Scm Pro Flexi Work Oct 2014

Scm Pro Flexi Work Oct 2014

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  SCM WORLD GURUSPEAK CEO SPEAK ACADEMIC ADVOCACY HUMAN RESOURCE October 2014 Vol. 2- No. 7 Rs. 150 Port Thrust – Powering India’s Trade Lead Story Perspective in SCM Education page no. 22
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  5 41 INTERFACE>> 44 ACADEMIC ADVOCACY >> 47 HUMAN RESOURCE >> An Interface with Dr. Ioannis Lagoudisand Dr. Albert Tan on talent crunch faced by Industry around the globe. This paper revisits some established network measures and compares their predictions with a new methodology for detecting bottlenecks. Darryl Judd and Carmel Perales discusses the positives and pitfalls of telecommuting October 2014 38 3PL >> Three young supply chain professionals take a look at current scenario of 3PL Industry in India.
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  SCM WORLD GURUSPEAK CEO SPEAK ACADEMIC ADVOCACY HUMAN RESOURCE “Flexible Work Practices”, “Working from Home” or “Telecommuting”, whatever you call it, the concept of working remotely from home, a coffee shop down the road, basically anywhere outside of a traditional office environment still garners a lot of bluster and controversy. Yet the concept, which was first introduced in the workforce over 30 years ago seems to have been largely embraced with “one in five workers around the globe, particularly employees in the Middle East, Latin America and Asia, telecommute frequently and nearly 10 percent work from home every day" according to a Reuters poll. Darryl Judd and Carmel Perales bring you a perspective. Darryl Judd COO, Logistics Executive darrylj@logisticsexecutve.com Carmel Perales GM South East Asia, Logistics Executive t is fairly easy to see how this success creativity and cohesiveness amongst Ihas come about. On one hand, staff. There was a huge media flap at telecommuting has enabled employers the time with many articles written to overcome many challenges which about how she was setting work have enabled them to employ a more practices backwards and that Yahoo diverse workforce such as challenges of staff would be leaving left, right and geographical distances, and working centre. Yet Yahoo still remains one of mothers. Of course many employees the most sought after employers have embraced the freedom and globally. balance that the concept engenders. So what are the pros and cons? It is On the other hand, there seems a new worth kicking around the concept to wave of thinking led Marissa Mayer see how different companies have faired who caused quite a stir when, as one of with their treatment of this her first gesture as new CEO at Yahoo controversial policy. in 2013, she axed the company's In a recent article written by Megan 47 October 2014 telecommuting policy for most of its Lavey-Heaton for The Guardian, in the employees. Mayer, along with many US, “on a nationwide scale, increasing other executives since argue that the number of telecommuters could eliminating telecommuting aids Flexing up the workplace The potential positives and the pitfalls of telecommuting
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  HUMAN RESOURCE savenearly 289m barrels of oil case study was conducted at giants in consumer products “has and 52.8m metric tons of Norsk Hydro, a multi-billion been the driving force behind the greenhouse gases annually. That, company and one of Norway's introduction of flexible work according to a study from the largest companies specialising in arrangements was to nurture a Telework Research oil production, supply of m o t i v a t e d a n d e n g a g e d Network in 2010, is the fertilizers worldwide, and the workforce, and at the same time equivalent of $23.1bn in provision of gas and electrical improve cost efficiency. Under the oil savings and the power. In this study, “the need to “Work from Home” program, equivalent of taking attract and retain talents was the employees are allowed to opt for 10m cars off the road. key motivating factor which led this scheme if the nature of their When Sun to the decision to introduce work permits. For a better work- Microsystems took a flexible work practices. life balance, the company actively look at its Competition for talents is encourages its employees to take telecommuting increasing in Norway because of up this scheme. In fact, its office is program, the company a small population base. The designed such that there are no found that it avoided company is vying with traditional fixed seats for the employees. 60% The need to attract and retain talents was the key motivating factor which led to the decision to introduce flexible work practices $64m per year in real estate costs, competitors as well as Internet - 70% of the seats are occupied $2.5m on the electricity bill and start-ups and management daily. Procter and Gamble drew employees saved an average of consultancy firms. The company up a clear workplan and $2,335 per year in introduced flexi-work under the communicated its expectation to telecommuting costs.” auspices of a project called its employees. Besides providing a Hydroflex in 1998. Under the dedicated phone line meant for On a research conducted by scheme, employees have the office work, it also installed chat Towers Perrin (now Towers choice of working at the office or software in the employees' laptop Watson), on behalf of Singapore's from home. To create the home so as to enable them to stay in Ministry of Manpower, a office, the company gave each touch with each other. Employees publication about Work Life employee computer equipment, are also reimbursed for the Harmony titled “Flexible Work ISDN line and US$2,000 to purchase of ergonomically Arrangements”, reveals both local purchase furniture. Working designed chairs. Procter and and international MNCs hours is full-time, approximately Gamble reported an increase in who are engaged in 37.5 hours per week, but flexible. productivity as a result of a more flexible work Employees work when and where s a t i s f i e d a n d m o t i v a t e d arrangements. Example they want to, depending on the w o r k f o r c e . S a v i n g s f r o m of which is Immunex nature of work, deadlines and reduction in office space were Corporation, a productivity goals, etc. They have passed on to it customer without biotechnology company; the option to work at home two lowering the quality standards of NTUC Income days a week. Although some its products. For the successful Insurance Co-operative employees were initially doubtful implementation of flexi-work, the Limited; Unigard about the scheme, most are now company stressed that it is Insurance Group; supportive. Many feel that they important to communicate the Matsushita Kotobuki are more productive as the focus policies clearly and explain their In fact, its office is designed such that there are no fixed seats for the employees. 60% - 70% of the seats are occupied daily Electronics Industries of America, now is on their results and r a t i o n a l e i n a c l e a r a n d Inc; and some companies output, rather than where and transparent manner. Secondly, it engaged in telecommuting such when they are working. They are is useful to pilot the scheme on a as IBM Canada, Nortel, Norsk also able to take advantage of the group of employees to showcase Hydro, and Procter and Gamble. flexibility to fulfil their family the success of the programmes. It In the Ministry of Manpower responsibilities.” would be easier to generate Singapore publication on employee support if they could In the similar publication, Procter “Flexible Work Arrangements,” a see tangible evidence of success.” and Gamble, one of the global October 2014 48
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  HUMAN RESOURCE Basedon these examples there are has clear benefits, it is very individuals at a prescribed schedule is considerable gains to be made in important to implement the necessary especially for projects adopting a policy that was tailored policy in a way that allows requiring team synergy and for your company needs. employees to make the most of it. flexibility within a globally 49 expanding market were staff are This brings us back to our Yahoo “The results of a WFH experiment limited and the dynamics are forever example and Marissa Mayer's at Ctrip, a 16,000-employee, changing. decision which though deemed NASDAQ-listed Chinese travel outrageous to many, actually agency. Call center employees who In order to assess the individual and garnered a lot of support in some volunteered to WFH were company value some companies ask executive circles. In a radio interview, randomly assigned either to work for employee inputs. At Cornell Michael Bloomberg commented from home or in the office for 9 University's HR website on Your Life that “telecommuting is one of the months. Home working led to a at Cornell, where flexible work dumber ideas I've ever heard.” Mayer 13% performance increase, of arrangements are supported, has since elaborated that her idea was which 9% was from working more came up some of the to get people to start talking to each minutes per shift (fewer breaks c o n s i d e r a t i o n s w h e n other, to collaborate more so they and sick days) and 4% from more contemplating flexible work could foster creativity and the best calls per minute (attributed to a arrangements. Employees way to do this is to get people quieter and more convenient need to set in detail their together, to have face to face working environment). Home goal, work assignments, discussions. workers also reported improved metrics and other issues that work satisfaction and their may require consideration or Another issue of note is that, while attrition rate halved, but their change in the future. working from home has been promotion rate conditional on Employees need to know the embraced by C-level executives and performance fell. Due to the r e q u i r e m e n t s o f t h e by the lower ranks, it is still thought success of the experiment, Ctrip department manager or of with some suspicion amongst rolled out the option to WFH to director and the impact of middle managers. They argued that the whole firm and allowed the such flexible work arrangement to whilst flexible work arrangements experimental employees to re- colleagues and customer needs. provide benefits, there are some key select between the home and issues arising such as trust and office. Interestingly, over half of Ultimately, the key to make this super vision, communication them switched, which led to the endeavour is to set clear guidelines between staff who work at varying gains from WFH almost doubling a n d p o l i c i e s w h i c h a r e times or achieving fairness for all staff to 22%. This highlights the communicated effectively to etc. benefits of learning and selection employees. Reliable tracker of hours worked are some of the tools to Though we have the technology to effects when adopting modern effectively manage employees on make telecommuting a success, what management practices like flexible work schedule. Visibility and Mayer is pointing out is that we still WFH”. transparency on activities and require the right team of people or So ultimately, everyone would outcomes are critical and should be individuals to make it work. It could have to agree that this is quite a measurable. also be argued that her lack of complex subject. It has vast communication at the time also benefits if used wisely. Ultimately Given above pros and cons on exacerbated the issue. an extremely useful tool in the flexible work arrangements, my question is, are we prepared to lose Perhaps you need to have more than competitive arsenal of most our high performing people or just a good telecommuting policy. c o m p a n i e s i f u s e d w i t h should we begin working on setting Perhaps it is about how that policy is consultation and precision structures and guidelines and slowly put into practice. A recent study by tailoring. Particularly, in Supply embrace the benefits on increased Stanford University, found that even Chain and Logistics where time is productivity and retaining valuable though working from home (WFH) of the essence and availability of employees? Employees need to set in detail their goal, work assignments, metrics and other issues that may require consideration or change in the future October 2014