issue 9th | april - june 2012

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Facebook is the in-house magazine of UB Engineering Ltd

Issue 9 | April - June 2012

E m p o w e r i n g P e o p l e

Issue Anniversary

2 Facebook | Issue 9 | April - June 2012

M y U B E L

journey ..

I joined UBEL on

29th May 2007. It

was not difficult

for me to adjust to

the culture of

UBEL as within

seven days of my

induction into the

Organisation, I

plunged myself

i n t o a c t i v i t y ,

visiting the sites I

was responsible

for. The company

then was going

through a difficult

phase, particularly

in the face of the economic slowdown.

It was quite a challenge for me to renew and instill

confidence amongst the Site Management who had

struggled for the past few years in the face of the financial

adversity. I thought the best way to raise the morale of the

site personnel was by providing them with as much support

as they required. The difference was noticeable with the

seasoned Site teams' improved performance. The change

was also noticeable with Customers’ attitude towards the

Company as a consequence of the renewed confidence of

the Site Managers in themselves and motivation by

Mr. J.K..Sardana, who had taken charge very recently.

With the improved economic climate, new orders poured

in, and the Organisation was ready for further expansion.

The performance in the subsequent years was vastly

improved with the turnover leaping multifold and along

with it grew the enthusiasm of the employees.

I find a vastly improved situation today with our Customers

exhibiting faith in our performance and an equally

exuberant employee force ready to meet any challenge

ahead.

Projects : A strategic business

Projects are indeed the backbone of UBEL. To quote our

Chairman - Turnover is our “Vanity” and the profitability is

our “Sanity”. A major part of “Sanity" is the contribution of

our Projects team.

Since a major part of the Company's profitability is the

responsibility of the Projects team, it is very important that

the Projects operate within the budgeted parameters. After

the financial factor, the second most important factor is the

satisfaction and confidence of the Customer. The best way

of achieving both the factors is ensuring that the Project is

completed in the least time possible. Customer satisfaction

ensures repeat orders which translate into generation of

better profitability. Optimisation of costs is a must in

projects which are perceived to be slow-paced.

Handling diversity in Projects

The life in Projects is “stormy” and “thorny”. Our site

people have to undergo severe hardships on a day to day

basis coupled with extended hours of rigorous hard work

under hostile conditions. They are in constant touch with

the Customer and thus become answerable to them for any

setbacks. They are handling construction workers who are

basically unorganized and this makes the sites prone to

Industrial unrest at the slightest reason. It is therefore

necessary that we keep a line of constant communication

with the site, understanding their difficulties and

requirements.

I make it a point to converse with all my sites teams

regularly, get myself apprised of their difficulties and try to

resolve them to the extent possible. This apart, visiting the

sites periodically helps me build a personal rapport with the

site team which in turn eases the line of communication.

Motivation : the key to project success

Motivation cannot be generated by one individual. It is a

collective effort of all the members of the Organisation.

Most importantly, the sites must not feel that they are

isolated but very much a part of the Organisation. We must

respond to all the requirements of the sites and also must

realize that it is from the sites where we are generating our

profits and turnovers. We tend to share the successes of the

sites but shy away from their failures. This attitude has an

adverse effect on the people at site and affects their morale.

I always tell my site teams to take decisions whenever

required. If the decisions are right, the credit goes to them;

if they are wrong the responsibility is mine. I always believe

that “A good Manager is one who has taken the worse

decisions in his life and has learnt from them”

Our achievements : our pride

The achievements of the Projects division are multiple. The

first achievement is that we have been able to collectively

achieve a record turnover during the past three years. We

have commissioned the first 600 MW Boiler of BHEL at

North Chennai Thermal Power Station which has now

catapulted UBEL to qualify for Super critical boilers for NTPC

and BHEL. The prestigious EPC Project of Acoustic

SuppressionSystem at ISRO Sriharikota is also near

completion and is likely to be commissioned in August '12.

We are possibly handling the most number of sites now

than this Organisation has ever handled at one time.

Finally the learnings I would like to share....

We all should be good learners. We should always strive to

learn from others' experiences and use them as and when

required. Be a good listener and share your feelings and

thoughts with others. Try and keep a proactive approach in

work as this would largely help us in easing out the

difficulties faced.

Lastly and most importantly, be empathetic to all your

colleagues and subordinates. This would help coagulate

the Organisation and perform better.

AK Ghosh, VP - Projects

ForewordForeword

Facebook | Issue 8 | January-March 2012 3

It is rather hard to believe that it has been two long years since the inaugural edition of our in-house magazine,

Facebook was published. The first issue of Facebook was launched in June, 2010, with the mission to provide a

platform to the UBEL Family to share their moments of joy, achievements and views on various issues.

Over these two years, Facebook has successfully managed to bridge the gap between the employees and served as the

communication vehicle for the UBEL Family. The response to this initiative has been overwhelming. Members from

across the sites of UBEL have participated and contributed to the 9 quarterly issues of Facebook.

Facebook is also now the mode of showcasing the company's various achievements. It keeps the employees, clients

and other stakeholders updated about the prestigious orders bagged by the company. It also highlights the awards,

and other achievements, thus helping one and all keep updated about the company. The editorial team has also come

a long way in learning a great deal about our colleagues and their joys, their expectations, their concerns and their

moments of pride. Knowledge about our colleagues has helped us develop Facebook into a better magazine with every

issue.

Our Annual Sports activities have become a major employee engagement initiative by the HR. These activities have

paved a way for communication and socialization between our members. It has also helped in the development of

team and competitive spirit in employees while enhancing their self- confidence and concentration. The three months

of sports activities have been a much needed stress buster and provided mental relaxation. It has also brought to the

forefront several hidden talents within the organization.

Cricket was introduced in the sports activities this year. It was the first time we hosted a group game. The response and

the revelation of amazing talents and team bonding were overwhelming. The participants practiced arduously, and the

matches were a treat to the onlookers, for the players were nothing short of professional. It brought together several

employees across departments as teams and created an atmosphere of fun amidst the nail-biting tension.

The current times are difficult for the business community. We are hit by a recession, that makes it critical for us to use

our resources optimally. In our special back page article, we have given tips to optimise our human resources.

As we publish the Ninth Quarterly Issue of Facebook, we look forward to increased participation from the UBEL family

members from across sites as we endeavor to make Facebook a better and stronger magazine.

N Supriya

Editorial New Entrants People Focus|Project Focus|New Orders| |

Contents

Editorial

Foreword by AK Ghosh | 2

Project Focus | 4-5

Prestigious Orders | 6

Borai Plant Goes on Stream | 6

New Entrants | 7

UBEL Sports 2012 | 8-10

People Focus | 10-11

Special Feature | 12