Ola CEO says Japanese word 'Gemba' can save start-ups from falling into trap

Ola CEO, Bhavish Aggarwal, said that start-ups can be saved from falling into a trap by going the 'Gemba' way. During a conference, Aggarwal said that it is a very easy thing to manage when one does not have to make money. He further added that when a person decides to build a proper and real business, that is when they need to understand the nuances of operations and also understand things that are happening on the ground level.

The 'Gemba' way

Agarwal stated that all the start-ups that have transitioned in the phase of stabilization i.e. setting up a proper structure and systems in place, have the risk of getting into the same trap just like a multinational company. 

For Bhavish Aggarwal, the method to excel is very simple and that is to regularly meet customers, visit the site of the operation and focus on 'Gemba' a word whose literal translation is 'the actual place' and talks about the site where value is generated. 

Aggarwal said that Gemba is the biggest management tool for him and added that focus should always be at the source where the value is being created i.e. the ground. Aggarwal is of the opinion that having focus on where the value is being created helps organisations strengthen their operations excellence and efficiencies and growth in a profitable way.

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Profitable time for Ola

Indian ride-hailing company Ola is now onboarding drivers in London ahead of the official launch, Ola said in the statement. Ola's announcement came at a time when rival Uber is losing the license to operate in London. The Transport for London (TfL) has already denied a new 15-month license due to concerns about impostor drivers.

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Ola managed to secure an operating licence from Transport for London (TfL) earlier this year. Ola announced that it has begun registering licenced drivers in London as it prepares to launch operations in the city.

More than 50,000 licenced drivers will now continue to offer Ola's ride-hailing service in London. Ola launched its operations in the UK starting with Cardiff in August 2018. Ola has been expanding across the UK and serving millions of users across cities like Birmingham, Liverpool, Exeter, Reading, Bristol, among others.

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(With inputs from agencies)