SAIL board to consider Bhilai ERP plan

Aimed at enhancing efficiency and paperless working, Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP), the rail manufacturing flagship of SAIL, is expected to invite bids for enterprise resource planning (ERP) and a proposal in this regard is expected to be taken up by the board next month.

"We will be putting up the proposal before the board in March. After it gets cleared by the board, we should be able to invite bids by May and freeze the ERP partner by July," R.P. Singh, managing director of Bhilai Steel Plant, said.

The project may require an initial expenditure of Rs 35 crore, Singh added.

BSP is the first plant of SAIL to go for paperless working. The plant has already created a core team to work on the processes in various departments, and proposes to take ERP and manufacturing executive systems to all the departments.

The Gurgaon-based Management Development Institute is already consulting the plant on various parameters of ERP and MES.

The areas identified for ERP and MES include materials management, finance and accounts, projects management, sales and marketing, rails and steel mill, steel melting shop and plate mill.

The plant, which is currently on a major expansion binge, also proposes to bring its mines under the coverage of the programme.