This issue consists of three papers. Outsourcing, though commonly thought of in FMCGs and capital and electronics goods industries, is a reality in the pharmaceutical sector. The first paper, “Key Determinants of Successful Project Delivery in Pharmaceutical Outsourcing”, by M Raja Shekhar Reddy, Nasina Jigeesh and Prabhu Kumar, sheds light on the rising importance of project management in the days of global outsourcing by analyzing the key determinants for successful implementation and delivery of projects to pharmaceutical clients who outsource the work to Indian vendors. A case-based approach is used to study the project management processes of a major Indian pharmaceutical vendor. The study also highlights the vendor’s ability to serve the client by meeting or exceeding the requirements of the project as laid out in the service level agreement, and comes out with critical managerial implications and authentic insights into the processes involved in the execution of pharmaceutical outsourcing projects in the Indian context.
The second paper, “Productivity Improvement: A Work Study Analysis at the Audio Division of Hyundai Mobis India Ltd.”, by V Sasirekha and Gautam Kumar Tripathi, focuses on work study and balancing issues at the audio division of a reputed car manufacturing company in India. The researchers collected primary data from seven workstations of audio manufacturing process through observation method (i.e., video-recording without the knowledge of the workers). The results reveal that the cycle time of all seven workstations is not equal and the electronic equipments were often found hanging due to high temperature prevailing at the production shop floor. Based on the results, suggestions are made to improve the production efficiency at the audio division, and implementation of the suggestions can result in substantial financial gains for the organization.
The final paper, “Impact of Enterprise Systems on Firm Performance: A Business Integration Capabilities Perspective”, by Anupam Saxena and M P Jaiswal, analyzes operations from a measurement perspective. The purpose of this research is to understand enterprise systems contribution on firm performance using the Resource-Based View (RBV). For this, a conceptual model thoroughly grounded in the RBV of firms is developed and tested for 53 large Indian manufacturing firms, with respondents being senior-most business and IT executives. Overall association between enterprise systems and business integration capabilities (conceptualized at three different levels) and between business integration capabilities and firm performance is investigated.
Automated Teller Machines (ATMs): The Changing Face of Banking in India
Bank Management
Information and communication technology has changed the way in which banks provide services to its customers. These days the customers are able to perform their routine banking transactions without even entering the bank premises. ATM is one such development in recent years, which provides remote banking services all over the world, including India. This paper analyzes the development of this self-service banking in India based on the secondary data.
The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is playing a very important role in the progress and advancement in almost all walks of life. The deregulated environment has provided an opportunity to restructure the means and methods of delivery of services in many areas, including the banking sector. The ICT has been a focused issue in the past two decades in Indian banking. In fact, ICTs are enabling the banks to change the way in which they are functioning. Improved customer service has become very important for the very survival and growth of banking sector in the reforms era. The technological advancements, deregulations, and intense competition due to the entry of private sector and foreign banks have altered the face of banking from one of mere intermediation to one of provider of quick, efficient and customer-friendly services. With the introduction and adoption of ICT in the banking sector, the customers are fast moving away from the traditional branch banking system to the convenient and comfort of virtual banking. The most important virtual banking services are phone banking, mobile banking, Internet banking and ATM banking. These electronic channels have enhanced the delivery of banking services accurately and efficiently to the customers. The ATMs are an important part of a bank’s alternative channel to reach the customers, to showcase products and services and to create brand awareness. This is reflected in the increase in the number of ATMs all over the world. ATM is one of the most widely used remote banking services all over the world, including India. This paper analyzes the growth of ATMs of different bank groups in India.
International Scenario
If ATMs are largely available over geographically dispersed areas, the benefit from using an ATM will increase as customers will be able to access their bank accounts from any geographic location. This would imply that the value of an ATM network increases with the number of available ATM locations, and the value of a bank network to a customer will be determined in part by the final network size of the banking system. The statistical information on the growth of branches and ATM network in select countries.
Indian Scenario
The financial services industry in India has witnessed a phenomenal growth, diversification and specialization since the initiation of financial sector reforms in 1991. Greater customer orientation is the only way to retain customer loyalty and withstand competition in the liberalized world. In a market-driven strategy of development, customer preference is of paramount importance in any economy. Gone are the days when customers used to come to the doorsteps of banks. Now the banks are required to chase the customers; only those banks which are customercentric and extremely focused on the needs of their clients can succeed in their business today.
