Bhaumik Mehta: Tipping point for automation

Printweek (PW): How have you been leading your organisation through this once-in-a-lifetime crisis?
Bhaumik Mehta (BM): None of us was prepared for this. We did have certain “emergency” protocols, which were for a short term. No one predicted the uncertainty will loom over for this long.

PW: Describe a typical day? How much has been altered?
BM: We reviewed our operations, altered working hours for the first few weeks. A few dos and don’ts laid down by the government have become a part of our long term plans. We did understand the etiquettes in detail and implemented practical solutions right away. What we’ve learned from the whole experience is automation; a local residing workforce and a strong scientific understanding of healthy clean living practices go a long way.

PW: We’re in an extraordinary moment. As a leader what are you telling your team now?
BM: Now more than ever, we need to be vigilant. Letting your guard down isn’t acceptable. We’ve ensured all employees have an appreciation for the rules, which are for their safety. Regular training sessions, medical insurances for all employees, and a readily available health care professional on call, who can consult over the phone are being set up for common illnesses. This reinforces the confidence in all, for working without fear.

Yes, there is a concern but minimising that is what our team has done exceptionally well.

PW: Is it different messaging for different teams? For example, department heads, factory supervisors, admin staff, shopfloor experts, logistics and support staff?
BM: The situation sees no caste, no race, no social strata, so why should we. We are equally responsible for our people and their families’ well being as they. I have addressed the entire staff quite a few times for the importance of staying positive and encouraged them to stay away from the “social media rumour universities”. I think all in all they too have realised that. When you have a positive frame of mind a lot of these noises are silenced.

PW:The post-Covid-19 world will need massive HR repair with your entire team: how are you planning to achieve this?
BM: My lovely wife and my entire family are all preachers of positive thinking. We’ve tried to incorporate some of these messages in our pieces of training and the general attitude of the personnel. When we think positively all problems sound like temporary issues and eventually all ends well.

PW:Have you been re-negotiating deals with your customers? From a position of strength? Or is it the same old, same old?
BM: Part both. We’ve proven to our customers in the past few months that we are dedicated to servicing their essential needs and would support their efforts. However, due to recent uncertainties in material movement, long term, and short term contracts are and will be re-negotiated for a sustainable business future.

PW: How have you been planning your next step with your banks and financiers when you don’t know what the future will hold? One step that you have taken...
BM: Bankers and financiers have themselves been hurt, I mean a lot of government policies geared towards the MSME were designed to reach us, however, the real deal is we haven’t seen those facilities reach us, yet. Bankers themselves are eager to finance strong balance sheets, but a turn of events has held some of the projects back for both them and us. I am certain that we will come out stronger on the other side.

PW: Is your factory ready for what’s next? How have you been empowering your team at the bottom of the pyramid?
BM: We’ve reshuffled certain key positions, people, to look into a different role than usual to help settle the anxiousness. This has helped reconnect quite well. However, there is a lot to be done to ensure factory premises, automation, and other initiatives find their optimum outcome.

PW: Any specific steps (sanitisation, plastic partitions, physical distance, air vents, and WFH) to keep your office healthy and psychologically safe?
BM: A positive attitude along with the recommended protocols. That sums it up. WFH for a lot of roles is possible; however we can’t completely do justice to the role, with that yet. Slowly but surely some roles, will be quite efficient with the WFH model.

PW: A personal question: How has Covid-19 changed the nature of what you are working on, your resilience and self-renewal and how you do it?
BM: Like most of us, I have benefitted from the lockdown by spending a good time with the family. With that being said, a regular time for exercising, some reading, and a lot of strategic thinking on what’s next for us as a company. Yes, we have been manufacturing inks for three generations, and steadily seeing growth, however, something that I have personally missed is the next challenge of a new product line. Something exciting is in the works. Hopefully, we will be able to share that soon.

PW: In what way has your team prepared for Webex or Zoom or Skype usage? Any creative ideas?
BM: Our team has been using certain technologies more than others. My approach is simple; whatever gets the work done in an automated manner, do it. We never imagined our admin staff to be working remotely; however, they have worked remotely and have done very well. They are eager to use our custom ERP with as many automated modules as possible since it keeps all efforts streamlined and easy to compile. What we are also planning to do is, introduce meetings with all customers via the web, so we are apprised of their pain points and our team can respond accordingly. Possibly also connect with technical staff on either end so product support can also be well deployed.

PW:Any final predictions about how as a leader you can harness digital technology for good?
BM: For me, digitisation of certain functions like logistics, sharing of technical data, and constant adaptation
of current digital platforms for any function, which makes human intervention just a supervisory role, is essential. That’s where we all are headed. So in addition to production automation, all functions need to up their game
with the use of digital tools available and elevate their roles to enhance the customer service to excellent customer experience, when they buy from us.