This article covers methods to identify Generative Texts created through Gen AI tools. It is becoming a common practice for employees, students, and the public at large to simply pass on their work to Chat GPT and ask it to write out everything from a letter to a farewell speech to even apology letters. There are ways by which you may detect if the text was written by a human or a machine. Some of these are explained and highlighted below.

What is generative text?

AI-generated text is text that is created with the use of Artificial Intelligence Systems. The most common type of such system is the Large Language Model or LLM. These AI-based systems are trained on very large datasets that allow these systems to learn how we compose sentences. They can mimic human communication structure, style, and methods to produce new text that is virtually indescribable from human-generated ones.

At the very core of such models is the large corpus of training data. The models understands grammer, context and subjective knowledge based upon this large corpus of text and adjusts it parameters to create new text based on the prompts.
▶ For instance, GPT-4, a popular LLM uses about 1.76 Trillion paramets

Human Identification

While AI has become increasingly sophisticated, humans can still spot certain patterns and inconsistencies that indicate AI-generated text. Here are some key indicators:

1. Lack of Nuance and Emotion: Overly formal or stiff language: AI often struggles to replicate the nuances of human emotion and expression.
2. Absence of personal anecdotes or experiences: Humans often share personal stories to connect with their audience.
3. Repetitive Patterns and Lack of Creativity: Repeated phrases or sentence structures: AI might overuse certain patterns due to its reliance on learned data.
4. Lack of originality or creativity: AI can struggle to come up with truly unique ideas or perspectives.
5. Inconsistent Tone and Style: Sudden shifts in writing style or tone: Humans tend to maintain a consistent voice, while AI might struggle with transitions.
   Unnatural or awkward phrasing: AI may generate sentences that sound unnatural or forced.
6. Factual Errors and Inconsistencies: Incorrect information or contradictions: AI can sometimes make mistakes or contradict itself due to errors in its training data.
7. Lack of Contextual Understanding: Difficulty understanding nuances or cultural references: AI may struggle to grasp subtle meanings or cultural context.
8. Specific Indicators: Overuse of certain words or phrases: AI might have a tendency to overuse specific words or phrases that it has learned from its training data.
9. Unnatural sentence structure: AI may generate sentences that are grammatically correct but sound awkward or unnatural.

Fingerprinting Methods

Another popular method is based on fingerprinting techniques that can utilize a pre-factor watermark embedded in the AI-based text. The intention is to have a non-identifiable trace in the text that humans may not realize but tools can detect these traces. It is similar to image watermarking used in documents.

Certain non-regular features are introduced in the text preemptively. For instance, OpenAI introduced a fingerprinting method to identify AI text through which it would incorporate texts with a slightly higher proportion of words starting with a certain letter than what is found in the natural text. These would eventually find usage in fields such as open banking and finance.

In a series of recent updates, all major LLMs have introduced invisible text markers in AI-generated text. Most commonly used markers are invisible spaces and em-dash. This type of fingerprinting and detection method is discussed in section 4 below.

AI-based tools to identify AI-generated text

Some of the publicly available tools to identify text are ZeroGPT and Turnitin. ZeroGPT need users to register for their service after which users can upload a document or paste text to identify it was generated by AI. Similarly, Turnitin which is an extremely popular plagiarism detection software can also be used. However, not all subscription plans of Turnitin has this feature.

Fingerprint-based detection methods for AI-generated text aim to identify unique patterns or characteristics that distinguish human-written content from AI-generated content. These approaches typically involve analyzing the text at a granular level, looking for specific features that are indicative of AI involvement. Here are some common approaches:

1. Statistical Analysis:

• Stylometric Analysis: This method examines the statistical properties of the text, such as word frequency, sentence length, and syntactic complexity. AI-generated text often exhibits different statistical patterns compared to human-written text.
• Burstiness Analysis: This technique measures the distribution of words and phrases in the text. Human-written text tends to have more bursts of repeated words or phrases, while AI-generated text may exhibit a more uniform distribution.

2. Machine Learning and Deep Learning Models:

• Neural Networks: Deep learning models, such as recurrent neural networks (RNNs) or transformers, can be trained to distinguish between human-written and AI-generated text. These models learn complex patterns and features in the data to make accurate predictions.
• Support Vector Machines (SVMs): SVMs are machine learning algorithms can be used to classify text based on its features. By extracting relevant features from the text, SVMs can effectively differentiate between human and AI-generated content.
• Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs): GANs can be used to generate realistic AI-generated text, which can then be compared to the original text to identify discrepancies.
• Autoencoders: Autoencoders can be trained to learn the underlying structure of human-written text. By comparing the reconstructed text from an autoencoder to the original text, it’s possible to detect anomalies that indicate AI-generated content.

3. Natural Language Processing (NLP) Techniques:

• Part-of-Speech Tagging: This technique identifies the grammatical function of words in a sentence. AI-generated text may exhibit different patterns of part-of-speech tags compared to human-written text which can be detected, albeit not that easily.
• Named Entity Recognition (NER): NER identifies named entities in the text, such as people, organizations, or locations. AI-generated text may contain errors or inconsistencies in named entity recognition.

4. Hidden markers in text

Plagiarism and submission of AI based text was highlighted as a major concern since the early days of AI. One of the commonly used techniques by LLM chatbots are hidden markers in the text. In a public statement by Hendrik Kirchner of OpenAI, it was mentioned that they were working on prototype for these types of markers as early as November 2022. Google DeepMind’s SynthID-Text was one of the first attempts at inserting these types of markers in text. They started deploying it in their public models of Gemini and Gemini advanced chatbots in around October 2024.

One of these types of markers are the zero width space (U+200B), zero width non joiner (U+200C), or zero width joiner (U+200D) that take up no visible space but are still valid Unicode characters that LLMs process. These can be seen in advanced text editors like Sublime. Another commonly used method is the use of long dash character that ChatGPT uses. It looks like this — . Now you know it when you see it next time. There are about 87 different types of invisible space characters that can potentially be used. Apart from these hidden characters, there could also be some unintended inclusion of Generative AI characters in the text. These are summarized below:

It’s important to note that these methods are not foolproof, and as AI technology continues to advance, new techniques may be developed to improve detection accuracy. Additionally, combining multiple approaches can often provide more reliable results depending on your goal setting.

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Discount coupons have long been a staple in the marketer’s toolkit, enticing consumers with the promise of savings and driving sales. In the ever-evolving landscape of mobile commerce (m-commerce), where smartphones have become virtual shopping malls, the role of discount coupons has taken on new dimensions. While these digital vouchers undoubtedly boost short-term sales, their long-term impact on customer loyalty and trust is a subject of ongoing debate and research.

The Allure of Discount Coupons in M-commerce

M-commerce apps have revolutionized how consumers shop, offering convenience and personalization at their fingertips. Discount coupons, often delivered through push notifications or in-app messages, have proven to be a potent weapon in attracting and retaining users. The appeal is simple: Consumers love saving money, and coupons provide a tangible incentive to make a purchase.

Research by Mishra and Sengupta (2024) indicates that coupons are particularly effective in m-commerce due to the personalized nature of mobile interactions. M-commerce apps can leverage user data, such as location and browsing history, to tailor coupon offers, making them more relevant and enticing.

Moreover, the immediacy of mobile coupon redemption, often facilitated by QR codes or unique coupon codes, adds to their allure. Consumers can instantly apply discounts at checkout, enhancing the overall shopping experience.

The Dark Side of Discounting

While the short-term benefits of discount coupons are undeniable, their long-term consequences are less clear-cut. Overreliance on discounts can create a “discount dependency” among consumers, where they become conditioned to expect lower prices and may hesitate to purchase at full price. This can erode profit margins and devalue a brand’s perceived worth.

Furthermore, it was also found that while coupons drive continued app usage, they can negatively moderate the relationship between customer satisfaction and continued usage. In other words, while satisfied customers are more likely to continue using an app, this effect is weakened when coupons are involved. This suggests that coupons may attract deal-seeking customers who are less loyal and more likely to switch to competitors offering better deals.

Building Trust and Satisfaction: The Long Game

To foster long-term customer loyalty and trust, m-commerce businesses must look beyond the allure of discounts. Mishra and Sengupta (2024) emphasize the importance of building trust through consistent positive experiences, reliable customer service, and secure transactions.

Customer satisfaction, driven by factors like perceived usefulness and confirmation of expectations, plays a pivotal role in trust formation. When users find an app easy to use, meets their needs, and delivers on its promises, they are more likely to trust the platform and continue using it, even without the constant lure of discounts.

Striking the Right Balance

The key to success in m-commerce lies in striking a balance between short-term sales promotions and long-term relationship building. Discount coupons can be a valuable tool for attracting new customers and driving occasional purchases, but they should not be the sole focus of a marketing strategy.

M-commerce businesses should invest in creating a user-friendly app, providing excellent customer service, and building a brand reputation that instills trust. By prioritizing customer satisfaction and trust, they can cultivate a loyal customer base that values the overall shopping experience, not just the discounts.

The Future of Discount Coupons in M-commerce

As technology continues to advance, the use of discount coupons in m-commerce is likely to evolve. We can expect to see more personalized and targeted coupon offers, leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to predict consumer preferences and behaviors.

Additionally, the integration of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) into m-commerce apps may open up new avenues for coupon delivery and redemption, creating immersive and interactive shopping experiences.

However, the fundamental challenge remains the same: how to leverage discount coupons effectively without sacrificing long-term customer loyalty and trust. M-commerce businesses that can navigate this delicate balance will be well-positioned for success in the increasingly competitive mobile marketplace.

Key Points

• Discount coupons are effective in driving short-term sales in m-commerce.
• Over reliance on discounts can create discount dependency and erode profit margins.
• Building trust and customer satisfaction is crucial for long-term loyalty.
• M-commerce businesses should strike a balance between discounts and relationship building.
• The future of discount coupons in m-commerce lies in personalization and immersive experiences.

The article draws from an article published by the author Mishra and Sengupta (2024) and includes additional inputs from recent research and publicly available information.

References

Mishra, A. N., & Sengupta, S. (2024). Discount Coupons Versus Trust and Satisfaction—Which is Better for M-Commerce?. Management and Labour Studies, 49(1), 28-42.

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Boutique hotels are unique and differentiated from traditional hotels, offering personalized service and a memorable experience to their guests. However, managing a boutique hotel can be challenging, especially when it comes to meeting the diverse needs and expectations of guests. A recent large-scale study of online reviews has shed light on the key factors that drive guest satisfaction in boutique hotels. Based on the findings of this study, here are 10 tips for managing boutique hotels:

1. Prioritize the Ease of Booking: The study found that ease of booking is a critical determinant of guest satisfaction, particularly in the US market. Ensure that your hotel’s booking system is user-friendly, the process is streamlined, and check-in is seamless. This includes optimizing your website for mobile devices, offering multiple payment options, and providing clear and concise information about your hotel and its amenities.
2. Focus on Service Recovery: While high-quality service is expected, the absence of expected service quality significantly decreases guest satisfaction(Mishra et al., 2024). Therefore, it’s crucial to focus on service recovery. Train your staff to handle complaints effectively, empower them to resolve issues quickly, and go the extra mile to turn negative experiences into positive ones.
3. Personalize the Guest Experience: Boutique hotels are known for their personalized service. Tailor your services to the individual needs and preferences of your guests. This could involve offering personalized recommendations for local attractions, providing customized amenities, or simply remembering their names and preferences.
4. Maintain High Standards of Cleanliness: Cleanliness is a basic expectation for any hotel, but it’s even more important for boutique hotels that promise a luxurious and comfortable stay. Ensure that your rooms and common areas are spotless, and pay attention to details like fresh linens, towels, and toiletries.
5. Invest in High-Quality Amenities: While boutique hotels may not offer as many amenities as larger hotels, the quality of the amenities they do offer is crucial. Invest in high-quality bedding, towels, toiletries, and other amenities that will enhance the guest experience.
   
   
6. Offer Unique and Memorable Experiences: Boutique hotels should strive to offer unique and memorable experiences that guests can’t find elsewhere. This could involve hosting special events, offering unique packages, or partnering with local businesses to provide exclusive experiences.
7. Leverage Technology: Technology can be a powerful tool for managing boutique hotels. Use property management systems to streamline operations, customer relationship management software to personalize guest interactions, and reputation management tools to monitor and respond to online reviews.
8. Monitor and Respond to Online Reviews: Online reviews are a valuable source of feedback for boutique hotels. The research paper by Mishra et al., 2024 provides step by step approach to collect and analyze guest reviews. Monitor reviews on platforms like TripAdvisor and respond promptly and professionally to both positive and negative feedback. Use negative reviews as an opportunity to learn and improve.
9. Engage with the Local Community: Boutique hotels should strive to be a part of the local community. Partner with local businesses, participate in community events, and support local charities. This will not only enhance your hotel’s reputation but also provide unique experiences for your guests.
10. Continuously Innovate and Improve: The boutique hotel industry is constantly evolving. To stay ahead of the competition, you need to continuously innovate and improve. This could involve introducing new services, upgrading your amenities, or simply finding new ways to surprise and delight your guests.

How to make the guest experience more personal and memorable?

Personalization in boutique hotels is a key differentiator that elevates the guest experience beyond simply providing a place to sleep. It’s about crafting a unique and memorable stay that caters to individual preferences, fosters a sense of connection, and ultimately drives customer loyalty.

The Importance of Personalization in Boutique Hotels

Boutique hotels, by their nature, offer a more intimate and curated experience compared to larger, standardized chain hotels. This smaller scale allows for a greater degree of attention to detail and flexibility in catering to individual needs.

Personalization is more than just remembering a guest’s name or preferred room type. It involves understanding their interests, anticipating their needs, and tailoring every aspect of their stay accordingly. This could include personalized welcome amenities, curated local experiences, bespoke dining options, or even customized room décor.

The Benefits of Personalization

1. Enhanced Guest Satisfaction: When guests feel seen, heard, and understood, their satisfaction levels naturally increase. Personalized touches make them feel valued and appreciated, leading to positive reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations.
2. Increased Loyalty and Repeat Business: A personalized experience creates an emotional connection with guests. They are more likely to remember their stay fondly and choose to return for future visits, driving repeat business for the hotel.
3. Differentiation from Competitors: In a crowded market, personalization helps boutique hotels stand out. It gives them a unique selling proposition that resonates with guests seeking a more tailored and memorable experience.
4. Higher Revenue Potential: Personalized experiences often come with a premium price tag. Guests are willing to pay more for a stay that caters to their specific needs and desires, leading to increased revenue for the hotel.
5. Data-Driven Insights: Personalization efforts often involve collecting guest data, such as preferences, interests, and feedback. This data can be analyzed to gain valuable insights into guest behavior, enabling hotels to further refine their personalization strategies and offerings.

Examples of Personalization in Boutique Hotels

• Pre-Arrival Questionnaire: Gathering information about guest preferences before their arrival allows for personalized welcome amenities, room setup, and activity suggestions.
• Handwritten Welcome Notes: A personal touch like a handwritten note from the hotel staff can make guests feel special and appreciated from the moment they check in.
• Curated Local Experiences: Offering bespoke itineraries and recommendations based on guest interests ensures they have a unique and memorable experience exploring the destination.
• Personalized Dining Options: Catering to dietary restrictions and preferences, or even offering private chef experiences, creates a truly bespoke dining experience.
• Customized In-Room Amenities: Providing personalized toiletries, snacks, or even a curated playlist can add an extra layer of luxury and comfort to the guest experience.

By following these tips, boutique hotels can enhance guest satisfaction, improve their online reputation, and ultimately drive more bookings. Remember, the key to success in the boutique hotel industry is to provide a unique, personalized, and memorable experience that guests will cherish and share with others.

This article is based on research paper Mishra et al. (2024) published in the Journal of Computer Information Systems and can be found here: https://doi.org/10.1080/08874417.2024.2362824

Mishra, A. N., Li, J., Sengupta, P., & Oztekin, A. (2024). NLP-Driven Insights on Boutique Hotel Satisfaction. Journal of Computer Information Systems, 1-16 https://doi.org/10.1080/08874417.2024.2362824

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It took almost two decades for e-commerce to gain the same number of users that m-commerce gained in just five years. There are some key differences between e-commerce and m-commerce that has lead to this phenomena. There are several differences but most importantly, we have portability, ease of use, integration with other services and ease of communication. These are some differentiating factors that set m-commerce on a different growth trajectory.

M-commerce stands for mobile-commerce. It is a derivative of the term electric-commerce of e-commerce. M-commerce can be defined as the exchange of goods, services and money among entities such as firms, customers, government supported by the use of wireless devices such as smartphones or tablets. Another defining factor is the use of wireless communication like Wi-Fi or Telecom internet. On the other hand e-commerce does not have the limitation of either the type of device or of the mode of communication.

Benefits of m-commerce over e-commerce

Mobility

There are many advantages of mobile devices. Firstly, mobile devices are always available with the users. You can simply take out your smartphone from the pocket and click on the Amazon icon. Then, you can start using their mcommerce application. However, if you want to use their website (ecommerce) then you may have to wait until you reach back home or office. You need to have access to a computer. Secondly, mobile devices more handy. Sometimes the ideas that you may get to purchase an item, may be transient. You could forget it by the time you reach back home and open your laptop. On the other hand, you can instantly browse the app.

One of the driving forces for the adoption of m-commerce has been the increasing number of mobile devices. Also researchers have found strong correlation between the factors that enhance or inhibit the mobile adoption to the factors for m-commerce adoption. What this means in simpler language is that mobility is the key to m-commerce. As we see a higher penetration of mobile devices, we shall see higher proportion of users going for m-commerce.

Ease of use

It is far easier to flick out your smart phone and start browsing items on Amazon. A key difference between e-commerce and m-commerce is that of ease of use. You don’t need to open the laptop, boot the system, open the browser then type the address of ecom website. You can simply click on the icon of your favorite ecommerce app and search for the item you need.

Also, the way, mobile apps are designed, there is a lot more standardization. It is easier to navigate another new app compared to another new website. The interface and buttons are designed to make your purchase journey as easy as possible. Although the same approach is taken on a website as well. However, websites are still loaded with sidebars, comprehensive menus, etc.

Integration with other apps

All the apps work over a common operating system. Whether it is Android which is the world’s largest mobile operating system or iOS, they all have mechanisms of connecting the data between different apps. This is much easier to do in mobile platform than desktop platforms. You can have specific files that open with specific apps. Similarly, the services can also be shared between different apps.

For instance, try to imagine a scenario where you need to return some defective item. If you are using ecommerce, then it is cumbersome to attach images of the product to your complaint. However, you can simply using the same (mobile) device to click images and upload it instantly.

Seamless payment

It is far more easier to integrate payment interface with a mobile app. The transition between shopping app to the payment interface is seamless. If your bank sends you an OTP, you can easily access that on your phone as you would be already holding it. Also, automation is simpler. Many of the apps have the option of reading your OTP. This makes the processes so smooth as you don’t even have to bother to read and enter the correct numbers.

Also, most mcommerce applications allow the local storage of your banking credentials. This can make the payment system faster. Finally, you may also get a confirmation message from the bank on your phone itself. You can check whether the payment went through properly from your bank’s end.

Ease of communication

M-Commerce enables faster communication between players. Firstly, you can use features such as notifications. They are also known as push notifications. These notifications help you in directly communicating with your customers. It is evident that they have much higher read rate, click rate and conversion rate compared to emails. Also, timely response from user is an added bonus. Most users respond within one hour of notification.

Opening rate of notification is 90% as compared to 40% for emails.

– source: Moengage

Some major drawbacks of m-commerce

There are not just good things that make up the difference between e-commerce and m-commerce. We also have some drawbacks of m-commerce. It has been criticized for creating a consumerism culture, addiction, impulse buying and non-sustainable practices.

Culture of consumerism

Another drawback of mcommerce is the increase in the culture of consumerism. Individuals have increased the spending on shopping. Users spend more than 4 hours on the apps. This has resulted in a situation where over 70% of the sales have started coming in from mobile apps.

Over 70% of the sales have started coming in from mobile apps

– source: eMarketer

Addiction of m-commerce

As we have discussed earlier, users are spending more than four hours each day. This leads to addiction of m-commerce. One big difference between e-commerce and m-commerce is the addictive nature of m-commerce. It can lead to eye fatigue, strain injury to hands and wrist and even psychological disorders.

Impulse buying behavior

Since users can take our their smartphone any time, any where, it is very convenient. However, this convenience comes at a price. It increases the chances of unplanned buying. Impulse buying refers to the act of sudden purchase of a product or service based on whim or impulse. Mcommerce apps are deliberately designed to increase this type of behavior through constant notifications, UI design, promotions and other selling tactics.

Non-sustainable consumption

One outcome of increased buying and impulse buying is that we are buying more than we need. This puts immense pressure on the already strained environment. We are generating waste at an alarming rate. Instagram and Snapchat culture has made it fashionable to have more and more apparels, accessories and paraphernalia. All of these have some carbon footprint and we are increasing our footprint as we increase our level of consumption.

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The concept of wellbeing has intrigued researchers for decades. In fact, the very first mention of wellbeing can be traced back to the times of the Greek philosopher, Aristotle. The meaning of wellbeing has shifted several times since then. We will discuss the meaning of well-being and why employee well-being is so important.

What is wellbeing?

Defining well-being is a complex task. Some philosophers argue that well-being is the balance of positive and negative emotions. Others differ and take a more value-laden view of well-being. We will explore the two conceptualizations in detail.

Subjective Well-being

Subjective well-being refers to a balance of emotions and feeling satisfaction in life. It takes a hedonic view of well-being and claims that the pursuit of our life goals, attaining material possessions, and experiencing positive emotions are the key aspects of well-being. Indeed, these factors are important. We need to have well-paid jobs, material possessions, such as houses, clothes, food in order to lead a fulfilling life. However, many philosophers refute this idea of considering material possessions important. Instead, they focus on the importance of relationships, meaning, and purpose in life.

Psychological Well-being

Psychological well-being is a value-laden version of well-being. Researchers of psychological well-being claim that human beings must strive to attain meaning and purpose in life. Therefore, the importance of material possessions in well-being is undermined here. The main focus is on intrinsic motivation and relationships. Several researchers and empirical data agree with this fact. If material possessions were really so important, the happiest countries in the world would be the richest country. However, recent reports claim that Finland is the happiest country in the world.

What does employee well-being mean?

Employee well-being simply refers to the well-being of individuals in the workplace. It is a crucial aspect of one’s life because we spend a vast quantity of our time at or thinking about work. A positive work environment sets the stage for well-being. In addition, individuals with excellent personal life but poor job life end up being sad most of the time. Furthermore, the negativity of one’s work crosses the boundary of the office and leaks into one’s personal family life. Therefore, employee well-being is at the core of individual well-being.

A recent review of research articles on employee well-being point out that the most significant aspects of employee well-being are life satisfaction, psychological well-being at work, and job satisfaction. Life satisfaction refers to one’s level of happiness with one’s overall life. It means how contended we are in our life. Since work is an important part of our life, workplace events impact our life satisfaction. Psychological well-being at work refers to finding meaning in work and having cordial relationships with one’s co-workers. Job satisfaction refers to being contended with one’s job characteristics.

Why is employee well-being important?

The happy worker hypothesis states that happy workers are more productive. A satisfied and engaged employee is more likely to perform better. Therefore, well-being in the workplace is important fo organizations. At an individual level, employee well-being helps each individual achieve more in their lives and be at peace with themselves. Some of the benefits of well-being are:

1. Performance: There is a strong association between employee well-being and performance. Reserach shows that employees with higher well-being are more creative and productive in the workplace.
2. Physical Health: Well-being is directly related to one’s physical health. Individuals with low well-being are more likely to complain of sleep ailments, like insomnia, cardio-vascular problems, like high blood pressure and several other.
3. Burnout and turnover: Happy employees are less likely to reach a stage of burnout. They are able to work in a motivated manner and also help boost the morale of the team. Happy workers are also more likely to stay with the organization longer. Therefore, the organization also benefits from having happy employees.

Steps to increase employee well-being

1. Leadership: One of the prominent reasons of turnover and unhappiness with work is poor supervision. Leaders are often too punitive and output-oriented. They fail to value and respect the employees. Therefore, many employees become reluctant to work and often quit. Leaders need to be trained to value employees and motivate them.
2. Interventions to develop positive resources: Negative events are bound to happen in the workplace. Employees who have good coping resources are likely to deal with such events in a positive way. Therefore, positive interventions like mindfulness training, resilience training and proactivity training may be useful.
3. Social Support: Support from co-workers, supervisors, family and friends are helpful in enhancing wellbeing. Employees must be encouraged to seek social support and cultivate positive relationships with each other.

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Aspiration refers to the hope or ambition to achieve something. Usually, aspirations are tied to some specific goal. For example, one can aspire to become a doctor or a teacher. It is something that provides us an inner push to strive to achieve the goal. Aspirations give us a sense of direction and a sense of hope for a better future. Individuals may greatly vary on their levels and types of aspirations. Some individuals have realistic and achievable aspirations, whereas, others have unrealistic aspirations. Some people have materialistic aspirations while others may have spiritual aspirations. We will explore various aspirations, how they impact us, and how to know what our aspirations are.

Types of Aspirations

Individuals may have different types of aspirations based on their stage of life, their abilities and education, their peer group, or their social circle. There may be different types of aspirations based on the different domains or aspects of one’s life. For instance, one may aspire to be a doctor as a career choice, a good mother as a personal choice, and an altruistic person in their social sphere. Based on this, it can be said that aspirations are predominantly of three types:

1. Personal Aspirations: These refer to the specific personal development milestones one wishes to achieve. For instance, an individual may aspire to cook well, dance well, meditate, take trips, write a journal, etc. They mostly satisfy one’s personal preferences. They are highly governed by the culture in which one is born and raised.
2. Career Aspirations: These refer to the career or job-oriented milestones one wishes to achieve. For instance, one may wish to be an air hostess and therefore attend air hostess training courses after school or college classes. These drive a person’s success in the professional sphere. Having high and optimistic carrer aspirations is a strong indicator of future professional success.
3. Social Aspirations: These refer to the way in which one wants to be socially perceived. Desire for power, status, material belongings are all indicators of one’s social aspirations. These are improtant as they help project our image.

How do aspirations impact us?

Broadly speaking, aspirations are good for us. However, there may be times in our lives when aspiring for more or aspiring for things that are beyond our means leads to unhappiness. Therefore, it is crucial for us to aspire for the optimum things. Let us consider an example. A student of class 12 scores very low marks in Mathematics consistently throughout his school life. However, owing to the fact that everyone in the boy’s family is an engineer, he too aspires to be one. Is this aspiration affecting this adolescent positively? The answer is NO.

Let us now consider another example. A college student has to take up a job as a waitress at a local restaurant due to financial problems at home. She works for 8 hours and then attends night college because she aspires to be a teacher in the future. Is this aspiration affecting this girl positively? The answer is YES.

Not having an aspiration leads to a sense of directionlessness in life. We become like a rudderless ship, sailing all over the ocean, not knowing what our next step is or what makes us happy. Therefore, having aspirations is good. However, they should not be beyond our means or too unrealistic in nature.

Signs of Aspiration

How do we know if we have aspirations in life? Look at the following list and decide:

1. Actively planning for the future
2. Feeling positive emotions when attaining goals
3. Wishful thinking
4. Working hard for future goals
5. Being able to define what we want to be in the next 5 years
6. Having a long-term orientation
7. Not being too upset over mistakes and failures
8. Enjoying work
9. Knowing one’s strengths and weaknesses

How to find your aspiration?

It may be difficult for some people to find their aspirations. However, there are certain techniques that can facilitate the process of self-discovery. Here are a few of them:

1. Self-Introspection: No amount of outside help can make us discover ourselves more than self-introspection. We really need to spend some time thinking about ourselves. What gives us joy? What is something tha we would not mind doing everyday for the rest of our lives? Answering all these questions will help us discover our aspiration.
2. Professional Help: Many times, we may feel lost because of some persistent mental health condition. We may experience burnout, trauma, depression and other factors which make us feel blue. Speaking to a professional will help in overcoming these obstabcles and leading and more meaningful and joyous life.
3. Don’t push yourself too hard: Sometimes it is alright to not know and let things unfold gradually. It is important to not judge ourselves too hard. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Giving ourselves time and not doing something just because everyone else is doing it is an important part of self-discovery.

Conclusion

Aspirations are important for us to be successful in life. However, they should be congruent with our life context. Additionally, it is alright if we are not aware of our aspirations or even if we do not have one. Hard work and persistence are the actual keys to achieving our goals and leading happy lives.

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Do you find the idea of being perfect in all your pursuits rather appealing? In fact, many people do. In the age of competition and the need to be the best, many people feel that being a perfectionist is their strongest quality. However, is it really? We will learn about the pros and cons of workplace perfectionism in this article.

Who is a Perfectionist?

First and foremost, we need to understand what perfectionism really means. Perfectionism is the tendency to strive for flawlessness. By its very definition, it seems that all of us should be striving for it. However, perfectionism is more often than not accompanied by the tendency to fixate and ruminate about one’s performance, trying hard to control every facet of the task, and being extremely harsh on one’s mistakes. In addition, perfectionism is often accompanied by obsessive slowness. In other words, a perfectionist can never click the submit button without making sure that each and every nook and corner of the task is flawless. All of these factors, together with the lack of flexibility of the person making it impossible for other co-workers to work in a peaceful space. Therefore, perfectionists not only hamper their own productivity and peace but also that of others around them. Perfectionism has nothing to do with a desire to give one’s best. Rather it is a shield that protects the person from the shame and embarrassment of not doing a good job.

How to recognize a perfectionist?

We can easily recognize a perfectionist in any social setting with very few interactions with the person. For instance, they are likely to suffer from high levels of anxiety. Any situation where they feel the pressure of being evaluated evokes anxiety responses in them. They would also overthink and ruminate. Here are a few signs of perfectionism:

Procrastination:

A key characteristic of perfectionists is procrastination. This mainly arises because of the need to be flawless and an inability to start a task till they know how to do it fully.

Having unrealistically high performance standards:

Perfectionists often set very high standards for themselves. Most of these standards are way out of the person’s ability. Therefore, they are likely to set unachievable goals.

Shame on unattained goals:

They are likely to feel extreme levels of shame and embarrassment when they fail to achieve goals. Since their goals are anyway unrealistic, shame is almost inevitable for them. This, in turn, initiates a vicious cycle of rumination, anxiety, and poor wellbeing.

Focus only on the end result:

We all make mistakes in our work and learn to be better in the process. Enjoying and appreciating the journey is as important as the end product. However, perfectionists do not believe in this. Rather, they judge the utility of activity by the end result.

Desire to win every time:

Nothing less than victory satisfies a perfectionist. They are very bad at accepting failures and learning from them.

Self-criticism:

Perfectionists are very critical of each and every action they take. They are too preoccupied with failures and imperfections and are extremely judgemental.

Fear of Failure:

They are often paralyzed by the fear of failing at a task. The most common consequence of this is their tendency to procrastinate.

Slowness:

Perfectionists are very slow in their work. They have trouble taking a step forward if they have the slightest doubt about it. As a result, they are most likely to miss deadlines.

Low self-esteem:

All of the above symptoms are actually manifestations of low self-esteem. Since they have trouble trusting their own abilities, they are likely to hide behind the shield of perfectionism.

Mental health problems:

Perfectionism is strongly associated with mental health problems like depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic attacks, and many more.

Why is perfectionism not good for us?

First and foremost, we should never confuse perfectionism with high achievers or the desire to do a good job. In fact, it is a condition where individuals actually under-perform but are constantly experiencing high levels of stress and anxiety. Therefore, the star performer of your group is not a perfectionist.

Perfectionism actually stems from the unconscious fear of disapproval and societal judgment. Due to this reason, we often see that children of extremely strict and punishing parents often develop this problem. The fear of parental love and approval forces the child to try to be flawless. However, over time, they develop high anxiety, fear of punishment, fear of rejection, and low self-esteem. This gives rise to mental health issues in adult life.

How to reduce perfectionistic tendencies?

Reducing perfectionistic tendencies is not an easy task. It is a battle between the inner unrealistic world and the outer real world. However, there are certain steps that can be taken to manage it and lead a happy life:

1. Positive affirmations help dealing with low self-esteem and has been found to be helful for anxiety patients as well. Since perfectionism is a self-esteem and anxiety issue, trying positive affirmations may help.
2. Psychotherapy: Therapy to reduce anxiety and the fears associated with “not being good enough” may help.
3. Parenting Style impacts the mental health of children throughout their lives. Hence, new parents may consider parenting guidelines to raise mentally strong children.
4. Mindfulness helps us be more aware of ourselves and the tasks we do everyday. Being more mindful will help us recognize the problems in our behaviors and thoughts. Therefore, it will be easier for us to control the same.

Conclusion

Therefore, perfectionism is not something to boast and be proud about. In fact, it is a serious anxiety problem and can lead to maladaptive behaviors. Perfectionistic tendencies can actually slow us down and make our lives worse.

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Social support entails emotional as well as resource-based support or help from those around you. No other individual might actually help you with the task. However, you know that they are there to provide you with moral or emotional support. In other words, you know that you are not alone in your turmoil. Talking to your friends and family after experiencing a tough day at work or sharing a piece of good news with your dear ones often makes you feel better. Let us delve deeper into the facts and research about social support and understand what you can do to improve your social support.

Some research about social support

Most research speaks of social support as a positive coping resource. Friends, family, co-workers, supervisors can provide you with useful resources to solve your problem. Additionally, they can provide you with emotional and moral support. This not only boosts motivation but also helps us feel positive emotions, thereby, improving performance. A sense of belongingness to our community or any social group gives us an anchor and provides a source of social identity. Social identity is extremely important for human beings. Its importance has been highlighted by researchers since the 1980s.

Social identity basically serves as an anchor or a home base to which we can return after any positive or negative events. Our self-esteem is also tied to the fate of the social group. For instance, despite experiencing negative life events, we are much more likely to have high self-esteem if we belong to a prestigious social group. On the other hand, if we believe that we belong to an inferior social group, we are more likely to suffer from poor self-esteem.

Individuals have been seen to go to extreme lengths, like derogating an out-group member or fiercely advocating the agenda of the in-group, despite not having any personal gains from the same. Interestingly, when researchers re-assigned individuals of different social groups to the same group, they worked as a coherent group in order to achieve the superordinate goal. Therefore, group identity directs our behavior and in times of stress, other members of our social group serve as our anchor and provide us with much-needed support.

Specific research in the domain of terminally-ill patients and their caregivers have shown that social support or having the opportunity to interact with people who are in a similar life circumstance increases positive emotions and helps us cope better with stress. Therefore, social support helps us cope with stress. It enhances hope and optimism and reduces negative emotions and mental health problems.

Sources of social support

We can seek social support from many sources. First and foremost is our family. Our family knows us from the day we are born and they can throw light on our strengths and weaknesses much better than anyone else. In fact, there can be times in our lives when our family can help us become self-aware. They can help us see things in a perspective that we ourselves are unable to.

Secondly, we may seek social support from our friends. Since they belong to the same generation and are likely to have similar values, they can help us navigate through difficult situations. Additionally, there may be situations where we are too ashamed of revealing the truth to our family. Friends can support us there.

Thirdly, we can seek social support from our co-workers. Since they are experiencing the same situations at work as we are, they are likely to understand our work world better. Many times, family and friends in different professions are unable to put themselves in our shoes. Hence, their words and advice may dishearten us further. Co-workers can empathize with us better in such situations.

Finally, our bosses can provide us with support in several situations. Owing to their work and life experience, they can serve as our guides and shed light on our feelings and how to overcome the negative phases in our life.

How to increase social support?

Many of us are not very receptive to social support from around us. We tend to isolate ourselves during stressful times and therefore experience high stress for longer durations of time. Here are a few tips that will help us in seeking support.

1. Recognize your limitations: We may often feel that we need to be good at everything. In addition, when we are unable to perform well, we feel that we are not good enough. We also feel that others will make fun of us if we confess our limitations to them. This is often the most powerful deadlock to getting social support. Re-define yourself and recognize your limitations. Seek hep when needed.
2. Support others: It is important to lend an ear to those around us when they are in need. Social support, just like all other social contracts, works on a give-and-take basis. You cannot expect others to support you when you turn a blind eye to them.
3. Join groups and clubs: Social groups are the most prominent sources of social support. Hence, we need to be a part of them so that we do not get isolated. Being a part of groups with like-minded others will definitely help in times of stress.
4. Identify trusted allies: Know your group, specially toxic people who have the potential of turning even positive events to negative. Identify a few mature and stable individuals who can understand and empathize with you during stressful time.

Conclusion

Thus, we see that social support is an important source of stress coping and remaining positive in our lives. We also learned about the sources of social support and how we can improve our level of social support.

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Brand elements are important aspects of Marketing communication. Here brand elements are explained with simple examples in the Indian context. It is also useful to learn these examples in local context for Indian students as they can relate well to brands they know well. For readers from other countries, these examples of brand elements would provide information about branding in Indian context.

What is a Brand?

A brand is a “name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods and services of one seller and to differentiate them from those of competition.”

                                                                                  -American Marketing Association (AMA)

Brand Elements

So we introduce the term “Brand elements” which refer to components like name, logo, symbol, package design, or other characteristics that help in identifying and differentiating a product. In a way, brand element deals only with those things that are mentioned in the AMA definition of brand. From here, we would look into each of the brand element components individually by taking examples of various brands.

Components of Brand Elements

1. Name (brand name , URLs):

Brand name

Brand name is the The word or words used to identify a company, product, service, or concept.

1. Acronym: A name made up of initials. Some examples are IBM, UPS.
2.  Descriptive: A name or tag that describes the benefit or function of a product. Example: Ujala.
3. Alliteration and Rhyme: Names that are fun to say and retain in mind such as Liggad Papad
4. Evocative: A name that suggests a related, brilliant image, for instance; Tiger biscuit brand of Britannia
5. Neologisms: A new word framed/ made up altogether like Airtel, Kodak and Xerox which is then forged into identity by promotion.
6. Foreign word: Adopt a term from another language such as Samsung and Volvo
7. Person-based name: These names use the names of real people (like founder, partners or prominent individuals) such as ADAG group, Mahindra, Walt Disney and Hewlett Packard
8. Geography: Various brands are named after landmarks and regions like Indian airlines, South-west airlines, Asian paints, Fuji Film and Cisco
9. Personification: Several brands derive brand names from legends like Nike and Betty Crocker. A lot of local players in the Indian market make use of God’s name as their brand such as “Lakshmi jewellers”.

Other kinds of name classifications are Utility based brand; Celebrity/ personality based brand; Brand Name extension – splendor, splendor+; Brand Name with numeric extensions; International Brand and its implications. A known brand name can act as a symbol of reliability and trust over an unknown brand. It can also play a key role at the time of brand extension. Therefore, brand name is one of the brand elements examples.

Universal Resource Locaters (URLs):

The unique “Universal Resource Locater” used to identify a company, product or service in the web space. The URL http://www.espncricinfo.com/ would be another brand elements examples where it suggests about its service i.e. a source or repository of information regarding cricket and also about its provider ESPN which provides authenticity to its service.

2. Term (labelling, slogans):

• Slogans: A short and striking or memorable phrase used to relate to a company, product, service, or concept. Some instantly remembered brands and their slogans are:

A company can have more than one slogan, but generally, it changes with time when the attribute or quality stressed changes.

• Labelling: The mandatory objective of labelling is to guarantee that consumers have access to complete information on the content and composition of products. The marketing aspect of labelling is to emphasize the key value proposition being provided to the consumer.

The most common characters to define a label are:

1. Any textual matter attached to or packed with the part of food stuff.
2. Any pictorial matter attached to or packed with the part of food stuff

This clearly shows that labelling includes only the text and picture, and not the physical container itself.

Characteristics of Labeling:

• Identifying the product
  • Informing the consumers about the product
  • Presentation of the product
  • Individualizing the product

The three primary functions of labelling are:

1. The Informative function: “for consumers to make rational and well-informed choices, information is a fundamental requirement.”

-Brown

1. Descriptive Information: Name of a product or the words describing it.

E.g., Glucose biscuit for Parle-G serves as brand element that provides information to the consumers about what the product is.

b.) Usage information: “Shake well before use” or “to be consumed under a physician’s recommendation” in case of medicines

c.) Service information

Shadi.com would be one example where the name suggests the service that is provided. Such brand elements examples are rare because it is difficult to get the domain name or trademark for common names.

d.) Other information: “World’s Largest Selling Biscuit” For Parle-G just explains what other information can be shared in a label.

                        2.) Marketing Function: Visual and Verbal characteristics

                             Labelling as an attractive method to convey the virtues of the product

• Warning function: A typical example is “Not for children below the age of 3 years” written on a medicinal product.

3. Sign (signage, logo)

A sign is an object, quality, or event which signifies the brand’s presence.

• Signage: Any kind of visual graphics created to display information about a company, product, service or concept. In order to be effective, signage must work quickly to relay an original message. Whether it be instant brand recognition or a tactical message. Here as well, colour plays a crucial role, and the font type must be synchronized with the overall design such that it is comprehensible.

Logo:  A symbol or other small design adopted to identify the company or its product. The practical design and use of a logo employ the understanding of human behaviour. Whether cultural or internal, people recognize and react to color, shapes, lines, fonts and other symbolic forms with emotions tied to their experiences.

 A logo tries to capture a person’s mind by means of photographic memory, but the challenge is how a brand is going to be spotted out of hundreds of logo which a consumer might come across daily.

4. Symbol (characters, spokespeople):

• Characters: The mental and moral qualities distinctive to something which is used to endorse the brand. The character might be animated or fictional as in many cases.

E.g. Lion and Liona character for Kwality Walls Paddle Pop range.

• Spokespeople: A person (either gender) who speaks or represents the company, product or service.

The person endorsing the brand must possess characters which align with the product or the brand being endorsed. It gives the consumer with a sense of direct acceptance if the perceived nature and the brands value proposition match.

5. Design (packaging, colour, shape, ):

• Packaging: The way a product is packaged and finally presented in front of an end customer. In modern days, Packaging not only deals with the product protection but also as a source of conveying the product attributes indirectly

Some objectives which packaging must achieve both from a firm and consumer perspective are:

1. Identify the brand
2. Convey descriptive and persuasive information
3. Facilitate product transportation and protection
4. Assist at-home storage
5. Aid product consumption

Further, the above objectives can be grouped into three core functions namely:

• Product protection (Primary, Secondary and Tertiary packaging)
  • Marketing function
  • Convenience function

The aesthetic components like package’s size and shape, material, colour, text and graphics and the functional component must be the latest innovations in the market and must try to meet marketing objective and customer need. It helps in meeting our marketing mix modeling. Similarly, structural design as well must the latest (take the case of metal box company, where it resulted in shunning that kind of packaging due to technological shift or advancement) as it helps in delivering the product at the expected level and also results in an increase in profit margin.

• Colour: Color plays a significant role in the product design. The consumers have specific affinity to certain colors and have mapped to some attribute which the designers refer to “color vocabulary”. But the perceived attributes are not the same everywhere and varies based on cultural and geographical differences.

Even specific brands are so strong that they develop “colour ownership” that any cola drink in red colour will be perceived as Coca-Cola. One typical example is that the dairy product (esp. milk) predominantly more appealing in a white carton, which is a result of consumer perception. Similarly, an interesting phenomenon is that of the survival instinct of the human nature which tends to view the surprising stimuli with greater attention than the standard stimuli. Thus advertisements with this an unusual nature of nature message, creativity etc. are typically more noticed. For example, a typical sound given in Bingo attracts the attention of the viewers and makes them look for the brand.

• Shape: The shape of the product not only helps to gain from its logistics side but also from the perception side. It also helps to prevent losses while transporting and at times define the product. Any alcoholic drink stored in a transparent white glass is perceived to be Vodka. Similarly, the size must also be considered and made available as per consumers need. Example: Parle-G comes in Rs. 1,2,3,4, 5, 10, 20 &50 packs as per user need.

6. Other (Jingles, movement, taste etc.):

Jingles: A unique music or a tone which is related to a company, product or service. The tone should be in tune with the product like an energetic tune for youth based products, a soft and emotionally feel free for women based product and subtle and gentle music for professionals.

This instantly reminds me about Vicco turmeric’s “ayurvedic cream” jingle and the ultimate Lijjat Papad’s jingle” Kharram Khurram. In some products, one also remembers the brand name is repeated many a time along with the jingle like Lifebuoy. The other example is of Coke which had two jingles in a row, “Thanda Matlab Coca-Cola” and “Piyo sar utha ke”.

Any trademark able unique property/invention like product taste, scent or its movement in unique fashion is part of the brand element in specific cases.

Scent: The rose-jasmine-musk scent of Chanel No. 5 is trademarked (no Indian brand example known).

Taste: Kentucky Fried Chicken has trademarked its special recipe of eleven herbs and spices for fried chicken (no Indian brand example known).

Movements: Lamborghini has trademarked the upward motion of its car doors.

Apart from the roles played by the different brand elements discussed so far, one could quickly sense that any of these elements can be designed to express anything the brand desires to be perceived as but the challenge is how useful it can be done and what proportion of these must be used.

The significance of brand elements:

In order to build brand equity, one has to choose the branding elements carefully. Now in order to explain this, we look at brand elements in the context for which it is used:

Verbal Context:

The brand elements like URL’s, symbols, characters, spokespeople, packages and signage which says all about the product.  These are the ones that transform a commodity into a product.

Visual Identity:

The visual identity reflects the core brand identity code and should be managed by strict visual code guidelines for long-term consistency without confusing brand identity deviation. The mixture and balance between the different elements in their verbal and visual context to maximize their collective contribution to the brand equity. This signifies the importance of brand elements.

Criteria to measure the brand elements impact:

The brand elements help in not only enhancing brand awareness but also in facilitating the formation of stable, favourable, and unique brand associations. In general, there are six criteria for measuring the impact of brand elements:

1. Memorability. Brand elements should be inherently memorable, easy to recognize and easy to recall. Brands like “Wheel” & “Ghadi (clock)” are good examples.

• Meaningfulness. They should be inherently meaningful to convey information about        the nature of the product category, the particular attributes and benefits of a brand, or both. Example: Parle-G (Glucose Biscuit) which inherently conveys the meaning, “Annapurna” brand is also significant, FedEx is another brand which explicitly conveys Federal Exchange. “Nimbooz” is an interesting example which inspired its name from “nimbu pani” which is equally memorable.

• Likability. The information conveyed by brand elements does not necessarily have to            relate to the product alone and may merely be inherently appealing or likeable. Example: Surf excel where the word “excel” is appealing.

•  4.) Transferability. Brand elements can be transferable within and across product categories to support line and brand extensions, and across geographic and cultural boundaries and market segments. A good example is the atta brand “Annapurna” which has the same meaning in all the Indian languages. The brand name is more meaningful but still transferable which is a rare blend to achieve.

• Adaptability. Brand elements must be more adaptable and flexible as it can be updated when the consumer values and opinions change, or just because of the need to remain contemporary, most brand elements must be updated. Example: Logos and characters can be given a new looking or a new design as you can see in the case of Godrej, CEAT, Shoppers Stop etc.

 6.) Protectability. They should be legally protectable and, as much as possible, competitively defensible. Example: Bajaj Pulsar, Reliance and many other Indian brands.

The first three criteria are the marketer’s offensive strategy and build brand equity. The later three, however, play a defensive role in leveraging and maintaining brand equity with respect to different opportunities and constraints.

References:

1. Strategic Brand Management by Kevin Lane Keller, M.G. Parameswaran and Isaac Jacob
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
3. http://adcampaigndesign.wordpress.com/2011/02/01/choosing-brand-elements/
4. https://ujdigispace.uj.ac.za/handle/10210/4325 An article by Hasert, Rudolf Karl
5. http://www.brands.net.au/types-brand-names/
6. http://churmura.com/business/packaging-and-labeling-in-marketing/22740/
7. Guidance material provided by Prof. Ramanuj Majumdar

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It is very difficult to differentiate yourself when you make a product like an office chair. Also, competing on value proposition is not easy. The American furniture company, Herman Miller was able to pull this off, and they did it so well that they witness a 500% increase in productivity. One of their products is the Aeron chair which is one of the most recognizable office furniture in the United States. This is one of the many Kaizen examples in Manufacturing that we shall discuss here. Kaizen provided them a much-needed increase in quality, reduction in manufacturing cost, and improvement in production times.

Brief introduction to Kaizen

Kaizen is the Japanese term that signifies ‘small, continuous improvements.’ These improvements accumulate over time and lead to a major increase. Although, it sounds great in concept but challenging to implement in practice.

⚡ Check out our detailed article on explanation of the Kaizen ➤ Kaizen Model of Continuous Improvement

Kaizen examples in factory

Here we shall discuss two examples of Kaizen implementation in the factory:

1. Daily Kaizen – Toyota
2. Kaizen events – Motorola

Daily Kaizen at Toyota

Toyota was one of the first manufacturers who adopted the Kaizen philosophy. Later companies like GM attempted to emulate these practices. There are many kaizen examples in manufacturing from companies that later adopted this concept as well. However, Toyota was one of the first companies to implement the concept of daily kaizen. The daily kaizen principle says that every day is an opportunity for improvement. This is achieved in the following steps:

1. Continuously question the processes and workflows – The traditional factories such as Ford Motor Company is based on the concept of absolute productivity. Their goal was to minimize any down time for the assembly line. Any down time meant that they were wasting precious time and having lower output than capacity. On the other hand, companies such as Toyota were alright with downtime. Even to the extent that they encouraged their workers to stop the production any time they wanted. Toyota had an Andon cord at their assembly line. It could be pulled any time to stop the production.
   
2. Adopt visualization and monitoring tools – We use sophisticated tool for project management that helps us visualize the progress. However, most of these visualizations can be traced back to the humble hand made charts. Japanese used one such technique called the ‘Kanban.’ Kanban is a visualization method by which we can define the tasks and then reresent them in terms of their progress so that their completion can be assessed more clearly.
   
   A typical job or task is represented as a flag. This flag starts off from the ‘requested’ column. As the work begins on it, it is shifted to the ‘in progress’ column. This column is sometimes called Work in Progress or WIP. Next this task is taken on to the ‘done’ column.
   
3. Embrace small experiments – experiments are small changes that are tested out. When they are found to be successful, these changes are adopted else they are dropped. Toyota is an exemplar in the case of kaizen becuase it encourages the employees to experiment their ideas. An article by Takeuchi, Osono and Shimizu talk about the bold conceptualization of Toyota Prius. They decided to develop a car that had 100% improvement in fuel efficiency.
   
   After a lot of research, experimentation, failing and learning, they were able to launch the car in 1997. It became one of the world’s most popular hybrid vehicles and remained a favorite among environmentally concious buyers for a long time.

Kaizen event at Motorola

The first example of Kaizen in the factory is from Motorola. They introduced the concept of ‘Kaizen events.’ Kaizen events are the occasions of quality improvement. These offer us ways to look into the defects, issues, and challenges that we encounter in the factory. A brief summary of the Kaizen event is summarized below:

1. Formation of the discussion team – a small team from different areas come together to discuss. This panel discussion focuses on one specific process. Japanese taught us the value of bottoms up communication channel. Therefore, in these discussions we need to have people who are working on the shop floor as well as mid-level managers.
2. The Observation process – In the second step, the team is tasked with careful observation. Another page from the Japanese system of management. A walk to the shop floor is referred as ‘Gemba’ and the act is sometimes called as ‘going to Gemba’. Again, a bottom oriented management. It makes the mid and senior managers get physically close to the lower levels and see the real place where action takes place. No wonder, Gemba literally means ‘real place.’
3. Improvement – In the very beginning we talked about ‘small, continuous improvements.’ These improvements must be meaningful and come from the observed defects. Sometimes the suggestions for improvements are never taken seriously, especially when it comes from lower rungs of the organization. Second issue is inter-departmental policies and politics which can prevent the acceptance of good ideas. It is the job of quality manager to ensure that ideas are evaluated based on merit only.
4. Implementation and testing phase – once the ideas are accepted, they need to be tested for application. Some ideas may improve the current process while some may deteriorate it. Again, an impartial evaluation of these ideas will help the organization gain benefit from Kaizen.

Because of these approaches, Motorola remains one of the best Kaizen Examples in Manufacturing.

Kaizen examples in manufacturing

A soap company faced a peculiar problem. They had a fully automated plant where the soaps were cut, packed into retail packages, and then stacked inside reseller boxes. They were getting numerous complaints regarding empty boxes being shipped to the warehouses. This posed a threat to their quality perception. What could be done to eliminate such mistakes?

They hired an external consultancy to look into the problem. The consultants provided top-class services and thoroughly looked at the problem. They realized that the problem can be detected with the help of a sensitive X-ray machine that can scan the boxes coming out of the production line. If the workers saw that the boxes were empty, they would remove them from the conveyor belt. The company saw an immediate decline in the number of complaints after this sophisticated system was set into place. The senior managers were happy with the result.

$600,000 vs $100 solution

This was not the end of the story. It had been barely three weeks since the new system was in place that the production manager noticed that the system stopped giving any defects. He re-checked the data from his dashboard and thought that the system had developed some fault. After that, he walked to the shop floor to check out the issue before raising a support ticket with the company that had set it up. He could not find any problem with the machine. It was working absolutely fine. The manager even tested it by sending empty boxes which showed up on the X-ray screen correctly.

Nevertheless, the machine operator returned from her tea break and saw the bewildered expression of the manager. When he learned his predicament, she could not stop laughing. She did not believe that the company had spent $600,000 on the machine only to detect empty boxes. She took the manager to a point barely ten meters away from the machine to show her improvisation. Apparently, she was tired of looking at the X-ray screen the whole day long. Therefore, she had installed a small table fan right across the conveyor belt. Whenever there was an empty box that came across, the fan would blow it out of the way.

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