Leveraging logistics

Lokmat Times Young Turks

YOGESH GOLE

A mechanical engineer from Symbiosis International University, Pune, an M Sc in Advanced Manufacturing Technology from the University of Manchester, UK and an MBA in Manufacturing Management from BITS Pilani… Swapnil Ansarwadekar, Director, Business Development at Vibhuti Logistics and partner at Vibhuti Transways Combines, had impressive academic credentials and rich work experience in manufacturing technology. One fine morning, he took a call to put his past behind him and joined his family business of logistics. He leveraged his knowledge of operations to make this shift successful.

Q: Please tell us about your entrepreneurial journey.

A: Frankly, joining business was never on my mind.

After engineering, I worked in internet sector for a year, optimization of revenue generated by ad spaces on website being my responsibility. Later, I joined Siemens and handled multiple portfolios like production, planning and control, exports from Aurangabad and supply chain management. I was being groomed for a bigger role, there was no pressure from the family to be an entrepreneur. However, coming at the crossroads, I joined the family business in 2019.

Q: How was it shifting from manufacturing to logistics?

A: Logistics is an unexplored field and not many educated people venture into it. I believe when you are educated, have industry exposure, and know how industry functions, you can help evolve this business to altogether a different level.

Q: What changes you had to make to adapt to new field?

A: I find quote ‘True illiterate of the 21st century is not somebody who cannot read, writer or speak but the one who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn’ very relevant. In logistics, I kept engineering, my past learning aside, trying to understand what exactly customers, employees, and old colleagues in the existing team want and tried to achieve the right balance. Operations management, which is largely part of supply chain, has been part of my engineering education and if you know OM you are pretty much covered for logistics.

Q: Tell us something about Vibhuti Logistics.

A: My father, who is an MBA gold medalist from the Nanded University, floated Vibhuti 18 years ago, after working for 20 years in the pan-India transport business. We started with two small vehicles in the Waluj MIDC, catering to customers from Aurangabad. We have today evolved into a full-fledged logistic company handling all sorts of cargo nationally, distribution matrix, milk run logistics, and warehousing. Primarily we cater to auto ancillaries supplying to OEMs, like Bajaj Auto and Mahindra. We do inventory management for manufacturers like storing their products in our warehouses and delivering them at the right place when needed. Vibhuti has presence in Chakan, Pune and Aurangabad and oversee movement of one lakh metric tonnes of cargo annually.

Q: What changes did you bring about in the business?

A: The first change that my entry made is that people became vocal. Earlier, the staff was afraid of what will happen if they made a mistake. Now, they own mistake, learn from it. We also turned to digitalization, use tools like SIM-based tracking, GPS trackers to monitor vehicles. We are developing a trucking portal for customers. Currently, communication is made through phone calls, WhatsApp message and SMS but we are working on giving an interface to customers so that they can interact directly with us bypassing long network of communication. We are planning to expand to Mumbai and Nashik and create Ecommerce or trucking platform for full truckload transportation.

Q: What are the challenges before logistics industry in Aurangabad?

A: Profits were significantly impacted by the rise in fuel prices. Wages are going up. However, expenses are not coming down. Nobody will accommodate 40 per cent inflation in rate, so it’s a tightrope walk. The situation will be there only for a year or two and things will look up after international scenario improves.

Q: Your experience of working in a family managed business.

A: The biggest positive and negative is your boss and dad is the same person. The advantage is you need not be afraid and he is there to guide you if you make a mistake. Organizations are bound by discipline but here you have flexibility in using your time. In a corporate environment, if some decision goes wrong there are many people accountable for it but in the FMB every decision is yours. Once you start owning your decisions, nobody can stop you.