Sawan Jasoliya

Is Your Budget Helping the Plant or Hurting It? Budgeting is not a ritual. It’s a strategic exercise , or at least it’s meant to be. But what has it become in many plants today? Let’s talk honestly.  A simple formula:  “[Last year’s budget] – [20%]” That’s how it starts. No real discussions. No real-time condition assessment. No logic. Just blind cost-cutting . "Last year we spent ₹10 lakhs on spares? Okay, this year we will spend ₹8 lakhs." "We used 5000 litres of lubricant last year? Let's target 4000 litres this year." But… Why? Is the plant going to run fewer hours this year? Are prices coming down? Are you expecting fewer breakdowns? No one asks. No one answers. Where’s the Vision? True budgeting demands vision — a long-term vision. But these days, teams are unstable , and no one stays long enough to think about the long-term impact of short-term cuts. Let’s take an example that might sound familiar to you: The Cleaning Manpower Example Suppos...

More inventory does not always mean better availability of spares. In fact, the more unnecessary inventory you have, the less likely you are to find the exact spare you need when a breakdown happens. This thought crossed my mind when I heard about the breakdown of a bucket elevator gearbox at Sebit, West Pokot plant —a place where I worked for a short time. The plant was shut down for 12 days due to the unavailability of a spare gearbox. Unfortunately, this is a recurring issue there. There was no scientific approach to procurement—just blind purchasing to save their skins. But in reality, no one can escape the consequences of poor planning. And then there’s the bigger issue: it was an old Chinese plant. After running its full life in China and being exploited to the maximum, it was sold to Devki Group, Kenya. Imagine the situation for a mechanical maintenance engineer in a plant like this—no proper manuals, no part lists, and no structured systems. Every day and every night...

Some call it passion, others may call it obsession—but for me, sharing my experiences is a way of giving back. Let me tell you why. A Solid Foundation That Shaped Me My first decade in the industry was spent in the newly established cement plants of a corporate giant. These plants were later taken over by another major player, but the foundation they laid in me remained rock-solid. Afterward, I transitioned to different organizations, most of them standalone plants (single plants owned by their respective companies). Every time I joined a new plant, I carried forward the lessons and practices that shaped me during those formative years. And I’ll say this without hesitation—my foundational years gave me a clear edge, allowing me to approach challenges with confidence and proven strategies. I remain forever grateful to my first organization for instilling in me the power of preventive maintenance, workplace organization through 5S, and structured problem-solving. The Common Surprise Fro...