Knowledge Application Key Takeaway Of PGDM Course At SCMS-COCHIN, Says Saurabh Das

PRLog (Press Release) - Jun. 28, 2012 - Honest, forthright and straightforward: that describes Saurabh Das, a PGDM (Marketing) alumnus from the 11th batch of SCMS-COCHIN.  Reminiscing fondly about his alma-mater, Saurabh is emphatic that SCMS-COCHIN is no run-of-the-mill institution, but one with impeccable academic credentials, which focuses on learning through the application of knowledge. When looking back at his two years at SCMS-COCHIN, Saurabh gets extremely nostalgic about his days at the old campus. He yearns for those days gone by, where he and his classmates would stroll around the scenic campus after classes and have light snacks and cups of tea at the canteen.

About the professors at SCMS-COCHIN, Saurabh is all praise as he has learnt a lot from them. He describes the classes at SCMS-COCHIN as practical ones that go beyond just reading and studying. This is what distinguishes SCMS-COCHIN from other institutes. The lessons learnt there helped him and other students like him to tackle real life problems. A contented Saurabh says the journey from SCMS-COCHIN to now has been smooth sailing.  Having started out as an associate with Convergys some seven years back, today Saurabh is the India contact centre manager handling core call centre operations at OSI Systems, Hyderabad.

At OSI Systems, Saurabh handles a small contact centre with a head count of 36 people who report to three team leaders and are supported by a subject matter expert, and a voice and action trainer. “My core team is basically five members: three team leaders, subject matter expert and voice and action trainer. They report to me and manage the India call centre,” says Saurabh. About the SCMS-COCHIN alumni placement trend in call centres, Saurabh says, “Very few people from SCMS-COCHINhave joined call centres. As you have to work night shifts, your biological clock goes for a toss.” Saurabh says that while the call centre sector is challenging, there is no rapid growth as the sector has now reached a plateau. In hindsight, a PGDM degree in a call centre is not a liability, says Saurabh. What’s more important, he adds, is that one should keep performing as an associate or a team leader or a subject matter expert, and prove one’s mettle every day.

So as a call centre professional, what are Saurabh’s learnings from the industry after having graduated from SCMS-COCHIN? Says Saurabh, “Firstly, a manager should know that a business is driven by people and not by a process and he should put people first, because people make the process and the process generates revenue. In short, the focus should be on PPR:  people, process and revenue. These are the three things a manager should possess. Follow your people, work for their betterment, show them how they can get ahead. If your people work for you they will follow the process and create new processes. They will create that niche with which you can generate revenues.” Little wonder, then, that SCMS-COCHIN’s emphasis on a people-centric approach has helped Saurabh quickly climb the ladder of success. His advice to the present lot of students at SCMS-COCHIN is: study hard, don’t get bookish, apply knowledge, enjoy everything and love what you are doing.