This year OP$-ERA worked with new agenda – better practical industry specific education for SIBM operations students. We started with workshop in Institution of engineers, followed by a guest lecture by Mr. Anand Yati from Google and Mr. Pradeep Sharma on supply chain management with an industrial visit in Mahindra & Mahindra. The world of operations is ever revolving in today’s dynamic world. With inclusion of data analytics and big data, it has become very essential for students to update their skills in this domain. Like Starbucks is developing their own AI systems to fulfil customer needs and retention of loyal customers, the data has become a very important field. Technological and methodological advances have enabled an unprecedented capability for decision making based on big data. This use of big data has become well established in business, entertainment, science, technology, and engineering. Whereas big data is beginning to be utilized for decision making in higher education as well, practical applications in higher education instruction remain rare. Thus importance of operations management is very much appreciated now in companies with dedicated companies like EPAM, which are involved in operations management consulting. This transformation in operations industry has also affected the supply chain management. We are talking about blockchain technology in reaching the customer. The blockchain is an incorruptible digital ledger of economic transactions that can be programmed to record not just financial transactions but virtually everything of value. Thus operations people are much responsible of mapping the value and ensuring that the right value is delivered to the customers. The field of Operations Management has experienced substantial change – with the occasional identity crisis – since its establishment within manufacturing in the 19th century. In today’s time operations is not just limited to manufacturing but has also evolved in service industry like, airports, BFSI industry, project management, business analysis, IT, FMCG etc. Thus in SIBM we are focusing on how the current requirements of industry can be fulfilled via developing a sense of latest technology, because in today’s time our supervisor and subordinate both are artificial learning systems.
Indian government has started taking important decisions in this field. With the introduction of GST, the logistics industry has seen a very positive change. So far, logistics players in India have been maintaining multiple warehouses across states to avoid CST levy and state entry taxes. Most of these warehouses are operating below their capacity and thus adding to their operational inefficiencies. Introduction of GST has brought warehouse consolidation across the country and we can witness mega logistic hubs and high investments in infrastructure wherein 100% FDI has already been allowed. As an outcome of GST, warehouse operators and e-commerce players have already shown interest in setting up their warehouses at strategic locations such as Nagpur, which is the zero mile city of India and is well connected throughout. Thus for operations people there is are multiple gateways to enhance their career and varied fields has also open up a lot of opportunities. In short we can expect to see a lot of revolutionary change in operations management field and this will directly benefit the students at SIBM, Hyderabad.