BPM, IoT and Security to be major focus areas in 2017-18: K K Chaudhary, Group Head IT, Lanco Group

Kaushal K Chaudhary, Executive Director – Group Head IT & IS, Lanco Group, shares the major IT initiatives planned in 2017-18

In the last financial year, one of the major initiatives was the migration to cloud for our email service. We migrated from Zimbra-based in-premise email service to cloud-based G-Suite. With many new features including collaboration. This has not only resulted in better user experience but also timely submission of collaborative project documentation.

The compliance tool was also implemented in 2016-17. In order to ensure compliance of all regulatory or policy requirements, we have moved away from the manual compilation or check-list type of system to an automated compliance tool. Timely alerts, escalations on delays and various kinds of reports are generated through this tool. This has reduced the workload of our secretarial departments across the group.

eOffice Project: We have initiated process improvement activity to identify manual processes that complement the SAP and other applications with an aim to integrate all processes with a suitable BPM Tool.

In 2017-18, there are various IT programmes on the anvil

a. Implementation of BPM tool: After having prepared the requirement specification document, we are entering into the implementation phase. We are now evaluating the BPM tool suitable to develop a Business Process Management system for our EPC business.

b. On G-Suite, we will roll out the Android-for-works to deliver applications on mobile devices to authorised employees to increase their decision-making capabilities while they are mobile in a secure manner.

c. On IOT part, we are evaluating the product and tools for centralized monitoring of our roof-top solar modules which are scattered across the country at more than four hundred locations. This will help in carrying out preventive maintenance and increasing productivity. This will also enable us to avoid placing manpower at many scattered sites by keeping a centralized work-force in a cluster and alerting them in time to attend to any call.

In FY 17-18, the IT security and overall IT spending is likely to be increased by 10%