Manufacturing solutions: Ravi Raghavan

Above all else, Bharat Fritz Werner (BFW) is a business dedicated to creating solutions.

"We are striving to demonstrate that we don’t only sell a product, we solve customers’ problems," Managing Director Ravi Raghavan explains. "This can be through product solutions or the knowledge of our sales applications teams or our long, extensive experience.

"But at the end of the day, the whole organization as a team is working to solve the customer’s problem."

Since 1961, BFW has been leading the way for other companies of this kind, creating industrial machinery tools used in manufacturing.

Understandably, innovation is key for BFW, which is why the company continues to prioritize emerging technologies that can help streamline efficiencies and bring the product closer to the customer.

"Why do you want to do digitization?" asks Raghavan, who has been with the company since 2013. "There are many reasons – it can be a gimmick, improve productivity or connect with the ecosystem.

"We feel the third one is most important because it also addresses the productivity and the performance of the organization.

"Our factory is one of the most modern, but we have also connected our suppliers and our customers, which means that the customer has the freedom today to see how their machine is getting built."

Leaping forward

While Raghavan does concede that staying abreast with advancements can be complicated, he recognizes the immense advantages for the company.

"If we don’t adopt those technology disruptions – I won’t say before the market but at least alongside the market – then we will be left behind and catching up will be that much more difficult," he says.

"We want to be at that level of technology adoption at the time that it happens."

Businesses inevitably ebb and flow, especially when they've been around for decades, like BFW. But Raghavan proudly reports that the past decade has been particularly strong for the company.

"We achieved everything that we wanted, from product, process, people and team perspectives," he enthuses.

"Until 2013, our organization was walking; it grew at the rate that the industry was growing. From then on, it turned into a brisk walk, which meant we wanted to grow faster than the market.

"Last year, we launched what we call ‘LEAP’ – Leadership through Ethical Behavior, Agile Processes and Partnerships. We want to be a leader, running and leaping now, but without forgetting our value system and broader principles."

Upskilling staff

Talent acquisition is a challenge for any company, but the way Raghavan looks at it, the key is finding individuals who are the right cultural fit.

"If you have an attitude to learn, an open mind and confidence, it is very easy to learn, in the sense that you will put in the effort," Raghavan explains.

"We don’t want great degrees, we don’t want toppers, we want people who we can mold. For me, that’s the only mantra. If the attitude is positive, if you want to learn… People may find that difficult, but it’s been my success."

Indeed, Raghavan says the benefits of putting time and money into upskilling its staff have been monumental. So much so that BFW is now building its own set of training centers.

Perfect partners

Ensuring the absolute strength and quality of the entire supply chain is something that BFW continues to focus on.

"Our brand is only as strong as the weakest in our supply chain, so we want strong partners who teach us, train us, develop us and are ready to listen to us as well," Raghavan explains.

"It’s a two-way respect for each other, because we know that it’s about the bigger picture. Our tagline is ‘Enabling Progress,’ and what we mean by that is that whoever is associated with us will also grow."

Given that the majority of its partners have been along on the journey with BFW for decades, with some even lasting 40 years, it’s clear that the system is working for all parties.

"We believe suppliers are long-term, and fortunately, our products are also like that," he says.

"They’re going to be with our customers for 20, 30 years, so we believe the supplier’s product should also perform in the same way."

Referring to these relationships as "supply partners", Raghavan emphasizes the importance of high-quality businesses, such as oil hydraulic equipment provider Yuken India, as essential to BFW’s success.

"They are growth engines," he says. "We know we can’t do everything, we know we have limited resources, so we believe in partnerships. We need to be agile, not only fast, but flexible. Together, anything that we do, we ask, ‘Will it improve our agility?’"

By rewarding trust and transparency and eliminating the concept of silos in favor of a cohesive team all geared toward achieving the same goals, BFW has created a culture that employees are glad to be part of.

"The only operational success for any organization is the alignment," Raghavan explains.

"That means every person in every level of hierarchy should be able to understand. Each department needs to look at each other as a partner. We want happy employees. I can use words like ‘engaged’, but I don’t want to go that managerial jargon way.

"A smiling employee can make a smiling customer. If they have that, we have insight, enough tools, knowledge and wisdom to help them perform."