Raj Pradhan, Global Delivery Head – Building & Construction Materials Vertical, BirlaSoft, speaks about the scope of digital technologies for cement companies for a gamut of solutions from cost optimisation and yield improvement to energy profiling and carbon footprint.
What is the need for automation in the cement industry?
Cement industry is typically a work force and raw material driven industry for decades. Person dependency in this industry is huge and automation can bring independent processes and scope for improvement. In the current competitive market where increase in price is not helping much, the only option left to improvise the margins is through market share and optimisation of cost, which can be achieved through automation.
With the rising demand of cement, how can digitisation of processes help optimise productivity and production?
Digitisation brings a complete near real time visibility of end to end processes which helps in taking timely decisions to avoid any down time and allows best possible utilisation of resources. As an example, cyclone jam due to SO2 layering in preheating/pyro equipment, which leads to process inconsistency and clinker quality degrades can be avoided with the help of digitisation. There are multiple possible issues, which can be analysed early and corrective actions can be taken before occurrence with the conversion of factories into smart factories.
How can an Information and Technology (IT) driven strategy for a cement business help in getting financial gains?
There are multiple areas where IT can help in getting financial gains to a cement business.
For example:
a. Growth in sales (top line) by utilisation sales team towards getting additional network rather serving existing dealer network
b. Cost optimisation by identifying probable dynamic set of parameters responsible for deviation in critical process performance indicators and generate role based actionable insights which can help taking corrective action during the process rather though a quality check post completion of process
c. Optimisation of supply chain by making complete process paper less
Give details about the challenges in business identified in the cement sector and solutions developed by your firm for them.
The challenges in a cement plant are divided into three groups. We have intelligent assets as solutions that cover the journey of smart manufacturing to overcome these challenges.
• Predictive Maintenance – Bearing failures, gearbox and bearing failure of grinding equipment, shaft wear, tear and shearing for crusher equipment, seal failure for hydraulic pumps, supporting roller shaft failure of kiln
• Predictive Process Quality – Cyclone jam due to SO2 layering in preheating-pyro equipment, degree of calcination, C3S quality parameter consistency from mines to kiln
• Proactive Process Monitoring – Actionable insights for Smart Processing / Real time energy report monitoring
Challenges in the sales department are because of time spent by sales to serve the existing dealer network rather than getting additional dealers to the network. We have channel partner connect as
a solution which covers the order to cash process for dealers without involving sales teams to serve existing dealers.
Challenges in the supply chain are getting addressed through our solution, which involves on-board transporters and drivers as part of the process to improvise the delivery experience.
At Birlasoft, we focus on industry domain and with that focus we have building and construction material as sub-vertical. This gives us an edge to understand and solve the problem of our customers in this industry.
Tell us about the impact of digitisation on the supply chain and logistics of cement. What solution would you recommend for the same?
Digitisation is helping to improvise TLC as well as opening the doors for small transporters in the local market. A company should think to utilise the competitive market of transporter as well rather only depending on contracted transporters. This will help in agility in delivery specially during secondary distribution which are shorter in distance. Also, digitisation gives visibility to demand and supply balance, which helps in reducing warehouse and handling cost.
What is the scope of Internet of Things (IoT) in the cement business?
Scope of IoT is huge in the cement business. Connected equipment in a smart plant gives multiple data parameters which enables the cement makers to derive productivity and process improvement through analytics.
Share your thoughts on the future of digitisation and automation in the cement industry.
Companies will invest to utilise digital technologies for cost optimisation, yield improvement, market capturing and also for achieving the target of energy profiling (consumption and CO2 emission) and
carbon footprint
-Kanika Mathur