In an exclusive interview with All Things Talent, Dr. Harish Pant., Chief Business Transformation Officer at NTF (India) Pvt. Ltd. explains how lean management principles and modern technology tools are revolutionizing the modern workplaces.
Dr. Harish Pant is the Chief Business Transformation Officer NTF (India) Pvt. Ltd, In addition to his responsibilities at NTF India, he is an Industry Thought Leader, Global Mentor, Advisor, Sustainability Evangelist, Poet, Author, Blogger, Columnist, Key Note Speaker, Guest lecturer in top management and technical institutes across India. He has a rich experience of thirty-three years in Aerospace, Automotive and Steel sectors and has worked with HAL, Maruti-Suzuki, General Motors and Jindal Group. He is a distinguished alumnus and fellow of Institution of Engineers and Corporate Member of IET, SAE, Aeronautical Society of India and various other institutions and trade bodies and associations. He is an advisor and mentor of 100 Open Start-ups, SME One Source Make in India foundation, ISCEA, INY and others.
How has the manufacturing sector revolutionized with the use of Kaizen and Lean Management principles, what has the role of technology been in assisting the integration of these at work?
Lean management principles help higher value creation and as a result positively impact all stakeholders. In the process, we eliminate and reduce waste and thus help in sustainability. Lean integrates and now emerging technology facilitates convergence not achieved earlier. Innovation is helping in resolving issues faced by humanity as negative impacts of our economic world are becoming more visible. Humans are endowed with a capability which need not be wasted for repeated tasks of any nature.
Considering that today’s entrepreneur is very young, what is the food that fills up for this lack of experience
Lack of experience is at times a blessing as it does not comes with past baggage. Curiosity to look at issues and problems with new eyes and asking pertinent questions help to find a new solution. On the way, they need to pick whatever relevant domain knowledge needed and keep learning, unlearning and relearning on the way lest the experience gets stale.
“Co-creating and collaborating is the way to deal with future challenges. Imbibing diversity further helps to get a wider perspective.”
How do you feel block chain technology can increase the accountability of leaders and businesses?
It’s rather the other way round. If leaders chose to be more accountable and join hands, then Blockchain can help in providing a seamless trust on specific use cases, in a cost-effective way. Genome trail of actions captured does the rest. Block chain helps to walk your talk for the responsible leaders.
With initiatives like Make in India, as encouragement to manufactures, how far do you see the manufacturing abilities of India will take us on the Export –Import map?
We are slowly coming out of the clutching and manipulative way of running a business where organization’s energy used to get dissipated. Startups are bringing fresh air and energy. Now there is an urgent need felt to develop capabilities and capacities across sectors. This redirection and refocus will help in, first India to solve the first billion population issues internally. Simultaneously, India can look at niche future possibilities and become globally competitive.
“Present initiatives are just the beginning and we require SpaceX kind of efforts to break the barriers. We need to catch up with the future train rather repenting on the past.”
The application of many technologies like cloud, AI, block chain, robotics is disrupting several sectors. Which ones will have the strongest and fastest hold on which sectors?
Technologies provide possibilities but we humans need to become comfortable with the pace of change and that will determine where it will impact the most. Each of the current technologies will impact all sectors in many ways. E.g. Blockchain in logistics has a potential to eliminate an entire layer of paperwork worldwide whereas AI, Cloud and Cobots can create a further tsunami of disruptions. Cost and effort required for implementation would further determine the pace of change.
The Human resource function has evolved in all respects from its operations, to compensations, learning and development and more. The change in the last decade has been way faster than ever since industrial revolution. How does the people manager of today become technology ready for a successful future ahead?
Deliberative dive into cold waters – charter in the unknown territory for learning and gaining a unique combination of capabilities. Linear career progression is going to be a thing of the past where title and pay cheque ever goes up with time. The application of many technologies like cloud, AI, block chain, robotics is disrupting several sectors. Which ones will have the strongest and fastest hold on which sectors? The Human resource function has evolved in all respects from its operations, to compensations, learning and development and more. The change in the last decade has been way faster than ever since industrial revolution. How does the people manager of today become technology ready for a successful future ahead?
Hometown: Allahabad
Passionate Pursuits: Develop Next Gen Leaders
Greatest Influence Growing up: With consistent efforts anything can be impacted and changed for better
Favourite books: Atlus shrugged, Animal Farm, A tale of two cites and many others
Things you value most: Integrity and Empathy to work for higher purpose
Favorite lines from your work:
Beauty of effortless effort let’s learn
Lighten ourselves, evolve, not burn
Steadfast resolve, ever change and churn
Success we define, well thought discern
