THE BEDROCK OF PROCESS TRANSFORMATION

Digitalisation as a means to improve customer connect and process efficiency was already well known. However, the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the usage and adoption ofdigital systems, says Prosenjit Sengupta, EVP & Chief Digital Officer, Thermax Limited

- Niranjan Mudholkar

Do you think the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digitisation in the Indian manufacturing industry?

Digitalisation as a means to improve customer connect and process efficiency was already well known. However, the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the usage and adoption of digital systems in many business and employee functions across the manufacturing industry not only in India but on a global level. The forced remote working that was induced due to the pandemic ensured that innovative means were adopted by many of the organisations to stay in business, whether for front end processes or the back end support. This called for systems that were enabled on cloud, that could be operated from anywhere and that provide a feel of touch and sense. Hence, the pandemic pushed organisations, including the manufacturing industry, to look towards digital technology to keep the business operations running during the physical lockdown of people and movement of goods.

Disruption has become the new normal today. And while technology obviously has a role to play in it, it still remains just the tool (albeit a very powerful one). Would you agree that disruptions and digital transformations are more about mind-sets first and then about their physical manifestations?