Part 13 (2/2)

technology vision 2020 :.

(Source: Services ) Marketing logistics, trading and distribution Having communicated information about products and goods, it is necessary to reach them to the consumer. Trading has been the important services activity that fulfilled this need .

Services like wholesale and retail trade, warehousing, transportation and distribution which link producers /manufacturers with the consumers are the components of marketing logistics. These services accounted for 21.5 per cent of GDP in 199394.

Marketing logistics are required for three broad categories , namely agro based food products, major materials and intermediate goods like coal, steel, cement, etc. and consumer goods like durables, textiles, so on.

The trading and distribution of the above categories is done by traditional methods of commissioning wholesale distributors at selected centers and a large number of retailers.

Due to increase in GDP, a large volume of product changes are expected within a decade in trade and marketing logistics.

Future scenario in trading Some f the traditional outlets in village and small towns are one stop shops. Though options may be limited, they can meet a range of requirements. In most of the advance countries this feature has taken the shape of big retail channels and shopping malls, which are now catching on, in the bigger Indian cities. By going to one place, one can get almost any item of domestic consumption. As the production of goods and their consumption grows, which is definitely envisioned for our country , these shopping 153.

malls and big retail stores will be in position . Let our technologist and industrialists dream and think of business opportunities in equipping such big malls and maintaining them. There is no reason why many of these accessories and fitting cannot be made in India. We emphasize this because at present several items for our five star hotels are imported since those of comparable quality are not available in the country .It is essential that a country that can tame atomic energy or produce complex metallurgical product, should be able to make relatively simpler products using Indian knowhow and designs.

Coming to packing, wherever possible we can avoid the older route of plastics, though they are necessary for some products. Bio degradable tapioca linked paper packages have been developed in our country. Why not try many such innovations instead of adopting mere imitations of other advanced countries? Another important technological input in marketing logistics, trading and distribution is going to be satellite communication and computer networks. We often forget we are a vast country of about 3.2 million sq. km, where goods move by trucks or railway. A fast growing, high volume economy cannot sustain its distribution channels without a first rate computer network and satellite communication channels. Why satellite? Computer network are possible even with fibres. But a truck, goods train or a s.h.i.+p each requires different links.

Mobile communication can be established. Satellite navigational System helps in pinpointing the position as well. Mobility of businesspersons and traders is also crucial.

The way they have taken to cellular or mobile phones is remarkable. Once we provide good computer networks as well as regular and mobilecommunications,we ourselves will be surprised by the ingenious use people can put them to. The barrier between rural and urban areas will be broken by the service sector in communications.

Future scenario in marketing logistics Greater speed in transportation will be a key demand, as alsothe demand for larger loads having greater reach. Specializedcontainers, often with controlled atmospheric conditions (forcontrol,etc.)will be required. In addition there will arise demand for a single container that can be sent by air, road , rail or s.h.i.+p. This is called capabilityfor multimodal transportation. Internationally many such standardized containers are used. It will be advantageous if Indian industries begin acquiring such a capability now and adapt it to 154.

our conditions. There will be a great demand for such containers in about five to ten years.

With larger cargoes, requirements for better cargo handilingfacilities, modernized packaging systems and loading and unloading systems will increase. A natural requirement would then be for large modern warehouse. Once these are built and since there will be pressure at the time of delivery, the connectivity between farms, factories, G.o.downs, warehouse, head offices, field offices supermarkets and and other retail outlets will be crucial. These connectivities will be by road, rail or waterways as well as through data/ voice communication.

An important point needs to be emphasized here which appilies to all areas, and particularly to this area of services. Simple training with visuals and in the workers'

languages is what is required to ensure that people perform well. If we do not invest in our workforce and treat them as unskilled labour which can be drawn on merely for manual labor, their performance will also be similar. There is great scope for educating people for maximize efficient use of resources. For instance, 5percent of fuel used for vehicles can be saved if drivers are given proper training in Correct and energyefficient driving habits: don't press the accelerator unnecessarily, avoid breaking suddenly, slow down earlier,etc.but does a normal driver know that these factors are with the thermodynamics of engines and fuel burning? Similarly, if the stove's flame is kept at a level that will prevent it lapping around the sides of the vessel and just be under the pot, though it may take few minutes more to cook food, there will be a considerable saving of precious gas. Such wastage exacts a heavy price on the economy. Marketing communication skills can be deployed very effectively to impart continual training to our workforce and curb such wastage. That will be an excellent service industry itself.

Trade promotion services New global trade arrangements are expected to add US$ 213 274 billion annually to world income. The GATT secretariat projects the largest increase at 60 percent of world trade in the area of textiles and clothing followed by agriculture, forestry and fishery products. The potential gain of Indian exports is estimated at $2.7 billion (the current export is $20 billion). Effective trade promotion services would be required to tap new markets and increase our exports.

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Shortterm activities (five years) should include strengthening IT for trade and building necessary infrastructure for meeting customer requirements. Medium/longterm activities(ten to twenty years) should include large global databases, communication links and improved transportation and banking facilities.

Tourism Most people are familiar with the traditional concepts of Tourism: hotels, access to easy transport, special places to visit, starting from the TajMahal, Goa, Kanyak.u.mari, the beautiful NorthEast, coastal India and the islands, the deserts and the Himalayas. But the modernday tourist expects something more and different. He comes here not merely to eat, drink and make merry. Many want to learn more about the people they meet and the places they visit. We can call it 'cultural' or 'knowledge oriented' tourism. There is plenty of scope for meeting such a requirement through the help of information technology. Multipresentations can be made available in most tourist spots on the music, culture, history, biodiversity and other features of that could open by giving foreign tourists glimpses of such information, including local maps, by electronic mail even as they are planning their trips! The possibilities are many it only remains to try them.

Human resources development As must have become selfevident, the services sector is dominated by human needs, comforts and convenience. Naturally, development of human resources becomes an important requirement for having a services sector. We have shown a few examples in earlier sections. They very activity of human resource development and continous skill upgradation in the face of changingtechnologies or preferably in advance preparation of likely changes in technologies and consumption styles is going to be another major component of the services sector.all of us have to unlearen a lot, learn a lot,continue to learn a lot, use new aids in learing, teach others and so on.

As the UN Human Development Report of 1995 makes clear, ma.s.sive investments in human capital and development of managerial and technological skills are needed in developing countries if they are to improve their peoples' living standards. India itself is th ranked very low, at 134 place out of 175 countries, below countries like Malaysia,Thailand and Srilanka. As much as 73 per cent of our population has no proper 156.

sanitation, and 21 per cent lack access to drinking water. The following table sets out the future challenges and Priorities TABLE 8.2.

HRD: Future Challengea and priorities _____________________________________________________.

serial Activity Timeframe no for completion (in years) ______________________________________________________.

1.

Improvement in primary and secondary education quality and competence of teachers 510.

Entrepreneurs.h.i.+p Oriented education 510 Use of multimedia and Other ma.s.s media technologies 1015.

2.

empowerment of women social engineering with widespread social awareness 510 and campaign Technological interventions For improved women's 515 education 3 investment in science and technology Reorientation of R&D Activities more focussed 510 157.

172.

_______________________________________________________.

serial Activity Timeframe no for completion (in years) _______________________________________________________.

Leaders.h.i.+p training and Skills development for Inst.i.tution building for 510 National laboratories and Inst.i.tutions Devising HRD programmes And strategies for national 510 Laboratories and inst.i.tutions

4.

Entrepreneurs.h.i.+p development Development of entrepreneurial 510 Skills and employment Generation by the Government NGOs and financial inst.i.tutions 510 Creation of entrepreneurial att.i.tude And spirit, achievement motivation etc. 510 Improved availability and management of credit facilities 510 5 Human resources development Role of private agencies and NGOs Development of entrepreneurial ` Skills and inst.i.tution building 515 Capabilities of NGOs Improvement of performance by 6 Government agencies and inst.i.tutions HRD programmes related to Bringing in att.i.tudinal and Behavioural changes of 510.

Government personnel 158.

173.

______________________________________________________.

serial Timeframe no activity for completion Infusing professionalism in Government services 510 Development of less manpower And improved mechanization 510 In government services concern for the environment Improved environmental Awareness and education among Common people through ma.s.s Communication technologies And contact programmes 510 ___________________________________________________.

source:TIFAC report Technology vision 2020:services It needs also to be realized that if we are to effectively develop our human resources we must decentralized the HRD function so that selfcorrecting learning systems develop at the local level. Modern technologies including IT help the process very greatly and provide new opportunities.Technical and management consultancy services HRD is itself a knowledge and skill based activity in great demand in the technology society of today. But the complex technologies in operation and the continual demands for them in daytoday life ranging from domestic operations to defence, Require that there are no critical failures. In fact, the objective of most manufacturers and service providers is to provide maintenancefree systems. Earlier, rigorous demands for quality a.s.surance and reliability were restricted mainly to the areas of standards are demanded in several civilian applications. On the one hand, technological progress is reducing the product lifein human bodies. .Nowadays, the highest specifications of quality cycle to a few years.earlier, people were happy with a mean time between failures(MTBF) of a few or several thousand hours.that means any equipment once 159.

delivered or repaired would perform without any major problem for a few or several thousand hours,which was specified as the MTBF.The present day trend is not to have a failure during the entire product life cycle,which may be only a few years because of costant updatiung. Those who buy personal computers in India will know the rate of change of models with substantive performance changes. How does one a.s.sure rigorous these standards? Naturally by incorporating many of the design, technological and management features used in defence or s.p.a.ce systems.

Earlier we used to purchase military standard or s.p.a.ce quality components at specially high prices and call other components for ground equipment as the 'garden variety'. Now the standards and reliability figures of these garden variety components have increased manifold. This is one reason why military procurement in development countries is nowadays sourced from common civilian sources as well because there is an allround increase in reliability and quality. In this way, by spreading the marketbase and their own production volumes, both sectors gain.

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