Sawan Jasoliya

There was a time when an engineer wasn't just an engineer. He was an inspector, a planner, a scheduler, and a doer -  all in one. I’ve lived that era. From 1999 to 2005, during our TPM journey , we didn’t just “work" - we owned. I’d walk through the plant, spot abnormalities, note down issues, plan the actions, execute the job, and close the SAP notification. And not just me -  everyone around me worked the same way. That was the norm. That was our pride. Even years later, till NOW , I followed that approach in every plant I worked in. Then Came the Shift I came across the new “efficient” model: One team inspects [inspectors / walk by inspectors etc.] Another team plans [planners / schedulers etc.] A third team executes [doers etc.] It looked clean on paper. Divided roles. Structured accountability. Specialization. But something inside me couldn’t digest it. I struggled with myself - wondering why I was resisting this new approach. Then it hit me. T...

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...