity on the image output, it is totally dependent on the data training set on which the app has been trained. 
 
To give a detailed view, I have also generated images from the text prompt Temple on a mountain in another AI image generation app Dalle 2e.  The images were generated using the same Internet network, on the same phone, during a time gap of 3 hours from 8-11 am (same internet traffic). It was a controlled experiment, only the apps were changed, all other conditions remained the same.

From ChatGPT -  
 
Text-to-image generation can be useful in a variety of ways. Some examples include:
  1. Image creation: Text-to-image generation can be used to generate images from text descriptions, which can be useful for creating images for websites, advertisements, and other online content.
  2. AI images created with Dalle 2e editor
    Data augmentation: Text-to-image generation can be used to augment image datasets for training computer vision models, providing more diverse and realistic images for model to learn from. 
  3. Text-based search: Text-to-image generation can be used to improve text-based image search, by generating images from text descriptions that can be used to visually match images to the text descriptions.
  4. Artistic expression: Text-to-image generation can be used to create new forms of digital art by allowing artists to create images from text-based descriptions.
  5. Assistive technology: Text-to-image generation can be used to assist visually impaired individuals by generating images from text-based descriptions of objects or scenes, allowing them to better understand their surroundings.
  6. Game development: Text-to-image generation can be used in game development to generate new scenes, characters, and environments based on text descriptions.
  7. Robotics: Text-to-image generation can be used in robotics to generate images that can be used to train robots to recognize objects and navigate environments.
-------------------- 

In the short experiment that I did with many instances of image generation on two different AI image generation apps, using many different scenarios, the same prompt words, there is not much that one can conclude, except that the variety is infinite and no two images are the same. I do not see any trend in the output image generation, the range and intensity of colours used etc.

In short, it is really marvelous to see the variety of images created by the different apps on the same prompt words TEMPLE ON THE MOUNTAIN.
 
The only way we can explain, keeping aside the mathematical way images are generated, is to tell volumes of the black box of data sets that generate the images.
 
Other than for artistic expression and games, can we use such black box techniques in real life in situations that affect the daily life of mankind as a whole ? 

According to me, Machine Learning is not an original and exact brance of science or mathematics or even programming neural networks, but a fair statistical (more often inacurate) approximation of the original cognitive thinking ability of humans based on past data. It is not an exact science, but an applied science.  

George.

Top 20 points for global bschools to excel ..

A list of 20 key parameters for evaluating the quality of a global business school.. 1. Accreditation Accreditation from agencies like AACSB...