Training through Management Games...

Hi Friends ….!

Last week I was invited at PERF India Institute of Management, Ahamedabad as an Expert Speaker. It was a seminar on ‘Understanding Consumers through Management Games’.  There were participants from various backgrounds and with varying experience at different capacity. Few of them were entrepreneurs of Ahmedabad, some of the participants were from the reputed organizations like, Sintex Industries Limited, Task Staffing Solutions Pvt Ltd, Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd., and management students from different institutes of Ahmedabad.It was incredible experience for me. I have been part of many such programs but this was special as my role was of an expert. 

I had planned the program in to two parts. The first, I started with the practical examples (of cricketers, kitchen of Gujaratis, male-female involvements, milk-man, and use of two-wheelers). I also covered some facts about Indian market, why study consumers?, changing Indian Consumers (the shopping habits of young and old, shifting spending patterns, consumers’ expectations, lifestyle, changing attitude, increased rural prosperity, changing role of women, consumers’ trait in larger cities), and current business trends. With these all discussions, I established a perfect platform to play a management game ‘Shopping Trip’ which was the second part. It was a simple game I have devised that helps understanding consumers’ psychology. This game is very helpful to retail store manager, corporate consultants, business entrepreneurs, sales professionals, management teachers and students.  Participants enjoyed the game a lot along with gaining many aspects of consumer shopping behavior. The participants’ interactions and involvement made quite interesting for me and value adding experience.

Please feel free to give your feedback.

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Major Retail Forms: Organized Versus Unorganized Retailing

In a sharp contrast to the organized retail, the unorganized retail is also in existence with the large size and it is highly fragmented and unorganized; with the huge number of retail densities worldwide. Still in many developing countries unorganized retailing has the major share of the retailing business. There are no any clear definitions of organized retailing and unorganized retailing.

It can be expressed “Unorganized retailing”, as an outlet run locally by the owner or caretaker of a shop that lacks technical and accounting standardization. The supply chain and sourcing are also done locally to meet local needs. Its organized counterpart may not obtain its supplies from local sources.The major difference between organized and unorganized retailing lie in its number (chain) of store operations. The unorganized outlet may be just stand alone or can have maximum of 2-3 outlets in different areas city where as the organized outlets are "any retail chain (more than two outlets) which is professionally managed (even if its family run), has a accounting transparency (with proper usage of MIS and accounting standards) and organized supply chain management with centralized quality control and sourcing (certain parts can be locally made) can be termed as an "organized retailing".Organized retailing is based on the principle of unity and unorganized retailing is based on the principle of singularity. Both organized and unorganized retailing is found in most countries throughout the world. India andChina are strong examples of countries in which unorganized retailing dominated their markets. Today these countries have a growing economy because of the influx of organized retailers into their markets. Migration from unorganized to organized retail has been visible with economic development in most countries.

Table: [A] Distinction between Organized Retailing and Unorganized Retailing

Parameters of Difference	Organized Retailing	Unorganized Retailing
Scale of Operations	Large	Small
Scope of Operations	Nationwide  or Worldwide	Local or Regional
Operation System	Highly Organized (Professionally managed)	Highly Unorganized (managed ordinarily)
Prevailing	Largely in Developed nations	Largely in developing and under developed nations
Business Management	Done by Owner	Professional Managers
No. of stores	Chain of Stores	Maximum 2-3 stand alone shops
Business Principle	Principle of Unity	Principle of Singularity
Employees	Skilled , Professionally trained, and qualified	Unskilled , Untrained , and less qualified
Sopping experience	Excellent or Good	Poor or Fair
Range of Products	Wide range of products	Relatively narrow range of products
Physical Ambience	Pleasurable	Lacking graciousness
Parking Facility	Adequately available and properly managed	Inadequate and unmanaged
Convenience of choosing products	Can walk around the product shelves and see it	Cannot walk around the product shelves and  cannot see it
Pricing	Never depend on relationship	Sometimes depend on the relationship
Bargaining	Not possible	Possible to some extent
Sourcing Merchandise	Mostly direct from the manufacturer	Mostly from  C & F agents,  Distributors, or Wholesalers
Varity & Styles of Merchandise	According to  national or global demands	According to local or regional demands
Examples	Wal-Mart, McDonald's, Sears	Counter stores, kiosks, street markets and vendors,

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Biyani’s Future Business Bond: Professionalism for Perfection

The CEO of $ 2 billion retail empire (Future Group), Kishore Biyani has envisaged the succession plan for the future. He being passionate to stay ahead of time, coming up with the distinctive concept of separating family interest and business in the Indian business landscape.

Though several Biyani family members have been entrenched in the top management positions, Kishore Biyani has been planning to separate ownership and day-to-day business to step ahead in the retail business. Likewise, his past business ideas, he expects this plan also to turn out as very favorable. He has made it clear that the future chief executives may be professionals and not from family members. The role of next generation of Biyanis is to be mentors to guide the businesses.

Biyanis have a family office having seven family members which is mainly giving the group business a strategic direction (to share ideas and discuss future possibilities). A key component of the home office is the mentoring role - both capital and ideas - that the seniors impart to the next generation.

• ·         CEO Kishore Biyani, Pantaloons Board Member
• ·         Vijay Biyani (Kishore’s elder brother), sourcing head
• ·         Anil Biyani (Kishore’s younger brother), Future Retail CEO
• ·         Rakesh (Kishore’s cousin), properties and projects head
• ·         Sunil (Kishore’s cousin), Future Ideas director
• ·         Ashni Biyani (Kishore’s daughter), Home Solutions Retail
• ·         Vivek Biyani (Vijay’s son), Board Member of Home Office

From the past three years, the retail badshaah has inducted two members of the family into Future group board. Biyani’s daughter Ashni (24 years) has been appointed director of Future Ideas and leads the incubation team and his nephew Vivek (25 years) is director of home solutions retail, the group’s fastest growing segment. In a couple of years, younger daughter Avni may also join the board.

Commenting on this concept adopted by the Retail King, I would say that this is the right action required at this time to grow professionally in a competitive Indian market. Looking at the Indian entrepreneurs, several family owned businesses have stuck up without professional touch and gradually they have lost the business, market image and share, and their existence. Thus, this is the perfect shot on Indian pitch to win the T20 (very competitive and potential market). At the same time execution will play a vital role for the game to be played and the coming future will decide the success of the Future Group. “Kishore Biyani is the batsman who not only looks at fielders’ position but also has a confidence in his bat.”

I invite your comments and thoughts on this...

This write up is based on the article published in The Times Of India | Ahmedabad, April 20, 2010.

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Workshop on 7 Steps 4 Success

Everyone has different and unique situations in their career, profession, and life. The level of education, experience, abilities and types of challenges are also diverse for all individuals. However, everyone wants “SUCCESS”.

This workshop will help participants to learn how to achieve success with their diverse background. This workshop session will be fruitful with fun, and highly interactive. At the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Learn 7 steps for success 
• Find tools to practices 7 steps for success 
• Develop personal success strategy

Feel free to contact for more information.

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Workshop Registration Form

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