 "Technology Innovation: The Hikal Way")
Hikal has come a long way in leveraging IT in a manner that not only facilitates operations but also generates profit for the organisation. The organisation has recently won the ‘AC Nielsen CIO Jury Award’ for technology innovation.
Hikal is in the pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and specialty chemicals industries and provides active ingredients, intermediates and R&D services and solutions in a safe, secure and confidential manner due to the advanced infrastructure and technology, recognised by the USFDA.
These innovations have been possible due to the steady support of the top management to the IT department. As Falgun Shukla senior general manager, IT, Hikal informs, “With adequate support from the MD and chairman, Hikal was successfully able to carry out the innovations. They personally visited the site where the servers were outsourced.”
The Innovations
Hikal’s IT set up is divided into manufacturing support systems and commercial support systems. On the manufacturing side, chemical reaction processes are controlled and monitored on computers without any human intervention. All this is done on DCS (Distributed Control System) through PLC (Programme Logical Control) via Ethernet based communication. The Taloja Plant was the first to ride on DCS, where the maiden innovation was implemented with hybrid technology in plant automation whereby Foboro system was integrated with Rockwell PLCs.
“As a first time in Asia, we have implemented Ethernet based network, which enabled data speed to 100 mbps at field level. This has also enabled us to control and support the system from head office and also removed the data communication blockage,” observes Shukla.
One more noticeable feature is that the detail engineering, design and application software development is done in house.
Some of the challenges faced during the implementation were new innovative technology, cost prohibition as a part of project cost, skilled manpower and acceptance of automation at multiple levels.
The difference in ERP implementation
Hikal has completed the ERP implementation in almost six months with Oracle consulting on Oracle’s E-suite on Linux platform. Adding to this, the company has collocated their servers to IDC. The servers are 24 /7 up. This saves the costs on property, manpower, and safety.
While Hikal had to overcome challenges like proprietary processes, diverse line of business, multi-plant operations, stringent compliance norms, asset intensive set-up and high volume of export and import transactions, the company took the initiative to select 35 functional people from the second tier and train and perfect them in their respective operations who would then train the arterial staff. This really helped the company in adopting the ERP easily. Included with modules like OPM, Finance, OM, Procurement, EMS, Inventory and EAM, the ERP connects Hikal’s Panoli, Mhad, Taloja, Jigani plants.
Supporting this, the company has also implemented IP telephony at the initial level and the videoconference units have been placed for communication.
 "Israel targets top Hamas leaders in Doha; Qatar, Iran condemn strike as violation of sovereignty")
 "Nepal: Oli to continue until new PM is sworn in, nation on edge as all branches of govt torched")
 "Who is CP Radhakrishnan, India's next vice-president?")
 "Israel informed US ahead of strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, says White House")
 "Israel targets top Hamas leaders in Doha; Qatar, Iran condemn strike as violation of sovereignty")
 "Nepal: Oli to continue until new PM is sworn in, nation on edge as all branches of govt torched")
 "Who is CP Radhakrishnan, India's next vice-president?")
 "Israel informed US ahead of strikes on Hamas leaders in Doha, says White House")
