Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

Donald <keyword id="19906203" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Trump" source="keywords">Trump</keyword> and <keyword id="19903807" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Elon-Musk" source="keywords">Elon Musk</keyword> have apparently become great friends over recent months. Musk poured millions of dollars into Trump's successful election campaign and has been a vocal and visible supporter of the president-elect. In return, he's been given a new job, in joint charge of the new <keyword id="23593857" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Department-of-Government-Efficiency" source="keywords">Department of Government Efficiency</keyword> (Doge), where he will be tasked with streamlining government operations and reducing bureaucracy. This "department"—actually an advisory group—will aim to cut unnecessary spending and make the general functioning of the US government more efficient. The idea is that within a federal budget of over US$6 trillion, there are opportunities to make some big savings. Musk's appointment—like many things he's involved with—has sparked controversy. The richest man in the world has already said he wants to cut spending by US$2 trillion (£1.6 trillion) and mentioned setting up a "leaderboard for most insanely dumb spending of your tax dollars.". Some are concerned about the impact he could have on public services. Others fear he will use his position to promote his own business interests. On the positive side, Musk has a very impressive CV when it comes to big organisations. He has created (or co-created) multi-billion-dollar businesses, including Paypal, <keyword id="19895433" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tesla" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Tesla" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Tesla">Tesla</keyword>, and <keyword id="19905255" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SpaceX" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="SpaceX" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="SpaceX">SpaceX</keyword>. He has founded startups involved in AI (xAI), tunnelling (the Boring Company), and medicine (<keyword id="19985233" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Neuralink" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Neuralink" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Neuralink">Neuralink</keyword>). And research suggests that much of Musk's success comes down to a relentless focus on efficiency. He has also been praised for the depth of his analytical thinking and innovative problem solving. Tesla's factory in California went from being the least productive car manufacturing plant in the US when it was owned by General Motors to the most productive under Musk's ownership. SpaceX has vastly reduced costs in the space cargo business. So he has form. And Musk is not the first American business leader to offer private sector expertise to the world of politics. Back in the 1960s, Robert McNamara, former president of the Ford Motor Company, served as secretary of defence under presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. McNamara brought significant innovations to <keyword id="22668770" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="government-efficiency" source="keywords">government efficiency</keyword> that drew on his corporate experience. He championed cost-benefit analysis and a data-driven approach to decision-making and was keen on reducing bureaucracy and promoting accountability in complex governmental processes. To achieve this, McNamara recruited a team of experts from the worlds of academia and business. Known as the "Whizz Kids," they brought new perspectives to the White House. In the UK now, the Labour government's minister of state for investment is Poppy Gustafsson, a former venture capitalist and tech founder. Its minister for prisons is James Timpson, former CEO of the Timpson Group, a family firm renowned for hiring ex-offenders. These people—and there are many other examples around the world—were brought into the political sphere because of the knowledge and vision they have demonstrated in the private sector. The hope is their talent and leadership will improve policy and practice. <h2>Data-driven reform</h2>The same must be hoped for Musk: that with his co-leader, Vivek Ramaswamy—a biotech entrepreneur and former Republican leadership candidate—he will bring expertise in cost-cutting and innovative strategies. This will probably include comprehensive audits and data-driven approaches to reform. Critics refer to prior examples of Musk's approach, such as the mass layoffs and aggressive cost-cutting measures at Twitter (now X), with concerns that there could be similarly drastic reductions in the federal workforce and public services. But big job cuts were happening across the tech sector at that time. They came in the wake of reduced revenues and a need to reduce bloated workforces and ineffective functions—not unlike the challenges faced by the US government. Nevertheless, while proponents see Musk as an experienced leader capable of streamlining bureaucracy, sceptics fear the advent of harmful austerity measures that risk disruption to essential public programs. Concerns have also been raised about potential conflicts of interest, as Musk's business empire benefits from government contracts. However, since Doge will operate as an advisory body, concerns over him gaining advantage through any self-dealing seem overblown. Besides, two of Musk's companies (SpaceX and Tesla) have been awarded US$15.4 billion (£12.3bn) in federal contracts in the last decade. Perhaps then, success precedes influence rather than the reverse? Doge will also be governed by the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which maintains legal and ethical guardrails. And Congress will have the final say over any decisions. Fears of the worst possible outcome to Musk's appointment are a natural human response in the face of uncertainty. It is part of the reason that negative headlines get more clicks than positive ones. It is also true that Musk has aligned himself with a politician who divides opinion like few others. By leveraging his billions of dollars and 200 million followers on X to help Trump to victory, he made it clear which side he was on. And in a highly polarised US political landscape, the anguish about his governmental role may be little more than a knee-jerk reaction from the millions of people whose side he did not choose.

Love him or loathe him, Elon Musk is a champion of efficiency and could save the US government a fortune

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Department of Government Efficiency wouldn't be a department, but an outside advisory group.</li><li>Under current law, Congress needs to approve most budget changes, limiting the DOGE's power.</li></ul>President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a new effort to slash what he sees as federal inefficiency, with Elon Musk as cost-cutter-in-chief.Trump <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-trump-cabinet-election-x-2024-9">made good on a campaign promise</a> when he tapped Musk to co-lead the proposed "Department of Government Efficiency," or DOGE, alongside former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.Musk says he wants to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget to make it more efficient and effective. Beyond that, though, little is known about how the DOGE will function and how much power it — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-adopts-elon-musk-plan-cut-government-spending-efficiency-reform-2024-9">and Musk</a> — will have.Musk did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment for this article. A representative for Ramaswamy declined to comment.<h2 id="2dc0c03e-9977-4403-9201-3d55e844524d">What do we know about the DOGE?</h2>Despite its name, the DOGE will <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musks-doge-gets-a-government-checkmark-on-x-2024-11">not actually be a government department</a>, as departments are permanent and can only be created by Congress. Instead, it will function "outside of the government" and disband by July 4, 2026, Trump said in a statement.<div type="image" title="Trump and Musk at a rally" height="2584" width="4184" msid="115360794" hostid="261" sizebytes="161264"></div>The name DOGE is an homage to Musk's preferred cryptocurrency, Dogecoin, which shot up in value after Trump won the election. Under current law, the DOGE might not be able to accomplish much, since Congress controls federal spending."They have no power. No power at all," Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow at the nonpartisan Brookings Institute who led efforts to reform the federal government under former President Bill Clinton, told Business Insider. "They do make recommendations, and once they make recommendations, the expectation is that the government will act on them."There's no guarantee that a recommendation will turn into a policy, especially given that many of the DOGE's suggestions will likely require congressional approval, Kamarck said.<h2 id="0f11a880-6c1f-4025-a722-a860ae33d16c">The DOGE's $2 trillion goal is something of a pipe dream.</h2>Federal spending <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-elon-musk-vivek-ramaswamy-department-government-efficiency-doge-2024-11">reached $6.75 trillion in 2024</a>. Multiple experts told BI that it's unlikely Musk will be able to cut his desired $2 trillion without sacrificing programs that have wide bipartisan support or fall under federal mandatory spending, like Medicare and Social Security. Kamarck called the $2 trillion goal the "most unrealistic" part of the whole DOGE plan.Trump has long been preoccupied with cutting what he sees as Washington's waste and fraud."The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will ultimately be staffed and dedicated to this mission," Brian Hughes, a spokesperson for Trump's transition team, told BI in a statement.Quoting former Rep. Barney Frank, Kamarck said that excess federal spending is "marbled" <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-vivek-ramaswamy-doge-government-efficiency-what-us-spends-2024-11">throughout the budget</a>, like fat throughout a steak, making the DOGE's desired $2 trillion in cuts tricky."It just doesn't work, unless you decide to start cutting Social Security benefits or Medicare, at which point all hell breaks loose," she told BI. "And you know, the bromance between Trump and Musk will end very quickly."Known for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-efficiency-companies-tesla-spacex-x-2024-11">streamlining efficiency at his companies</a>, Musk says he wants to cut bureaucracy, shrink the federal workforce, and trim the number of federal agencies down to no more than 99 (there are currently <a target="_blank" href="https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies">more than 440</a>).Douglas Holtz-Eakin, the former director of the Congressional Budget Office, told BI that he doubted that the loosely defined group would be able to accomplish much given its sprawling $2 trillion target."It is hard for me to get seriously ginned up about it until there's a real structure there that suggests that this makes some sense and has a purpose," he said. "If something is designed to do everything, it will do nothing."<h2 id="6bcaf431-1be5-4839-9b83-d0f24a7146cf">The DOGE will exist "outside of government."</h2>In one scenario, the DOGE could function as an advisory committee, which Trump can create through an executive order. The president-elect said the DOGE will work with the Office of Management and Budget, which prepares the president's budget request for Congress."They have made clear that this is a non-governmental department, which is not a familiar term, and so it's not really clear how the organization will operate because of that," Lisa Gilbert, co-president of the progressive nonprofit advocacy group Public Citizen, told BI. "It might be an advisory committee of non-governmental actors, but even from that posture, it won't have the authority to alter budgets or fire employees or rescind regulations."<div type="image" title="Donald Trump and Elon Musk" height="1910" width="2707" msid="115360796" hostid="261" sizebytes="118134"></div>Kamarck said that there are specific rules laying out how much interaction external committees can have with the government, but it's not clear how Trump, Musk, and Ramaswamy envision the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-doge-hiring-staff-how-to-apply-2024-11">internal infrastructure of the DOGE</a>."How are they going to talk to each other? How are they going to meet with each other? Are they going to go talk to anybody in the government, or are they just going to make up things from 50 miles away?" she said.On November 14, the DOGE <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/DOGE/status/1857076831104434289">said in a post on X</a> that it is seeking "super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ per week on unglamorous cost-cutting." Musk said on his <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1857112441529700671">personal X account</a> that the positions will not be paid.<h2 id="4c25da3e-39de-44e2-a1c5-c7249f9fc728">Trump has talked about changing a key law that limits his federal spending power.</h2>Trump, Musk, and Ramaswamy may try to circumvent the congressional obstacles standing in the way of their cost-cutting agenda. Last year, Trump expressed interest in going after the Impoundment Control Act, a 1974 provision that requires the president spend funds that Congress has appropriated."Bringing back Impoundment will give us a crucial tool with which to obliterate the Deep State, Drain the Swamp, and starve the Warmongers," the president-elect <a target="_blank" href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/agenda47/agenda47-using-impoundment-to-cut-waste-stop-inflation-and-crush-the-deep-state">said in a video</a> in June 2023.Holtz-Eakin said attempting to skirt the impoundment act would be like rewriting history, and Kamarck told BI that any attempt to not spend money that Congress has appropriated poses big Constitutional questions."If he tries to change the law so that he can impound funds, my guess is there'll be a fight in the Congress and he'll lose," she said.<h2 id="4956dc95-91da-4028-b1b3-d843a1509397">Musk could bump up against many conflicts of interest but likely wouldn't have to divest from his companies.</h2>If the DOGE is a federal advisory committee, Musk and Ramaswamy would likely be "special government employees," who are experts or consultants that can work for a federal agency or the White House for up to 130 days. They do not get paid and, crucially, would not have to divest from their companies."They've been clear also that they're staying in their roles as the heads of companies and in other places," Gilbert said. "Not being a part of government means they don't have to deconflict themselves."In a press release for Public Citizen, Gilbert said that Musk's "own businesses have regularly run afoul of the very rules he will be in position to attack" as the DOGE co-lead.<div type="image" title="Donald Trump and Vivek Ramaswamy" height="5504" width="8256" msid="115360795" hostid="261" sizebytes="4296554"></div>In the role, Musk and Ramaswamy would still be bound to federal ethics laws and have to recuse themselves from conversations that affect them personally, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-11-14/doge-what-can-musk-do-with-the-department-of-government-efficiency?srnd=homepage-americas">Bloomberg</a> reported. With his companies under investigation from at least 20 federal regulatory agencies and SpaceX having more than $15 billion in federal contracts, Musk could face many such conflicts.Kamarck said that there's no "firm line" about when employees need to take themselves out of discussions, but that lawyers address questions on a case-by-case basis.Musk has expressed public frustration with what he views as overbearing federal oversight, which he said has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/12/us/politics/elon-musk-vivek-ramaswamy-trump.html">slowed down his pace of business</a>.By law, meetings of advisory committees, like the kind the DOGE could be, need to be open, and Musk has no problem with the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-doge-leaderboard-federal-government-spending-trump-2024-11">transparency</a> — in fact, he seems to invite it. In a post on X, the billionaire promised to post all of the group's actions online <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-leaderboard-government-spending-marketing-genius-doge-donald-trump-2024-11">"for maximum transparency</a>" and said the public should chime in with their opinions.It's also possible the group might intentionally avoid becoming a federal committee because of the increased oversight and scrutiny, Holtz-Eakin said."It's not a federal committee as far as I can tell," he said. "I think that's deliberate. If you do that, then you're subject to lots of things like a conflict of interest you have to sign off on, and I think that would be a nightmare for Mr. Musk. And so they're not going to let it tiptoe toward federal jurisdiction."Until Trump actually forms the DOGE, if he ever does, the legal and bureaucratic details remain murky, and the experts BI spoke with aren't convinced that it will work well."It sounds a little screwy, frankly," Kamarck said.

How Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency could actually work

On Tuesday, <keyword id="19907441" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aditya-Birla-Group" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Aditya Birla Group" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Aditya Birla Group">Aditya Birla Group</keyword>'s <keyword id="20102108" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="metal" source="keywords">metal</keyword> flagship <keyword id="20318152" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Hindalco-Industries" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Hindalco Industries" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Hindalco Industries">Hindalco Industries</keyword> reported a 25.2% rise in consolidated profit at Rs 3,074 crore for the June quarter, on the back of favourable macros, operational efficiencies and lower input costs. The company had posted a consolidated profit of Rs 2,454 crore in the year-ago period, <keyword id="20129733" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hindalco" source="keywords">Hindalco</keyword> Industries said in a regulatory filing. In a statement, the company said the consolidated PAT in the first quarter of FY'25 was Rs 3,074 crore, compared to Rs 2,454 crore in Q1 FY24, up by 25 % year-on-year (YoY)." Total income during the quarter under review rose to Rs 57,437 crore, over Rs 53,382 crore noted in the year-ago period. The consolidated revenue for the first quarter stood at Rs 57,013 crore, up 8% YoY, on account of better realisations and efficiencies in India operations. "Hindalco reported an <keyword id="19957744" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="EBITDA" source="keywords">EBITDA</keyword> of Rs 7,992 crore (vs Rs 6,109 crore in Q1FY24) in Q1 FY25, up 31% YoY, driven by lower input costs and higher volumes," the statement said. "Our strong Q1 results ride on the back of consistent operational excellence and cost optimisation which allowed us to leverage the higher average metal prices. "The <keyword id="20076812" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="copper" source="keywords">copper</keyword> business achieved its highest quarterly EBITDA driven by high domestic sales (especially downstream products), healthy by-product credits and better operational efficiencies following a successful planned shutdown," Satish Pai, Managing Director, Hindalco Industries said. The <keyword id="20472150" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="aluminium" source="keywords">Aluminium</keyword> India upstream business recorded an 81% growth in EBITDA over the previous year, he said. "Looking ahead, the major capital formation phase of the downstream business is near completion, and from here on, we will explore growth opportunities in the upstream business, given our strong cash position," he explained. The company said its copper business delivered a new record-breaking performance in the first quarter, with EBITDA at an all-time high of Rs 805 crore, up 52% YoY, backed by higher average copper prices and robust operations. Hindalco Industries Ltd is the metal flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group. A 26 billion dollar metals powerhouse, Hindalco is the world's largest aluminium company by revenues, and the world's second largest Copper rods manufacturer (outside China). Hindalco operates across the value chain, from bauxite mining, alumina refining, coal mining, captive power plants and aluminium smelting to downstream rolling, extrusions, and foils. Along with its subsidiary <keyword id="20665479" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="novelis" source="keywords">Novelis</keyword>, Hindalco is the global leader in flat-rolled products, and the world's largest recycler of aluminium. Hindalco is the country's largest copper producer, serving more than half the nation's copper requirements. Its copper facility in Gujarat, comprises a copper smelter and refinery complex, downstream facilities, and a captive jetty. Hindalco's global footprint spans 52 manufacturing units across 10 countries.

Hindalco Q1 profit rises 25% Rs 3,074 crore on operational efficiencies, lower input costs

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Google's new CFO, Anat Ashkenazi, signaled the company can do more to save money and move faster.</li><li>She said leaders had done good work cutting costs, and they could "push a little further."</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-third-quarter-earnings-report-q3-2024-2024-10">Google</a> has spent the past couple of years getting its business into shape through <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-layoffs">layoffs</a> and countless <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-big-shakeup-gives-more-power-to-deepmind-pixel-leaders-2024-4">reorganizations</a>. Its new CFO said it can do better.Making her debut on the company's Q3 earnings call on Tuesday, Google's new finance chief <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-search-lens-ai-gemini-overviews-new-features-2024-10">Anat Ashkenazi</a> said one of her "key priorities" right now was looking across Alphabet "to see what we can do in terms of driving further efficiencies."Ashkenazi name-checked Google CEO Sundar Pichai and former CFO Ruth Porat for doing "really good work" in starting to rework Google's cost base. "But I think any organization can always push a little further," she said.Ashkenazi was responding to Evercore analyst Mark Mahaney, who asked if there were more opportunities to get Google's margins looking healthier. While Google <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-third-quarter-earnings-report-q3-2024-2024-10">reported some eye-popping Q3 numbers</a>, the company has been upfront that it's spending big on data centers for its new AI models and products.Ashkenazi suggested that some of the new efficiencies could come from initiatives like <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-goose-ai-model-language-ai-coding-2024-2">internal AI tools</a> rather than just cutting head count. On the same call, Pichai <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-earnings-q3-2024-new-code-created-by-ai-2024-10">revealed that a quarter of new code written inside Google is generated by AI</a>."Think not just about the size of the organization but mostly how we operate and how we run the business," said Ashkenazi. "I think when you simplify the organization — Sundar just made a few comments on that — when we use AI within our own processes and how we get work done, there are some efficiencies or opportunities for efficiencies."<h2 id="bbcff048-b847-428f-a29a-c91f8da57f5b">'Code Red'</h2>The arrival of Ashkenazi, who replaced Google's long-serving finance chief Porat earlier this year, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-cfo-analysts-ai-subscription-growth-2024-9">has some analysts and investors excited</a> by the possibility of more transparency in the company's financials, especially as spending on AI ramps up.In a note published this week, analysts from BNP Paribas hailed Ashkenazi as a "code red" initiative for the company, calling her arrival "one of the most underappreciated catalysts in the sector right now."Google is now overhauling several of its key AI products, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-search-lens-ai-gemini-overviews-new-features-2024-10">including Search</a>, and investors want to know if this is paying off. They also want to see that Google can move fast enough to catch and outpace rivals such as OpenAI.In September 2022, Pichai <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/quiet-quitting-already-over-layoffs-jobs-recession-economy-2022-10">said he wanted to make the company 20% more efficient</a>. Since then, Google has slashed its head count, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-cut-back-meetings-distractions-okrs-goals-simplicity-sprint-2022-9">cut down on meetings</a>, and launched <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-goose-ai-model-language-ai-coding-2024-2">new AI tools to help employees code faster</a>. The changes show no sign of stopping: just this month, the company announced it would roll its Gemini chatbot team into the Google DeepMind unit.Are you a current or former Google employee? Got something to share? You can reach reporter Hugh Langley via encrypted messaging app Signal (+1 628-228-1836) or email (<a target="_blank" href="mailto:hlangley@businessinsider.com">hlangley@businessinsider.com</a><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:hlangley@insider.com">)</a>

Google's been on an efficiency drive. Its new CFO said it can 'push a little further.'

In today’s customer-centric market, businesses must align product design, processes, and delivery with the needs of the customers. However, the manufacturing sector faces several challenges, including extended time to market, wastage,and design inefficiencies. Other key challenges include maintaining operational efficiency while reducing downtime. Ensuring that the product meets the required quality standards is time-consuming and expensive. In a competitive marketplace, these issues can hinder the success of a business. While technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Machine Language (ML), etc., have addressed many of these challenges, there is still room for improvement. Enter <keyword id="14248037" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="digital-twin-technology" source="Orion">digital twin technology</keyword>: the key to <keyword id="3108381" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="smart-manufacturing" source="Orion">smart manufacturing</keyword>! Digital twin technology has rapidly gained popularity across various industrial sectors! , Infact, the global digital twin market, <a href="https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/digital-twin-market-106246">valued </a>at $12.91 billion in 2023 is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 39.8% from 2023 to 2032. A 2022 report by Research and Markets highlights that 60% of executives across diverse industries plan to integrate digital twin technology in their projects to boost revenue. But why is digital twin technology making huge strides in the industrial sector? Let’s explore the details of this path-breaking technology! <h2>What is digital twin technology?</h2>A digital twin is essentially the virtual representation of physical products during different stages of their lifecycle. This can include real devices, objects, machines, services, intangible assets, and more. By connecting virtual models to their real devices, digital twins provide a detailed and dynamic representation of the physical objects they emulate. Continuous data transmission ensures that the virtual models remain in sync with the real objects. <h2>How does the digital twin make manufacturing smart?</h2>In manufacturing digital twins can be generated for various real-life scenarios like assets, specific production lines, end products, etc. These digital representations offer deep insights and visibility into production processes. Manufacturing involves a complex network of processes and products with several data points. These data points describe products, assets, entire lines, processes, etc. The digital twin replicates the manufacturing operations to capture, map, and structure the process variables in a continuously updated database. <h2>Technologies used in digital twin deployment</h2><ul><li>Internet of Things (IoT): IoT sensors enable continuous data transmission. </li><li>Cloud computing: Helps in storing large volumes of data that can be accessed by various stakeholders. </li><li>AI: AI gathers data and provides valuable insights. AI also makes accurate forecasts. </li><li>Extended Reality (XR): XR technology facilitates digital modelling of physical objects and processes. </li></ul><h2>Benefits of the digital twin in manufacturing</h2>1. Risk mitigation Businesses can test and validate a product before physical production begins. This helps identify potential process failures early and mitigates risks by simulating various scenarios. 2. Facilitates predictive maintenance The data provided by the simulation model helps identify the bottlenecks in the system. It helps in scheduling preventive maintenance accurately which lowers maintenance costs and boosts production line efficiency. 3. Real-time monitoring and control One of the biggest challenges in manufacturing is getting an in-depth view of the system in real time. A digital twin helps overcome this challenge by facilitating remote monitoring and control of the process by providing real-time data. 4. Seamless collaboration A digital twin offers a single point of truth for different stakeholders. They can access data 24/7 and collaborate through a single platform for better outcomes. 5. Data-backed decisions Large volumes of real-time data and advanced analytics facilitate better and faster decision-making regarding the adjustments in the manufacturing system. 6. Delights customers Digital twin technology facilitates the simulation of different product variations in a virtual environment. This helps manufacturers build customised products efficiently and cost-effectively, enhancing customer experience. There was a time when physical proximity and inspection were the most effective ways to gain insights into the status of operating equipment. Digital twin technology has offered an innovative method to gain these insights by virtualising real processes/products. This innovation allows businesses to create, test, and build equipment in a virtual environment, moving to production only when the virtual model meets all criteria. This reduces waste, optimises costs, and makes manufacturing more agile, resilient, and efficient. It’s no wonder the digital twin market in manufacturing is projected to reach $48.2 billion by 2026. Disclaimer: This article is authored by Raja V., BPM Expert. The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Business Insider India. This article is published by the Insider Studios team. You can get in touch with them on <a href="mailto:insiderstudios@businessinsider.in">insiderstudios@businessinsider.in</a>.

How digital twin technology is revolutionising smart manufacturing

India's largest airline with a market share of 62.5% and Asia's biggest carrier by market valuation, <keyword id="19899182" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="IndiGo" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="IndiGo" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="IndiGo">Indigo</keyword>, posted a net loss of Rs 986.7 crore for the last quarter ended September 30, 2024. Indigo's profits during this quarter in 2023 were Rs 188.9 crore. The main reason behind the carrier running into reds during the second quarter of FY25 was high <keyword id="21353061" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fuel-costs" source="keywords">fuel costs</keyword>. Per the airline, its fuel costs jumped by 12.8% to Rs 6,605.2 crore, compared to Rs 5,856 crore in the year-ago period. Another expense area that witnessed an exponential surge was aircraft and engine rentals, which rose to Rs 763.6 crore in the second quarter. This stood at Rs 195.6 crore in the year-ago period. All in all, the company's total expenses burgeoned 22% to Rs 18,666.1 crore during the previous quarter. Indigo's <keyword id="20066400" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="revenue-from-operations" source="keywords">revenue from operations</keyword>, while down by 13.3% on a QoQ basis, from Rs 19,571 crore in June 2024 to Rs 16,970 crore as of September 2023, jumped 13.6% on a YoY basis. The company's revenue from operations during the September quarter in 2023 stood at Rs 14,944 crore. Indigo’s consolidated top line also jumped 14% YoY to Rs 16,970 crore, which included Rs 14,359 crore of <keyword id="23687772" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ticketing-revenue" source="keywords">ticketing revenue</keyword> and Rs 1,875 crore earned from ancillary services. At the end of September 2024, Indigo had a fleet of 410 planes. For the last quarter, Indigo was plagued by mass groundings of its aircraft due to faulty engines manufactured by <keyword id="21405019" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pratt-and-Whitney" source="keywords">Pratt and Whitney</keyword> Group. This had forced the airline to ground around 75 planes, or about 1/5th of its fleet. However, in the earnings call today, the management noted that the worst was behind them. Indigo expects the number of non-operational planes to drop below 60 by the end of this year and further dip to 40 by March 2025. Already, the number of grounded aircraft had come down to the high 60s. IndiGo’s cost per available seat kilometer (<keyword id="23687771" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CASK" source="keywords">CASK</keyword>)—a useful metric to assess an airline's operational efficiency—also inched up 12% YoY to stand at Rs 4.69. The company expects this figure to inch up to double digits by the next quarter. Indigo's stock was down by 3.23% during the day, closing the week at Rs 4,373.70.

IndiGo's bottom-line turns red for Q2, high fuel costs, and forced groundings main reason

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Elon Musk is calling for deregulation and spending cuts to make the government more efficient.</li><li>The billionaire's mindset echoes previous efforts to run the US government like a business.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a> is on a mission to make the US government more efficient, touting deregulation and decreased spending in public appearances as he <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-trump-cabinet-election-x-2024-9">courts a role</a> in a potential second Trump administration.The billionaire evangelized about efficiency during a live appearance at the All-In podcast Summit in Los Angeles on Monday, suggesting he would draw on his business acumen to slash federal spending if chosen as the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-adopts-elon-musk-plan-cut-government-spending-efficiency-reform-2024-9">head of Trump's would-be government efficiency commission</a>."We do have an opportunity to do a once-in-a-lifetime deregulation and reduction in the size of government," Musk said at the summit appearance about a potential <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-wants-elon-musk-on-his-cabinet-2024-8">Trump win</a>.But two political scientists told Business Insider that Musk's desire to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://hbr.org/2017/03/the-u-s-cannot-be-run-like-a-business">run the US government like a private business</a> — an approach many private sector professionals have supported for decades — isn't as foolproof as the CEO might think.Musk did not respond to a request for comment.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-donald-trump-feud-relationship-timeline-2022-7">Musk has done a 180</a> in his support for Trump. The billionaire endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2016, but after Trump won, accepted a role on two of the then-president's economic advisory councils. He later departed the administration, citing Trump's environmental policies.But since Musk officially endorsed Trump in July, he's repeatedly <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1834104386303520822">posted</a> on X about the need for government efficiency."The idea that you can run the entire government as a business, it's just not designed that way," said Patricia Crouse, a practitioner in residence of political science and public administration at the University of New Haven. "You have to work around our system of federalism."Trump, a businessman turned politician, based much of his first presidential campaign on the notion that his <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/03/27/trumps-idea-to-run-the-government-like-a-business-is-an-old-one-in-american-politics/">experience in the private sector</a> would guide his approach to politics.While perhaps misguided, both experts said it's not an entirely unfounded line of thinking. According to the academics, the government is inefficient in many ways, and accusations that federal agencies waste time and money are not always unwarranted.But the push to make the government work more like a business <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cost-efficiency-isnt-best-measurement-government-policy-2022-6">misunderstands a fundamental element</a> of US federalism — profit is not the end-all, be-all, political science experts said."Government is almost always more inefficient than the private sector because their motives are just different," said Christian Grose, a professor of political science at the University of Southern California.<div type="image" title="Al Gore and Bill Clinton stand at a podium holding a government report" height="1460" width="2921" msid="113345808" hostid="261" sizebytes="110754"></div><h2 id="7c8addd5-408c-4950-b159-3797e89f7a84">Profit vs. Protection</h2>Efforts to privatize parts of the US government date back decades. The modern-day push for a business-like government has its roots in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/theres-a-big-difference-between-reaganomics-and-trumponomics-2017-3">Reaganomics</a>, the economic policy put forth by President Ronald Reagan in 1981, which reduced regulation, slashed government spending, and scaled down the federal workforce.The other side of the aisle took a similar approach in 1993 when then-Vice President <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/im-a-recovering-politician-and-wont-run-for-office-again-al-gore-2022-7">Al Gore</a> launched the Reinventing Government initiative, which attempted to streamline government processes and minimize bureaucracy.Former President George W. Bush also had a business background, making his pre-presidency fortune in the Texas oil industry. Once in office, Bush cut regulations with his Faith-Based and Community Initiative, which sought to outsource some social services to faith-based groups.Grose said the pro-business mentality is present in local and state government, too, adding that private sector professionals often run gubernatorial races on such platforms.Political experts said it makes sense that business leaders like Musk would see only inefficiency and wastefulness in the government's operations."In the private sector, the motive is profit. The less efficient you are, the less profitable you are," Grose said. "But inefficiency in the private sector isn't the same."The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/privitizing-public-goods-healthcare-education-doesnt-work-opinion-2022-1">government's job isn't to make money,</a> but to regulate and keep people safe."Sometimes that's not efficient in an economic sense," Grose added.Consider, too, that the government and businesses serve very different stakeholders, Grose said. CEOs have to answer to stockholders and a board of directors — the president has to answer to every American in the country.<div type="image" title="Elon Musk and donald Trump sit at a table" height="2200" width="3300" msid="113345810" hostid="261" sizebytes="236978"></div><h2 id="77ff06c1-a7ce-42dd-87ed-6be17fc49a6d">The pitfalls of privatized government</h2>Crouse said the consequences could be dire if Trump and Musk are able to make massive cuts to federal agencies."If you decide you want to run the government entirely like a business, you're going to see things like poverty and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-job-market-unemployment-rising-federal-reserve-interest-rate-cut-2024-7">unemployment</a> increase because it becomes every man for himself," Crouse said.For all of its faults, the federal government has a fail-safe of sorts, thanks, in part, to its massive size, Crouse said. She added that outsourcing critical government services to private companies runs the risk that those services could disappear if the company went bankrupt."A business isn't really self-correcting, at least not as easily as government is," Crouse said.Crouse said that privatizing the federal government could also lead to increased corruption, pointing to the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/private-prisons-lobby-for-their-own-existence-2016-8">for-profit prison industry</a> as one example. In 2008, two Pennsylvania judges were convicted of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-trending-news-government-and-politics-6f30f575dc739415af1e5b47b1be50f0">accepting money in return</a> for sending kids to private detention centers to increase occupancy."Businesses are out to make a profit, so they're going to do what they can to increase profits, and if the consumer gets hurt in the process of doing that, well, that's all a part of business," Crouse said.Beyond the logistical issues associated with a business-like government, Grose said he was skeptical of the sentiment at the heart of Musk's comments earlier this week, casting doubt on whether a second Trump presidency would result in "once-in-a-lifetime" deregulation.While Trump did engage in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wall-street-dodd-frank-deregulation-bill-trump-gop-obama-legacy-2018-5">some deregulation</a> during his first term, Grose said he didn't behave like a traditional business Republican, citing his tariffs and tax cuts, the latter of which helped the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.propublica.org/article/national-debt-trump">national debt surge.</a>"It's not obvious to me that he is a massive budget cutter based on past experience," Grose added.Both Crouse and Grose also expressed hesitation about taking business advice from Musk, pointing to the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-looks-like-he-is-destroying-x-intentionally-2023-11">breakdown of Twitter, now X</a>, after the billionaire bought the site in 2022.Ultimately, however, both said the 235-year-old federalism that governs America simply isn't equipped to handle the pressures faced by private businesses."My fear is that it would collapse," Crouse said.

Elon Musk's ideas about government efficiency are all wrong, political scientists say

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Airports are looking to private wireless networks to improve operations, execs said at MWC Las Vegas.</li><li>Passengers could see benefits like smoother baggage claim and check-ins, the panelists said.</li></ul>Private wireless networks are key to ushering in a better airport experience for both the travel hubs' operations and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/busiest-airport-world-atlanta-dubai-tokyo-heathrow-dallas-list-ranking-2023-12">the billions of passengers who pass through them</a>.That's according to airport executives who spoke on a panel about connected aviation Tuesday at the trade show <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mwc-las-vegas-2024-5g-ai-mobile-communications-conference-2024-10">Mobile World Congress Las Vegas</a>.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/las-vegas-private-5g-network-2023-9">Private networks</a> generally offer greater security and reliability, lower latency, and higher bandwidth compared with public networks. For these reasons, they can help airports with operations and communications, plane and baggage tracking, and security.California's Ontario International Airport, for example, is using a private wireless network to run its perimeter-intrusion detection system, Charles Miwa, the airport's chief information officer, said."As I think about a future with a lot of growth, private wireless is foundational. It's going to enable us to accommodate these ad hoc moves," he said, emphasizing the need for flexibility given how often many airports do some form of construction to update their infrastructure."We're trying to run more efficient airports, more customer-friendly airports," said Michael Youngs, the vice president of information technology at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, which last year announced a $10 million deal with AT&amp;T for a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/what-frequency-is-5g">private 5G network</a>."We're not going to do it with people. We're not going to do it with brick and mortar. We're going to do it with technology, with IoT, but we need that base foundational level of connectivity, private wireless, that's going to enable it," he added, referring to the Internet of Things.Private wireless networks can also help enterprises with cost and mobility by reducing the expense of installing cables and by providing connectivity to areas that might be harder to reach with wires."We traditionally at the airport, especially, do not put anything very secure across wireless. We just don't do it," said Kyle Mobley, the director of information technology at the Port of Oakland, which operates the San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport. "And it's not because we have any proof it's going to be less secure in the way we do it. It's the what you don't know."Mobley added: "Having this infrastructure wirelessly is huge." Mobley spoke of using private wireless for passenger traffic sensors, for example."It's tough to keep sending people out in the field to investigate things at 2 o'clock in the morning," he said. "And we cover such a wide area that getting these sensors — lidar, cameras, whatever it ends up being — in every corner of our property is huge to give that person working that desk the ability to know what's going on. Do I have a squirrel running up the fence, or is it somebody? The squirrel will sometimes send 10 cars out there, and that's not very efficient."Roughly 58% of airports worldwide that participated in the survey are investing in major development programs for a 5G communications network, and another 29% have research-and-development programs for the tech by 2026, said the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.sita.aero/globalassets/docs/surveys--reports/2023-air-transport-it-insights-v6.1.pdf">2023 Air Transport IT Insights</a> report from SITA, an IT and telecommunications service provider for the aviation industry, and Airports Council International.As for passengers, they might see benefits like quicker <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/heres-what-to-do-when-an-airline-loses-your-luggage-2022-7">baggage claim</a> or smoother check-ins."I'm not really looking to be in the private-wireless business — I feel like I have to be in the private-wireless business," Youngs said. "I need to harness data to take our airport forward. That's really the end game."

Airports are investing in private wireless networks to improve operations and travelers' experience

Anyone who works in office, facilities, or workplace management will tell you that creating and upholding a vibrant company culture is a crucial, but often challenging, task. Like many companies, Indian financial services company, Freecharge, previously relied on physical interactions in the office to drive engagement and build culture. When the pandemic forced everyone to work from home, employees seemed to miss that fun and connection. Adopting Slack was a game changer for Freecharge in the post-Covid world. Freecharge is a fintech company that enables users to recharge mobile phones, pay bills, and make online transactions seamlessly. As the company paves an innovative way forward in the neobanking space, the company relies on Slack to build both a cutting-edge product and culture. Slack allowed the company to simplify collaboration and create a digital space for employees to connect, leading to greater productivity, as well as a workplace that was more enjoyable and culture-oriented. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Taking a productivity leap with Slack" comment="subhead" text="Taking a productivity leap with Slack">Taking a productivity leap with Slack</cmsannotation> To shed light on how Freecharge has leaned into their investment in Slack, BI connected with Rhea Jain, a seasoned Product Manager at Freecharge. According to Rhea, "Slack has considerably increased <keyword id="2728679" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="team-productivity" source="Orion">team productivity</keyword> by streamlining communication and reducing the time spent on bureaucratic processes like setting up meetings." <div type="image" title="12" msid="110260819" hostid="261" sizebytes="65074" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Rhea Jain&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Teams today seek adaptive techniques for efficient work progress, from resolving complex issues on the fly to brainstorming creative assignments or checking in with colleagues. And at Freecharge, Slack has become the go-to platform for quick, one-off questions, impromptu collaborations, daily stand-ups, progress tracking, and more. It has transformed the way Freecharge communicates internally. Rhea explained how the company has leveraged Slack to transform their product development and issue resolution procedures through collaborative efforts. “From inception to delivery, Slack makes it easy for us to communicate during the product development process. It even helps with follow-up discussions and resolutions, which will take longer if done only through email friendly meets. Slack is a boon, especially since we have hybrid working and geographically dispersed teams,” she said, making the case for its productivity boost. "The conversational nature of Slack allows for quick issue resolution without the need for formal meetings," she added. "When collaboration occurs in a single area, leadership does not need to be copied on emails. You can join a Slack channel, keep up with the project, and contribute as needed." At Freecharge, when it comes to releasing a product, Rhea found Slack to be a handy tool because she could easily create themes, and create channels to get relevant people on one platform to ideate, engage, and execute efficiently. This helped in cutting down the time for releasing a product. She highlights that Slack makes this process nearly 30 to 40% faster. This efficiency is vital in the fintech sector. It's a competitive market, and the speed to market is crucial in giving Freecharge the edge. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Quick and easy collaboration" comment="subhead" text="Quick and easy collaboration">Quick and easy collaboration</cmsannotation> The impact in simplified communication and collaboration was witnessed across layers of the organisation. Freecharge has extended its collaboration model within the Slack platform to the way it works with clients and external partners - within the Slack platform using secure Slack Connect channels. This direct communication enables Freecharge to address client complaints more rapidly, thereby enhancing customer loyalty and retention. Rhea highlights Slack as the communication backbone for teams, fostering better synchronisation and instant connection among members. And it’s not just text communication. Freecharge uses Slack Huddles feature for cross-team collaboration in real-time using video, multi-person screen sharing, a dedicated thread for notes, audience polls, and emoji reactions – reducing the need for lengthy meetings. “Quick impromptu collaborations have become the norm, fostering a more agile work environment," Rhea added. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="‘Figma’ of your imagination" comment="subhead" text="‘Figma’ of your imagination">‘Figma’ of your imagination</cmsannotation> Rhea stressed that one of the benefits of using Slack was moving away from meetings and emails because it had become very simple to reach out to colleagues through different Slack features that Slack has to offer (like huddles, clips, or direct messaging to name a few). With an average huddle lasting only about 10 minutes, this informal call feature within the platform has helped Freecharge save countless minutes every day, increasing overall productivity. Rhea also emphasises the importance of the pencil feature in Slack, particularly for providing visual feedback to the design team. Integrating Slack with design tools like Figma ensures real-time updates on comments and file shares and fosters an efficient workflow. She says, “This tool expedites the feedback process, making it more actionable and reducing the time spent in written communication.” What works for Freecharge is that Slack is a formal communication channel with features that are user-friendly and enhance day-to-day communication and collaboration. “I really like that Slack is always innovating and keeps releasing features, which reflects how customer-centric it is,” she adds. Freecharge has placed Slack at the centre of its operations to enable fast, seamless collaboration, creating spaces where teams can share ideas, make decisions, resolve potential problems, and move work forward. Rhea expressed that after two years of using Slack, “It’s challenging to imagine working without it. Slack has become an integral part of our collaboration and communication strategy.” Disclaimer: This article is generated and published by the Insider Studios team. You can get in touch with them on <a href="mailto:insiderstudios@businessinsider.in">insiderstudios@businessinsider.in</a>.

Freecharge’s productivity revolution – unleashing efficiency across teams

<ul class="summary-list"><li>China's tech bosses are pushing their workers as competition intensifies, the FT reported.</li><li>They are following a playbook from Silicon Valley, where bosses cranked up the pressure and laid people off.</li></ul>Silicon Valley bosses responded to times of crisis by turning the screw on workers. Now, China's tech bosses seem ready to do the same.Mark Zuckerberg, Andy Jassy, and other CEOs have resorted to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tech-layoffs-could-harm-productivity-recruitment-reputation-tesla-google-microsoft-2024-5">layoffs</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-dell-workers-reject-return-to-office-hybrid-work-2024-6">return-to-office mandates</a>, and other <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tech-firms-laying-off-employees-again-efficiency-amazon-google-2024-1">policies prioritizing "efficiency"</a> in the past two years to combat a sell-off among investors who grew concerned that tech companies became over-bloated and distracted with "fake work" during the pandemic. They planned to show the market that their companies could still deliver out-sized returns and form a central part of the economy — with leaner operations.<a target="_blank" href="https://layoffs.fyi/">With around 363,000 workers laid off since January 2023,</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tech-workers-sick-of-grind-search-low-stress-jobs-burnout-2023-5">many staff were left feeling burned out</a> as they took on more work. But bosses were rewarded.Meta's Mark Zuckerberg said layoffs were part of <a target="_blank" href="https://about.fb.com/news/2023/03/mark-zuckerberg-meta-year-of-efficiency/">an "efficiency" era.</a> The company's market capitalization has climbed from around $300 billion to $1.26 trillion since it <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-employees-react-layoffs-mark-zuckerberg-facebook-2022-11">announced it was laying off 13% off its workforce in November 2022</a>. Other Silicon Valley companies have witnessed a similar turnaround.<h2 id="e084724e-ee1e-4199-9964-2151cdbafb51">China is pushing tech workers even harder</h2>Chinese tech companies seem willing to take Silicon Valley's efficiency mantra even further.That's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ft.com/content/c94d046c-570a-4222-bfc5-463fdcfc66c2">according to a new report from the Financial Times</a>, which notes that bosses in China are upping the pressure on workers after the country's top five tech companies lost around $1.3 trillion in market value since 2021.For instance, Richard Liu, the veteran business leader at the helm of Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com, recently told staff over a video call that employees who "prefer to enjoy life" are "not our brother" and that "we should not be working together," <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ft.com/content/c94d046c-570a-4222-bfc5-463fdcfc66c2">the Financial Times reported Monday</a>.It's not the first time Liu, whose company's share price fell by roughly half in 2023, has talked tough to employees about the company's direction. In an internal memo in December, the tech boss told employees that "we need to change, or there's no way out for our company," <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-12-12/jd-com-founder-channels-jack-ma-in-urging-staff-to-fix-problems">Bloomberg reported.</a>A key reason this tone has emerged is competition.Big names on China's tech scene, like JD.com and Jack Ma's Alibaba, have faced a threat from fast-growing newcomers like Pinduoduo, the sister company of online marketplace Temu. Pinduoduo has also been called out for a culture of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/aug/25/pinduoduo-us-labor-practices-worker-conditions#:~:text=%E2%80%9CPinduoduo%20is%20known%20for%20its,much%20crueler%20than%20in%20America.%E2%80%9D">"extreme overtime"</a> by the likes of the China Labor Watch, a nonprofit organization focused on labor rights in China.<div type="image" title="Jack Ma, cofounder of tech giant Alibaba." height="2000" width="3000" msid="111237247" hostid="261" sizebytes="171736"></div>As the FT report noted, workers are increasingly using the term "neijuan," which translates roughly to "involution," to describe extreme pressure to outdo competitors, while having smaller and smaller teams to work with. Ma's Alibaba, for instance, cut around 20,000 workers last year.Chinese tech workers have been no strangers to aggressive work policies over the years.During their growth in the 2010s, several tech companies in China adopted a so-called <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-work-culture-love-hate-relationship-tech-worker-relocation-2023-12">"996" working system</a> that demanded 12-hour days from 9 a.m., six days a week.This policy was once advocated by Chinese business titans such as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jack-ma-alibaba">Ma</a>. Though this brutal working pattern has faced a regulatory crackdown from Beijing, business leaders aren't giving up in their bid to find new ways to pressure workers during a new period of crisis.Last month, videos posted to Chinese social media showed Qu Jing, public relations lead at internet giant Baidu, setting out expectations of workers, such as being prepared to travel for 50 straight days on business."I only care about results," she said in one video.Qu left Baidu after her comments were made public, but the ferocity of what China's tech workers are hearing isn't abating.As long as China's economy continues to stutter and competitors claw for consumers, those who want to work in its tech sector may have to keep bending to their bosses' diktats.

Efficiency helped turn Silicon Valley around. China is taking it to the extreme to do the same.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Vincent Peters worked in military compliance when he was poached to work at SpaceX. </li><li>He said the work culture was ruthlessly efficient and you could see Musk on the office floor. </li></ul>This is an as-told-to essay based on a transcribed conversation with Vincent Peters, founder of Inheritance AI and former SpaceX employee discussing his career path and experience at SpaceX. It has been edited for length and clarity.I graduated from West Point in 2005 at 23. Shortly before graduating, I was diagnosed with allergy-induced asthma. So I graduated on medical leave, couldn't be deployed, and continued on medical leave for another six months before being discharged.Because I didn't have any internships or corporate experience, it took me a while to transition into the workforce. Once I did, I went on to work in many different industries.<h2 id="23de7c6d-a933-408b-a720-5627a899fd0a">The beginning of my corporate career</h2>I got a contractor job with the Federal Aviation Administration through a friend and gained experience doing business administration, research, and development.From there, I got work more aligned with my degree in systems engineering and technology as a security project manager at Freddie Mac. I stayed in banking but moved into working on compliance and risk management.I then left the banking industry to partner with one of my best friends from West Point, who owned a tech company, <a target="_blank" href="https://2twelvesolutions.com/V2/index.html">2 Twelve Solutions</a>. We worked in "authority to operate," certifying what technology can be used for US Government military missions. We got the opportunity to pitch our services to SpaceX.I was introduced to people on the SpaceX Mission team, and ultimately, they asked me to interview with them for a job at SpaceX. After a long process with multiple conversations, they offered me a job doing information compliance and assurance.At first, I said no, but after their counteroffer, I had to tell my friend, "I love you, but I'm going to go work for SpaceX." I started in November 2018. My primary role was showing government clients that SpaceX was compliant.My first project was the Commercial Crew program where astronauts needed to be returned to the International Space Station by US space capabilities. SpaceX was one of the companies <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/04/nasa-commercial-crew-the-astronauts-spacex-and-boeing-will-launch.html">awarded that contract</a>. I was brought on to engage with NASA and show SpaceX was compliant. From there, I supported some of the Department of Defense customers and the beginning of the Artemis program to return to the moon.<h2 id="fc9057ca-809d-40b7-8239-30790643d619">What it's like working at SpaceX</h2>SpaceX is the most efficient company I've ever worked for. Instead of having a manager and a list of tasks, I was asked to sit in on meetings and add value to projects aligned with my interests or expertise.I thought I would get fired every day during the first six months. There was no one there to tell you what to do. In the military, there was a change of command. At SpaceX, you ask yourself, "How do we do this thing? How do we do it safely? How do we do it so that it's a good value for our customers?" Then you figure it out.There were no boundaries in my role as long as I was adding value to whatever I was working on. For example, someone would ask if I was interested in flight software, and if I were, I'd be invited to attend those meetings.The directive was if I was in a meeting and it was adding value to what I did daily, stay, or if I was adding value based on my expertise, stay — but if neither of those things were happening, you should get up and respectfully walk out.In one instance, a government customer came in with a 50-slide deck. Six slides into the presentation, 75% of the room had walked out. I had to tell him that if he didn't get to the point, I'd be the only person left in the room — and only because I had to walk him out. He skipped ahead to his last five slides. That kind of environment makes you much more efficient.Also, everyone is accessible. You're all in cubicles, including Elon and the COO, Gwynne Shotwell. You can look up, be seen, and say to people, "Hey, I need this." It's very open and makes collaborating and getting to know people easy. The only fixed offices are for people who often need to have confidential conversations — like the head of human resources and the CFO.<h2 id="47737056-5f88-462e-b4c6-ff928de26736">Working on Starlink</h2>I quickly found that once you're in the circle of trust within Elon Musk's companies, you get a job more easily at another company in the portfolio. For example, someone who started around the same time as me at SpaceX is running IT at X now — the culture is just to do whatever is required.That mentality is how I started working on Starlink.The Starlink team had several questions from the Canadian communications regulators. They wanted to know how SpaceX was handling Starlink customer data and the configuration of some Starlink ground systems that were built and maintained by SpaceX. With my background in government work and compliance, it felt like a natural fit for me to step in.In 2020, I asked to help and was allowed to work on their projects in addition to my work at SpaceX.<h2 id="1c9a2361-4e8c-4419-aa21-09b7e5c3e2d0">The work is rigorous, but people are very accepting</h2>SpaceX was probably the most accepting work culture I've ever participated in.There also wasn't a lot of value placed on where people went to school. Some of the most intelligent people I worked with there were high school graduates.Regardless of your background or credentials, it's a place where you have to be able to hold yourself accountable. It's assumed that you should know what you should be doing.If you're looking for a boss to hold your hand and tell you what you need to do and how to do it, you will be disappointed working with Elon. But if you're looking for a boss who trusts in your decision-making, you'll thrive.I ultimately left in February 2022 because I felt I was no longer learning. While SpaceX was one of my best work experiences, there seemed to be a high turnover rate where people would leave between their first and second years. After my third year, I was one of the most senior in my group, and there weren't many people to learn from.<h2 id="d6382460-66de-4ef4-b253-1b21d53ef779">My time at SpaceX has helped me run my own company</h2>From there, I started my new project, Inheritance Art, in early 2022. We're working on various projects — from crypto to large language model services and even creating our own AI models. I'm enjoying the challenge, but I still look back fondly on my time at SpaceX.Working at SpaceX taught me how to hire and manage people efficiently — I was never a fan of middle management, and my experience there showed me how to run an organization without it. Space X is a flat organization, and it works well that way.

I worked at SpaceX. It was the most ruthlessly efficient company I've ever worked for.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Tech became obsessed with efficiency in 2023 with about 260,000 workers laid off across the year.</li><li>That obsession has continued into the new year with Big Tech firms announcing further cuts.</li></ul>Big Tech was obsessed with efficiency in 2023.Industry leaders used the phrase to justify the culling of hundreds of thousands of tech workers throughout the year as they scrambled to reverse some of their pandemic-era hiring in the face of a drastic economic downturn.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mark-zuckerberg-once-revealed-facebook-motto-taking-off-hoodie-sweating-2024-1">Mark Zuckerberg</a> went as far as describing 2023 as <a target="_blank" href="https://about.fb.com/news/2023/03/mark-zuckerberg-meta-year-of-efficiency/">Meta's "Year of Efficiency.</a>"That obsession doesn't look like it's going to change anytime soon.After laying off more than <a target="_blank" href="https://layoffs.fyi/">262,000 employees in 2023</a>, tech leaders have continued into the new year with an array of further cuts.Google parent Alphabet is reportedly laying off hundreds of employees from the likes of its Google Assistant and hardware teams. The company, which <a target="_blank" href="https://blog.google/inside-google/message-ceo/january-update/">laid off 12,000 people</a> in January 2023, cited "changes to become more efficient" in a statement.Amazon is also cutting hundreds of jobs, with several divisions being slashed in size. Amazon-owned streaming site Twitch is eliminating 500 roles, or 35% of its workforce, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/twitch-set-to-lay-off-35-percent-of-staff-bloomberg-2024-1">Bloomberg first reported</a>.<a target="_blank" href="https://blog.twitch.tv/en/2024/01/10/a-difficult-update-about-our-workforce/">In a statement to staff</a>, Twitch CEO Dan Clancy said that despite efforts to cut costs last year, "it had become clear that the "organization is still meaningfully larger than it needs to be."<div type="image" title="Twitch." height="3335" width="5000" msid="106775211" hostid="261"></div>Amazon's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-jobs-layoffs-audible-2024-1">Audible division is laying off 5%</a>, while the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-layoffs-several-hundred-employees-prime-video-mgm-studios-memo-2024-1">Prime Video and MGM Studios teams</a> face a similar purge.Discord CEO Jason Citron also <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/discord-ceo-blames-tech-layoffs-company-growth-2024-1">announced a 17% layoff of staff</a> in an internal memo on Thursday. Citron lamented the way his company had become "less efficient" in how it operated, per a note sent to employees.It's worth saying these layoffs are by no means drastic, however.Data from online tracker Layoffs.fyi suggests that <a target="_blank" href="https://layoffs.fyi/">35 tech companies have laid off 5,586 employees in 2024</a>. That's a fraction of the 278 companies that laid off almost 90,000 employees in January 2023, per the tracker.The layoffs are also a small fraction of the overall employee totals for huge tech giants such as Amazon and Google. <a target="_blank" href="https://ir.aboutamazon.com/news-release/news-release-details/2023/Amazon.com-Announces-Third-Quarter-Results/default.aspx">Amazon's most recent figures</a> show it has 1.5 million full-time and part-time employees; Google has just over <a target="_blank" href="https://abc.xyz/assets/4a/3e/3e08902c4a45b5cf530e267cf818/2023q3-alphabet-earnings-release.pdf">182,000 staff</a>.That said, the layoffs are a sign that companies are ready to get even more methodical in getting rid of excess.When last year's layoffs got underway, identifying that excess was fairly straightforward, according to some in Silicon Valley.Venture capitalist Keith Rabois, for instance, suggested that Big Tech firms had become way too bloated in recent years by hiring people into roles that lacked direction. It left them pretending to look busy, rather than actually being busy, his argument went. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tech-industry-fake-work-problem-bad-managers-bosses-layoffs-jobs-2023-7">He called it "fake work."</a><div type="image" title="Keith Rabois standing in a library." height="3403" width="5104" msid="106775213" hostid="261"></div>"What do these people actually do? They go to meetings," <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-meta-staff-do-fake-work-says-vc-keith-rabois-2023-3">Rabois said during an event</a> hosted by banking firm Evercore.At the time, he predicted that the industry would drop its obsessive focus on growth, and shift attention to other measures of performance, such as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-revenue-per-employee-shows-how-it-avoided-mass-layoffs-2023-4">revenue-per-employee.</a>With more layoffs taking place, this seems to be playing out across Silicon Valley and beyond. Tech companies are showing that they want to get more out of fewer employees.Discord's CEO Citron noted that his company had increased in size by five times since 2020 in a note to employees, leading it to take on "more projects" and become "less efficient," <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/11/24034705/discord-layoffs-17-percent-employees">per The Verge.</a>"We are increasingly clear on the need to sharpen our focus and improve the way we work together to bring more agility to our organization," he said. "This is what largely drove the decision to reduce the size of our workforce."If tech firms find they do become more productive with this new season of efficiency, they'll feel vindicated.

You Searched For "operational efficiency" and got 12 results

Love him or loathe him, Elon Musk is a champion of efficiency and could save the US government a fortune

PTI

How Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency could actually work

Alice Tecotzky,Katie Balevic

Hindalco Q1 profit rises 25% Rs 3,074 crore on operational efficiencies, lower input costs

PTI

Google's been on an efficiency drive. Its new CFO said it can 'push a little further.'

Hugh Langley

How digital twin technology is revolutionising smart manufacturing

Raja V

IndiGo's bottom-line turns red for Q2, high fuel costs, and forced groundings main reason

BI India Bureau

Elon Musk's ideas about government efficiency are all wrong, political scientists say

Erin Snodgrass

Airports are investing in private wireless networks to improve operations and travelers' experience

Sarah Jackson

Freecharge’s productivity revolution – unleashing efficiency across teams

Insider Studios

Efficiency helped turn Silicon Valley around. China is taking it to the extreme to do the same.

Hasan Chowdhury

I worked at SpaceX. It was the most ruthlessly efficient company I've ever worked for.

Jamie Killin

Big Tech's efficiency obsession has continued into 2024 with thousands of layoffs

Hasan Chowdhury

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides