Sustainable solutions for manufacturing industry - the IT perspective
Student name: Mr Anshuman Ranjan
Guide: Dr Saon Ray
Year of completion: 2009
Host Organisation: Wipro Technologies
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Mr Sanjeev Ramakrishnan
Abstract: The report here deals with exploring the various ways by which IT systems can help manufacturing
companies switch to sustainable business practices by enabling them to make informed business decisions
which are not only profitable but also environmentally benign. The data generated by a typical SAP
ERP/PLM system is taken as input to an intelligent system that explores various cost savings opportunities
at the plant level. The tool also allows manual data entry wherever required. The areas identified for
optimization are energy, resources (raw materials & other consumables), emissions, wastes and recycle/reuse/re-manufacture
though the focus of this report is on energy only. By focusing on the triple bottom line,
manufacturing companies can cut costs and thus improve their bottom line i.e. the net income for the
company. Reduced energy costs or savings on resources and similar measures in other modules can be
reflected in increased EBITDA of the company thereby improving the operating performance of the
company. The focus of this report is on the industrial manufacturing sector typically heavy engineering
companies like ABB and given the growing concern of global warming the major concentration is towards
GHG emissions. To achieve this, a model of a typical manufacturing plant has been conceptualized and
several industry best practices measures have been explored in the respective modules for the various value
chain activities taking place in the plant.
