"Leverage technology to integrate the entire Value Chain in the company’s operations & Supply Management."

Akash Jain
Head-Corporate IT
Jindal Stainless Limited

Akash has two decades of strong local & international business, ERP & IT consulting experience. He has 15 years of experience in SAP & IT Management Consulting with global consulting firms & clients. Prior to joining Jindal Stainless Steel he was associated with various companies like First Chicago Bank, EDS Group & Indo Rama, Accenture & HP, Xansa, Polaris Financial Technology Limited and ITC InfoTech holding various positions.

He completed his MBA from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in the year 1994 in Finance and Financial Management Services.

Challenges in technology to meet enterprise needs in 2013 and expectations

One of the biggest challenges in any business, specially in the Metals and Mining industry will be to maintain sustained growth, integration across the value chain and cost cutting. The IT has to step up and provide solutions around Process Integration across the locations to provide Uniform Business Processes that are flexible enough to adapt to the highly volatile business environment.

My wish list would include:

a. Harmonization and integration of all operational and back office business processes to avoid duplicity and reduce rework
b. Adapt the “Deltas” in this harmonized process for “customizations” in different locations across a company’s global manufacturing and office sites
c. Provide “sensible” and easy to use management MIS and dashboards for quick decision making
d. Leverage technology to integrate the entire value chain in the company’s operations and supply management
e. Leverage technology and cut-across the customers and vendors systems for seamless integration across the business platforms and processes
f. Customer is and always will be the focus

The areas in business environment where solutions do not yet exist or not up to the mark, and which if existed, would've made job easier

Some of the solutions which would have made the job easier if existed are:
a. Disaster recovery
b. Security breaches

Technology trends impacting enterprise business environment

Technology trends which impacts enterprise business environment
a. Supply chain initiatives
b. Mobility and analytics

My roles and responsibilities as a CIO

This role has changed to a “Business Consultant” providing solutions related to business integration and management reporting. This has evolved due to changed business environment.

Lessons learned and advice for fellow CIOs

a. Always align IT initiatives with business goals
b. Always do a thorough solution analysis and prepare and get a detailed budget approved (with 10% contingency)
c. Always have business sponsorship in IT projects
d. Select able partners that can deliver across the solutions and those having “Global Expertise”
e. Do assume that “whatever can go wrong, will go wrong and more”
f. Always have a plan “B” and plan “C”