Our People
Ishani Shorya and Ayushi Jaiswal are engineers in the Process Control Department at Hirakud. Both : graduate engineer trainees from the 2020 batch, they work in the technical cell, with a major chunk of their job involving capturing and analysing information about the performance of the smelter and the captive power plant (CPP). Previously, this data was first written on paper, entered into Excel, and then plotted to draw conclusions. But together, they have transformed this system.
The manual process of compiling information resulted in some degree of manipulation and human error. Moreover, it was extremely time-consuming. “What we received from pen and paper data entry became like a game of Chinese whispers at the end of the day,” explains Ishani. Neither was it accurate nor a true reflection of the metrics by which performance could be measured or decisions could be taken.
So, Ayushi and Ishani collaborated with their colleagues Gargi Pan and Mamta Gupta to digitise the data entry process. With the help of Salman Hussain, their colleague from Digital-IT, they created a data pipeline which automated data streamlining, offering visualisation and analytical insights.
The girls received training and support, but had to sacrifice several weekends and work late into the night—in addition to their nine-hour shifts—for several months. Ultimately, they developed an e-logbook application using a low-code no-code tool (LCNC).
Digitising data and capturing real-time data in visual dashboards offered clear advantages. The time required for compiling and searching data is now less than half of what it used to take to manually type it out. Finding machine breakdown history is also significantly faster.
“We created an in-house application in Oracle APEX (using LCNC) and connected it to the analytics cloud platform for real-time KPI visualisation to gain analytical insights and forecasting based on set inputs. Information became very easy to collect and analyse,” says Ayushi.
To minimise human error, they restricted data entry to number fields for columns that only required numerical values. They then ensured that people had access to relevant data for their work. This strengthened data security; some individuals were given read-only access. Step by step, the girls built an architecture that was secure and error-proof. Together, they have developed and deployed more than 12 digital assets (applications) for the entire plant. Within the primary application, multiple area-specific apps are deployed for the smelter and CPP. Their AI-driven approach to data capturing has now become a benchmark in the plant.
Taking ownership
The best part, of course, was that nobody instructed the girls on what to do. They recognised the problem and figured out a solution on their own. The only nudge, perhaps, was an Oracle Cloud workshop cum training organised for over 650 employees across all Hindalco units. “Even when such trainings are organised, only a few attendees really go back with the mindset to do something innovatively and drive a digital transformation ecosystem,” says Salman Hussain, who guided the two girls throughout the project.
“A five-day training course doesn’t equip you to change a system. Your willingness to learn and your drive does that. Which is why what these girls have achieved is phenomenal. They have completely transformed the mindset and built a seamless connect between the shop floor and the management,” he adds.
Being obsessive
After office hours, they took time out to learn the system. Since they resided next door to each other in the hostel, they frequently visited each other to discuss and sort out issues. They looked up countless YouTube videos, attended online live labs, learned from open sources, and sought support from product owners. They also reached out to their college friends with domain knowledge to design a foolproof system. They were both completely engrossed in the process until they achieved the desired outcome. It became their passion and the focal point of their lives.
Encouraging behavioural change
Once the e-logbook application was developed, their task was still far from complete. The next challenge was to persuade people to transition from manual to digital entries, and instil trust in the effectiveness of the system. This required a significant amount of change management effort.
However, the advantages of the digital system soon became self-evident, and people began to adopt it. They found it time-saving and user-friendly. It has been more than two months since the launch of the new data capturing system at Hirakud smelter and CPP, and it is already yielding positive results.
Industry 4.0
An added motivation for Ishani to embrace digitalisation was her previous experience at the Defence Research and Development Organisation. “The automation there was at a different level altogether. When I came to Hindalco, I realised that if we have to become a company in league with Industry 4.0 organisations, we have to push harder to reach there,” she says.
