Yes, it is an amazing world we live in. Despite how much I curse energy heavy processes, flying although not exactly easy on the environment, is definitely one that I do a lot! The modern marvel of "mass aviation" enabled me to reach Mumbai in a little over 15 hours in a plane!
Trust me the change is drastic! But before I contrast, I must write a word of appreciation for the Continental CO-48 crew. Great service, friendly and one of the best and smoothest landings ever!
So I take off- from Newark after some delay due to technical reasons and already in the plane it is clear that things are different-how? well there is a mix of second gen , Indian origin Americana's, immigrants, and business flyer's. The highlight is the number of families traveling and the number of children on this flight, and may I add the number of pregnant couples! Though I did not see more than two children per family, I have to see I was happy to see that the professional and educated Indian population is still procreating . Why do I say that? Just take a Europe bound flight and you will know that it is very different and the educated population choose more and more not to procreate.
While it is true that we are expanding faster than the planet can accommodate, a healthy rate of procreation of educated families will, in my opinion be the key to take on the burning issue. What we need is that these people take on the challenges of the world- especially those of the poor- and educate them so they as well procreate at the manageable rate of only 1 or 2 per couple. The uncontrolled rate of growth of population in some of the worlds most dangerous and poorest places is compounding the problem of poverty, malnutrition and in general anarchy. So my mantra - " all have an equal right to procreate, as long as we are talking about 2 children!" Also if we stabilize the population rate at it's current level, we might have a better chance to win the energy and ecological battle !
Now we land in Mumbai , and something strikes immediately- the number of air-conditioning units that have been installed over the past year to make the travellers more comfortable! Yes the energy use just on this airport has probably quadrupled over the last year or so! But this is just a sample of what is happening in the developing world - Progress means more use of ENERGY!
The encouraging part- progress, the disturbing part- chaos and thus more need of Energy than required!
Take the pickup area for the passengers- utter and poor management and design - in turn chaos! It takes more time and thus more fuel per pick up due to a system- that on paper may look slick- cars come- park at a temporary location, pick up the passengers and leave. The problems- not enough parking , no place for trolleys , not enough lanes- the result, it takes an hour for a car from the parking to reach the pick up point! Imagine the amount of fuel used!
Now lets take the positive- lots of progress all around, lots of new buildings, lots of new establishments, new cars and new constructions.
Lets take the contrast to the western world- in Mumbai, the rich and the poor, the new and the old, the immaculate and the depricate ! Sitting in a 125 USD a night , I look across from 9th floor panoramic window at an urban slum frm my window, where the average family wage ranges probably 25-50 dollars a month.
India is thriving on variety! where as the west chooses and tries to achieve uniformity- be it the straight cut steets of suburbia in the US or the uniform street street signs of Germany! The contrast is very stark and almost threatenining to a first timer! Pedestrians, bicycles, mopeds, rikshaws, busses, trucks and my crossover and 7 series BMW all lined up at the same crossroad!
In this contrast- the hot, flat and crowded that Thomas Friedman talks about has a whole new meaning- and the solutions to the Energy problems as I search for answers, takes a new turn too- The energy management here needs a different approach- we need ro design right so we do not ape the energy heavy west! we need to go about thinking of efficiency right from the star- and if that means the hotels, houses, factories and facilities will look different to what the west has come to build and operate , then so be it! Diversity and not uniformity may be the basis of the answers for our future-
Watch this space as I traverse India...
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Energy Management has finally taken off!
Ladies and Gentlemen , presenting the new management buzzwords- Energy Management, Waste Reduction! You might say that is pretty lackluster Duke. But behold, Energy efficiency and waste reduction are going to drive us to higher levels of productivity this year because the market recovery to 2006 levels is still far away! The positive, we will live cleaner, leaner and greener!
In my this weeks tour of new customers, nothing got the excitement going like how the holistic approach to energy management will reduce costs, increase market competitiveness, improve cash flow and reduce wastes, thereby being the only way to go! There were none of the old "we would love to , but we are so busy with expansion projects that we do not know when we can look into this aspect of our business" like excuses- no , every where we went , we were greeted by a smile, a follow up meeting with the management and an honest thank you for sharing our ideas!
We also saw some innovative in-house measures. One that stood out was by Michael Finch, a very intelligent and fun person I met at a small soap products factory- actually built a pneumatic timer for the steam washers in his repair shop, just to ensure the workers don't leave the steam on after use! You see something similar at a regular gas station for air, where the compressor shuts off after 3 minutes, Brilliant adaptation Mike!
Energy management means a complete overhaul- step by step! Starting from measuring and getting data, analyzing and establishing the bench mark and good energy practices manual and continuously improving process control and logistics to contribute. You have to rethink your usage of everything- electricity, steam, chilling water, gasses and even raw material. You have to question the design of everything- lighting system, production equipment, waste systems and utilities. You have to analyze and go lean on everything in your company and finally even rethink your waste disposal!
Yes every area of your home, work and leisure establishment is a potential to save dollars and emissions and in turn boost our economy through new green purchases! For those who believe in global warming- this is great news, for those who don't but by now know that we need a new economic booster, this is good news too!
Most companies we visited were already on the right track, others needed help, some were making the case to dive in but all of them were looking into this aspect of business. The exception so far has been machine and equipment OEM's, who continue to look at capital cost only. My sincere advice to them is to start thinking about energy and waste and build it into your competitive advantages before you are too late and a GM / Chrysler happens to you in your line of work!
Talking cars, It was good to see a small snapshot in the news yesterday, that the government is going to buy fuel efficient vehicles, but ofcourse it was politically headlined- Obama to buy US vehicles. I wish the government would go ahead and set a target for reduction of fuel consumption for all it's departments and make the progress public on a website !http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE5385XG20090409?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews
In fact why stop at the government, may be it is time to mandate that every product must carry a label- how much energy was used to produce the product and how much waste , including the packaging is anticipated from it's use! Making it visible will increase consumer awareness and make it a market competitive issue and as always the American industry will comply to the wishes of the consumers! - There are many such examples already- such as asbestos in buildings, trans fats and MSG in foods where consumer awareness has made corporations change course!
In the end, my message to all the stakeholders of the industry and government is that the automobile industry is the visible indicator of our times- so you either start listening to the new consumer, who wants energy efficiency and waste reduction, or you prepare for a rough future!
In my this weeks tour of new customers, nothing got the excitement going like how the holistic approach to energy management will reduce costs, increase market competitiveness, improve cash flow and reduce wastes, thereby being the only way to go! There were none of the old "we would love to , but we are so busy with expansion projects that we do not know when we can look into this aspect of our business" like excuses- no , every where we went , we were greeted by a smile, a follow up meeting with the management and an honest thank you for sharing our ideas!
We also saw some innovative in-house measures. One that stood out was by Michael Finch, a very intelligent and fun person I met at a small soap products factory- actually built a pneumatic timer for the steam washers in his repair shop, just to ensure the workers don't leave the steam on after use! You see something similar at a regular gas station for air, where the compressor shuts off after 3 minutes, Brilliant adaptation Mike!
Energy management means a complete overhaul- step by step! Starting from measuring and getting data, analyzing and establishing the bench mark and good energy practices manual and continuously improving process control and logistics to contribute. You have to rethink your usage of everything- electricity, steam, chilling water, gasses and even raw material. You have to question the design of everything- lighting system, production equipment, waste systems and utilities. You have to analyze and go lean on everything in your company and finally even rethink your waste disposal!
Yes every area of your home, work and leisure establishment is a potential to save dollars and emissions and in turn boost our economy through new green purchases! For those who believe in global warming- this is great news, for those who don't but by now know that we need a new economic booster, this is good news too!
Most companies we visited were already on the right track, others needed help, some were making the case to dive in but all of them were looking into this aspect of business. The exception so far has been machine and equipment OEM's, who continue to look at capital cost only. My sincere advice to them is to start thinking about energy and waste and build it into your competitive advantages before you are too late and a GM / Chrysler happens to you in your line of work!
Talking cars, It was good to see a small snapshot in the news yesterday, that the government is going to buy fuel efficient vehicles, but ofcourse it was politically headlined- Obama to buy US vehicles. I wish the government would go ahead and set a target for reduction of fuel consumption for all it's departments and make the progress public on a website !http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE5385XG20090409?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews
In fact why stop at the government, may be it is time to mandate that every product must carry a label- how much energy was used to produce the product and how much waste , including the packaging is anticipated from it's use! Making it visible will increase consumer awareness and make it a market competitive issue and as always the American industry will comply to the wishes of the consumers! - There are many such examples already- such as asbestos in buildings, trans fats and MSG in foods where consumer awareness has made corporations change course!
In the end, my message to all the stakeholders of the industry and government is that the automobile industry is the visible indicator of our times- so you either start listening to the new consumer, who wants energy efficiency and waste reduction, or you prepare for a rough future!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Math should be compulsory for all leaders!
I woke up this morning thinking about what is the answer to developing logical thinking? After much thought and analysis I came to the conclusion that mathematics was the only core subject that taught logic. This also led me to thinking about what is the most fundamental quality that we miss in our leadership values today? we have charismatic, creative, thinking, hardworking, diplomatic and all the other well documented qualities to be found in many leaders, yet so many of us shrug our head at so many policies- be it in our governments our companies. I have read many books on leadership, attended leadership camps, management trainings and seminars, and the one straight simple fact has never be stated- BE LOGICAL!
If we made practicing math a daily routine for ourselves and compulsory for all leaders, it may just turn out to be for our brain what physical exercise is to our bodies- the best way to stay fit and be prepared t handle pressure , load and stress!! Most logical thinking is required when pushed against a wall, in times like these, and this is when most people panic! The physical phenomenon of muscle pulls when you haven't toned and exercised is the equivalent of headaches and breakdowns of the brain when difficult & demanding situations required thinking arise!
Additionally, most of the times you do not have to be super smart to know the right answer to the problem- just know where to start, what pointers to look out for and how to analyze the clues to leade a conclusion- the fundamentals of solving mathematic problems!
Think about it--- and while you ponder, grab that sudoku puzzle or mental math quiz! Oh mind you are such a beautiful thing!
If we made practicing math a daily routine for ourselves and compulsory for all leaders, it may just turn out to be for our brain what physical exercise is to our bodies- the best way to stay fit and be prepared t handle pressure , load and stress!! Most logical thinking is required when pushed against a wall, in times like these, and this is when most people panic! The physical phenomenon of muscle pulls when you haven't toned and exercised is the equivalent of headaches and breakdowns of the brain when difficult & demanding situations required thinking arise!
Additionally, most of the times you do not have to be super smart to know the right answer to the problem- just know where to start, what pointers to look out for and how to analyze the clues to leade a conclusion- the fundamentals of solving mathematic problems!
Think about it--- and while you ponder, grab that sudoku puzzle or mental math quiz! Oh mind you are such a beautiful thing!
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Who is Federico Macheda?-rising star or one hit wonder?
If you haven't by now read about the Man U vs Aston Villa game you are either an American and don't care a damn about the real "football" or still asleep !
The game was won in style- with an absolutely brilliant goal!
Giggs played the ball to Macheda with his back to goal, and the young Italian buck turned his defender and curled the ball around Freidel's outstretched hand and into the right hand side of the goal.
The young Federico broke through in a tense 5 goal thriller and has shown tremendous hunger and talent. In the past the premier league has given us some great stars , could this- oh so young- man be the next gift to the sacred world sport? Time will tell, and we will all be watching...
The game was won in style- with an absolutely brilliant goal!
Giggs played the ball to Macheda with his back to goal, and the young Italian buck turned his defender and curled the ball around Freidel's outstretched hand and into the right hand side of the goal.
The young Federico broke through in a tense 5 goal thriller and has shown tremendous hunger and talent. In the past the premier league has given us some great stars , could this- oh so young- man be the next gift to the sacred world sport? Time will tell, and we will all be watching...
Energy management gains prominence
When my coworker Stefan Woehrle and I gave the first Energy measurement seminar in PCIC Europe in 2005 , the interest in managing and measuring energy on process plants was at best in the nascent stage! My last seminar was attended by over 80 people. 90% of the companies represented had an Energy in-charge or a team looking into the Energy needs. This represents a real fast forward in the adoption of energy management at process plants. In part it is a positive effect of the economic downturn and in part due to the scare from last years skyrocketing prices of Crude!
The good news is, technology is already available to save us real dollars, the better news is, in the long run it will make companies in the west more competitive and ease the voracious energy appetite.
what I would like to see though is the US gov and large corporations to take the joint lead and form an energy reduction team to look into every federal, state and corporate facility of their business, the prime objective will be to save energy through installation and adoption of systems and processes that enhance efficiency.
A holistic approach to energy management starts with using flow computers, flow meter, RTD temperature measurements on the steam, air, chilling water and gasses. The next steps are to cut and minimize leaks and wastes. But the real achievement is when we analyze every process for energy efficiency and question how much could we save should we adopt modern digital technology and or change the way we do business. For example, if we adopt online digital reporting for agency compliance, do not ever send printed copies of tenders and contracts, improve building standards for energy consumption, check the efficiency of every process and transaction and the number of visits it requires, streamline parking systems, create better interlinked campuses that don't need private transport- basically rethink everything to be leaner in energy consumption. The answers are all available or within reach, we don't need a revolution, just an accelerated evolution, are we ready to Re-think?
Read my paper at http://www.controlglobal.com/whitepapers/2009/029.html
The good news is, technology is already available to save us real dollars, the better news is, in the long run it will make companies in the west more competitive and ease the voracious energy appetite.
what I would like to see though is the US gov and large corporations to take the joint lead and form an energy reduction team to look into every federal, state and corporate facility of their business, the prime objective will be to save energy through installation and adoption of systems and processes that enhance efficiency.
A holistic approach to energy management starts with using flow computers, flow meter, RTD temperature measurements on the steam, air, chilling water and gasses. The next steps are to cut and minimize leaks and wastes. But the real achievement is when we analyze every process for energy efficiency and question how much could we save should we adopt modern digital technology and or change the way we do business. For example, if we adopt online digital reporting for agency compliance, do not ever send printed copies of tenders and contracts, improve building standards for energy consumption, check the efficiency of every process and transaction and the number of visits it requires, streamline parking systems, create better interlinked campuses that don't need private transport- basically rethink everything to be leaner in energy consumption. The answers are all available or within reach, we don't need a revolution, just an accelerated evolution, are we ready to Re-think?
Read my paper at http://www.controlglobal.com/whitepapers/2009/029.html
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