INFUSION OF PRIVATE BUSINESS SUCCESS PRINCIPALES INTO NICTAS :A SUCCESS STORY P.C.Shah pcshah05@ymail.com

1. INFUSION OF PRIVATE BUSINESS SUCCESS PRINCIPALES INTO NICTAS :A SUCCESS STORY P.C.Shah pcshah05@ymail.com

2. PREAMBLE • 1964- IBM 1620 • This is a flying Bird Eye-view of developing financially self-sufficient NICTAS during 1987 to 1998 • WHEN: • Internet was dial up • Costly • Slow and not as fast as today and efficient as today. Lots of break down. • Information was not available as fast as today • ITI orthodox industry.

3. Concept of paying for Information was not developed. • Marketing of information was a new concept • IT was not as to-day. • Floppy and Not CD in India. • All these were Constraints. • AND we could generate in1998, a COROUS FUND FOR NICTAS Rs 60 Lakhs , generating Rs. 6 Lakhs an Interests per year. Even to day. For future development of NICTAS.

4. Background • Indian Textile Industry • Importance in economic development • Employment oriented • GDP of a Nation. • Ahmedabad Textile Industry’s Research Association (ATIRA) • Started in 1945 • Pioneer in starting industry oriented information services. Dr.S.R.R. Consulted in 1950. • 1965 proposal for CIS for I.T.I. • 1976 NICTAS proposal to DSIR • 1980 comprehensive survey of information needs of 14 types of users’ groups.

5. 1987, March NISSAT sanctioned NICTAS project. • ATIRA ‘Council of Administration’ took following decision • All efforts must be made to make NICTAS self sufficient in recurring expenditure within a maximum of TEN years. • No service should be given free of charge, i.e. all services of NICTAS should be fee based. • ATIRA will charge all services provided to NICTAS. • As far as possible no free service should be taken by NICTAS from others. • All staff appointed for NICTAS will be a staff of NICTAS project and it will be a project appointment.

6. NICTAS should be a separate activity(entity) than ATIRA Library. • FIRST STEP • Advise from non library professionals who were successful in small and medium sized • business / industry entrepreneurs • Who were they ? • Summary of various views / principles explained by them for their success in business and to achieve goals are as follow. Details are in my article.. Only selected are listed below: • Do not spoil relation with your customer. • Make continuous improvements in your service. Have new ideas continuously.

7. No bureaucracy. Make easy to sell. Reduce procedural delay. • Always think of new ideas to change/improve your product or service.. • Think differently than your competitors. • Less price with big business. • Continuously try to find new customers. • Control your staff strength. Keep as thin as possible. • Everyday new ideas’ implementation. Even small change in your attitude is a new idea.. • Take advantage of bye-products.. • Increase sales price of product/services in incremental way i.e. small price rise every year, instead of price rise once in five year.

8. Take calculated risk with courage to implement decisions. • Try to find various sources of fund. • Value added or monopoly products may be charged higher or lower in the initial period and with high prices afterward. • Do bulk business to increase profit. • Try to provide guarantied and trustworthy services. If needed give refund to client for services/product not useful to client. • Have a self-confidence in your work with tremendous determination. • Try to create entrepreneurial aptitude.

9. Do not worry about problems, problems are signs of prosperity. • Freedom to staff to take decision. • Brain-storing Sessions and discussions with few enlightened ATIRIANS. We took following decisions. • ‘Total Quality’ based services with total satisfaction to users. • Appoint fresh young staff. • Priority wise-plan for information services/products. • Charge all services. • Provide service to all industries etc. • Thin staff strength

10. Five fresh young professionals appointed. • Regular meeting and brain storming sessions with NICTAS staff. • Following guidelines prepared: • The guiding philosophy was customer satisfaction and responding to customer needs and expectations very quicklyandquality services with money back guarantee. • Continuously try to improve and enhance customer satisfaction as per their requirements.. • Provide value added services.. • Market NICTAS information products and services very rigorously and in an innovative way.

11. Document all activities, mistakes and successes and take corrective actions Encourage innovations and efficiency of NICTAS staff with suitable reward as per ATIRA policy. Communicate openly and frankly amongst staff. Do not keep anything secret. Involve everyone of NICTAS staff in all activities. Try to seek cooperation of other Textile Research Associations in India. Evolve NICTAS as cooperative efforts for providing information. Regular Tea meetings and brainstorming amongst staff. Response time for any information service should be30 minutes to maximum two working days.

12. Try to follow flexible administration and minimum administrative procedures, if needed get special permission from Director, ATIRA . Break the rule for betterment of NICTAS. • Entire staff is responsible for every activity of NICTAS so that it becomes a group achievements • 1990 - NACID • - Money back guaranteed services • 1998- NICTAS had a corpus fund of Rs.60 lakhs , generating. • - 10 % interest per year. • During 1987 to 1998 • Many innovative fee based quality services/ Products started.

13. 1987-Communication system was not as fast & powerful as today. • - E-mail facilities limited • - Internet facilities slow and costly . Dial up facility. • Few examples of innovative and maximum used products/services started from 1987 by NICTAS • [1] TEXINCON • [2] VITAMINS • [3] Forecast of literature searches • [4] TTD (1973-90) Quarterly • [5] LAPTOP and project to serve small scale industries located in remote areas in India. • [6] State of the art reports.

14. [7] Findings of new users’ groups - Mill stores businessman - Training programme/seminars for users [8] Magazine subscription saver [9] CULT [10] Knight Ridder (Dialogue), Data star, STN [11] Regular press release [12] Distribution of well designed pamphlets on services/products of NICTAS. [13] TEXINCON summaries in other Indian Textile Journals. [14] NICTAS PRE-PAID COUPON BOOK [15] Users’ Groups meetings for new services and future planning.

15. [16] Talks to business/industries during meetings/seminars/Conferences/chamber of Commerce. [17] Discount to booksellers in India and abroad on NICTAS publications. [18] Use of local branches of TA (India) [19] Cooperation of other TRA in India [20] Exhibition cum sales at various airports in India.

16. NICTAS INCOME & EXPENDITURE (Rs.in 1000) • ExpenditureIncomeIncome in Percentage • (in thousand Rs.)Recurring Expenditure • PeriodCapitalRecurring • 1986-87012.5009.3000.66.5 • 1991-92107.4633.4363.0 57.3 • 1993-94 035.2 778.3598.676.9 • 1994-95 186.7705.7908.5 128.7 • 1996-97018.0899.3 1244.3138.4 • 1997-98--- about155 • 1998-99 --- about 175 • CONCLUSION • 1998Corpus fund of Rs.60 lakhs • Rs.6 lakhs interest per year. • To be used for NICTAS in future

17. NICTAS success due to : • Total professional involvement/commitment and devotion of NICTAS STAFF • Customer oriented quality services • Continuous development/improvements • Aggressive efforts to create awareness amongst users • Entrepreneurship/intrapreneurship quality • Time-bound service • No procedurial delay • Prompt response to users • Money back guaranted services • Freedom to staff to take decision

18. Breaking rules for betterment • Calculated risk for new services • Strong willpower to implement new ideas • Change in work culture. • CREATED EXCELLENT IMAGE AMONGST USERS ABOUT NICTAS.