IMS -- Ghaziabad presentation

How real-time communication is significant in operations management amidst

multi-site manufacturers?

Remica Aggarwal
 Vote of Thanks : Many Thanks and Regards to my supervisor
[ Prof. Dr. P.C Jha ] and PhD colleagues who have in said / unsaid
way contributed towards my PhD .

Topic : Some contributions towards optimization models for

marketing [ Defended in 2012]
Agenda of presentation ..
• What is real time communication ?
• How it works ?
• Advantages and disadvantages for real time communication [ in
general i.e. household purposes , business purposes , operations
purposes etc. ]
• Advantages of real time communication in operations
• Advantages of real time communication in operations with single
site / multi sites manufacturers
• Note on real time marketing [ in banking sector ] just to show the
link with the presentation
 What is real time communication ?
• Real-time communications (a.k.a. RTC) refers to any communication that happens between two (or more) individuals in
real-time – with minimal latency and without transmission delays.
• A peer-to-peer mechanism of communication, real-time communication tools enable employees to communicate with each
other – regardless of where they are located geographically.
• Real-time communication is a perfect combination of video and audio technology, and allows employees to connect in real-
time to collaborate, work on documents, resolve customer or business issues, and keep in touch with each other.
• In workplaces without a traditional office space, such as restaurants and retailers, RTC can help on-the-go employees, who
probably don't have time to respond to a traditional email but can do a quick IM or call from the floor if needed.
Examples of real-time communications include:

 Voice over landlines and mobile phones

 VoIP

 Instant messaging (e.g., WhatsApp, WeChat, Facebook Messenger)

 Video and teleconferencing

 Robotic telepresence
Real time communication continued …
• However, real-time communications does not include email, bulletin boards, blogs or other forms of
internet communication where users read content without regard to the time the sender posts it, which
can create a significant delay between data transmission and reception.

• In addition, real-time communications is never stored in an interim state anywhere between the
transmitter and the receiver, as defined by Techopedia.
• In a communication of this type, there is a return path where the receiver can also communicate with the
sender in real time. Real-time communications can take place in half duplex or full duplex:

 Half duplex—communications in one channel in one direction at a time. Sender or receiver can send but
not receive at the same time (think of an old-style walkie-talkie where the user has to say “over” to tell the
person on the other end that she can speak)

 Full duplex—sender and receiver can send and receive messages simultaneously in two parallel
communication pathways
 Advantages for real time communications
 It enables employees from across the world to communicate with each other 24×7 and share ideas or
solve problems quickly.

 It is a cost-effective way of getting several people from different locations to attend meetings and
conferences – without having to spend time or money on travel, and accommodation.

 It allows employees to enjoy flawless, uninterrupted connectivity using any device of their choice.

 It ensures a smooth flow of information between employees working at different levels, thereby
enhancing productivity and efficiency.

 It allows decision-makers to make quick decisions to promote new services, strengthen bonds with
customers, and achieve long-term competitive advantage.
 Disadvantages for real time communications
 Users who are not tech savvy often find it challenging to make the most of online
communication tools.

 Poor internet connection can cause several delays in messages being sent/received that
delays decision-making.

 In the absence of physical face-to-face communication, the chances of

misunderstanding or misinterpretation are high.

 Too many messages sent can lead to information overload – making it overwhelming
for users to act.
How real time communication tools solve this ..
• Modern real-time communication tools offer capabilities that aim to overcome all the issues associated with
online communication. With real-time communication tools, you can:
 Make clear, reliable, and real-time calls to anyone in the organization

 Organize (and attend) meetings and conferences inside or outside the organization

 Choose from a range of third-party services or build custom apps to meet unique communication needs

 Make the most of modern capabilities and features as they get released

 Enjoy uninterrupted, secure connectivity with near 100% uptime and availability
Advantages of real time communication in operations
• The impact of RTC can be measured in two varieties: technologies that end users
interface with (apps) and technologies that allow those end-user products to do
the things they do by enabling communication on the backend (APIs; cloud).

• That last point is important because it gives RTC a strong appeal among
developers, IT managers, product managers, and entrepreneurs, among others.
APIs and their popularity among businesses are one reflection of this trend; so,
too, is the rise of unified communications platforms, which enable companies to
build RTC directly into existing systems and workflows.
 Advantages of real time communication in operations
1. Overseas shipping has always been challenging to coordinate, but today manufacturers want
components/parts ‘just in time’ and consumers want their orders delivered in one or two days. Whether
transporting medicine/medical supplies or high-value items, logistics managers need real-time
communications to stay on top of critical supply issues or emergency deadlines.

2. Sea freight is complex and involves multiple partners including carriers, freight forwarders, brokers,
bankers, ports and customs – with each of them located in a different time zone and different regulations.
Because of the high number of people and stakeholders involved, container shipping operations are complex
and require a high level of coordination which becomes possible due to real time communication . .

3. Nowadays, digital technology flags, in real time, in which items and issues are the most important to focus
on. So, the logistics manager – can be proactive in solving potential problems before they happen.
Real-time, regardless of time zone, type of supplier, location or regulation, [ for example : Organisation
BuyCo provides logistics managers the ability to save time managing reports and updates on their
containers’ locations and ETAs]
Advantages of real time communication in operations
4. Within company / site collaboration :
Real-time communications also means sharing information with co-workers and your working partners. Both
completed shipment documents and current shipping documents are accessible.

You and your team members can upload any beneficial documents including customs documents, invoices or
letters of credit. All documents remain confidential.

• 5. Better customer service :

Collaborative platforms empower logistics practitioners and make them more responsible for what is going on
in the supply chain. This new way of working – with improved collaboration – results in better customer
service. Customers find everything they need in one place: real time information, documents, etc. They no
longer need to send a flurry of emails to get news and status reports about their expected cargo.
Advantages of real time communication in operations and multi – sites

6. Collaborative platforms [ Continued ] : The BuyCo collaborative platform pulls in all

shipments into one place along with your supply chain.
• All operational tasks are at your fingertips.
 Make confirmed reservations with any shipping company.
 Utilize your shipping templates to avoid repetitive entry chores.
 Track your containers in real time regardless of stage.
• Automated notifications of delays and/or deviations from original plans

7. Container shipping management [ CSM ] : CSM all in one place in real time – holidays,
weekends and bad weather – you and your logistics team have real-time visibility of every shipment.
Advantages of real time communication in operations and multi – sites

8. March towards globalization :

Indian companies, in their march towards globalisation, as well as the
multinationals expanding their presence here seek solutions from convergence to
transform the most fundamental competencies of their business.
This driving force behind a digital networked economy delivers real benefits: from
just the advantage of speed of accessing information anytime anywhere to installing
and managing a single network that supports voice, mobile and data network.
[ how do they do it : Manage PCs, laptops, entertainment centres, domestic appliances and home
security systems on a wireless network; help create shared directories] .

Large multi-site corporation requirements like call centers, data centers and, unified
communications around them look to convergence to achieve operational efficiency.
 In gist : why you need Real time communications
services in operations given single / multi – sites as well.

• Seamless Communication:
• Enjoy better communications availability and uptime and allow employees to have
uninterrupted conversations with teams and improve productivity.
• Optimized Business Operations:
• Focus on aspects of the business that really matter rather than on implementing and
managing communication systems.
• 24×7 Service Desk:
• Have access to a 24×7 service desk and get instant workarounds and solutions to any
communication problems or incidents users are facing.
 In gist : why you need Real time communications
services in operations given single / multi – sites as well.
• Maintenance:
• Always stay updated with the latest version, without having to worry about upgrades, backups, or security
and maintenance issues.
• Modern VoIP Technology:
• Make the most of modern VoIP innovations to transform the way employees communicate while leveraging
features delivered on promises of enhanced productivity, better connectivity, and scalable flexibility.
• Streamlined Service:
• Have a single provider manage all communication hardware and applications – from consolidating
applications to modernizing legacy systems and more.
• SaaS-Based Model Options:
• Leverage a range of services offered in a SaaS-based model to reduce costs of procuring and maintaining
costly communication infrastructure while streamlining day-to-day operations.
Research work on real time banking
 Real time marketing in banking sector
• In recent years marketing is revolutionized as real time or inbound marketing that seeks the most
appropriate offer for a given customer sales opportunity against the traditional outbound marketing
which aimed to acquire appropriate customers for a given 'pre-defined' offer .
• Such a revolutionized marketing happens at the moments when a consumer shows interest on a
company through inbound channels such as ATM, website, on the phone, a Facebook page, or in store,
and continues the conversation in outbound channels like email, SMS and direct mail.
• In addition to technological innovation and globalization, other forces also drive the redesign of
business strategies, for example, the deregulation and privatization occurring in various economies
(Kotler & Armstrong , 2009).
• Therefore, organizations should be constantly updated with real time market information to ensure that
they can receive, analyze and act on a flow of information that describes dynamically the market
environment and its internal operations (Panian (2007)).
 RTM in banking sector

• The main challenge with inbound real time marketing is to choose the best
offer for each of the customer when he/she interacts with organization.
• As each customer is different in their profiles, they should warrant different
personalized actions when interacted with organization, the one which is most
beneficial for them.
• This becomes even trickier when there are thousands of offers to choose from.
• There is also the possibility that the best offer/ action for an individual may not be
the best profitable action for the organization in terms of revenue or sales targets
or effective use of available resources.
• This requires a multi-dimensional tradeoff between the customer’s preferences
and the firm’s profit maximization goals under budget, sales target, capacity
constraints and ROI expectations1.
RTM in banking sector

• The real time marketing challenge is even more pronounced in the financial sector due to the
mistrust of the capacity of financial institutions in the current economic environment.

• In banking sector, the most used inbound channel options are ATM’s, internet, mobile banking and
phone calls. The range of products offered through these channels being typical banking products
which include savings or current bank account, family wealth accounts , home loans , car loans ,
education loans , foreign exchange services, lockers and DMAT accounts .

• Then, there are privilege products include credit cards, debit cards, insurance, investments,
mortgage and value added services.
 Techniques for providing solutions for real
time
• The quite popular real time offer optimization by WIPRO6 which leverages real-time customer
behavior including the latest transactions and social feeds, individualized demographics, and dynamic
pricing and merchandising to recommend products and offers.
• The inbuilt algorithms and business rules match customers’ unique interests to relevant promotions and
digitally deliver instant and automatic results.
• Then there is in-memory computing platform called SAP HANA7 which is built to store and analyze
big data from multiple systems.

• It helps banks achieve a more comprehensive and instant view of their customers and business
performance.
• The solution from SAP consists of an integrated business intelligence platform, agile data
visualization by SAP Lumira and the ability to leverage sophisticated models and algorithms to predict
customer behavior with SAP Predictive Analysis7.
 Problem scenario
• Each customer may be contacted for different products in different time periods through a different channel. For example, let us say product P1 offered to
customer 1.

• So basically each customer is offered a product over a set of elements in each time period. It could be like a product P1 , an insurance policy which is offered
to customer 1 (with respect to a criteria let us say age 30-40 years) in the first week of July 2018 through an inbound call, the offer is a 10% discount on the
first installment. Here the elements are product P1, the offer and the time period which is first week of July.

• Similarly in the second week another offer is presented through ATM display which is a discount of 5% on cash purchase of the bonds. Similarly, in third and
fourth week respectively.

• At the end of the month a sale is generated from that customer. Also there is a likelihood given to us i.e. total likelihood that a person in a certain criteria (a
certain age group 30-40 years here) will make a purchase this month.

• Now for the second customer, may be the offers are given at the same time period as the first customer or different time periods (let us say after 2-3 days) in
that month. The problem is many folds i.e.

 To find the likelihood for each customer corresponding to each product in each time period.

 To diagnose as to what combination of the four elements (i.e. product, offer , channels , and time interval ) can contribute to the overall sales.
Thank you