Concrete

Winning the War on Waste

Published

5 years ago

March 5, 2021

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One of the biggest challenges for manufacturing businesses is reducing wastes. So what is waste? Waste is defined as any activity that does not add value from the customer?? perspective. This wastage is not just inefficiency in terms of cost and return on investments (ROI), it also has a direct impact on the sustainability of a business. The waste of resources, directly or indirectly, impacts every factor in the manufacturing process and its efficiency. The War on Waste (WOW) must, therefore, be waged at multiple fronts to make a noticeable and measurable impact. The key will lie in leveraging technology to plan, implement, improve, and monitor process optimisation. Industry 4.0 will be dictated by the need to eliminate waste and the removal of non-value added (NVA) activities from the manufacturing process.

What is War on Waste?

The fight for reducing wastage is almost as old as the history of manufacturing. Some amount of wastage is inevitable and often written off as part of the production costs. However, the struggle to contain waste kicked in as soon as manufacturers realised that reducing waste was a more efficient way of increasing their profits as opposed to raising prices. Today the aim for reducing waste is not just about the profit margins. Modern producers also see it as a sustainable practice that must be followed as part of responsible manufacturing. The concept of WOW is a multifaceted approach that focuses on eliminating waste, optimise processes, cut costs, boost innovation, and reduce time in the ever-changing global and local marketplace.

The ultimate goal of practicing WOW isn?? simply to eliminate waste ??it is to sustainably deliver value to the customer. To achieve this goal, WOW defines waste as anything that doesn?? add value to the customer. This can be a process, activity, product, or service; anything that requires an investment of time, money, and talent that does not create value for the customer.. Idle time, underutilised talent, excess inventory, and inefficient processes are all considered waste under WOW concept. It provides a systematic method for minimising waste within a manufacturing system while staying within certain margins of control such as productivity and quality.

Where the traditional definition of waste included ??nything consumed in excess of what is needed for our survival and comfort?? this modern approach sees waste as a ??on-value-added activity that is not beneficial to the consumer, either directly or indirectly?? The distinction here must be made between NVA that is beneficial to the consumer (e.g. quality check processes) and activities that are not beneficial to the consumer (e.g. delayed raw material supply). WOW does not focus exclusively on waste reduction, but waste is minimised or eliminated more as an inevitable byproduct of better production flow. There are numerous areas of waste that go overlooked. WOW typically focuses on seven key wastes:

Wastes in Transportation
Wastes in Inventory
Wastes in Motion
Wastes in Waiting
Wastes in Over-production
Wastes in Over-processing
Wastes in Defect

Once the waste in these areas is identified, a centralised and well-planned approach must be adopted to address these systematic deficits. While some solutions may need tweaking or re-hauling of processes, others may need additional equipment. The cost of process disruption or new equipment is usually offset by the cost-efficiency brought in by the reduction in wastage.

Wastes in Transportation

The wastage of time and resources during the transportation of products/items and information results in a direct loss. Waste in transportation is most likely to occur while the product is in process and needs to be transported over a great distance for its finishing process or in between different warehouses. In the case of information, the wastage is usually during dissemination.

Solution: Waste in transportation at our plant is addressed through the reduction of transit losses at multiple points. This includes clinker, cement, and all other required raw materials, controlling transit damage of cement bags during road and rail dispatch, bringing down raw material and semi-finished goods carpet loss during storage and handling, reduction in demurrage hours & multiple handling inside the factory.

Wastes in Inventory

Any excessive product, service, or information comes under this category for example raw material, semi-finished goods, and final products. It may result in depreciation of material quality or parts and would require additional storage and transportation costs. There are other associated costs, such as wastage of rented godown and working capital. Wastage in inventory is often indicative of internal deficiencies like unbalanced production, delay in material delivery, inadequate supply planning, and unused machine capability.

Solution: To reduce waste in inventory, start with identifying ways to use slow-moving and non-moving spares and scraps. This is followed by an evaluation of the process of disposal of scraps. Once the gaps are identified, the process of optimisation starts with liquidating idle assets and reducing rented godown area.

Aim to manage the operation with lean inventory in terms of raw material, finished goods and semi-finished goods.

Wastes in Motion

Excessive movement of material and personnel during manufacturing indicates that there is an unproductive process that can be shortened, thereby reducing the time taken and any deterioration of quality. This also results in inefficient manufacturing.

Solution: Typically a time and motion study is conducted to identify and measure the different steps required in a process. Once the wasteful procedures are identified, a standard time and motion can be fixed for every process, leading to more efficient inter-warehouse movement and the reduction in sub-optimal cement movement. It can also help in addressing shortages in transit. Internal raw material handling is a key challenge in the cement industry, reduction in internal handling by optimum movement helps to minimise cost and wastage.

Wastes in Waiting

This includes the time wasted while waiting for a product, equipment, or information. It means an immediate loss of time and may impact the overall quality standards of raw material, semi-finished and finished goods. Wastage in waiting is indicative of unbalanced processes where one process takes longer than others so that a worker has to wait until they can fulfill their task. Wastage occurs only if the worker is not engaged in pre-planned and productive work while waiting.

Solution: Proper planning of raw material and finished goods helps to reduce bunching of rakes leading to less demurrage cost. Effective scheduling of shutdown, reduced waiting time between activities helps to reduce shutdown time and improve production.

Wastes in Over-production & Processes

Inaccurate estimation of demand or starting the production too soon can cause over-production. This is perhaps seen as the worst type of waste. It also leads to excessive inventory, resulting in wastage and deterioration of quality of semi-finished and finished products. Since the end product is in excess, the production process also becomes unnecessary, involving wastage of energy, raw material, resources, manpower, and time. It also indicates multiple process gaps.

Solution: Managing a proper production schedule will avoid over production. Inaccurate forecasting and demand information leads to higher production. So, projecting proper forecasting & planning gives better accuracy of production plans. For example- A warehouse filled with product that does not sell or has not sold.

The process starts with identifying over-processed products or services. The focus must be on minimising any excessive use of energy, fuel, water, and generation of fugitive dust while processing.

Wastes in Defect

Finally, there are mistakes and defects in the production process that must be eliminated or re-hauled completely. All repairs and inspections that do not add value to the final product must be treated as waste.

Solution: Multiple avenues must be explored in identifying defects and damages. There are various indicators of defective processes, such as customer complaints and product non conformity. It?? always advisable to avoid defects to reduce waste and increase efficiency.

WoW implementation process

To be successful, a process must be codified with well-defined Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). WOW typically follows the following steps:

Observation of the various processes/products/services.
Identification of the wasteful practices or defective processes/products/services.
Analysis of the processes/products/services to determine the ideal outcome.
Exploring internal and external solutions. It can include a new technique, equipment, or tech support. Alternatively, it may require a readjustment of procedures.
Carrying out cost studies to determine the effectiveness of the alternative processes to identify the most suitable solution.
Carrying out a test run of the new process to understand its challenges and effectiveness.
Establishing the new process across the plant or the chosen area in a well-planned manner.

Educating employees and staff on the new procedures. This will include a clear enunciation of the SOPs. For the successful implementation of any change in tasks, it is also critical to explain the reason for the change and how it can benefit everyone.

The war on waste must be a continuous, multifaceted, and planned battle. Manufacturers can create highly desirable byproducts by following these principles of WOW, adopting these tools, and reducing these key wastes. WOW results in certain agility in meeting the competitive demands of a swiftly evolving marketplace. The focus on total expense and value rather than on single component costs not only eliminates waste and inefficiency, it also promotes quality and customer-driven solutions.

WOW?? seven key focus areas:

Wastes in transportation
Wastes in inventory
Wastes in motion
Wastes in waiting
Wastes in over-production
Wastes in over-processing
Wastes in defect

WOW Implementation process in eight steps:

Observation of the various processes/products/services.
Identification of the wasteful practices or defective processes/products/services
Analysis of the processes/products/services to determine the ideal outcome
Exploring internal and external solutions
Carrying out cost studies to determine the effectiveness of the alternative processes
Carrying out a test run of the new process
Establishing the new process across the plant or the chosen area
Educating employees and staff on the new procedures

Concrete

Cement Demand Revives As Prices Decline In Q3 FY26

Nuvama reports improved volume growth after price correction

Published

1 day ago

February 24, 2026

admin

A report by Nuvama Financial Services (Nuvama) said cement sector demand revived in the third quarter of fiscal year twenty twenty six as prices declined, supporting volume growth across regions. The note indicated that sequential price correction helped replenish demand that had been subdued by elevated pricing earlier in the year. Nuvama quantified the price decline as a sequential correction that varied across states and segments, facilitating restocking by merchants and traders.

The report suggested that improved affordability after the price correction encouraged housing and infrastructure activity, with developers and contractors adjusting procurement plans. It added that regional dynamics varied, with some markets showing faster recovery while others remained reliant on seasonal construction cycles. Housing demand was driven by both affordable and mid segment projects, while infrastructure segment recovery was contingent on timely execution of public works.

Analysts at Nuvama assessed that the price moderation eased inventory pressures for manufacturers and distributors and supported margin stabilisation at several producers. Demand improvement was visible in both urban and rural segments, although the pace of recovery differed by state and trade channel. Producers were seen balancing price realisations with volume targets and managing input cost volatility through operational efficiencies.

The report recommended that investors monitor volumes and realisations closely as market equilibrium emerges in the coming quarters, noting that sustainability of recovery would depend on monsoon patterns and government infrastructure outlays. Overall, the assessment pointed to a cautiously optimistic outlook for the cement industry as price correction translated into tangible volume gains. Market participants were advised to track early signs of demand broadening beyond core construction hubs to assess the depth of the rebound.

Concrete

Refractory demands in our kiln have changed

Published

5 days ago

February 20, 2026

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Radha Singh, Senior Manager (P&Q), Shree Digvijay Cement, points out why performance, predictability and life-cycle value now matter more than routine replacement in cement kilns.

As Indian cement plants push for higher throughput, increased alternative fuel usage and tighter shutdown cycles, refractory performance in kilns and pyro-processing systems is under growing pressure. In this interview, Radha Singh, Senior Manager (P&Q), Shree Digvijay Cement, shares how refractory demands have evolved on the ground and how smarter digital monitoring is improving kiln stability, uptime and clinker quality.

How have refractory demands changed in your kiln and pyro-processing line over the last five years?
Over the last five years, refractory demands in our kiln and pyro line have changed. Earlier, the focus was mostly on standard grades and routine shutdown-based replacement. But now, because of higher production loads, more alternative fuels and raw materials (AFR) usage and greater temperature variation, the expectation from refractory has increased.
In our own case, the current kiln refractory has already completed around 1.5 years, which itself shows how much more we now rely on materials that can handle thermal shock, alkali attack and coating fluctuations. We have moved towards more stable, high-performance linings so that we don’t have to enter the kiln frequently for repairs.
Overall, the shift has been from just ‘installation and run’ to selecting refractories that give longer life, better coating behaviour and more predictable performance under tougher operating conditions.

What are the biggest refractory challenges in the preheater, calciner and cooler zones?
• Preheater: Coating instability, chloride/sulphur cycles and brick erosion.
• Calciner: AFR firing, thermal shock and alkali infiltration.
• Cooler: Severe abrasion, red-river formation and mechanical stress on linings.
Overall, the biggest challenge is maintaining lining stability under highly variable operating conditions.

How do you evaluate and select refractory partners for long-term performance?
In real plant conditions, we don’t select a refractory partner just by looking at price. First, we see their past performance in similar kilns and whether their material has actually survived our operating conditions. We also check how strong their technical support is during shutdowns, because installation quality matters as much as the material itself.
Another key point is how quickly they respond during breakdowns or hot spots. A good partner should be available on short notice. We also look at their failure analysis capability, whether they can explain why a lining failed and suggest improvements.
On top of this, we review the life they delivered in the last few campaigns, their supply reliability and their willingness to offer plant-specific custom solutions instead of generic grades. Only a partner who supports us throughout the life cycle, which includes selection, installation, monitoring and post-failure analysis, fits our long-term requirement.

Can you share a recent example where better refractory selection improved uptime or clinker quality?
Recently, we upgraded to a high-abrasion basic brick at the kiln outlet. Earlier we had frequent chipping and coating loss. With the new lining, thermal stability improved and the coating became much more stable. As a result, our shutdown interval increased and clinker quality remained more consistent. It had a direct impact on our uptime.

How is increased AFR use affecting refractory behaviour?
Increased AFR use is definitely putting more stress on the refractory. The biggest issue we see daily is the rise in chlorine, alkalis and volatiles, which directly attack the lining, especially in the calciner and kiln inlet. AFR firing is also not as stable as conventional fuel, so we face frequent temperature fluctuations, which cause more thermal shock and small cracks in the lining.
Another real problem is coating instability. Some days the coating builds too fast, other days it suddenly drops, and both conditions impact refractory life. We also notice more dust circulation and buildup inside the calciner whenever the AFR mix changes, which again increases erosion.
Because of these practical issues, we have started relying more on alkali-resistant, low-porosity and better thermal shock–resistant materials to handle the additional stress coming from AFR.

What role does digital monitoring or thermal profiling play in your refractory strategy?
Digital tools like kiln shell scanners, IR imaging and thermal profiling help us detect weakening areas much earlier. This reduces unplanned shutdowns, helps identify hotspots accurately and allows us to replace only the critical sections. Overall, our maintenance has shifted from reactive to predictive, improving lining life significantly.

How do you balance cost, durability and installation speed during refractory shutdowns?
We focus on three points:
• Material quality that suits our thermal profile and chemistry.
• Installation speed, in fast turnarounds, we prefer monolithic.
• Life-cycle cost—the cheapest material is not the most economical. We look at durability, future downtime and total cost of ownership.
This balance ensures reliable performance without unnecessary expenditure.

What refractory or pyro-processing innovations could transform Indian cement operations?
Some promising developments include:
• High-performance, low-porosity and nano-bonded refractories
• Precast modular linings to drastically reduce shutdown time
• AI-driven kiln thermal analytics
• Advanced coating management solutions
• More AFR-compatible refractory mixes

These innovations can significantly improve kiln stability, efficiency and maintenance planning across the industry.

Concrete

Digital supply chain visibility is critical

Published

5 days ago

February 20, 2026

admin

MSR Kali Prasad, Chief Digital and Information Officer, Shree Cement, discusses how data, discipline and scale are turning Industry 4.0 into everyday business reality.

Over the past five years, digitalisation in Indian cement manufacturing has moved decisively beyond experimentation. Today, it is a strategic lever for cost control, operational resilience and sustainability. In this interview, MSR Kali Prasad, Chief Digital and Information Officer, Shree Cement, explains how integrated digital foundations, advanced analytics and real-time visibility are helping deliver measurable business outcomes.

How has digitalisation moved from pilot projects to core strategy in Indian cement manufacturing over the past five years?
Digitalisation in Indian cement has evolved from isolated pilot initiatives into a core business strategy because outcomes are now measurable, repeatable and scalable. The key shift has been the move away from standalone solutions toward an integrated digital foundation built on standardised processes, governed data and enterprise platforms that can be deployed consistently across plants and functions.
At Shree Cement, this transition has been very pragmatic. The early phase focused on visibility through dashboards, reporting, and digitisation of critical workflows. Over time, this has progressed into enterprise-level analytics and decision support across manufacturing and the supply chain,
with clear outcomes in cost optimisation, margin protection and revenue improvement through enhanced customer experience.
Equally important, digital is no longer the responsibility of a single function. It is embedded into day-to-day operations across planning, production, maintenance, despatch and customer servicing, supported by enterprise systems, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) data platforms, and a structured approach to change management.

Which digital interventions are delivering the highest ROI across mining, production and logistics today?
In a capital- and cost-intensive sector like cement, the highest returns come from digital interventions that directly reduce unit costs or unlock latent capacity without significant capex.
Supply chain and planning (advanced analytics): Tools for demand forecasting, S&OP, network optimisation and scheduling deliver strong returns by lowering logistics costs, improving service levels, and aligning production with demand in a fragmented and regionally diverse market.
Mining (fleet and productivity analytics): Data-led mine planning, fleet analytics, despatch discipline, and idle-time reduction improve fuel efficiency and equipment utilisation, generating meaningful savings in a cost-heavy operation.
Manufacturing (APC and process analytics): Advanced Process Control, mill optimisation, and variability reduction improve thermal and electrical efficiency, stabilise quality and reduce rework and unplanned stoppages.
Customer experience and revenue enablement (digital platforms): Dealer and retailer apps, order visibility and digitally enabled technical services improve ease of doing business and responsiveness. We are also empowering channel partners with transparent, real-time information on schemes, including eligibility, utilisation status and actionable recommendations, which improves channel satisfaction and market execution while supporting revenue growth.
Overall, while Artificial Intelligence (AI) and IIoT are powerful enablers, it is advanced analytics anchored in strong processes that typically delivers the fastest and most reliable ROI.

How is real-time data helping plants shift from reactive maintenance to predictive and prescriptive operations?
Real-time and near real-time data is driving a more proactive and disciplined maintenance culture, beginning with visibility and progressively moving toward prediction and prescription.
At Shree Cement, we have implemented a robust SAP Plant Maintenance framework to standardise maintenance workflows. This is complemented by IIoT-driven condition monitoring, ensuring consistent capture of equipment health indicators such as vibration, temperature, load, operating patterns and alarms.
Real-time visibility enables early detection of abnormal conditions, allowing teams to intervene before failures occur. As data quality improves and failure histories become structured, predictive models can anticipate likely failure modes and recommend timely interventions, improving MTBF and reducing downtime. Over time, these insights will evolve into prescriptive actions, including spares readiness, maintenance scheduling, and operating parameter adjustments, enabling reliability optimisation with minimal disruption.
A critical success factor is adoption. Predictive insights deliver value only when they are embedded into daily workflows, roles and accountability structures. Without this, they remain insights without action.

In a cost-sensitive market like India, how do cement companies balance digital investment with price competitiveness?
In India’s intensely competitive cement market, digital investments must be tightly linked to tangible business outcomes, particularly cost reduction, service improvement, and faster decision-making.
This balance is achieved by prioritising high-impact use cases such as planning efficiency, logistics optimisation, asset reliability, and process stability, all of which typically deliver quick payback. Equally important is building scalable and governed digital foundations that reduce the marginal cost of rolling out new use cases across plants.
Digitally enabled order management, live despatch visibility, and channel partner platforms also improve customer centricity while controlling cost-to-serve, allowing service levels to improve without proportionate increases in headcount or overheads.
In essence, the most effective digital investments do not add cost. They protect margins by reducing variability, improving planning accuracy, and strengthening execution discipline.

How is digitalisation enabling measurable reductions in energy consumption, emissions, and overall carbon footprint?
Digitalisation plays a pivotal role in improving energy efficiency, reducing emissions and lowering overall carbon intensity.
Real-time monitoring and analytics enable near real-time tracking of energy consumption and critical operating parameters, allowing inefficiencies to be identified quickly and corrective actions to be implemented. Centralised data consolidation across plants enables benchmarking, accelerates best-practice adoption, and drives consistent improvements in energy performance.
Improved asset reliability through predictive maintenance reduces unplanned downtime and process instability, directly lowering energy losses. Digital platforms also support more effective planning and control of renewable energy sources and waste heat recovery systems, reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
Most importantly, digitalisation enables sustainability progress to be tracked with greater accuracy and consistency, supporting long-term ESG commitments.

What role does digital supply chain visibility play in managing demand volatility and regional market dynamics in India?
Digital supply chain visibility is critical in India, where demand is highly regional, seasonality is pronounced, and logistics constraints can shift rapidly.
At Shree Cement, planning operates across multiple horizons. Annual planning focuses on capacity, network footprint and medium-term demand. Monthly S&OP aligns demand, production and logistics, while daily scheduling drives execution-level decisions on despatch, sourcing and prioritisation.
As digital maturity increases, this structure is being augmented by central command-and-control capabilities that manage exceptions such as plant constraints, demand spikes, route disruptions and order prioritisation. Planning is also shifting from aggregated averages to granular, cost-to-serve and exception-based decision-making, improving responsiveness, lowering logistics costs and strengthening service reliability.

How prepared is the current workforce for Industry 4.0, and what reskilling strategies are proving most effective?
Workforce preparedness for Industry 4.0 is improving, though the primary challenge lies in scaling capabilities consistently across diverse roles.
The most effective approach is to define capability requirements by role and tailor enablement accordingly. Senior leadership focuses on digital literacy for governance, investment prioritisation, and value tracking. Middle management is enabled to use analytics for execution discipline and adoption. Frontline sales and service teams benefit from
mobile-first tools and KPI-driven workflows, while shop-floor and plant teams focus on data-driven operations, APC usage, maintenance discipline, safety and quality routines.
Personalised, role-based learning paths, supported by on-ground champions and a clear articulation of practical benefits, drive adoption far more effectively than generic training programmes.

Which emerging digital technologies will fundamentally reshape cement manufacturing in the next decade?
AI and GenAI are expected to have the most significant impact, particularly when combined with connected operations and disciplined processes.
Key technologies likely to reshape the sector include GenAI and agentic AI for faster root-cause analysis, knowledge access, and standardisation of best practices; industrial foundation models that learn patterns across large sensor datasets; digital twins that allow simulation of process changes before implementation; and increasingly autonomous control systems that integrate sensors, AI, and APC to maintain stability with minimal manual intervention.
Over time, this will enable more centralised monitoring and management of plant operations, supported by strong processes, training and capability-building.