Career Profile

  KIRAN KUMAR VARRI

E-mail: kirankumar_varri@hotmail.com

Phone: 9972234400 Res: 9160443339

Web: kiranvarri.blogspot.com (Please Visit)

SUMMARY

·         Working as Department Head - SixSigma (Business Excellence) with ITC Hotels - Bengaluru.

·         Black Belt Certified from ITC Hotels (Worked in Chennai Property : 2 years / Hyderabad Property : 2.5 Years / 1 yr Bengaluru Property).

·         Six Sigma Green Belt Certification from Benchmark.

·         Blogger & Social Media Active participant.

·         Certified Lean Practitioner from MSME, Chennai. PMP Trained.

·         Diploma in Banking & Finance from IIBF, Chennai (All India 57 rank / May 2009 batch).

·         Practical experience of 10+yrs in Marketing & Sales, Operations, Operational Quality and Process Excellence.

·         Proven Passionate Trainer & Training material developer. Developed several Training aids.

·         Disruptive Innovator/Trainer, Out-of-Box Thinker, Able Change Driver, Multitasker, Team Learner & Leader.

·         Worked as Independent Contractor for Utility services, selling Electricity Switch Options at Energy America, USA while pursuing MBA in United States.

·         Major Achievements at previous jobs:

Won Sachin Tendulkar Productivity Award at May 2006 Ivy’s

Nominated for prestigious Sachin Tendulkar Productivity Award at

November 2005 Ivy’s.

Nominated for Michael Jordan Superstar Award at May 2005 Ivy’s.

Complemented as “One associate who go the extra-mile to delight Customer”.

·         Areas of Work Experience: SixSigma, Lean, Operations, Operations Quality Management, Service Quality, Project Execution, Project Management, Training,  Change Management, Marketing and Sales.

·         Areas of interest: Disruptive Innovation, Operational Excellence, Strategy(Planning/Execution), Change Management,  Process Excellence, Training.

·         Proficient at handling tasks independently with minimal guidance.

·         Believes in working towards Professional and Personal excellence with strong “Can Do Attitude”. Committed “Team Driver” & “Team Member”

·         Able Performer in one and many roles. Willing contributor and multi-tasker.

·         Active contributor & participant in Six Sigma/ Business Excellence forums & discussions(@Linkedin, Twitter, personal blog & Six Sigma networking sites)

·         Created SixSigma Training Aids & several Concept presentations that would drive : Business Impact & Customer WOW

QUALIFICATIONS

·         Qualified post graduate (full-time) in M.B.A (with 93.7% having major electives; Marketing & Supply chain management) from University of Dallas, Texas.

·         Diploma in Banking & Finance from IIBF, Chennai (May 2009 Batch).

·         Completed B.Com in 2001 from Osmania University, Hyderabad India.

·         Completed GNIIT (3yr program in Information Systems) from NIIT, India.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

1.

Organization            :                  ITC Hotels Ltd

Job Title                  :                  Department Head – Six Sigma (Wow Express)

Date                       :                  Oct 2007 till Mar 2013 & May 2014 - Now

Location                  :                  Hyderabad/Chennai/Bengaluru

Direction

·         Facilitating Project Selection/Completion/Replication based on SixSigma principles

·         Identify opportunities of improvement/differentiation

·         Input to Unit Management / Unit facilitators on various projects issues and suggest way forward

Accountability

·         Performance of the projects as KRA in the Balanced Score Card

·         Development of the requisite number of Six Sigma GB & BB resources

Coaching

·         Conduct Mass awareness programs, GB trainings & Management sessions

·         Coach & handhold teams on SixSigma tool usage with relevant examples

·         Providing BB/GB expertise for the unit projects, as and when required

Review & Monitoring

·         WEEKLY REVIEW of the projects and the AETs with the Team leader and team

·         Tracking and monitoring the six sigma benefits : PQIS (tangible/intangible)

Accomplishments

·         Completed Black Belt project on Revenue & Utilization Maximization

·         Mentored 15+ GBs / 30+ YBs / 6 lean projects & 4 VSM lean Projects.

·         Trained 3 Green Belt batches & numerous batches on SS awareness modules

·         Delivered numerous sessions on Management topics, trends & differentiators

·         Facilitated creation of Operational Heads excellence effort :Black Board Summit

·         Utilized the Online Six Sigma network & resources to pursue Continuous Improvement and Innovative Solutions to daily problems. Facilitated Cross Industry knowledge exchange through visits & Information exchange.

2.

Organization            :                  WNS Ltd

Job Title                  :                  Sr Consultant – Business Excellence

Date                       :                  Apr 2013 till Date

Location                  :                  Mumbai, Maharashtra

Responsibilities

·         Focus on improvements and projects in assigned vertical

·         Industry Research, Analysis and Opportunity identification

·         Drive Diagnosis/ Transformation Projects for existing and new clients

·         Conduct In-House Trainings on Lean, VSM, SixSigma and parallel Business Excellence methodologies

·         Deliver RFP Responses & Team assigned short assignments.

·         Develop Maturity Models in multiple verticals that would enable Business Transformation

·         Manage assigned team of consultants

3.

Organization            :                  HSBC Data Processing Centre

Job Title                  :                  Assistant Manager – Quality & Service Excellence

Date/Location           :                  Dec 2006 – Oct 2007/ Kolkata, West Bengal

Description

·         To Mentor Yellow Belt projects. Take up Green Belt projects. Assist in Black Belt projects.

·         To Monitor the floor operational metrics on a daily basis and validate the data being provided/generated.

·         To undertake process improvement projects and initiatives.

·         Assist operational areas to proactively manage process changes including QA measures.

Accomplishments

·         Mentored 2 GB / 14 Yellow Belt Projects.

·         Facilitated creation of SixSigma Club to enhance team learnings, as moderator.

·         Assisted in Centre level activities. Contributed to MIS simplification.

·         Quality team awarded the “MFG Team of the Half Year – Business Support” for Jan-Jun 2007.

·         Gained familiarity working with Minitab and JMP.

4.

Organization            :                  IVY Comptech Pvt Ltd

Job Title                  :                  Quality Analyst (Specialist)

Date/Location           :                  Feb 2004 – Nov 2006/ Sec’bad, Andhra Pradesh

Description

·         Evaluate Associates’ (calls and e-mails) and provide an appropriate feedback in a manner that conveys the message and brings out the best in the associate.

·         Incorporate ways to motivate the associates’ and provide them with tips and ideas to deliver outstanding service and contribute to organizational growth.

·         Promote/ Drive Continuous Improvement initiatives/ mindset.

·         Work with teams upon Process/Quality improvement initiatives and projects.

Accomplishments

·         Completed Green Belt project on “Enhancing customer delight quotient”.

·         DFSS GB project: IBase application development & Implementation

·         IBase : A tool to build awareness about customer demographics/ sports/ festivals e.t.c

·         Created inter-department dashboard for live process updates dissemination.

·         Created and trained Quality team on “Six Sigma Fundamentals”.

·         Awarded the prestigious IVY Award(Sachin Tendulkar Productivity Award)

·         Nominated for the prestigious IVY Award (Michael Jordan Superstar Award)

·         Nominated for the prestigious IVY’s (Sachin Tendulkar Productivity Award)

·         Complemented as “One associate who go the extra-mile to delight the

Customer”

 Website : www.kiranvarri.blogspot.com(Please visit)

 : kiranvarri           : http://www.linkedin.com/in/kiranvarri (cont.)

Continuous Learning :

Diploma in Banking & Finance (All India 57 rank).

Certified Lean Trainer from MSME,Chennai.

Currently enrolled for Advanced Wealth Management program from IIBF

@Coursera [MOOC Learning]

Economics of Money & Banking Part I & Part II from Columbia University
Competitive Strategy from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München LMU
Statistics One (Analytics Basics) from Princeton University

Developing Innovative Ideas for New Companies: The First Step in Entrepreneurship from Univ of Maryland

Gamification from University of Pennsylvania

Social Media Presence

Linkedin                  :        High on Participation

Facebook                :        Limited to connectivity with Friends & Family

Twitter                    :        High on Participation

Other Channels         :        Instagram/ Foursquare/ Scoop.it/ Pinterest          

My MBA Course Outline - 93%

Course Detail__________________________________Grade
Semester 1:
Economics & Competitive Advantage __________________ A
Marketing Management (Calyx & Corolla) _______________A
Data Analysis for Decision Making ____________________ A

Semester 2:
Integrated Logistics ______________________________C
Decision Analysis (Big Lots) _________________________A
Operations Management (Bombay Dyeing) ______________A
Human Behavior in Organizations ____________________ A

Semester 3:
Management Ethics & Lecture Series _________________A
Strategic Marketing_____________________________ A
Managerial Cost Accounting________________________A
Sales Management______________________________ A

Semester 4:
Brand Marketing (Papa John Pizza)___________________A
Marketing Research _____________________________ A
E-Business Management (Online Luggage Rack)__________B

Semester 5:
Advertising and Marketing Communications (Powerade)____A-
Business-to-Business Marketing_____________________A
Strategic Procurement ___________________________ A-

Semester 6:
Strategic Management (Dell)________________________B+
Global Business_________________________________ A

Semester 7:
Capstone Project (Mentor Corporation)_________________B+
Financial Management _____________________________ A

Overall Grade Point: 3.74 / 4.00

*Projects mentioned in brackets.

My Analysis Papers

What can Pressure do to You? Good or Bad ?

This is a quite often raised but unresolved question. People feel that pressure makes people perform better and also worse. The simple answer almost always found was; “It Depends!” So what does it really depend on, if at all it depends.

All this analysis started when I was on my routine day performing few tasks, I planned for the day. Unfortunately, because of a wreck and a delay at a local UPS mailing office, I was running behind my schedule. I was worried and at the same time just keeping cool as it was something out of my hands. But I was not sure that my mind could still be searching ways to fix the problem.
Suddenly from nowhere I got the Idea. My next assignment was to go to a Mailbox center, to switch the customer from his current utility company to a new one I recommended (Yet another part-time job I do: An Independent contractor for a new utility company). I have already completed the current location, where the manager was available. I was supposed to pick up the copy of the utility bill from another center they owned around 4 miles farther from the current center. I have to go over there and pick up the copy, come back, sign-up and come back to school for a class scheduled at 6:30 PM.I planned to go, get a copy, stop-by on the return, sign-up and get back. It was a service I could offer to the customer: To go and pick up the bill personally from the other facility. As the clock ticked may be my mind opened the door to thought (The pressure starts working positively here).
There’s the IDEA : “Why not skip the farther journey and request a FAX Copy from the nearer center and still meet the person On-Time and save some time and gas and money.”
Once I got the idea, I felt like a step towards Nirvana. It’s real, the brain worked, only because I was running out of time. If not, may be I would have enjoyed the farther journey, been on time, sign-up and feel proud about offering a valuable customer service.
Even in the new scenario we are offering the customer almost the same service (except for few pennies or dimes it cost’s for the manager to get a FAX Copy.)The scenario discussed could be a very plain simple case. But the capacity of Human brain can never be estimated (Underestimated). That is the reason why even today, irrespective of the excellent computing framework, still humans have an edge over the machines. It’s we who say the machines how to solve a problem.

Coming to the real question whether pressure cause harm or good, as long as one has the focus and vision at heart and mind, I believe one can find a way always out. Whenever pressure comes from external sources like: Management, targets e.t.c as long as the end is within the capacity of the individual he can always be pushed till it; just because the end is nearer than the Breaking point. But when companies’ set-up person against some thing unrealistic and beyond the reach of the individual; then the breaking point is nearer than the end goal. So we end up loosing an individual and the task remaining incomplete and any successor to the task starting with a pre-conceived fear of failure.

Is it possible to stretch the breaking point farther and farther? Yes, It is. Here come the concepts of: Continuous learning, Knowledge management, Data Warehousing, Cross-functional teams e.t.c.
A well Balanced Diet only can assure best health. Similarly, A well balanced job, team, organization only can assure success. Any thing more or less.. Guess what happens?????

Road Maneuvering vs Business maneuvering

Is there any similarity between something as simple as driving a car on the road and maneuvering the most complicated and difficult turns in business everyday. If u give it a deeper thought one can see some similarities and attributes quite similar.
I happened to observe this during one common everyday drive. As we move on a highway some things we notice:

The next signal starts getting visible from far as we get near through fog, dust or turns and other obstacles.
Most of the Traffic violations happen at signal posts, as one tries to outsmart the rest by speeding little to cross the finish line i.e. The Signal
The next clever ones tires to burn few additional drops of oil and be the first to reach the signal, but still stop when the signal turns orange to red, so that they will be the first to move when it turns green. But what about the additional drops of oil, are they worth the minor advantage???
The distance between bumper to bumper is very crucial, too near. possible accident, if not very alert, too far…some one else will try to squeeze in, to utilize the opportunity to zoom past.
When one is almost at the signal, traffic ahead looking too much, possibly the second car from the signal has one possible plus, a right only or a left only lane. How about that?

All these and many more possible aspects have correlation to business maneuvering upon closer observation.
Fog, dust and curves and obstacles are there for sure in business. In business the signals even more uncertain, unlike traffic signals where green has to come after red for sure. This makes it even more demanding for businesses and today’s managers to be far more flexible and proactive to changing signals about the future of their business and the industry on a whole. On road, at least u can see the vehicles surrounding you. In business the obstacle can come from any direction, some times from the most unlikely corners. So this can be easily attributed to the soldier’s position in the battlefield. A moment of negligence can cost what? ?
What happens if u take the wrong curve?. It is too tempting to change course when u face the last situation mentioned above.
What about the violators. Some get caught. Some escape (These who escape give the rest some reason to try it themselves.)Some get their tickets delivered to home too. In the traffic situation, the surveillance equipment can play the role of the police. In the Business marketplace the regulatory watchdogs does the same job, even better nowadays. The result: More and more Enron’s, WorldCom’s e.t.c. The count is growing by the day, just like the Market grew in boom period.
What about the one who burns little extra gas to be first to the signal? If one tried to cover too much in too little time. The speed goes up beyond the limits. This means trouble. Assume they reached the signal first. But in case of businesses the extra drops of gas correlated to additional couple of million of dollars. Whether these additional millions will add any value in the long run is the deciding factor of the future of the company. This is the possible place where Strategic Planning comes into picture.

Where is the Solution ? In the Mind? On the Paper? or ??

Problem:
I need Real time Information (My Bank routing number and my Account number) right away. I am at the Lab with access to high speed internet. The dial-up isn’t proving sufficient to take me through the secure sites to complete my online Electricity bill payment. I don’t have both the required field information right now.

Available Resources:
Access to Online Bank Account information.

Solution (The normal way):
I can use little intelligence to try getting account number from the online account. The next logic was to see if I could get the routing number also….Too complacent. Online accounts doesn’t carry routing numbers..(It the intrinsic human nature which keeps looking for easy solutions..It’s not my minds mistake). How about the Routing number.

Solution (The next level):
Do I have my bank info anywhere else on net?
My Credit card payment information!!
My Electricity online bill-pay Information!!

The electricity online bill information has masked all but last four digits of the routing number…shall I give up….The usual way..yes..status quo..all other options may(guess!!) also be the same..

Solution (The next next level)

When I have only one or 2 more credit card’s billing information left…it made sense for me to check them out too…there is no other way out…before heading home…I decided to give a last try…Opened my Capital One card billing information…Hurray! These people opted to keep my routing number unmasked….(But they did mask my account number!…But I already got my account number from my online bank account)….

There we are with all required information to finish off the job. Here information is lying in far flung but connectable places..It’s the boundary less reach of the human mind.. It’s invincible capacity to correlate the most non-co relatable things (even things beyond logic of computers..It’s we who give it the basic logic). It not my success. It’s the determination and motivation that made the mind to look for all possible means under the sky to solve the problem.

Can this be replicated?
Yes, the state of the mind is the deciding factor ..how far one can go in finding a solution…if it exists.
Imagine a company where each and every employee shares one thing in common….
This state of mind….Young…..Energetic…Determined…Motivated…

Imagination VS Reality

Case: I just felt my computer (An old Pentium 200Mhz Desktop) was dragging and getting lazy by the day. It quite often started getting stuck for some unknown reasons. It could be the Windows ME (which requires high end processors to run smoothly!).It could be the new hardware I added recently. An USB card…an external Zip drive…a memory stick reader and tons of utilities (every time I ended installing at least 8 software utilities before I got the utility that best met my needs). So what needs to be done?…. A scandisk. A defragmentation …Clearing up of some unnecessary extra softwares…Nothing worked. As on today I got a new CD-RW drive and decided to install it.
There starts the whole story (The problem finally became worse enough ..if u keep breeding inefficiency ..one fine day….u don’t need to breed it anymore…. its everywhere.) Once I installed my CD burner:

Problem 1:The CD burner software doesn’t recognize the drive…denying me from burning any CDs.
After downloading 4-6 utilities and trying to make it work…Real one finally recognized the hardware, but every CD gets stuck in the process of recording ..thus wasting CD after CD.
Finally I was on the verge of reinstalling the whole windows..probably the low resource demanding windows 98…I got one utility that successfully burned a CD..It was already day 2 night. Day 1, I ended up sleeping after a marathon stay till 4:00 in the morning trying to sleep only after finishing off the job(many professionals can’t accept to give up before accomplishing the task..But one has to realize that after 9-5 your professional clock stops..U can restart it only at 9 in morning again..A properly balanced person and professional only can ensure success of wider work force…Newton’s and Edison’s may have succeeded just professionally….I believe a Corporation needs professionals who are from their end customer base..A common human being. Every company have only a few or a small departments with hardcore workaholics (To better understand what is needed at the earliest, even these research worms are being forced to come out..listen..).Finally on day 2, I slept with the sense of achievement…Day 3 morning: the system still gets stuck for odd reasons..now often more…Finally I decided to remove and get rid of all inefficiencies….A decision to reorganize (reformat) has been taken..
It looked simple….a reformat….new Operating system…and everything should be fine. It sounded simple…But the fact: A 2 hr installation (The processor is quite slow)…The surprise: The only utility that enabled me to burn CDs doesn’t get installed. Reasons unknown… back to square one..the situation looked worse ..i have to reinstall all my softwares…The primary reason for which I did it didn’t get fulfilled. After trying all utilities once more,as a last resort not to leave any stone unturned..I tried the software that came bundled along with the CD burner..Hurray! the software recognized the drive and now I can burn CDs. I thought everything was fine now..went out for class in the evening,came home after class and tried to get connected to net. Surprise: My Net connection does’nt respond. Reason unknown. I tried all ways and finally was about to install yet another version of windows: Windows 2000.I tried to uninstall and reinstall my AOL Internet connection software. It did some fixes by itself and at last it got connected to the net..I browsed the net and went to sleep with a sense of satisfaction, a feeling that I resolved the problem. The next morning I gave one last try to install the utility that worked first (This utility has the best tools to burn CDs in a variety of ways).Surprise: It got installed. I can use it too.
What would I have been doing if I were a hardcore workaholic? I would have spent whole night trying to install this utility at any cost, though it is not very crucial. Breaks are meant to refresh minds and give mind a chance to find a way on its own. The brain has the power to corsslink all its knowledge to find ways to discover a solution for the problem. If given some time, we human beings have a brain which builds on its previous experiences to come up with better solutions every time, even though the problems vary in complexity and nature. This requires one to stay focused. So, finally the system is up and running better..all the hardware works well too.
So..when is the right time to fix the problem?..The moment it shows up?…wait till it starts showing up quite often? or till it halts the whole system.??.
I believe there is no right time..It could vary from case to case..On the first show-up the problem may not be analyzed thoroughly. I believe, once you have the confirmed causes for the problem and proper analysis done and all cost-benefit analysis done, leave no time to solve or fix the problem. It’s all about striking a balance between: The problem intensity, The cost to figure out and solve the problem..The future costs.

My Professors : About me (Click on the image to read)