http://www.rahulgaitonde.org/2006/02/commoditization-of-science-and-art-as-differentiato/ Thu, 22 Sep 2011 21:55:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 http://www.rahulgaitonde.org/2006/02/commoditization-of-science-and-art-as-differentiato/#comment-49 Suhas M Mallya Tue, 21 Feb 2006 12:51:00 +0000 http://www.rahulgaitonde.org/2006/02/19/i-want-my-job-to-go-to-india-part-two/#comment-49 I agree with Vikram. While your article makes a compelling and relevant case for the Indian IT milieu to "upgrade" itself to real cutting-edge innovation, there are several other aspects of importance:(a) As Vikram points out, going by the line of thought you have presented, management itself becomes a science and not an art.(b) Irrespective of whether management is an art or a science (and even extending that argument like Steve McConnell does, irrespective of whether software engineering itself is an art, science or engineering), fact is, that despite the best B-schools being in the Western world, it is Indians who have established themselves as ustads of the off-shore delivery model. I think that in itself is a strength to reckon with and we should use this to advantage. Like say, setting up another revenue stream by consulting for "wannabe-ITES companies" in the far east so that our forex earnings from mainstream IT would be supplemented. After all, in a community-enabled knowledge economy, wealth and knowledge increase by sharing. (c) Innovation in the West is where it is today, because - in addition to access to funds and high-quality education - the Western world has achieved a state of standardisation that makes high-volume routine tasks amenable to automation. Take for example, the state of automation in the transport sector in the US and in India. I think this is as significant a stumbling block to our "getting there" as is the mindset and education that Vikram alludes to, if not more.In summary though - at the risk of sounding paranoid - we should act as if the writing is on the wall: Innovate or perish. Even if innovation means we start by setting up a new revenue stream (like from consulting as described above) we have to make a beginning somewhere. The sooner the better. I agree with Vikram. While your article makes a compelling and relevant case for the Indian IT milieu to “upgrade” itself to real cutting-edge innovation, there are several other aspects of importance:(a) As Vikram points out, going by the line of thought you have presented, management itself becomes a science and not an art.(b) Irrespective of whether management is an art or a science (and even extending that argument like Steve McConnell does, irrespective of whether software engineering itself is an art, science or engineering), fact is, that despite the best B-schools being in the Western world, it is Indians who have established themselves as ustads of the off-shore delivery model. I think that in itself is a strength to reckon with and we should use this to advantage. Like say, setting up another revenue stream by consulting for “wannabe-ITES companies” in the far east so that our forex earnings from mainstream IT would be supplemented. After all, in a community-enabled knowledge economy, wealth and knowledge increase by sharing. (c) Innovation in the West is where it is today, because – in addition to access to funds and high-quality education – the Western world has achieved a state of standardisation that makes high-volume routine tasks amenable to automation. Take for example, the state of automation in the transport sector in the US and in India. I think this is as significant a stumbling block to our “getting there” as is the mindset and education that Vikram alludes to, if not more.In summary though – at the risk of sounding paranoid – we should act as if the writing is on the wall: Innovate or perish. Even if innovation means we start by setting up a new revenue stream (like from consulting as described above) we have to make a beginning somewhere. The sooner the better.

]]> http://www.rahulgaitonde.org/2006/02/commoditization-of-science-and-art-as-differentiato/#comment-48 Vikram Bheemaiah Mon, 20 Feb 2006 13:30:00 +0000 http://www.rahulgaitonde.org/2006/02/19/i-want-my-job-to-go-to-india-part-two/#comment-48 If technical skills were commodities, would it not be illogical to think management skill as "ART"If Indians or Indian companies operating from India could acquire both these skills in a period or less than 10-20 years...others can do the same also.The next logical step, that you say, one has to take is but to get into innovations. This needs a different mindset and a different kind of education and environment (which I think is slowly catching up with Indians, at least in some software companies though with education and culture per say we have to go a long way). The scary part is, by the time we catch up with innovations as a real money-spinner...we should not have the non-America world out-race us If technical skills were commodities, would it not be illogical to think management skill as “ART”If Indians or Indian companies operating from India could acquire both these skills in a period or less than 10-20 years…others can do the same also.The next logical step, that you say, one has to take is but to get into innovations. This needs a different mindset and a different kind of education and environment (which I think is slowly catching up with Indians, at least in some software companies though with education and culture per say we have to go a long way). The scary part is, by the time we catch up with innovations as a real money-spinner…we should not have the non-America world out-race us

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