Interview with Ramamurthy P. Rao, Head of R&D and Quality, Al Muqarram Auto Spare Parts Trading LLC
- Can you tell us more about your background and the role you play at A-MAP?
How did you became a part of the automotive industry? – I joined the automotive battery industry straight after my graduation in Engineering and have been here ever since. I had the good fortune of being trained and working with the global best in the lead acid batteries business and have had extensive exposure to both the Eastern and Western philosophies of the manufacture of automotive batteries for over two decades. Besides setting up and running battery plants successfully, the experience of working very closely with almost all the major auto makers helped me to gain a vast insight into customer needs and their expectations both in terms of the product and service. This was the motivation for me to transition to a role which puts me closer to the consumer and deliver a value proposition to all the valued clientele of the organization that I am now in, Al Muqarram. At A-MAP, I play the role of being a facilitator and a vital link connecting both the ends of the business chain, and my Tech Center here in Dubai helps the designers and manufacturers to understand the customer and in the bargain develop and deliver products that get appreciated and help us build brands. It doesn’t just stop there. In line with the vision of my management to be the preferred partner to both buyers and suppliers, my role is to ensure that we succeed in our mission to add value to the businesses of our stakeholders by helping them to set up systems in their businesses in any part of the globe, which delivers Quality and Service to all the end consumers of the products and the brands that we believe in.
- The automotive industry is evolving at a very rapid pace. How important is the role of research and development in such a scenario at the global level?
Innovation and development have always been the cornerstone of the automotive industry. This is evident in the progress the world has seen so far and how it has converted the whole globe into one single market place with the economies of countries linked so closely to the fate and fortune of the automotive industry.
- What percentage of the budget at A-MAP is devoted to research and development involving new and improved products?
“Trust Quality-Trust A-MAP” defines our core philosophy, and for an auto parts trading company which is not in the realm of direct manufacturing, to invest in R&D in this region is unique and a first by itself. We plough in substantial portion of our revenues in not only development of products and accessories, but also in understanding and building localized services at our client business locations. Our understanding of the business and the dynamic nature of customer requirements, help create focused projects at our Tech Center with not only our associate manufacturers but also with the R&D’s of auto majors who would use our knowledge and facilities for their internal development, which is a revenue model for us too. Focus on application engineering and applied R&D serves as a very crucial tool for us to remain ahead of our competition.
- How do you prioritize what to develop next as part of the research process?
Customer forms the basis of all our activities, and customer requirements generally drive our projects. Stated and unstated demands of customers are all considered when we conceptualize and initiate any project. Being directly in contact with the end consumer, our associate manufacturers and their R&D’s use our Tech Center for all their field research activities and testing processes too. Based on our continuous assessment of current and future trends in the market, we devise projects on which we work jointly with our suppliers.
- For those of our readers who are curious about the R&D process, how long does the development of a new product take? Do you work on the basis of feedback from customers?
New products or for that matter even product upgrades would take anywhere from 6 to 24 months to hit the retailer shelves, going through the various stages from development of concept through to design, prototype, testing and finally production. In our industry, field testing would normally contribute to a substantial portion of the project lead time in the whole cycle. As in any R&D, focused on end user applications, customer requirements form the basis for most of our development work, but the dynamic nature of the business and cross-industry technological developments keep us busy with the need to constantly innovate and improve product offerings.
- In this region, motorists experience extreme temperatures and a diverse range of terrains. How much effort is made to ensure that the products you make, especially the batteries are localized and suitable for use in the Middle East?
We draw strength from our management’s belief in delivering a quality experience to all our consumers. This keeps us motivated to adhere to the Deming Cycle of Quality in all our activities. All auto parts in general and batteries in particular are subjected to the toughest conditions of actual performance in the Middle East region. It is true that for batteries, both extreme temperatures and high usage have deleterious effects on performance life. This has been both a challenge and an opportunity for us. A deep understanding of the product and manufacturing process coupled with the understanding of local requirements among the wide diaspora of customer ethnicities have helped us to make customized changes in our products and the way they are manufactured to improve performance parameters specific for use in ME. We have focused on continual, incremental changes which have helped us to not only improve our customer experience, but also to bring down our claim ratio to one of the lowest in the region. Another very crucial aspect of our business is Application/Use-Abuse of products, so we also dedicate a significant amount of time and efforts in Customer (our distributors/retailers) education and their team development. To this effect, we conduct workshops both in our in-house training center or at customer locations in any of the countries they operate. Today, we can proudly say that A-MAP is being benchmarked for its systems/processes and customer handling, especially in UAE and MENA region.
- The issue of gray and fake parts is a serious one in this region. How does A-MAP ensure that the company’s products are of the highest quality?
This is the bane of auto industry in this region. We as an organization work on this issue with a two pronged approach :
- Internal Approach : All the products and brands that we deal with are sourced from only the global best and reputed OE manufacturers who are certified to the highest Quality System standards and work very closely with our technical teams in product development and quality control. We audit our supplier processes periodically and ensure fool-proofing of NC areas. Our marketing team works in tandem with the manufacturers in developing markets, building and propagating our brands. The extreme focus on brand equity keeps us motivated to ensure Quality First always. Every product goes through a clearly defined quality control process right from Incoming inspection to PDI at all our warehouses. We have dedicated finishing lines in our warehouses to ensure Quality is delivered to every single customer.
- External Approach: We work closely with all the local government & regulatory bodies, wherever our products are marketed to ensure that every product is certified as per local statutory requirements before delivering the same to the market. We ensure that our products meet all the local standards specific to each country, be it GSO, SASO, DGSM, SABS etc.
- Electric vehicles are gaining growing traction in this market and in other markets across the globe. Does A-MAP have any products for this segment?
We are already working on products in the realm of advanced vehicles like ISS and HEVs. We have definite plans to be part of the future in battery technology for both PHEVs and PEVs.
- What would you say is the logical next step in battery development?
Making EV technology safe and affordable are going to be the key areas for development in the battery industry. Another major challenge is in standardizing the EV battery chemistry to achieve economies of scale.
- How important is the coordination between R&D and other departments for the development of a new product?
When you are in a business, any innovation or development is driven from the perspective of customer. This being the case, no successful innovation or development can just be born in labs or creative studios in isolation. It will require the convergence of all the stakeholders and organizational divisions to deliver it successfully to the market. To this effect, our R&D works very closely with our Supplier R&D/Technical/Production/Marketing teams on one side of the spectrum and our own Marketing/Sales/Service/Expediting/Finance teams on the other keeping our end consumer in focus.
- Can you tell us a little more about the new products that have been developed by A-MAP under your leadership and do give us some insight to what you have done differently which has brought a positive change for your organization?
Development is a continuous process and our endeavor has been to deliver the right kind of products & service for the markets that we are in. We have been able to create a niche for our brands over the past years by :
- Revisiting existing product designs and re-designing them to suit MENA region usage.
- Intervention in manufacturing technology to help factories build fail safe products by eliminating manufacturing defects.
- Developing a whole range of products for In-house brand of Automotive Lead Acid batteries, with latest technology in plate making to suit the High Heat conditions. We launched this range in the last edition of Automechanika Dubai 2019.
- Establishing a full-fledged training center in Dubai, to propagate the knowledge of the product and its application to all customers, as we firmly believe that only awareness and understanding would help our customers to derive real value for the money they have invested in us and our products.
- The UAE is a market in which the commercial vehicles market is just as important as that for passenger cars. What are your products for the commercial vehicles market and what advantages do they offer compared to other products in the market?
The commercial vehicles market in the MENA region forms a very substantial part of our product portfolio offering in the market. We have had very severe failure issues linked to the typical usage and environmental conditions of the region in the past. But with our expertise in product design and knowledge of customer requirement, we were able to re-design our products very quickly. After making advancements in our production processes, we are now offering products for CV which offer the lowest failure rates in the market. Our products not only endure extreme high heat conditions, but with the 3 dimensional cell locking they offer the best in class vibration resistance to deliver hassle free long life.
- What are the new products that you have lined up for the near future?
We are jointly working with the R&D of our associate manufacturers in developing high temperature corrosion resistant lead acid batteries for the GCC region, we are in very advanced stage of field testing.
- What do you like most about working for A-MAP?
Motivation to work in A-MAP stems from our top management’s clarity of vision and passion for excellence. All business vertical heads are empowered to work independently and the humane touch in management make A-MAP a great place to work in.
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