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In this issue Interview Article

Student Article Puzzles & Events

Volume 03, Issue 01, April, 2014 Reach us Feedback at octaphi@jgu.edu.in

“Supply Chain is like a caterpillar; All parts have to move in sync to get to the goal”- Kai Pietilä

An Insight of Global Supply Chain Prof Sunil Kumar

Dean and Professor

Booth School of

Business

The University of

Chicago

Prof Sunil Kumar, the Fred H. Merrill Professor of Operations, Information and Technology and an expert in operations research at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, has been appointed the dean of the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business on January 2011. Mr Kumar's research includes performance evaluation and control of manufacturing systems, service operations, and communications networks. On his visit to OP Jindal global university on 27 March 2014, Octaphi got the honour and privilege to speak to Prof Kumar. Here is the insight of the interview. 1. As an expert of Supply chain, how will you explain this term to a layman? Ans. One company need not make everything like components, raw materials etc. in order to produce its good. So it arranges with other companies to buy parts. So, Supply chain is a collection of all the companies that are involved in producing one end product. 2. What do you think are the major differences in supply chain of India and United states? Ans. The primary difference between the two countries is most of the goods sold in US are not manufactured in US. They are made elsewhere and assembled in US. On the contrary, Indian companies make and assemble most of the products within the national boundary. The reason behind this is the cheap availability of labour in India. So, it is a big challenge for US companies to manage locations, quality, safety etc.

In faraway countries and also managing the contractual agreements across many countries. India on the other hand, enjoys the advantage of shorter supply chain and thus has more direct control. Thus, Indian companies have more chances to integrate vertically as long as the labour costs remains comparatively less. 3. What in your views are the two biggest challenges for future supply chain? Ans. 1. The increasing number of suppliers will make supply chain more complex so ensuring safety and quality will be a big challenge for the companies. 2) With increasing fuel charges worldwide, managing the cost involved in logistics will be another big challenge.

- Karishma Wadhwa, Vinay Raju

Role of Automation in Efficient Production Management

In the present era of technological advancements it is hard to believe a world without automation systems. We cannot imagine our lives without washing machines, automatic start vehicles, smart mobile phone etc. Due to Hi- tech technologies industrial processes have experienced a drastic change and have reduced the intervention of human in industrial processes to a great extent and of because this revolution industries are performing far more efficiently which has led to great improvement in the productivity and hence profitability of the industries. When you visit any manufacturing plant you can easily

notice various tasks performed , automatically and in a much efficient Manner. Those days are gone when industries had to perform various tasks again and again. Now these tasks are performed automatically and in a very efficient manner. These Automation systems also use largely the information technology which enables continuous monitoring and governing of the entire process by just a click. These automations systems are broadly categorized in to five levels viz. level 0 through level 4.

The entire system work as a computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) system in which many functions are linked through an integrated computer network. These manufacturing functions include production planning and control, shop floor control, quality-control, computer aided manufacturing, computer aided design, and marketing, purchasing and other functions .The main purpose of CIM is to allow cost reduction and production requirement optimization. - Prashant Dwivedi, JGBS

Amazing work, Octaphi is just going ahead and enhancing with each new issue. I wish Octaphi for its future tries and accomplishments. Keep the benevolent acts going.

- Shardul Vikram, CTS

OCTANE-The Octaphi Newsletter For previous issues visit: http://issuu.com/octaphi/docs

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Mezzanines: Industrial Applications Mezzanines, frequently used in industrial operations, such as warehousing, distribution or manufacturing are a cost-effective way to add safe and productive space to a warehouse or other industrial building. These facilities have high ceilings, allowing unused space to be utilized within the vertical cube allowing high density storage within the mezzanine structure. Industrial mezzanine structures are typically either structural, roll formed, rack-supported, or shelf-supported. A few concerns and myths that need inspection are: 1. The myth that a pre-manufactured mezzanine system is less “heavy duty” than a mezzanine system designed by an engineering firm and then fabricated on site by a contractor. In fact, choosing a pre-manufactured approach can have a high comfort level that the structure will surpass all safety requirements, even in the highest seismic zones. 2. The concept that custom, pre-manufactured mezzanines are costly or take a long time to design, build and install. The key to the time and cost efficiencies of a pre-manufactured approach is repeatability. By using common subcomponents and proven techniques, the manufacturer becomes efficient at designing and building what will go into each mezzanine system. 3. The myth that mezzanines limit access and hurt productivity. A pre-manufactured mezzanine can be configured to include the optimal amount of access points such as stairs and lifts to minimize travel and ensure productivity. 4. The impression that mezzanines cannot easily accommodate special needs such as uniquely heavy loads or future expansion. Mezzanines have diverse uses. Many times, a client doesn’t immediately see the full potential of their floor space. It’s the designer’s role is to help clients see the most productive uses, whether it’s moving some value-added services up to a mezzanine, using the extra floor space for storage, or even using a mezzanine to locate heavy or bulky equipment overhead, like compressors or tanks used for production, which is going to give them more working space down below.

- V Vinay Raju (12JGBS)

Crossword Puzzle

S H K K L G E H E R

D J K L G I M J F Y

G K L M B N B R H I

H V U X W T A F U O

L I G H T E R G T T

H R U O P R G J R W

K G P Z N L O K A R

I E U B Q I Q C Q T

P E G G I N G H E U

F L A T B E D Q I T

Submission by May 01, 2014 to octaphi@jgu.edu.in

Clues:

1. A prohibition upon exports or imports, either with specific products or specific countries

2. Two or more motor carriers working together to haul the shipment to a destination.

3. A flat-bottomed boat designed for cross-harbor or inland waterway freight transfer.

4. A technique in which an ERP system traces demand for a product by date, quantity, and warehouse location.

5. Type of truck trailer that consists of a floor and no enclosure

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DO YOU KNOW??

American Airlines pioneered Yield Management to

maximize revenue which focuses on airline seat

forecasting, inventory control and overbooking

capabilities.

Editorial Board:

V Vinay Raju (12JGBS), Karishma Wadhwa (13 JGBS); Saroj Koul (JGBS), Contact: octaphi@jgu.edu.in

I always felt that holding sound knowledge in OPS is very important for handling any duty in Industry. It's a matter of fact that Octaphi is the connecting bridge between my marketing world and operations which helped me to understand with many precise concepts.

- G. Maruthi, CL Media