Nirvana

IEEE Spectrum published a brilliant article titled “The New Economics of Semiconductor Manufacturing” focusing on applying Toyota Production System (TPS) principles to improve efficiency and production capacity.

The TPS is briefly summarized as

(1) highly specify activities,

(2) clearly define the transfer of material and information,

(3) keep the pathway for every product and service simple and direct, and

(4) detect and solve problems where and when they happen, using the scientific method.

Authored by Clayton M. Christensen (author of “The Innovator’s Dilemma”) et. al. the article elaborates on the TPS principles as applicable to semiconductor fabs with real examples and the results gained by the changes.

To cut costs by 12%, increase production capacity by 10% and lower cycle time by 67% in six months without additional investment is astounding to say the least.

Highly recommended to read !

Thanks to my FIL for forwarding this article to me.

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Details on the satellite based XLRI PGCBM course can be found at the link below:

http://www.hnge.in/retail/xlri/xlri_pgcbm.htm

The XLRI URL for the satellite based program is http://xlri.ac.in/satellite and students can login using their XSAT ID and password.

We had the inaugural session yesterday (May 19th) at 6:30 pm, I was dismayed to see only four of us at the Malleswaram branch, Bangalore. Hopefully that does not work against us in team projects and assignments.

There are altogether four branches in Bangalore (Cunningham Rd, Malleswaram, Airport Rd and Koramangala) and according to Mr. Salil who runs three classrooms (except for Cunningham Rd), Malleswaram was judged the best classroom two years ago. He did go through a few tips for making the most of this course and also made us feel at ease.

The inaugural session was not as smooth as expected - there were constant ‘echo’ interruptions and worse, a few students were happy to indulge in personal trivial chat or repeatedly ask the same questions. Prof. Srimannarayana (chairperson for satellite based programs) introduced us to the course, faculty and the terms and conditions for the program.

• 22 courses (21 subjects + 1 project) spread across three terms
• Each term will roughly be 4-5 months in duration
• Minimum 75% attendance is mandatory for each course
• Maximum of 2 Ds or 1D and 1F to secure the certificate eligibility
• On campus visits will be only during summer
• No placement opportunities will be provided by XLRI
• XLRI has dispatched all the course textbooks and should be picked up at respective centres.

We were introduced to Mr. S.Roy ( sroy@xlr.ac.in) who is in charge of Satellite AIS (Academic Information System) and to whom we can direct all our concerns to.  AIS stores all information regarding course schedule,  exam notifications, student grades, assignments and handouts. Students are required to update their CV in order to access the AIS resources as I understood. At the end of each course, student feedback is mandatory to view the grades. We were also introduced to the course teaching assistants and other support staff.

I encourage all fellow colleagues to join the orkut pgcbm14 group (search for PGCBM in orkut) and also the official yahoo group from XLRI (intimation by email).

The  coursework starts on 24th May (this Sat) as I understand and the first two courses will be

• Principles of Marketing by Prof. P. Venugopal
• Managerial Accounting by Prof. Ram Kumar Kakani

Students must have received a hardcopy of the recommended Managerial Accounting textbook

“ Financial Accounting for Management 2nd Edition.” by Ramachadran and Kakani.

A softcopy of this book is also available here

Good luck to you all.

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Nag @ Startups.in was gracious enough to send out a prompt invite to Dropbox at my request.

I just love the whole concept of storing all your stuff in a single repository that is accessible anywhere at any time. GigaOm has a detailed review of the service here.

If you would like an invite from Startups.in for a free Beta 5GB account, you can click here.

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Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography is a good read, tracing his life in detail from research to business to politics. That he was a versatile, multi-faceted genius is obvious, you only need to look at his accomplishments at Philadelphia’s Ben Franklin Museum. He had a way with words like Thomas Hardy !

Listed below are the thirteen virtues that Ben strived to adhere to. He focused on only one virtue every week and tracked his progress in a little book marking a black spot for every offence. Each cycle was thirteen weeks long before he started all over again.

He had listed the first twelve virtues and added in ‘Humility’ at the suggestion of his friend who thought he was proud.

• TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.

• SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; Avoid trifling conversation.

• ORDER. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.

• RESOLUTION. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.

• FRUGALITY. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.

• INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employ’d in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.

• SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.

• JUSTICE. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.

• MODERATION. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.

• CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.

• TRANQUILITY. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.

• CHASTITY. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.

• HUMILITY. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

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 One of the most moving poems I have come across.

FUNERAL BLUES

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He is Dead.
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the woods;
For nothing now can ever come to any good.

    — W.H. Auden

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After months of deliberation, I registered for the 2008 PGCBM business management program being offered by XLRI via Hughes Globalnet. I was shortlisted for the interview and I am fairly hopeful that I will get in. Classes start in May and the course is 14 months long, I am looking forward to being in a classroom (virtual anyway) again!

I drove down to Vythiri Resorts at Wayanad this weekend along with my friend’s family, it was a great drive and we had a good time at the resort amidst nature. Kerala boasts of beautiful, picturesque places lush with green forests and lakes. Throw in the ayurvedic massages and great climate, it’s a great tourist place to unwind.

I sprained my foot while playing basketball and the doc confirmed that it’s a hairline fracture that will take couple of months to recover. Funny, I have never had a fracture before.

Wildly waiting to watch Coen brothers’ latest movie, currently reading Calvin and Hobbes, Osho’s self-awareness and First Things First by Stephen Covey.

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Just SMS to the numbers below to register for the Do not call registry.

AIRTEL: SMS “START DND” to 121

HUTCH: SMS ACT DND to 111

Citibank: You choose

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Prabhudeva makes it to the LGF board

Watched “A Mighty Heart” today, I thought it was an okay movie until I googled for Asra and came across this piece. One of my friends had emailed me the Daniel Pearl video and I remember being sick in the stomach watching it. And looking at the current emergency scenario in Pakistan, things will get much worse before they get any better.

I am a Dad now ! Our daughter was born on Nov 5 2007 I can spend hours just watching her sleep.

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I stumbled upon this piece of news on Australian ad campaign today - dang, why cant we have effective ads like this ? The last thing I want to see is Sachin in a yet another ad campaign after the media advertises what undies he wears to what he takes for dyspepsia.

Speaking about biking, this website for bike afficionados (Xkmph) made the news today on Indian Express. Apparently, there is a biker’s show on Mysore Road being conducted by the Bangalore chapter. More and more bikers in India are itching for long road trips (from Kanyakumari to Delhi) and associate a cause with it - from deforestation to global warming.

They are taking a leaf out of politicians handbook of survival - if BJP started off on a “Dharma Yuddha” yatra after being unscrupulously dumped by HDK, HDK promises to walk 1000 km a month to justify his stand. Not to be left alone, Congress has scheduled a bus yatra !! It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad India !!

This link (Mother of the year) from Boing Boing had me in splits!

Oh yeah, I am addicted to Stumble Upon!

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One of the reasons I love Broadcom is execution - To integrate all the mobile features like Baseband processor, Bluetooth, FM and HSUPA into a single chip and well ahead of competition in 65 nm is a great achievement and reflects the strong technical expertise within the organization. I believe no other company has made an unbelievable success story out of it’s acquisitions as Broadcom has.

Check out the news here.

Nokia and Samsung as customers and now this piece of good news while Qualcomm is caught in legal wrangles. Hopefully, the stock flies up tomorrow

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