The Smart Manager - July-August 2016

في هذه القضية

This issue of The Smart Manager focuses on a leader who is at the helm of a
$ 6.2 billion global information technology services company—Anant Gupta, the CEO and President of HCL Technologies Limited. In an exclusive interview with The Smart Manager, he takes the readers through HCL’s growth story, talks about triggers that will shape the future of business, and gives an insight into his leadership style.
This issue’s lead feature explores the connect between workplace design and productivity—Aparna Piramal Raje, author; Sonali Rastogi, Morphogenesis; and Morgen Witzel, Exeter Business School share their views on the topic. Don Tapscott, The Tapscott Group, and Alex Tapscott, Northwest Passage Ventures, break down the concept of blockchain technology, and show how it is going to impact the future of businesses; Howard J Morgan and Joelle K Jay, authors of The New Advantage, talk about the need for gender-balanced teams to drive productivity; Raj Mankar and Akshaya Bhate, Aker Solutions India, highlight how adopting lean methodologies and agile principles has helped the company achieve increased productivity and higher operational excellence; Suresh Lulla, Qimpro Consultants explains why it is crucial for companies to create a culture that thrives on quality.
In our regular sections, we have Winnie Brignac Hart and Lorrie Brignac Lee, authors of Stand Out, busting myths regarding how to truly stand out in the corporate jungle. In First Serve, we look at the customer service practices of General Motors India.

Building A Quality Culture

A strong company culture defined by its values, beliefs, and behaviors, has a profound impact on its products and services. More so in today’s VUCA world, where to stay relevant and maintain a competitive edge, it is critical for organizations to build a culture that focuses on quality. Suresh Lulla, author of Quality Fables, elucidates through significant examples how creating a culture of quality is imperative to driving success and productivity.

5 mins

Customers For Life

The history of General Motors in India can be traced back to the 1920s, when it became the first automotive company to set up an assembly plant in the country. The relationship since then has not been as fruitful as GM would have hoped. GM’s flagship brand, Chevrolet, was introduced in India to build upon the success of the popular Opel marque. However, success has been fleeting at best—an issue that GM India is determined to rectify. It aims to do so by adopting a two-pronged approach: using customer feedback to influence product development, and delivering a superior sales-to-service experience.

4 mins

Finding The Middle Path

We are living in a data-driven world, where everything—from reactions to preferences— can be monitored and presented in numbers. But will this abundance of big data kill our reliance on instinct, that gut feeling that has driven many a business to success?

2 mins

Sprint To Excellence

In an effort to boost productivity and quality of deliverables, Aker Solutions India has adopted a focused team approach, wherein a set objective is achieved within a short, stipulated span of time called a ‘sprint’.Here is a detailed insight into the company’s operational efficiency methodologies, the rudiments of problem identification, and the process of bringing about the desired improvements.

7 mins

قراءة كل الأخبار من The Smart Manager

The Smart Manager Magazine Description:

The Smart Manager, India's first world-class management magazine, was founded in 2002 by eminent business historian Dr Gita Piramal with Harvard Business School Dean, Prof. Nitin Nohria with the mission of updating managers and business practitioners in India with the latest thought-provoking strategic ideas from experienced, world-class managers, academics and consultants from across the globe. Over the years, the magazine has carried articles authored by illustrious management gurus such as the late CK Prahalad and Sumantra Ghoshal, Jack Trout, Ram Charan, Gary Hamel, Gay Haskins, Jagdish Seth and Lynda Gratton. We believe that "managers are the best teachers of managers" and most of our articles are written in the first person by top-tier CEOs such as Kumaramangalam Birla, Sunil Mittal, Aditya Birla, KV Kamath, Santrupt Mitra, Rajeev Dubey and S Ramadorai. We also have relationships with a number of B-schools around the world, apart from most top-level schools in India.

The Smart Manager hosts the Tata Consultancy Services Smart Manager Case Contest, the most prestigious competition of its kind in the Indian print media. The contest, with a cash prize of INR50,000 per issue, sees wide participation from national and international business managers and students. 
The 'Smart" in The Smart Manager is an acronym for Strategy, Marketing, Analysis, Resources and Technology. Truly useful knowledge when you need it 24 x 365, year after year.