Razor blade manufacturer Super-Max is trying to get closer to the customers by going digital and creating an analytics culture within the company
MILIND KHAMKAR
SUPER-MAX
We are the leaders in adopting Cloud and working on mobile-based applications. We are in the process of refurbishing our social presence and go closer to our consumers through the digital medium. We are building analytics culture across the group. Practically, we are working on every facet of digitalisation which can help us become truly digital. Our strategy is being digital and doing digital.
India may be lagging to catch up with technology in the manufacturing space but some companies see it as an opportunity to leapfrog and enter the Industrial 4.0 revolution where emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and internet of things will play a crucial role.
“Due to historical reasons, many of us have missed step-by-step adoption of relevant necessary technologies. Hence, there is tremendous opportunity to leapfrog. Industrial 4.0 revolution is an opportunity for the manufacturing industry and we are not going to miss it this time. Personally, I am interested and attracted towards the potential of IoT and AI. I see these technologies as game changers and key differentiator to be the leader,” opines Milind Khamkar, Group CIO, Super-Max.
Super-Max has been an early adopter of Cloud technologies, using email and office productivity tools such as Microsoft Office 365 on Cloud across the group. While implementing traditional ERP as well, the company adopted public Cloud as a hosting platform.
In the manufacturing industry, two kinds of technologies co-exist – OT and IT. For larger success of digital, seamless collaboration between IT and OT is essential. The platform hosting these technologies are required to be user-friendly in a way that the employees use it. The journey has been not an easy one, acknowledges Khamkar. “It has always been a perennial issue of getting other functions commitment for any technology initiative. Most of the time, any automation (still in business digital is nothing but a new wave of automation) is the baby of CIO function and hence, other functions participate in it selectively. The starting point is making 'digital' everybody's responsibility and happens by consistent dialogue and hand holding. Digital on-boarding and seeking long commitment is a good starting point but needs to be handled with care,” says Khamkar.
However, by seeking this long-term commitment from the stakeholders, Khamkar feels digital transformation is bringing several benefits. The most important is building a culture of collaboration. Information flow is now getting free and consistent. Hence, decision-making is faster at Super-Max. Digital transformation is helping business to save costs, improve operational efficiency and is increasing employee productivity. The company has increased automation of industrial controls, thereby enhancing user experience.
“We are conscious about our internal customer experience while going digital for the outside world. We want to be digital in our business as also the Cloud First Mobile First company and at the same time, we do manage some of the age-old technologies,” winds up Khamkar.
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