Good day, Dr. G. Citybabu. I'm Arjun. I've had a look through your background and your professional record. I'm interested in hearing more about your work and how you see yourself fitting in here with our faculty. Ready to start?

Yes, I'm ready to start.

Yeah.

Please start by introducing your professional journey in academia.

Thank you uh for the opportunity. So I am doctor Siti Babu. Currently I'm working assessment professor from AMITA School of Business Bangalore campus. So I completed my PhD from National Institute of Technology Dhritarapalli. My research background is Lynn 6 Sigma industry 4.15.0. And then I have uh completed my PG in UH St. Biology Chakalingam engineering college. So my specialization is ME industrial engineering and I did my Btech in mechanical.

I have published a lot of research articles in a top tier channels and including my latest obligation in IEEE Transactions on Engineering Managements. So I have received an I have received a budding Researcher award from the for my outstanding research performance in 2023 to 2024 from NIT National Institutes of Technology and I have attended many conferences. Recently, I have filed one patent. Descent related patent and currently I have 1211 articles.

Junior Quality Engineering 0 translator's private, private, limited and two years in the academic areas especially. I worked as a teaching fellow in Anna University for uh, almost nearly 8 to 8 months then.

Out of the data from T1 and one ABC articles that is my recent publication from IEEE Transaction or Engineering management. Currently I'm teaching the subset like Lean Sigma 4.0, Quality 4.0, then Service Operation management, Strategic source links and more interested on the supply chain management too. This is all about me then I feel that.

So Velour is my hometown so it is more relevant to contribute to my local community as I was a born and brought up in Vellore so I can contribute more to the VAT as well as my Vellore people.

Thank you for sharing your background, Professor. Let us begin with evaluating the relevant skills for the Professor in Operations role. Can you explain the approach you adopt to teach and simplify complex topics, such as Lean Sigma 4.0 or Service Operations Management, to students of varying academic preparedness?

Yeah, so currently because I'm from technical background like me industry engineering and then B mechanical engineering and then did my PSD in from lean six man received 4.0. So since most of my research and then my education background is more technicals, but I'm currently looking for the opportunity in the Business School. So it will be little bit tough for me to the people to teach. But at the same times I have a diverse background like I have a experience of both industries as well as the academic area, so.

And then I currently taking a class assignment. I'm, I mean continuously taking the classes in Amrita School of Business. So I feel that there are most of them students are from various backgrounds. So I'll give more case studies to understand the more technical concept like lean 6 Sigma, industry 4.0 and then 5.0. These are very technical things. So I try to I try to teach this topics to the people who have a diverse background by using more case studies, especially like Indian based case studies.

That like, uh, I introduced the course as I, I can give the example like Rameshwaram Kafei, then umm Arvind I, I hospitals, then Haldiram, umm uh, foods, then uh, Vishnu grants, then RNA health healthcare health hospitals and then VAT case studies, then hardware business case studies. I use different case studies and very relevant simple example to cover the people from the diverse background. So my way of teaching, introducing the concepts, techniques. And by the techniques we can discuss with the case studies to understand how this technique or the terms has been real time working in the environment. So there are a lot of books and papers usually for the book, which is more Indianized books, because we can be able to I can give a lot of case studies from our domestic or Indian based case studies. So they can relevant, they can relate this examples, relate this case studies in the in their fields. And then they can understand this kind of the technical.

Likely in 16-1 industry 4.05.0 and so on. So this is how I will teach the service operation management too. So I have discussed the case studies like Arvind Hospital, then Mother Diary, then Avin Milk products then about this Narayana Health. So these are the case studies which I'm recently discussing with the people to understand to bring this concept better to the students in the more appropriate way they can able to relate this concepts very easily because.

Saturday, today activities are they can be encountered in that day-to-day life activities. So again, they can relate this concept with this case studies, Yeah.

Thank you, Professor, for elaborating on your approach. It's clear that you leverage real-life and local context to make technical topics accessible. Could you delve into your contributions to research in the realm of Service Operations Analytics or Sustainable Operations, particularly highlighting any impactful insights or frameworks you've developed?

So currently I'm working in the Lean 6 Sigma 4.15, point OH quality 4.0 and then.

Yes, so.

Could you provide specific insights or frameworks you have contributed to in terms of Service Operations Analytics or Sustainable Operations through your research?

Can I continue?

OK, I'll continue. So my research is more related to Lane Sigma 4.01.0 and then there's quality 4.0 and then operational excellence. Those are the topics we are we are currently I'm doing a research on this qualify point of those things and all so, so generally I have developed so.

A paper they have introduced the concept of Lane Sigma 5.0, which is one of the scholarly work.

Plot of famous uh, and then we developed the skill set which is relevant for implementing the Lean 6 Sigma 4.0 in the organization. We have collected the data from the various industrial background, uh, academic background, people who have the experience more than 10 to 15 years. So we have shared all the informations once the pepper got published, so we have shared this information. People started utilizing this kind of studies and then framework in the real world also.

Understood,

Atmanirbhar Abhiyan things and the making India initiatives. So these are the my relevant studies which is talks about the social as well as the Indian based research so they can get the benefit out of MIT. So especially my skill set development framework developments, metrics developments then which is relevant to the making in their self-sufficient economic like Atmanirbhar Rabian and then sustainable related metrics. These are the things. I'm currently doing like basically lean Sigma 5.0 is magically talks about that.

And then we try to implement the link.

That are my recent public. Recent research publication has been done in 2026 also.

Yeah.

Thank you, Professor. Your integration of Lean Sigma and Industry 5.0 pillars, particularly emphasizing sustainability and human-centric approaches, demonstrates a deep connection to applied research and its real-world implications. Now, regarding your ability to guide student projects and research: could you share examples of any student projects you have supervised and how you supported them to achieve meaningful outcomes?

Hello.

Yes, Professor. Could you share examples of student projects you have guided and how you ensured their projects achieved meaningful results?

And as the bot of Amador School of Business also we have that that separate course for this IAC course. So we used to train the students to write the papers. So usually they I will first suggestion I will go to I will select the topics or I will discuss which are the areas you want to work. So basically we will do some kind of literature review work. Then once the literature review work has been done, then we can able to develop the frameworks and then. So I'll, I'll ask the students to read the research articles then then every every week or twice a week they will I will ask my students to come and meet me and we have one hour, 32 one, one hour, just 30 minutes to one hour discussions to talk about what are the research gaps they have, identify how they identify whether they are well documented or not, if there is any issues, what is the solution we have needed. If I'm not, I'm not knowing those things. Also, I will spend some time story, read those topics. So I will ensure the scientific.

OK, so here. So I have trained even my during my PhD, so under my supervision of my guide doctor, Doctor Yamani. So we have trained the people from the diverse background like from basically from Nat. So it's like VAT. So we have a more engineering people as well as the MBA peoples. So we have trained them to write the papers.

Threads once the resist cap is identified, we try to choose the appropriate methods once the appropriate method has been chooses whether they have been scientifically tested or not. So those are the things we are doing in the I was doing in my during my PhD also now I'm currently assistant professor as a part of my we have to do train our MBA students and then even. Given the engineering student to write the papers and also we have we have some papers who I have collaborated with.

Uh, UG and PG, uh students from MB and then B.Tech. So I have a little bit of experience to train the, uh, not very high, but I at least a little bit of experience to, uh, understand the students knowledge and how to grab the, uh, research, how to raise the skill of the students, those things. And yes.

Thank you, Professor. It is clear that you actively mentor students across varying educational backgrounds, ensuring they grasp research methodology and scientific rigor. Could you now elaborate on your teaching strategies when handling diverse academic cohorts, ensuring inclusivity and engagement across learners with varying levels of expertise?

Yes. So this is one of the challenge I think usually the business schools are facing irrespective of this people. So people from the wide diverse background, so they are from BSc comma, BSc become background and then BSc background, BA backgrounds and ME background, B.Tech background, mathematical background. So it's very a tough and challenging as a wait time is a very interesting tool. Teach the people. So it is said dual way of learning the things. We can also have a lot of opportunity to learn the people. So my way of teaching is, uh, try to, uh, give the, I'll introduce the technical concepts as a theory or some as a theory or the maximum key terminologies and try to relate this terminology with the real time example are very basic example like day-to-day activities like zip Toast. They will, I'll give you example like a zip Toast delivery app. If it is a delivery app, we'll go for the zip toes. If it is a.

Data center I'll give very simple example so everyone can able to get those things. If I will ensure whether every students are understand by asking the questions. If they are not understanding I'll give more example which is for example I will check the backgrounds. Whether some mathematical background or from the engineering background or from the arts and science backgrounds or from the commerce backgrounds. So based on that information, so I will give some more examples, more diverse example to understand this technical terms better way. And I'll give some assignments assessment so they can, I can, able to understand whether they have grabbed this knowledge or not. So these are the way, uh, usually I'm following, uh, things, things, and I will keep on learning to improve myself because from the technical backgrounds, I, every students are very unique. So I'll give more.

Uh, uh, it was as well as the unique as well as the very relevant example, very significant example to understand the concepts better. And I will ensure, uh, uh, I will also ensure that they have understand or not by asking questions, by, uh, by giving surprise test or by ask, by, uh, conducting some, uh, return test or something, by asking the questions are there ask them to write the, write something in the board. So these are the way I can, I can evaluate whether students are understand or not. If they are not understand, I'll give more.

Which is which makes them to understand better, Yeah.

Understood, Professor. You have demonstrated a thoughtful approach to engaging diverse academic cohorts by tailoring examples and assessments to suit varying backgrounds. Now, let’s discuss your contributions in academia through publications. Could you share specific details about your most impactful publication and its implications for the academic or industrial community?

Yes, one my, uh, very recent papers, which was published in 2025, uh, at the, I mean, I, I think in the August or September. So we are, I have published one of the flagship journal I triple E transactions on engineering migrant managements in that we are discuss about what is the essential skill for implementing Lean 60 by industry 4.0 successfully. So we have conducted via utilized the mixed method approach where we have conducted the interview, uh, with the, uh, with the experts with more than.

15 years of experience in this field and then we collect the data from the various industrial, industrial, industrial, industrial sectors from starting from manufacturing service sectors like healthcare, banking, those tunnels. We have collected individually around 273. Responses to earlier the relationship between the skill set and then essential skill set to implement LSS 4.0. This one other significant research and they have published one of the I triple E transactions have flagship journals and this information also shared with this 300 plus respondents. So more of them are from the industrial and academic institutions and the IEO. I will treat this kind of the skills in while taking the classes on lean 60 man industry 4.0 and I have shared this information to the people who have who have participated in the survey most.

The industrial background, those people also trained their employees with this kind of the skill sets. So this one of the major contribution I have done to the OR to the field of LSS 4.0 both from the industrial side as well as the academical sites. And my very recent papers have been published on this this month 2026 Operation Excellence. That was in the that was the understanding about the what is the current theme? What is the future theme? We have collected the data from the almost globally from the top.

Operation, operation excellence Specialist. So this is also one of the excellent research we have done. So it was published in the TQM, one of the top ten top 10 percentile journal of Scopus index.

And I have a lot of papers, almost 11 papers. Out of that eight are from Q1T1UH. Top 10 percentile journals, yes.

So usually I'll guide the students to I will encourage the students to do our research actually even in this academic activities. Also, we I'll try to do some research projects or live projects to understand the concept or to implement this concepts better when they will do a real time studies. Yeah, usually my way is to I'll discuss the topic. I'll do for example, I'll suggest a student some major topics. Then I'll I'll ask the students to go for the some. Review, I'll guide how to do the systematic way of doing the latest review every every week twice I'll request the team to meet me. So in that they we will have a discussion. So on the literature office done. Then we will go for the research cap identification. So on this is research gap identification. I'll then I'll select what is the research methodology you want to fill this research gap. I'll ask the students to do some kind of the literature review or kind of a literature study. What suitable methodology can be used to do those kind of to address these research gaps. I'll give some times to do that.

Thank you, Professor, for providing details about your impactful work in Lean Six Sigma 4.0 and Operational Excellence. Your publications in high-impact journals, particularly IEEE Transactions and TQM, highlight significant contributions to both academia and industry. Let us now shift to assessing your expertise in guiding operations-focused projects. Could you outline how you would guide student research aimed at integrating sustainability practices within a service operations setting?

Usually my way is not a spoon speeding. I'll I will ask the student to read and I'll the questions and if they are struggling then I'll give my responses. Similar way I'll do my research. Also I'll send some of the papers to readings. Once the readings I'll ask some questions how they will find the research caps everything I'll do. So since I have one of my NPTEL courses I have done is interaction research that helps me to how to systematic way of doing the research that I'll this I'll recommend to the students to go through this kind of the courses to understand the.

Every week they will come with the solutions. Wherever they will stick, I will guide them. And then if possible, I try to teach the methodologies and then I'll ensure whether this the research cap has been scientifically addressed or not. So then.

Better whenever they feel stuck, then I'll, I'll them better. So this is how actually I'm doing. I'm teaching the uh students to do the research things, those things and yeah.

Thank you, Professor. It’s evident that you emphasize a systematic, student-driven approach to research, guiding students to independently identify and address research gaps while providing critical support when needed. This method not only fosters critical thinking in students but also ensures a deep understanding of the research process. Let's now discuss your role in student evaluation. Can you describe the methods you use to evaluate students’ understanding effectively, particularly in both theory and practical application?

And response and sometimes I'll give time to do some kind of a study or type kind of the research to come up with the answers. So that's the one way. And I've conducted every, uh, every week I'll conduct one simple quiz. And in between the classes, I'll conduct the surprise test. And then I'll ask them to write and ask them to Draw Something. I'll ask them to do a project kind of the things, real time live projects they, I'll ask them to do. And in between the class I will ask there's some questions. So these are the way I can. Say they can be able to understand the concepts better whether they have understand the concepts better or not.

Usually I'll ask for example if you need a teaching or any kind of the presentation they are doing. I'll ask a lot of deep end questions to understand better if they can able to answer. So they cannot able to answer. So I'll give some time to think about things and then evaluate and.

And then sometimes I'll evaluate the students by giving some assignment kind of things. And then by the by the way of doing assignments, I'll ask some of the students will presence whether they are under the concept better or not. If they're not understand better, then I'll change my methodology to reach the concepts better to the students. So my way of evaluating is presentations, then quiz, then sudden substrates, surprise test and then return test and then doing the live projects. So these are the ways I will.

Call with the students in various components, yes.

Even class participation too, Yes.

Thank you, Professor. It’s clear that you employ a multi-faceted evaluation strategy, incorporating presentations, quizzes, surprise tests, assignments, live projects, and class participation to ensure a comprehensive assessment of student understanding. This approach not only gauges theoretical knowledge but also evaluates the ability to apply concepts practically. Transitioning to another key aspect of this role: could you elaborate on your contributions to industry-oriented projects or consultancy and how they have informed your teaching practices?

Yes. So most of my, uh, most of my research is uh, like a, conducting a very qualitative studies. So I have got a lot of opportunity to have a discussion with this, uh, industry peoples so I can understand what is the industry needs. So I will redefine my, uh, implications according to the industry leads. Once this paper got published, I'll share this information to the all the people who have collected the umm. I collected the responses mostly from industry background. I'll share this information.

And then through LinkedIn also I'll share my research papers so that in that way I'll contribute this kind of my researcher to the industries. And also I have done some project work under this ICSS project as a thing. So one of the projects which we have done about the LPG cast connection in Odisha. So we have done I mean we have done how LPG system have empowered the local community or tribal community of the Odisha. So I have a little bit exposure of ICSE.

Icss are projects and I will connected with this people who need to conduct the research and what is the good findings. I got a lot of interesting findings about the LPG CAD connections with this tribal community of Odia Odisa people. Then I was as a part of SEDI. SEDDI is a Center for entrepreneurship development cell entrepreneurship development cell in NIT. So I have a close relationship with this chairman. So we have conducted a lot of. They have. They have. Lot of collaboration with this industry. So I shared my informations, knowledge and then my research findings to them, which will be very helpful for them how to how to utilize this Lean Sigma industry 4.0 in a more appropriate way. And I shared my framework and the skill set that I identified and then metrics I have identified what are the success factor, what are the failure factors? Those all the things I have shared with the industry people that the that is a very basic point for them to understand this concept better and then implement this NSS 4.0 on the quality 5.4 operation excellence, sustainability.

The human factors, both economics and economics in a better way.

Thank you, Professor, for detailing your involvement in industry-oriented projects and consultancy work. Your ability to bridge the gap between academic research and industry needs, particularly in areas like Lean Sigma, sustainability, and socioeconomic studies, is commendable. Sharing your findings with industry stakeholders clearly demonstrates a commitment to applied research and impactful collaboration. Let's now shift to examining your communication skills. How do you adapt your teaching or presentation styles to ensure clarity and engagement when addressing both academic audiences and industry professionals?

Our scheduled time for the interview is now up. Before we conclude, do you have any questions related to the role or the company?

Um, I actually, I was very, uh, committed to this role. I was very, uh, blessed to be, uh, in the role of, uh.

My hometown as well as I want to try to contribute something to my, uh, because I have global community, I have a very good global network of out of my research. I have elaborated all, the, almost all the five continent people. So they're very, especially the people from QS ranking universities. So I got a lot of experience with this very engaged. I got a diverse background about the academic experience as well as the industry experience as well as the global. Research related experience and then industry related experience.

This all related experience and then still I want to learn, uh, in globally. I feel that the 81 of the book institute. So I'll try to contribute my, uh, findings. I want to learn, I want to learn and share my, uh, research my knowledge to my local community as well as to build the VAT value rich stuff technology brand value also so.

That's all fine. My side, yes.

Thank you for sharing that, Professor. To begin, which specific introductory course in operations or a related field do you find most rewarding to teach, and why?

Can you repeat the question?

Of course, Professor. Which specific introductory course in operations or a related field do you find most rewarding to teach, and why?

Most avoiding to teach.

Can you repeat your?

Yes.

No, Professor—most **rewarding**

Which specific introductory course in operations or a related field do you find most rewarding to teach, and why?

OK, fine. So ask my, most of my uh, I mean, I have spended my uh research as well as my industry experience as well as my industrial engineering background. So I was very committed to this uh quality uh, quality related subjects and then operation management related subjects, especially like clean 6 Sigma total quality management, quality 4.0 service operation management and then supply chain management. But these are very basic course and very relevant course. Still it is very.

To the so I want to introduce this link Sigma 4.0 and 5.0. So now we are in the error of industry 4.0 and then very few years are in the current year we are started talking about the St. 5.0. I've I already I have introduced these courses in the Amerta School of Business. I feel it is very relevant. And now industries people are looking for this. So I think the students who can be able to learn are this information can be able to bridge, I mean they can bridge their gap in the industry.

And then quality 4.15.0. Then specifically service operation management, then operations management, this other and strategic sourcing, especially supply chain management out of the supply management like strategy sourcing. These are very relevant courses where a lot of opportunity to export as well as the there will be very needed for the industries then to build their industries as well as their natural as well as their nation building. Also I feel that introducing the industry 4.0 quality 4.0. Lean Sigma 4.0 quality 4.0 service operation management strategy sourcing.

RLS, Supply chain Management or supply management these are the very relevant topics which is need for the industries as well as the students to get their jobs or to empower them better. They empower themselves better.

Thank you, Professor. Let's focus on connecting your past research and projects to these relevant topics in operations and supply chain management. You’ve worked on the project *"Investigation of Critical Success Factors and Skillsets for Lean Six Sigma 4.0 Implementation"*. Could you explain how this research contributes to both academic knowledge and practical applications in areas like strategic sourcing or operations management? How would you relate this to what you might teach in the classroom?

Yes, for strategic sourcing, it's basically about the sourcing process like to identify who is the best supplier, those things and all. So this industry 4.0 skill especially link Sigma 4.0 sales and quality 4.0 skills and then this factors which helped us to identify the. Sustainable as well as the resilient as well as the highly advanced industry 4.0 technology are highly advanced or highly digitalized supplier who can be able to meet their current demands as well as the future demand of the organization.