OCTOPUS

Nirmal Sri Ram Raju Kavita Inder Abhi

Dec. 21, 2002

PROJECT OCTOPUS

Someday, 3P will have two, reasonably independent "Divisions" (or Strategic Business Units - SBU), VIZ:

Executive Search Division This SBU will primarily engage in "headhunting" for SENIOR level positions. This SBU will depend upon a "NON-MEMBER" database of passive job-seekers, who will need to be located, talked to, persuaded to consider a position.

Recruitment Division This SBU will primarily engage

in MIDDLE level executive-placement with client-companies ().

This division will mainly depend upon a large database of job-seekers, who have submitted their resumes to us, or to any other placement agencies - eg. our partner placement agency program.

Project Manhattan will make it possible for us to build up a large database of such ACTIVE job-seekers. In course of time, Project Manhattan will be entirely "automated" (end-to-end), so that very little human intervention is required in downloading job-advts ( / ) Converting job-advts () Uploading job-advts () receiving resumes Converting resumes () Searching resumes ? () Sending Out resumes () ? Sending-out proposals etc. etc.

This Division will also employ "GLOBAL RECRUITER" () to lock-in customers ().

Whether , should be completely FREE () or it should carry an "Annual Subscription" is something we can decide by listing PROS & CONS of both models.

But, I strongly believe that it should be a "WEB-SERVICE" and not a () which is licensed to buyers for a price. This would require elaborate/complex "VERSION-CONTROL" & type of issues/problems. We would need a whole department for this!

There are no such problems with a . We have to add features / only our own web-server! The users, would need no installation at their

ends. They may or may not even notice any change in the . And will be independent of issues at .

This was a bit of digression.

What is and what is its relevance/importance to this ?

Earlier, we noted that this takes care of its "SUPPLY-SIDE" () thru Project Manhattan, which, we intend to Completely . ().

We, further hope that GLOBAL RECRUITER will help this division Capture "Clients", some of whom will rather "outsource" their than "advertise" on their own.

But, as far as "DEMAND-SIDE" is concerned (), I would not want to depend on "Global Recruiter" only. That would be too dangerous.

I would like to have another/one more CAPTURE ()

And, it must also be a fully AUTOMATED mechanism! very

That is PROJECT OCTOPUS.

On , you must have seen an with its many tentacles and hundreds of suction-cups on each .

A suction-cup firmly attaches itself to a and just does not let go. In fact

to the . Then the () wraps around the and brings it in to where the . Very little hope of escape.

We too, must learn from marvellous (), for .

Remember, "Survival of the " by ? (). .

It is no different in the . If we do not adapt we will get eaten-up by the predators (), who are on the .

But unlike in "", in "Business" we () do not have the luxury to "adapt" over & . In the , a is

"" is a "month"! at which environment is . on an "Tread-mill" (), we would have to, forever , to ! in .

To , we too must into an octopus.

We too, must have a thousand "Suction-Cups" to suck-in "orders".

These , are India's , which are . These are .

Most "local" . .

textMany of them have this resumedatabases in box-files. A few may havesucceeded in entering these records in"textExcel" or"textMS-Access".

textNone of these have their own websites(textormaybe a ), or .

But, in , they will "execute" the text— without (may be) ! ?

textleased lines(textor these .

"".

textORDER EXECUTION SYSTEM(textOES)

 

Component / Concept	Description
Project OCTOPUS	A strategy for Demand-Side Management (getting orders), fully automated, with little human intervention. It involves converting local placement agencies into Franchisees (the "suction-cups") to gather orders from local corporate clients.
Recruitment Division (SBU)	Focuses on MIDDLE level executive placement ( years experience). It handles both the Supply-Side and Demand-Side.
Executive Search Division (SBU)	Focuses on SENIOR level executive placement via "headhunting" passive job-seekers.
Project MANHATTAN	A project to handle the Supply-Side (supply of candidates/resumes) for the Recruitment Division. It is intended to be a large, completely automated system for downloading, converting, searching, and sending out resumes and job advertisements.
GLOBAL RECRUITER	A Web-Service used to lock-in corporate clients, helping the Recruitment Division capture "Clients" (some of whom will outsource recruitment). The author strongly suggests it should be a licensed web-service, not a shrink-wrapped product.
Franchisees (Suction-Cups)	Converted local placement agencies (estimated 1000 across Metros/Class B towns) that bring in local orders. They earn a 30% Franchisee Commission on professional fees.
ORDER EXECUTION SYSTEM (OES)	The central system connected to all franchisees via VPN or leased lines. Franchisees log in using passwords/biometrics to execute orders exactly like an in-house consultant. Nothing can be done outside of OES.
Franchisee Responsibilities (via OES)	Enter Inquiry (OET 1), Send Proposal, Create SON, Conduct resume-search, Prepare short-lists, Communicate, Arrange interview, Assess/Follow-up, Raise Invoice (in 3P's name), Collect/Enter cheque details, Forward cheque to Main.

 

 

Scan_0012.jpg(Page 12/12)

my foregoing Observationsis,

to Order is “brought-in” by franchisee

to Order is “executed” by franchisee

to Cheque is “Collected” by franchisee

and, all that We — Our SERVER, to beprecise — does is,

to deliver “data” over wires — electronically

to keep “track” of each franchisee'sperformance (orders booked/ executed/ being executed/ collections made/ outstandingsetc. etc)

to Credit franchisee's bank-account withwhat is due to him(Commission)

to set “Order Booking/ Net-collectionTargets” for each franchisee

And everything AUTOMATED!

Supply Chain Managementleftrightarrow Demand Chain Management(Manhattan) (Octopus)

But “Conceptualising” is not enough. Wemust translate this into action.

Regards

<Signature>

Kartavya to Inderto HCP

Read enclosed article & following Comparison. It shows we are on the right trackbut movingvery slowly!

10-12-02

Digital Newspaper	JAWS + LOCK-IN
Remote deliveryof entire news-paper in Tabloid format	Remote deliveryof Job Advts.Summary in 6/8 column format
Country Nation/ 100 newspaperoption	Thousands of Job Advts. downloadedfrom Various Websites/ Summarised& search parameters to configureavailable
Available in Hotel lobbies/ cruiseships / Air ports	Available at Cybercafes/ smalltown newspapers/ Edu Institutes/3Poffices
2 text Serversin the Hague, uploadinglatest editionsof worldwide news-papers	3 textP serverbeing uploadedwithjob-advts downloaded(statusCode — converted to COMPOSER
5 text Satellitesto distribute EachKiosk needs a Satellite dish	Internet to distribute. Noextra investmentfor Cybercafe
Latest edition(of newspaper) tobe stored locally in Kiosk'stextPC(must overwrite old editions)	Nothing to be stored (local edition/ version)written on local Cybercafe PCCybercafe can configured downloadwhatever Job-advts Summary(forwhatever date/ textperiod) they want— Even Citywise Jobs/ School info
PEPC Targetting worldwideoperations thru dealer network	We want to target 1600 CyberCafes of India+ we tolcosofReliance & Petrol outlets&600 small town newspapersetc
... aler sees the “Selling Price”	Under “Operation Lock-In”we willpermit Cybercafes to fax/ textsayprice (Per company for sending resumes& give us a fixed amountall the Unemployed graduates ofIndia + executives taking for ajob-change— we need to buy 100 newspapers daily— need to buy website 10 hoursof Webapplications (eg. Ft Lotterysolution) andweekly/monthly “Lock-In”
Advantage to Dealer Kiosk ownerA revenue-model	Advantages to Cybercafe OwnerPotential revenue stream from ClientJob-Advts (Advantage — Brokerage over non-Cybercafes

 

Newspaper Clipping (Hot off every hometown's press)

The touch-sensitive screen at the newspaper vending unit shows a map of the world. Touch the "see-through"text buttonon Europe and you see a list of countries. Touch "Netherlands"and the screen lists three summaries: news, jobs, and credit. Press jobs and two minutes later, the latest edition of the paper of your choice, in tabloid format and fastened with staples, rolls out.

The digital newspaper kiosk is a Dutch invention, developed by PEPCWorld. Among 300 machines, 100 have been installed in hotel lobbies, in airports and on cruise ships in 17 countries. A reader can choose from more than 100 papers. PEPCWorldis part of a trial phase for the distribution system, says Rob Dormanns, PEPC's general director. The machines will be sold, not rented. The entire project is partly financed by the company's listing on the U.S. Stock Exchange.

In the convention center of a 10-story building in The Hagueare two servers, where the latest editions of the papers are delivered. The papers, first uploaded in check-out time, are encrypted in two layers, and are compressed and sent to a network of five satellites. Each electronic kiosk has a satellite dish that downloads latest editions of the various papers. They are then stored on the kiosk's PCand old copies automatically overwritten. At the same time, the server in The Hagueis informed automatically about the kiosk's maintenance and controls the credit card payments.

Waitersresemble the kiosks in Hoogeveen, using downloaded parts that refill. If there is a breakdown, a local dealeris brought in — PEPCwantsto facilitate its worldwide operations through a network of dealers.

They can buy a machine for €9,978or lease one and drink the price of a newspaper, which ranges from €4 to €10. The cost of the paper and toner comes to around €1a paper. What is left is split among the dealer, the newspaper's pub-lisherand PEPC. A company paysa dealerwho sells six to seven papers per machine per daywill cover his costs. He adds that his audienceis the 100 million business trav-ellerswho stay in better-quality three-star and betterfour-starhotelsin the world each year..

"If I want to read a copyofDe Telegraaf in Miami, the paperI get in one or two days, old," hesays, referring to one German paper. "With our kiosk, thanks to the time difference, Ican read on Tuesday nightthepaper that Dutch families willbeseeing on Wednesday morning.". Competition is limited so far, hesays, insisting that newspapers pastingon the screen is not thesame thing.

Installation becomes longer itemsare simply not read and it is im-possible to sit down with the whole pa-per on a terrace in the sun.

Addressing some investors’ concerns, he per-suaded the company’s investors to putmoney into the project. Over the lastthree years, the company’s losses havemounted from €13 million to €18 mil-lion. Sales have risen from 10%of the20 percent of its shares..