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For IT leaders, mergers and acquisitions inevitably result in complicated challenges. IT methods and sources should be rationalized and unified, and differing cultures should typically be maneuvered towards alignment to make sure success going ahead.
However with these high-profile undertakings also can come alternatives for profession development.
When Reliance Polyester — a subsidiary of worldwide conglomerate Reliance Industries — accomplished its acquisition of polyester enterprise Shubhalakshmi Polyesters (SPL) in March 2023, Dr. Amrut Urkude, CIO of SPL, took over as CIO of Reliance Polyester. For now, Dr Urkude has his activity minimize out for him. He should combine the IT infrastructures of the 2 firms by bringing Shubhalakshmi Polyesters’ know-how up to the mark with that of Reliance Polyester.
In a candid dialog with CIO.com, Dr. Urkude talks about his expertise of confronting myriad challenges whereas transitioning from a small firm to a big multinational enterprise, and the way he has handled them so far.
SPL has a complete polymerisation capability of 252,000 tonnes per 12 months in contrast with Reliance Polymers’ capability of two.5 million tonnes each year. As an IT chief, had been you awed by this large change within the dimension and complexity of enterprise?
Dr. Urkude: The transfer from a promoter-led enterprise to a one of many largest conglomerates on the earth is certainly a giant change. Nevertheless, I wasn’t awestruck due to my involvement within the due diligence of the merger and acquisition course of from day one. I used to be often interacting not solely with the IT management but in addition with the opposite enterprise groups equivalent to SCM, HR, accounts and finance, technique, and M&A of the Reliance Group. This familiarized me with Reliance’s model of working, and reporting construction, making it simpler for me to undertake their tradition and align SPL with the Reliance group in a short while.
Dr. Amrut Urkude, CIO of Reliance Polyester
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How totally different is the IT infrastructure within the two firms? How are you planning to combine them?
Dr. Urkude: Reliance is way forward of SPL on the know-how entrance, be it within the areas of networking, backup, safety, and automations. It is just in ERP that SPL has an edge. SPL has applied SAP S4/HANA whereas Reliance remains to be utilizing the previous model referred to as ECC.
The IT in Reliance just isn’t solely cutting-edge, however it is usually extra organized. It’s divided into three verticals — enterprise IT, manufacturing IT, and central IT. Inside these three verticals, there are totally different divisions specializing in particular areas of know-how equivalent to networking, safety, and purposes.
The acquisition course of was accomplished solely in March. To combine SPL’s IT with that of Reliance, we have to comply with sure norms and requirements. Now we have already ready the price range in the direction of that finish, which is within the technique of approval. We are going to provoke work as soon as we get the approval.
The place to begin of upgradation of SPL’s infrastructure will likely be its connectivity. We will likely be leveraging Jio’s MPLS to boost connectivity. The purpose is to combine the 2 infrastructures by September 2023.
Of the three IT verticals in Reliance, I’ve been interacting with manufacturing IT and enterprise IT within the final two months and hope to work together with central IT additionally as soon as the MPLS connection is in place. This has been a very new expertise for me.
So, how are you getting a grip on the cutting-edge IT instruments and options deployed in Reliance?
Dr. Urkude: Steady training is the one method ahead. I’ve executed greater than 18 levels, diplomas, {and professional} certificates in my folder and nonetheless I’m studying. To maintain myself up to date and aligned with the most recent in know-how I attend seminar, webinars, and the bodily occasions. I additionally improve myself by studying related articles each day. I’m additionally part of a number of CIO teams the place I get to know what is occurring out there. With a bigger IT group, I can now delegate my activity to my group members in order that I can concentrate on the brand new applied sciences, implementation, and new initiatives.
Interacting with the area specialists in numerous divisions of Reliance’s IT verticals can be a giant assist. Not solely do I be taught totally different abilities from varied area specialists, however I have to additionally improve myself earlier than reaching out to them. I have to learn up on the precise subjects to grasp what the professional is saying.
Coming from a promoter-led firm to a big enterprise, what dissimilarities did you encounter in your working relationship with the highest administration within the two firms?
Dr. Urkude: My interactions in SPL had been straight with the promoter. It was very straightforward to get budgetary approvals and decision-making was very quick. If the promoter took a call, it was deemed ultimate. In Reliance, there are loads of approval processes. To get budgets for any new implementation, loads of procedures and approvals are wanted. As a part of the budgetary approval course of, the CIO should give the professionals and cons of the answer, its price, and ROI on the mission.
The expectations of the highest administration in Reliance from the CIO are very excessive. There are loads of necessities on the MIS [Management Information Systems] entrance, which isn’t the case with a small group whereby the promoter is aware of the ins and outs of the corporate each day. To fulfil this requirement of MIS, I’ve to upscale the methods in SPL.
In SPL, methods had been human-driven however in Reliance there’s a clear-cut instruction to automate most issues to cut back dependency on enterprise customers. The management in Reliance expects a CIO to work 24×7 as they don’t need any downtime in enterprise. To make sure this, additionally they present the requisite folks, processes, and know-how.
How are you managing the brand new expectations?
Dr Urkude: Apart from dealing with IT at SPL, I used to be additionally heading the company HR perform. This expertise gave me the abilities to steadiness folks, processes, and know-how. I knew the way to have interaction with the management group. The Reliance management was very supportive of me. In the event that they felt I wasn’t updated on a specific talent, they might help me.
On my half, I informed them that a number of change can not occur in a single day. They should enhance their expectations progressively as a result of the 2 companies weren’t accustomed to one another’s working model, tradition, reporting construction, and approvals processes. To fill these gaps, talent upgradation, motivation, and constructing of belief are required.
With respect to the price range, I’ll take a distinct strategy. I’ll clarify to the highest administration that in the event that they count on one thing they need to spend one thing. I’ll inform them the earlier administration of SPL was not able to put money into cutting-edge applied sciences and subsequently couldn’t understand the enterprise advantages accruing from them. We should match the enterprise requirement as per the market traits.
If I nonetheless encounter any hurdles in convincing the management, then I’ll contain the IT leaders of Reliance as a result of they know the benefits of the assorted applied sciences as they’re already utilizing of their premises.
Out of your expertise, what would you advocate to a CIO who’s trying to transition to a bigger group from a small firm?
Dr Urkude: CIOs should be clear. IT leaders from small organizations ought to acknowledge their limitations and capabilities. There is no such thing as a level in hiding one thing as a result of the brand new group will discover out prior to later after which it should grow to be troublesome for the CIO to clarify.
By being clear and sincere from day one, CIOs can hope to get higher steering and help because the bigger enterprise will then share its data with them.
Careers, Digital Transformation
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