Vitamins and Supplements
For modern society, the industry is its lifeline. The industry needs to grow; it needs to evolve.
Just as our body needs Vitamins to grow, Industry also needs a supply of Vitamins to grow and evolve and in addition, it needs vital catalytic supplements to help it to absorb the Vitamins. Let us try to find out what these Vitamins are and what are the essential catalytic supplements.
The Industrial Revolution
School History taught us that in the mid-eighteenth century the innovative thought processes of various scientists and engineers triggered the Industrial Revolution in Europe and soon it swept the entire world. This is a simple cursory statement. But if one goes into details, some very interesting facts and lessons-to-learn come to light.
Around 1720-1760 (mid-eighteenth century) the Industrial Revolution began in England and within a couple of years, it spread to Belgium. After the French revolution, France invaded and annexed Belgium to France in the year 1795, the benefits of the Industrial Revolution were reaped by France as well. Belgium soon became the key area where Blast furnaces and industrial establishments were located. Industrial progress thrived. The workforce started getting organized.
It is interesting to see how the other European countries and the Asian giant Japan, were placed around that time on the map of the Industrial revolution.
During the eighteenth century period, France underwent a revolution, Germany and Italy had their socio-political problems and Japan was a closed book for foreigners. Hence spread of industry was slower in the other European countries and no progress in Japan. Therefore, the rest of the European countries, other than Belgium and England experienced the impact of the Industrial Revolution only by the middle of the 19th century and at the same time, the Meiji regime opened Japan to foreigners which heralded the beginning of the modern industry in Japan. This means England-Belgium-France had 100 years head start over Germany, Italy, Japan.
From mid 19th century, in Belgium and England, plagues, industrial unrest and activities of dis-satisfied unionized labour resulted in heavy setbacks to the industry. England could sustain the setbacks due to its colonial backup and better export orientation, but Belgium faced decline. The dissatisfaction among workers and the ever-increasing gap between profiteering rich and hapless poor put the industrial revolution in Belgium in reverse gear and by the middle of the 20th century, Belgium became a pauper.
Japan, Germany, Italy with their militaristic socio-political setup could accelerate the Industrial Revolution in their respective countries. Wars presented more opportunities for innovation and creative thinking and absorption of the same into further accelerated growth of the industry. The race for industrial excellence was on.
The saga of rising and fall, set-backs and acceleration of the industrial revolution brings out the fact that only the Vitamin of “Innovation and creativity” is not adequate for the Industrial revolution or growth and sustenance of Industries, but there is also a need for the right kind of supplements to absorb the creative and innovative inputs, without which, the industry will perish. Again we need to go back to the history book, and especially the Indian context, to learn more about the right catalytic supplements.
Growth Vitamin for The Indian Industry
Electricity came to India by the end of the nineteenth century and a slow process of industrialization began in colonial India by the beginning of the 20th century. Indian industry evolved, got aligned together through Industrial Acts, Regulations, accepted systems and procedures etc. In the meantime, innovative and creative minds in developed countries brought in Industries Revolution 2 and 3. The impact of these was felt and absorbed by the Indian industry to the extent the governing policies of respective establishments could permit.
A question arises here. Did the Indian Industry in the period up to the year 1991 use the right supplements to absorb the benefits of the Industrial Revolutions? Where are those great Television and washing machine manufacturers of the eighties and nineties today? What could be the reason for their rise and fall?
Indian industrial scenario changed after 1991 when India stepped from a licensing regime to a free-market regime. Indian industry lost the protective shell and slowly started adjusting itself into the world of industrial competition. Those who did not use the right supplements could not absorb the fruits of the Industrial revolutions and they perished.
Today the modern Indian industry operates in a truly global environment. The mindsets have changed and most of the leading houses have started thinking of progress in a wider spectrum. Concern for workers, concern for customers, concern for the environment is now considered as important as profit-making. Fruits of Industrial Revolution 4, especially IIoT such as, speedy communication, digitization of data processing, decision making are being used not only in the manufacturing process but also in all supplementary fields. Concern for HSE (Health, Safety and Environment) has matured. The use of Industry 4 tools for HSE is as important for a pragmatic industrialist as the use of the same in the manufacturing process.
Supplements for the Vitamin
Today, Industry4 is the Vitamin for Indian Industry and “Go Digital” is considered as its prime mantra or catalytic supplement.
There is no doubt that “go digital” is important provided it is wrapped up in an even more important mantra of “Inclusive growth”. Today, an ideal growth matrix is not considered complete without considering the benefit, growth, safety of all stakeholders.
Just imagine an industrial organisation where robotics, modern assembly techniques are widely used in its manufacturing process but some of its sub-vendors of minor components do not have a high-class quality control system in place or imagine that the same company does not have financial transparency in its borrowals, or cash disbursals, or imagine that safety of workers and industrial as well as environmental safety protocols are not on the high priority list of the organisation. In all these cases, the concerned organization cannot boast of being truly in the Industry4 regime.
It is essential to be innovative. “Be innovative, and maintain the speed of innovation” is also considered a key supplement of the Industry4 revolution. However, like all initiatives, even the initiative of innovativeness and creativity needs to be controlled. Every innovation needs to be cross-checked whether it fits within the boundaries of the “inclusive growth” matrix.
Industry 4 has created tools of comprehensive control rather than silo centric control. These should be used at every possible department of manufacture, quality control, finance, sales, marketing, legal dealings, raw material sourcing, logistics, stores, employees’ welfare, HSE aspects et al, and an organization successfully practising this will achieve “inclusive growth”. It will achieve an extensive accident-free working period, improved quality and reliability of the product, improved industrial indices, the easier flow of finances at a reasonable cost, brand value appreciation and will succeed in being more and more competitive.
There is no better teacher than history. Many supplements are available as a catalyst for absorbing the benefits of the Vitamin called Industry 4 revolution. The wise Indian industrialist does not take silo-centric actions anymore. He has accepted that the key supplement for absorbing Industry 4 Vitamin is the mantra of “Inclusive Growth”.