Jindal - Annual Report 23-24

Corporate Overview
Navigating the Digital Frontier

Navigating the Digital Frontier

TAKING THE DIGITAL LEAP: JINDAL STAINLESS’

DIGITAL EXPEDITION

Jindal Stainless has been at the forefront of the manufacturing industry’s digital transformation journey, consistently implementing cutting-edge technology solutions to optimise processes, minimise defects, and achieve unparalleled efficiency. With a strong focus on aggressive growth in the coming years, the company is actively seeking to adopt new and innovative technologies such as IoT, analytics, and AI/ML to support its ambitious expansion plans. To ensure a successful digital transformation, it has partnered with Capgemini to conduct detailed assessments and design a strategy for its digital initiatives.

Through comprehensive assessments, workshops, and focused interviews, the company has identified pain points across various business functions and addressed them through targeted digital initiatives. It has also developed a digital charter and engaged its stakeholders to validate the future state, resulting in the design of a transformation road map with clear milestones. This road map prioritises 40 use cases and aligns them with the company’s World Class Manufacturing (WCM) pillars, ensuring a strategic and mature approach to building a smart plant.

Seamless Migration of ERP

The company has announced the seamless migration of its ERP system to the cutting-edge ‘Rise with SAP’ platform. Following the database migration, the application has also been upgraded from ECC to SAP S/4HANA. This transition has placed the company on the latest database and application platforms, ushering in a new era of productivity, streamlining operations, and empowering the workforce to achieve remarkable efficiency.

Seamless Integrations in ERP

In the latest developments in harnessing the power of IT, the company has integrated its ERP systems with several key platforms:

1

Vaahan (for validating RC No of vehicles/ PUC/Fitness, etc.)
2

Saarathi (for validating DL, validity, driver identity, etc.)
3

ULIP (for data flow from shipping lines and rail movement)
4

FASTag (for toll gate tracing)

These integrations aim to reduce effort and time, ensuring error-free data for establishing controls in the logistics part of supply chain management (SCM).

Ushering A New Era of Transparency Among Business Partners

SUPPLIERS

The introduction of ARIBA, embedded with the Supplier Collaboration Portal, has opened new avenues for the company’s partners. Suppliers can now view and respond to RFQs, view and download POs, and get the status of their invoices with full transparency, building confidence in the process. Additionally, AI chatbots provide automated responses, further enhancing efficiency.
CUSTOMERS

The company’s Stainlessmart platform is a comprehensive commerce solution for customers. It has digitised functions such as order booking of standard SKUs, real-time status of sales orders, account statements, participation in forward auctions, invoice viewing, and payments. This online payment gateway has drastically reduced the accounting cycle time and improved business efficiency.
VENDOR INVOICE MANAGEMENT

The implementation of Vendor Invoice Management (VIM) has digitised vendor invoice processing, significantly increasing efficiency. Leveraging the power of machine learning, this system is expected to become more proficient over the coming months.
TRANSPORTERS

As key partners in the company’s supply chain, transporters benefit from the digitisation efforts by implementing the Transportation Module. This allows for real-time and transparent long-term contracting and spot bookings of consignments.

Operational Efficiency: Advanced Production Planning, Scheduling, and Manufacturing Solution

The stainless steel supply chain is inherently complex, involving multiple variables such as dynamic demand segments, specific production campaigns, optimal raw material mix calculations, fluctuating inventory norms, price changes, market factors, and long lead times for scrap, ferrochrome, and other critical raw materials.

To address these complexities and transition from offline and emailbased collaboration to an integrated online system, the company is implementing best-in-class Production Planning and Detailed Scheduling & Manufacturing solutions.

This strategic transition will seamlessly integrate with the company’s ERP, Procurement, Sales, Logistics systems, and plant-level automation.

The adoption of these systems will enhance transparency in customer order commitments, capacity utilisation, and cost management. Moreover, it will optimise production sequences and minimise line changeovers, leading to improved capacity utilisation and better on-time, in-full (OTIF) delivery to customers.

The Manufacturing Execution System (MES) will feature user-friendly interfaces, built-in controls, and analytics, driving higher worker productivity on the shop floor. It will ensure seamless integration with plant-level systems for real-time production plan feeds and actual production and quality confirmations. This digital transformation is set to revolutionise the company’s operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Read more

Operational Efficiency: Advanced Production Planning, Scheduling, and Manufacturing Solution

The stainless steel supply chain is inherently complex, involving multiple variables such as dynamic demand segments, specific production campaigns, optimal raw material mix calculations, fluctuating inventory norms, price changes, market factors, and long lead times for scrap, ferrochrome, and other critical raw materials.

To address these complexities and transition from offline and emailbased collaboration to an integrated online system, the company is implementing best-in-class Production Planning and Detailed Scheduling & Manufacturing solutions.

This strategic transition will seamlessly integrate with the company’s ERP, Procurement, Sales, Logistics systems, and plant-level automation.

The adoption of these systems will enhance transparency in customer order commitments, capacity utilisation, and cost management. Moreover, it will optimise production sequences and minimise line changeovers, leading to improved capacity utilisation and better on-time, in-full (OTIF) delivery to customers.

The Manufacturing Execution System (MES) will feature user-friendly interfaces, built-in controls, and analytics, driving higher worker productivity on the shop floor. It will ensure seamless integration with plant-level systems for real-time production plan feeds and actual production and quality confirmations. This digital transformation is set to revolutionise the company’s operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Read more
Make in India: Leading Through Innovative Technical Solutions

In support of the Government of India’s objective to enhance the recognition and popularity of Indian products both domestically and globally, the Quality Council of India (QCI) has launched a voluntary branding scheme. This initiative underscores the quality and authenticity of Indian manufacturing, with a particular focus on the steel sector.

JSL was chosen as the first private entity to lead this initiative. In this role, the company has pioneered the adoption of revamped product stickers featuring a customised template and an additional QR Code provided by QCI.

This QR Code directs consumers to the QCI web portal for product authentication, significantly enhancing transparency. These stickers include traditional product information and incorporate new features to support the ‘Make in India’ vision.

The pilot initiative led by the company has set a benchmark and is now being extended to other steel companies across India. Its pioneering efforts have been recognised in multiple forums, including an apex-level meeting chaired by Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia, the former Minister of Steel.

The company’s contribution has played a pivotal role in refining and expanding this initiative, ensuring that Indian steel and stainless steel products meet the highest standards of quality and authenticity. By doing so, it promotes India’s manufacturing excellence on a global scale.

Read more

Make in India: Leading Through Innovative Technical Solutions

In support of the Government of India’s objective to enhance the recognition and popularity of Indian products both domestically and globally, the Quality Council of India (QCI) has launched a voluntary branding scheme. This initiative underscores the quality and authenticity of Indian manufacturing, with a particular focus on the steel sector.

JSL was chosen as the first private entity to lead this initiative. In this role, the company has pioneered the adoption of revamped product stickers featuring a customised template and an additional QR Code provided by QCI.

This QR Code directs consumers to the QCI web portal for product authentication, significantly enhancing transparency. These stickers include traditional product information and incorporate new features to support the ‘Make in India’ vision.

The pilot initiative led by the company has set a benchmark and is now being extended to other steel companies across India. Its pioneering efforts have been recognised in multiple forums, including an apex-level meeting chaired by Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia, the former Minister of Steel.

The company’s contribution has played a pivotal role in refining and expanding this initiative, ensuring that Indian steel and stainless steel products meet the highest standards of quality and authenticity. By doing so, it promotes India’s manufacturing excellence on a global scale.

Read more
Supplier Satisfaction: Improved Vendor Payment Lifecycle

The Vendor Invoice Automation project has revolutionised the company’s material procurement process by streamlining accounts payable from invoice submission to automated reading using optical character recognition (OCR). This is followed by workflow-enabled automation of invoice parking and posting in the ERP system. This initiative not only supports the company’s sustainability goals by reducing paper usage and eliminating bundles of hard copy invoices for future audits but also significantly reduces the turnaround time (TAT) for invoice processing and enhances controls in the accounts payable process. The next phase will involve extending Vendor Invoice Management (VIM) to service invoices.