Latest news with #HEALS
The Hindu
28-04-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Andhra Pradesh government forms expert panel to oversee new excise management system
In a move to strengthen control over the liquor supply chain, the government of Andhra Pradesh has constituted a Multi-Departmental Expert Committee to oversee the development and implementation of a new Track and Trace cum Integrated Excise Management System. According to a G.O. 356 issued by Principal Secretary, Excise Department (FAC), Mukesh Kumar Meena the system aims to ensure complete end-to-end supervision using an advanced technology-driven mechanism. The Director of Prohibition and Excise had earlier submitted a detailed proposal along with a draft Request for Proposal (RFP), incorporating lessons from similar systems in other States. The proposed RFP includes the supply of Holographic Excise Adhesive Labels (HEALS), now extending to beer bottles, and a comprehensive software platform for shipment tracking, regulatory compliance, enforcement, and end-user verification through a mobile application. The system will be implemented in two phases — Phase-I covering Track and Trace functionalities, and Phase-II focusing on regulatory modules like renewals and permits for Molasses and others. The eligibility criteria for service providers will align with the General Financial Rules and procurement guidelines issued by the Government of India's Ministry of Finance in June 2024. The newly constituted Multi-Departmental Committee comprises senior officials from Prohibition & Excise, Industries & Commerce, Finance, and Information Technology, Electronics & Communications departments. The Committee is tasked with reviewing the draft RFP and proposing modifications, if any, within 15 days. It will also evaluate the bids received in response to the RFP and recommend a final selection, strictly adhering to government procurement norms. Mr. Mukesh Kumar Meena emphasized the importance of swift and transparent action, directing the Excise department to coordinate the next steps promptly.
Forbes
04-04-2025
- Science
- Forbes
From Huxley To Type A Skills Of Collaboration
Ming-Chien Chyu, PhD, PE, Founding President, Healthcare Engineering Alliance Society (HEALS), and professor at Texas Tech University. getty "Try to learn something about everything and everything about something." - Thomas Henry Huxley, 19th-century biologist Thomas Huxley's quote illustrates the concept of T-type skills in skill management, which emphasizes the importance of both a deep specialization in a particular area, i.e., a knowledge of 'everything about something' (the vertical stroke of the "T"), and a breadth of skills and knowledge in related areas, i.e., 'something about everything' (the horizontal bar of the "T"). In the context of Huxley's quote, different skill types represented by letters from the English alphabet can be characterized as below: • I type (one vertical stroke but no horizontal bar): Know everything about something but little about other things. • T type (one vertical stroke and one horizontal bar): Know something about everything and everything about something. • H type (one vertical stroke connected to another vertical stroke by a horizontal bar): Know everything about something and everything about another thing. • π, m or comb type (multiple vertical strokes and one horizontal bar): Know something about everything and everything about several things. • X type (strokes in different directions): Know everything about several things across disciplines. The categorization of personal skill types above only characterizes a person's knowledge and expertise. It does not account for a person's ability in creativity and innovation, which are crucial for progress and success in business. As Bob Iger of Disney aptly stated, 'The heart and soul of the company is creativity and innovation.' Creativity is the ability to explore new ideas, while innovation is the ability to execute those new ideas. A person's ability in exploration and execution is directly addressed by the type E skill set, which encompasses the four E's: experience, expertise, exploration and execution. Experience and expertise are basically covered in the above skill types (I, T, H, π, m, comb and X), but exploration and execution skills reflecting an individual's ability in creativity and innovation are uniquely addressed by the type E skill set. Expertise plays a crucial role in both exploration and execution. In the exploration phase, deep knowledge allows for meaningful manipulation and novel combinations of knowledge based on the fundamental rules and principles within a field of expertise to produce creative solutions. However, expertise alone does not guarantee creativity. Deep specialization can sometimes lead to "expert blindness," hindering the ability to integrate diverse or new perspectives, challenge established norms and, ultimately, stifle creativity. Most recruiting processes mainly evaluate the candidates' experience and expertise, while the abilities of exploration and execution can be more difficult to assess. We can identify a candidate's potential for exploration through several key indicators. These include motivation, innovative thinking, strong curiosity, open-mindedness, asking insightful questions, flexibility in problem-solving, quickness in generating diverse ideas and originality of solution. Beyond exploration, it is even more important to execute the innovative ideas generated, as all good ideas mean nothing without execution. We can identify the capacity for execution through several key traits: a keen interest in experimentation, meticulous planning, a clear focus on objectives, a willingness to embrace risk and a resilience in the face of failure. While the above skill type categorization provides valuable insight into individual personal skills, it doesn't explicitly address how effectively individuals can contribute to the organization through collaboration with others. We need to expand our focus beyond these personal skill characterizations and prioritize strategies for maximizing each person's skills within a team context. When two individuals with different specialties collaborate on a project, they need to develop a shared understanding and work together toward a common goal. This requires a set of interpersonal skills that I call "type A skills of collaboration.' We can visualize this by representing the two experts with two strokes that converge at a single point (i.e., the goal). This unique convergence, not featured in any other skill types, is then solidified by a horizontal bar symbolizing collaboration. The resulting visual representation forms the letter "A." The type A skill set refers to the interpersonal ability of an individual with specific expertise to collaborate effectively with another expert. It includes open-mindedness, communication, collaboration, respect, adaptability, active listening, empathy, problem-solving, conflict resolution, reliability and accountability. Type A skills are the foundation of effective teamwork. A team can only be truly effective when every member collaborates effectively with all the others. Assessing type A skills of collaboration solely from resumes can be challenging. Resumes often emphasize personal accomplishments and may not explicitly highlight collaboration or teamwork. If a candidate primarily discusses their individual abilities without referencing collaborative experiences with others, it could suggest potential limitations in their type A skills. Note that the type A skill set of collaboration is different than the type A personality. The former refers to a collaboration state between two individuals working together, while the latter describes an individual's personality traits. The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has led to machines offering increasingly reliable expertise in a growing number of fields. As a result, employees who rely solely on personal expertise skills (I, T, H, π, m, comb, X, etc.) may find their roles being replaced by AI if they haven't already. However, AI cannot replicate the exploration and execution skills found in the type E skill set or the interpersonal collaboration skills of the type A skill set, at least not in the near future. Therefore, employees and job seekers should prioritize developing these skills as a strategic way to future-proof their careers. • Beyond the personal expertise skill types I, T, H, π, m, comb, and X, the type E skill set further encompasses an individual's capability of creativity and innovation. • Beyond the personal skill sets, the type A skill set is further identified and outlined as an interpersonal skill set of collaboration, a crucial element of successful teamwork. • Businesses should develop effective strategies to assess, recruit, and improve employees' type E skills of creativity and innovation, as well as type A skills of interpersonal collaboration.
