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New Trends in the Business Process Management by Embracing New Digital Technologies

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Rajendra Abhange, CTO & Senior Director, Gabriel India

Some where back in 2006-07, there was a revolution of smart phones. People and companies, who absorbed it, remained in competition and who failed to absorb it went aside. It was also a question mark, this new technology will be successful? When there is a big Illiteracy and Language barrier, which has proved untrue that everybody and anybody is addicted to smart phones. A disruptive thinking which has replaced many gadgets like Watch, Camera, Radio, Music player and many more with affordable internet connectivity has made them obsolete. The company which has done R&D, seen future, put effort and investment has remained in Business, the delayed ones took long time to come back or they have disappeared.

Similarly the digital revolution in manufacturing industry is also unstoppable and giving rise to new challenges and opportunities to grow exponentially. To respondto the increasingly demanding expectations of customers, partners and employees, companies there is no other thought to embracing digital transformation.

Every sector digitization is happening and it has its own pace, few have almost eliminated manual intervention. This is helping the companies to change their traditional ways of working and come out of the Price competition as an emerging Technology company. In our every day's work life, most of the informational data comes from individuals in form of written or verbal. Also the authenticity of data is questionable which affects the decision making. Referring below survey, 45 percent of working time spent on Data collection in day to day work life.

Best benefit from digitization would be obtained only when the data is automatically picked and processed, thus equipment upgradation selection, automation aspects and execution is appropriately made. For example, if an inspection report to be recorded and processed, the equipment which is used for measurement has to be upgraded to capture the inspection dimension digitally and linked.

To start with, it is a better option to identify one of the critical machine or process, define the KPIs to be monitored for it designed expectations in terms of Quality, Safety, Productivity, Machine health, and if anything critical. Information required in terms of CP, CPk, OEE, and MTTR. MTBF, Alarms which accordingly measuring instruments, PLC triggers, records linked to a central server to store the data and software installations for processing the recorded data.

Best benefit from digitization would be obtained only when the data is automatically picked and processed


Many of us compare European, US companies to the level of digitization and judge that India is far behind for this level of modernization and will be expensive to implement and experience. In addition to that many service provides are equipped with standard software and systems which can be of use but with high costs. As the industry has grown over years, companies have opted to develop their suppliers from a component supplier to subsystem supplier inturn reducing the supply chain inefficiencies. Many backward and forward integration have evolved and Tier - 2 Medium scale companies have emerged as one of the drivers for OEMs. Even though Tier-2 companies have increased their business, their efficiencies and bottom line improvement war are still under trouble and struggling to take up ontime decisions.

When it is said tailor made, it is important to know that what are the Key Performance Indicators(KPIs) to be monitored or prioritized which helps their own organization performance. Many ex periments of connecting the PLCs through simple software and free lancing test systems have evolved but it is very important to know the platform and security norms being incorporated. This is one of the crucial and initial stages for deciding the level of digitization, upgradation or system development. Also the scaling of digitization in the industry for next few years is important to develop a suitable and reliable system. To keep the business better in the Indian industry scenario baring OEMs, many Tier-1 and Tier-2 companies procure or build equipment for basic requirement to keep expense low, meet the quality and delivery requirements. Most of the equipment's with these tier 1 ad tier 2 companies have older generation controls which are not compatible to digitization.

Indian companies should start their digital transformation now. Indian industry is operates in very frugal environment. Every aspect of automation is an investment and adding value, hence necessary to think thru on identifying critically required parameters only, remaining to be built with equipment design to have better interlocks for machine performance. Use technology which is already matured, believe in technology for moving forward. Using a step by step approach with matured technology, integrate it. Digitization in many of our day to day transactions has already been in use which has taken only few years to get adopted. It is a culture and it has to be absorbed by individuals, decision makers and Companies. Progressively companies should start implementing the tools of digitization, course correct it, apply PDCA cycle (PLAN, DO, CHECK, ACT), improve and elevate to next level of prediction and auto-correction.

This is high time that Indian industry to get to know the technology, evolve their own monitoring KPIs to start digitizing the equipment and information sharing to have a better control over process/product to serve the growth and support Make in India initiative.

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