Products, circular models, commercialization and growth, led by GroundReality.
Value-fashion retail format of a retail groupIndia & UAE · 2017–2018 · Consulting & process transformation
Sourcing strategy from fabric to garment
New opportunity-buying model
A low-price format for Tier 2–4 markets needed back-end efficiency to protect margins.
What we did
- 5D engagement: discovery of sourcing leakages and customer buying patterns
- Opportunity-buying model and supply-chain redesign (procurement, warehousing, logistics)
- Business maturity model, competency mapping, Lean Six Sigma and project management
Outcomes
- A new business model for opportunity buying
- Clearly defined, competency-mapped business processes
- A supply chain and team ready for large-scale expansion
Leading paints & coatings companyIndia · 2020 · Training & workshops
Design thinking to execution
Design thinking to execution
Turning creativity workshops into implemented ideas.
What we did
- Structured journey from empathy and problem framing through ideation, prototyping and testing
Outcomes
- Ideas taken to prototype and roll-out plans
International Business Management (IBM) program, University of PortsmouthLondon campus, UK · Workshop · Training & workshops
Innovation and commercialization
Innovation & commercialization workshop
Connecting innovation theory to business models and market execution.
What we did
- Innovation strategy, frugal and disruptive models, intellectual property, business models and commercialization
Outcomes
- Students applied commercialization frameworks to real ventures
GridMatsIndia · 2019 onwards · Ventures & social impact
Circular-material infrastructure, from patent to 36 projects
125,000+ sq m installed
Turning a waste-material insight into a commercial infrastructure product.
What we did
- Patented recycled-polypropylene system for roads, industrial yards, logistics, aviation and public spaces
- Full commercial cycle: solution design, costing, delivery oversight and quality review
- High-load application at a major Indian airport
Outcomes
- 125,000+ sq m installed
- Deployed across roads, industrial yards, logistics and aviation
PotHoleRajaIndia · 30+ cities · 2016 onwards · Ventures & social impact
A citizen-led road-safety movement at national scale
40,000+ potholes across 30+ cities
Potholes and unsafe roads, with fragmented ownership between agencies, companies and citizens.
What we did
- CSR, public-private-people partnership models
- Corporate employee volunteering with multinational companies
- Eco-conscious repair methods and road-safety education
Outcomes
- 40,000+ potholes fixed across 30+ cities
- 25,000+ volunteers and 15,000+ children engaged in road safety
- US$4M+ raised for CSR road-safety interventions
Process, leadership and learning programs led by Dr. Prathaap Rao, Ph.D. This work is now offered through Arpitha Associates, where he is also Managing Partner, with Opptimise for behavioural insight.
Infrastructure asset-management companyMalaysia · 2013–2015 · Consulting & process transformation
Business process transformation: from 374 voices to validated savings
RM 13,300+ saved per work order
Low process maturity, paper-heavy operations and no shared view of where revenue, cost and cash were leaking.
What we did
- Discovery with input from 374 employees, clients and suppliers (BPM maturity assessment and interviews)
- Balanced-scorecard focus areas and top-5 priority projects with a board-reviewed cost-benefit case
- Phase 2: operational-excellence and client-acquisition projects run through a war-room cadence
- Automated tender and pricing model; CRM and project-monitoring workflow prototyped
Outcomes
- RM 13,300+ saving per work order, validated by Finance and project teams
- 2.5–3 hours saved per day on each pavement and traffic work order
- Tender and pricing teams across the group trained on the automated pricing model
- A replicable method for roll-out across regions and sister companies
Arpitha Associates engagement
Specialty-ingredients manufacturerIndia & APAC · 2013–2017 · Consulting & process transformation
Journey to excellence: process, capability and culture together
57 leaders certified
Linear growth, siloed decisions, limited knowledge management and a numbers-only focus.
What we did
- Business process discovery with 209 stakeholder inputs, APQC process classification and maturity assessment
- Vision and values alignment from CXOs to operators; leadership assessments and coaching
- Lean Six Sigma and project-management training with live projects
- Competency framework and mapping across the organization
Outcomes
- Five enterprise priorities agreed from the evidence
- 57 leaders and managers certified (Lean Six Sigma Green/Black Belt, PMP)
- Processes mapped to the APQC Process Classification Framework
- Growth to 4 new locations and 250+ more people during the engagement
Arpitha Associates engagement
Global healthcare-technology companyIndia · 2019 · Consulting & process transformation
A learning and development landscape built on evidence
Board-approved L&D landscape
Learning needs varied by role, location and function, without a data-backed view.
What we did
- Quantitative and qualitative assessment: surveys, interviews and focus groups
- Advanced statistics and modelling by role, location, experience and function
- Global benchmarking and a proposal to the board of directors
Outcomes
- New learning and development landscape implemented
- Department-wise recommendations connected to global learning models
Financial-services firmIndia · 2012–2013 · Consulting & process transformation
Operating model and process discipline for a growing firm
Operating model for growth
Rapid growth without a clear business model, process maps or competency framework.
What we did
- Vision, values, mission and beliefs
- Business process management with APQC classification and a technology revamp
- Lean Six Sigma, COPC, agile and project-management methods; coaching
Outcomes
- Clearly articulated business model, process maps and departmental goals
- Competency mapping, development and measurement in place
- Recognized among the leaders in its segment
Gifting & e-commerce companyIndia · 2012 · Consulting & process transformation
Organization development and process discovery
Process discovery and leader development
Growing fast without defined processes or leadership bench.
What we did
- Business process and systems discovery with project execution
- Leader-development workshops and belongingness-inventory research
Outcomes
- Defined processes and a developing leadership bench
Engineering & construction groupMalaysia · 2013–2016 · Large-scale implementations
Leadership pipeline, PMO and value-added projects at group scale
RM 165M a year in savings
A leadership pipeline not ready for larger projects and senior roles; process and operational losses.
What we did
- Business process and systems discovery across the organization
- Project Management Professional (PMP) certification for senior managers, including the MD
- Project-management office set-up for the top 20 business-critical projects
- Culture of performance excellence and leadership development for project teams
Outcomes
- RM 500M+ a year of value-added projects identified
- RM 165M a year in savings reported by the program
- 100+ future leaders developed and coached
- Top 20 business-critical projects supported through the PMO
Arpitha Associates engagement
Global technology company (as Global VP)Worldwide · 2010 · Large-scale implementations
One process-improvement method for a global organization
Unified global improvement method
Multiple improvement methods across regions and business units.
What we did
- Consolidated a single, unified process-improvement methodology
- Lean Six Sigma Black Belt training and certification for business, operations and quality managers in Costa Rica, Mexico, Poland and India
Outcomes
- A unified methodology adopted across the organization
- Certified Black Belts across four countries
National highway projectIndonesia · 2014–2015 · Large-scale implementations
Performance excellence for a major highway project
Major highway project
Aligning a large project organization on quality, pace and accountability.
What we did
- Culture of performance excellence program for project leadership and teams
Outcomes
- Shared performance language across one of Indonesia’s largest highway projects
Arpitha Associates engagement
Diversified listed conglomerateSri Lanka · Group program · Leadership & culture
High-vision, high-value leadership that pays back
LKR 240M added to the bottom line
Leadership pipeline, business acumen and decision-making needed to keep pace with growth.
What we did
- Four-phase leadership program for 139 leaders
- Gap analysis: intention–action, action–perception, perception–expectation
- Value-added projects driven by the participants
- One-to-one coaching with value-profile instruments
Outcomes
- LKR 240M added to the bottom line
- Value-added projects paid back in under 24 months
- Leadership style shifted from directive to developmental and empowering
Arpitha Associates engagement
National power utilityMalaysia · 2014 onwards · Leadership & culture
A culture of performance excellence across the value chain
A decade-long leadership partnership
Aligning regional and general managers across transmission, distribution and generation.
What we did
- Top-leadership development across three business units
- Vision, values and business-acumen programs for regional and general managers
Outcomes
- A decade-long leadership partnership
- Shared vision and values language across business units
Arpitha Associates engagement
Global automakerUSA · Group program · Leadership & culture
A global leadership-development framework for a turnaround
Global leadership framework
Silo mentality and firefighting during a downturn; development left to chance.
What we did
- Global training-needs assessment by leadership level (focus groups, surveys, interviews)
- Six leadership themes linked to the new CEO’s culture and behaviours
- Program design, pilot and global roll-out with tracked metrics
Outcomes
- Stronger bench strength and faster readiness for promotion
- More networking and collaboration across functions and regions
- Direct input into joint ventures, emerging-market plans and product launches
Arpitha Associates engagement
Technology services firmIndia · 2014–2015 · Leadership & culture
Building a future-ready organization
Future-ready organization
Scaling people, process and culture together.
What we did
- Leadership assessments, workshops and coaching
- People, process, technology and belongingness diagnostics
Outcomes
- A performance-excellence culture and future-readiness plan
Global IT services companyIndia · Workshop · Training & workshops
Systems thinking for managers
Two-day systems thinking workshop
Moving from event-driven firefighting to systems-level problem solving.
What we did
- Two-day systems-thinking workshop: causal loops, quality by design, root-cause and consensus tools
Outcomes
- Managers equipped with systems and problem-solving tools for live issues
Outcomes are as recorded in project closure reports, program case studies and client documents. Figures are case-specific and indicative, not guarantees of future results. Engagements marked “Arpitha Associates engagement” were delivered with Arpitha Associates, where Dr. Prathaap Rao, Ph.D. is also Managing Partner.
