Not enough best practices being shared

MUMBAI, INDIA: Pawan Nijhawan, AVP-IT, Hindustan Zinc Ltd tells how strategic and deep has IT turned when it comes to drilling down the business imperatives.

Excerpts from interview:

Q: What's the role of technology in your industry? Any applications proved so far specially in areas of mining, sick industries turn-around, market demand-supply dynamics, downstream industry areas etc?

Pawan Nijhawan: We believe that it is technology that will make us world leader. Without recognizing the importance of technology no industry can progress to desired level and only companies who embraced the technology are leading the world in their domain.

At HZL we recognized this long back and invested significantly on technology, in all the areas of our business. We are using world class enterprise software and hardware in specialized areas of exploration, mine planning, smelting and functions like HR, Finance, Logistics, Sales, Enterprise Asset Management, Production and Project management. We have improved our processes significantly with the use of technology and are continuing in doing so. We are investing significantly in technology making local and distant collaboration productive and cost effective. We believe in doing things the way leaders do.

Q: Has IT turned more strategic in the last few years? Is there a change in the equation between business and IT departments?

PN: Certainly, with each passing year, IT is turning out to be a strategic tool to take business to new heights, Our IT spending is increasing each year. At HZL IT is no more a data processing department, it has strategic role to play in the overall progress and development of business. IT is involved in all strategic business meetings and playing a pivot role in overall progress.

Q: How easy or tough is it to spread IT across a company's depth and breadth, specially in India (geographically)?

PN: We didn’t find much challenge in spreading the IT across all locations of HZL. We started spreading IT with applications that ease out the work of employee besides maintaining the strategic database of all our operations for better accounting, reporting and analysis. IT initiatives were well accepted at all the level and people came forward with new ideas and areas to be addressed for making processes more efficient to increase the overall productivity and only challenge we faced to timely address their issues and delivering IT to each and every location and function. Training & education is key driver to spread IT across every nook and corner.

Q: What have been your challenges and best lessons as the man at the helm of IT?

PN: As  IT technology is changing so rapidly  with evolution of new solutions in each and every area, main challenge is to evaluate and finalise the best solution and implementing the same putting benchmark practices and utilizing the same to its fullest capacity. Lesson I learnt is to start small but implement it in its best way and utilize the solution to its fullest and keep moving to next level.

Q: Do you think there is enough Best-Practice sharing happening in the industry?

PN: I will not say enough sharing is happening, but surely it is getting increased every day. Industries are not any more interested in just implementing software, they try to benchmark the best practices and incorporate in the solutions. Many organizations like CIOL are playing very important role in bringing industries on one platform to share best practices, challenges and way forwards.

Q: Has a CIO evolved from a mere convincing-role to an influential one, in the top management's boardroom?

PN: CIOs indeed have taken technology into the board rooms these days and become more influential in boardroom decisions. He is suggesting changes in the business processes through the use of IT both for efficiency and competitiveness.Today CIO is better understanding the business drivers and thinking innovatively in business terms about how to make technology improve quality, productivity and make money.