Volume 2 | Issue 2
Lupin Prescribes The Cloud
Mayur Danait
C IO Lupin Limited
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Lupin Limited
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Manufacturing Industry’s Buzz With Enterprise Social Networking
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New-Age Technology For Indian Smes
Lupin Limited
A prescription for cloud computing innovation Weighing solutions
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Lupin Pharmaceuticals A prescription for cloud computing innovation
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Manufacturing Industry’s Buzz With Enterprise Social Networking
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New-Age Technology For Indian SMEs
Lupin is an innovationled transnational pharmaceutical company developing a wide range of branded and generic formulations along with biotechnology products and APIs. The company is a significant player in Cardiovascular, Diabetology, Asthma, Pediatric, CNS, GI, Anti-infective, and NSAID space and holds a global leadership position in Anti-TB and Cephalosporin segments. Lupin is the fifth largest and among the fastest growing top five generic drug players in the US (5.3% market share by prescriptions, IMS Health). In sales, it is the third largest Indian pharmaceutical company.
“Our decision to go on the cloud was taken fairly early,” says Danait. After careful evaluation of all cloud options, Lupin chose Microsoft Office 365 because it was backed by a vendor with the strongest commitment to this technology. “Moreover, most of our employees were already comfortable with the end-user experience that Office 365 offered,” says Danait. The biggest driver however was that Office 365 was a collaborative platform with all tools in place and one could simply activate them when needed.
Mayur Danait
Mayur Danait, CIO at Lupin Limited, is responsible for strategy and implementation of technology to help the company achieve its business goals. A global need As part of its growth strategy, Lupin acquired several companies across the world over the past decade. “We found ourselves with multiple legacy-messaging solutions in each country and felt the need to upgrade to the latest world-class technology,” says Danait. Integration of the Lupin world on a single collaboration platform was essential.
Efficient migration “The key lies in a clear migration plan,” says Danait. Lupin oversaw the migration of 14,500 users over six months. A special investment was made to run two parallel messaging systems. This helped cover all locations in a methodical manner during the transition period. The migration plan was designed to be flexible for adapting to various needs. For instance, Lupin decided to locally store archives and sync them with the cloud later.
Investment made good Lupin knew in advance how much the migration process would cost. “We were confident of saving up to 15–20% as compared to running a legacy environment,” says Danait. The process also led to other gains for the company. “We chose a collaborative platform to enable easy sharing of information across continents. Employees could use any device anywhere.” Users benefited
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Manufacturing Industry’s buzz with Enterprise Social Networking By Shobha B H
Enterprise Social Networking (ESN) has been around in the IT sector for some time now. Shobha B H, Enterprise Social Lead - India, Microsoft, shares a few case studies to show how it is now impacting the manufacturing industry. from speedy access to latest technologies. The IT department welcomes low hardwaremaintenance costs and the built-in disaster recovery system. With so many advantages – especially high savings – Office 365 was an easy choice for the CFO and, of course, Lupin.
Implementation pointers •
Look at the complete picture – consider how the cloud integrates with on-premise solutions
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Shift focus from maintaining server hardware to ensuring an open network
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Build awareness of security aspects and laws for handling of data across the geography and industry you operate in
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Choose the right partners for technology, support, and sustenance
The integrated platform had created a newer sense of community that was very essential to the evolving workplace.
“The cloud has offered us a high level of scalability and reliability.” - Mayur Danait
Lupin has saved valuable time and money with cloud implementation, freeing up resources for other important functions. Cloud computing has definitely aided and even bettered the overall functioning of Lupin. It is easy to see how other companies can benefit in a similar manner.
ESN in the manufacturing industry The manufacturing industry is taking a turn for the better following the Prime Minister’s plea to ‘Make in India’. With government support, many manufacturing organizations are looking to adopt new state-of-the-art technologies that would help them be more productive, cut costs, and maximize profits.
The beginning Organizations understand that employee connectivity and productivity are an integral part of growth in any business. In the past, this was done using traditional methods of communication. Companies now realize the need for an enhanced communication platform to connect with employees. That’s where ESN comes in. In most organizations, a pulse survey marks the beginning of ESN. The situation is marked by employees expressing the need to be more connected and aware
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of current events. They do not require a one-way communication via a newsletter or updates on the intranet portal. Let’s take a few examples of market leaders in the Indian manufacturing industry. Keeping all employees informed and connected was a major task as organizations operated from over 20 different locations across India. Employees felt that the leadership and corporate offices did not understand them well. This brought out the need for a networking model to keep workers in sync with the corporate office and vice versa. Before ESN, most organizations had created an intranet platform to share information. However, this was again a one-way network. Social networking platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn started influencing employees and they sought a similar platform at work. When the manufacturing industry started expanding, the companies felt the need to be competitive and innovative. This need drove them to adopt ESN.
A leading brewery recently adopted Yammer as their new ESN platform. To promote the change, the HR and leadership teams encouraged employees to use the new platform to voice their opinion and share feedback and ideas. The leadership team also carved out time in their daily schedule to be in touch with employees via ESN. The teams leveraged existing intranet and increased traffic to Yammer with banners and emailers. Several workshops were conducted to familiarize people with the new platform. Soon it was noticed that Yammer had a higher uptake because it was similar to other known social networking platforms. Once the employees started using it, they found it easier to create groups and exchange information.
Challenges faced while adopting ESN The adoption of ESN turned out to be easier compared to other sectors. Unlike banking, finance, and industries dealing with IP, people in the manufacturing industry welcomed the change.
ESN initiated After evaluating several ESN platforms available in the market, most organizations choose one that requires a minimal learning curve, is easy to adopt, and less complex to implement.
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Implementation and time taken Implementation of Yammer hardly takes time. The software is ready to use and scalable with out-of-the-box capabilities to drive engagements. Once companies purchase the software, it takes them less than a week to configure and less than a day to integrate it with existing intranet platforms. As long as organizations have a well-established authentication mechanism, it should be easy.
Receptiveness of the industry If Yammer is launched with leadership support and clear guidance on how and why to use the platform, we see a really good uptake. In many cases where average employee base was of 1000+, 72% of the staff were on board within three weeks. And in just four months, the entire organization adopted ESN. When a well-defined social council is put in place, the engagement levels
continue to rise and end up with at least 60% of the organization actively using the platform. ESN is a key component in the overall communications strategy for many organizations. And when they start asking “Why not Yammer” while drawing out their strategy, it turns out to be far more effective.
Companies get the ESN advantage The adoption of ESN by India’s leading manufacturing companies are shining examples of how organizations are taking advantage of it. 1. Employee engagement Companies use ESN as a key vehicle of information exchange and employee engagement. Usually we see a mix of employee engagement groups, with 80% being work-related groups and 20% interest related such as photography, trekking, etc.
2. Faster process rollout and enhanced learning ESN has made transfer of information faster. When employees used only email, they were unable to send large attachments or had to repeat the same information with different sets of people. ESN solved these problems. For instance, we have seen people using Yammer effectively to roll out SAP across 40+ locations where each state has different tax structure. The corporate teams created a group and started updating PowerPoint presentations with screenshots and educating people on how to implement it for different states. 3. Learning and Development With the help of ESN, the Learning & Development (L&D) team of a leading auto manufacturer has created Center of Excellence (COE) groups for paint, sustainability, and tyres to encourage employees to collaborate. Many organizations also use this forum to educate people on health and safety, sustainability, and quality policies. 4. Content management Depending on the size of the organization, the amount of content exchanged between employees also varies. ESN proves to be a great asset in managing data. One of leading breweries creates an internal magazine every month using data received from 20 different facilities. Before ESN, the content was shared via CDs. With Yammer, teams can send up to 5GB data online. They no longer have delays in releasing the newsletter and find it easier to share content. At the Corporate Office, the desks are cleaner without CDs and envelopes of pictures.
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Tapping into the collective intelligence of the workforce The right ESN serves as a great platform to get a pulse of the workforce. The platform can also serve your innovation needs and accelerate problem-solving by tapping into the diverse and talented workforce. The recipe of successful adoption has boiled down to the following factors: 1. Understanding the workforce The skillset of the workforce and their age groups will determine how ESN works. Technology-savvy users and those familiar with other social networking websites will use it with ease. However, if the employees do not use social media, they might require some training. 2. Progressive leadership If progressive leaders of the company promote this change and take out a few minutes from their schedules to be in touch with their employees, it goes a long way in driving engagement. 3. Receptiveness If employees welcome the change, adoption, and implementation are easier. A receptive attitude goes a long way in integrating the platform with the organization. 4. Open communication It is important to take inputs from employees to help the company grow. Listen to the voice of the workforce, understand their pain points, and take effective measures to address them along the way. With the examples shared alongside, one can see how ESN in the manufacturing sector is being used to bridge the gap between workers and leaders, helping them achieve goals together.
“Leveraging an enterprise social network helps us grow our business by enabling our staff — who are innately good — to perform even better.” Shekhar Ramamurthy, Joint President, United Breweries Brewing Up Success with an Enterprise Social Network https://about.yammer.com/customers/united-breweries/ “The benefits that digital collaboration offers to enterprises like ABB are massive. Our intranet is the first step toward fully leveraging this value, enabling the organization to work as a network.” Mark Seall, Group Vice President and Head, Digital Communications, ABB ABB Reinvents Its Intranet with Social Networking Technology https://about.yammer.com/customers/abb/ “We adopted Yammer because it would enable us to bring about the cultural shift needed to support a fundamental transformation in our organization. It is one of the key factors that helped revitalize internal communication and it will be the key to strengthening our global development, especially in Asia.” Shogo Fukahori , Chief Officer of HR Development and In-House Communication, Corporate Management Group, Sharp Corporation A Culture Reborn Through Enterprise Social https://about.yammer.com/customers/sharp/ “To stay a leader in our industry, we give our employees the tools they need to be as productive as possible. Yammer gives them the ability to connect and innovate with each other.” Ira Gottlieb - Vice President, Global Communications , Tyco Transforming Tyco with Yammer https://about.yammer.com/customers/tyco/ You can read more about Yammer and success stories on www.microsoft.com/enterprise/enterprise-social/default. aspx#fbid=AEEFrvjRYIs
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New-Age Technology For Indian SMEs
only limited devices to access corporate data. This allows user to remotely wipe all corporate data if device is lost
By Suresh Ramani, CEO & Cloud Computing Evangelist at TechGyan
Document management
As a technology consultant and cloud evangelist, I work extensively with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). My definition of an SME is a company with 10 to 500 users — a user being someone who employs IT. In my opinion, Indians SMEs differ from Enterprise Customers in their approach to using technology. Indian SMEs rely heavily on their IT partners for technology adoption, unlike Enterprise Customers where CIO-led IT teams manage it. Here are some thoughts on how Indian SMEs can adopt latest technology, specifically in Social, Mobility, Analytics, and Cloud (SMAC) areas.
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Pre-adoption infrastructure Let us take the case of a 150-user manufacturing company with a head office, few branches, and a couple of factories and warehouses. In a company of this size, the core system usually consists of a file server (for centralized document storage and active directory), an application server for accounts (typically Tally), some manufacturing applications, and desktop office productivity software. Users generally store data in ‘My Documents’ on their PCs. A legacy email server or an Outlook-configured mailbox is the usual choice. Inbox is configured with the mobile phone. Collaboration involves sharing files using email. Analytics means working on Excel sheets.
Existing scenario The current operation system has many limitations: •
When out of office premises, the user cannot access required documents
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Backup for ‘My Documents’ is not generally created
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Legacy email system has low reliability and is prone to failure
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Limited access to old mails when out of office
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No sync with contacts, calendar, and sent items, hence limiting users to Inbox
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Reduced storage space due to multiple email attachments and responses
The way forward The proposed solution should take care of the limitations of the existing system and also lay the foundation of a scalable, modern architecture.
Instead of sharing documents as email attachments, a more functional method is to create a cloud-enabled team site for reports where users can upload their documents. This provides many advantages. •
Facilitates sharing of files both internally and externally
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Gives only permitted users access to reports
For any organization, large or small, email is at the heart of communication. A cloudbased enterprise email system is the way forward for various reasons:
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Provides large storage space for each user which is synced with PC and mobile, ensuring backup of ‘My Documents’ and access across all devices
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Gives users access to mailboxes of 50 GB or more, eliminating the need for creating local archive files
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Is equipped with anti-virus and antispam protection, ensuring clean emails
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Comes with 99.99% uptime with financially backed SLA
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Has 24x7 phone support, which is a huge advantage to an SME customer
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Offers mailbox with inbox, sent items, calendar, contacts, and tasks that are synced across Outlook, browser, mobile, and tablet. This makes all data available without the internet
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Provides tools like Meeting Scheduler and Team Task Management
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Comes with legal hold, data loss prevention, and information rights management for better email security
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Provides multi-factor authentication for additional security
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Has a policy for mobile device management software that permits
Allows financial team to work simultaneously on budgets even if users are in different locations
Collaboration Collaboration is a must in any organization including SMEs. As most users are exposed to social media, setting up a similar platform can be beneficial in many ways. •
Eliminates numerous email threads and improves collaboration
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Provides flexibility by restricting the platform to internal users or allowing access to vendors and consultants
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Enables different departments to form groups and brainstorm on specific projects
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Provides a reliable forum to upload files from the cloud drive, allowing access across all devices
Security and compliance
Communication Conferencing solutions in many companies are often restricted to conference rooms. There is a pressing need for cloud-enabled mobile conferencing to facilitate effective communication. •
Provides every user with personal conferencing system, allowing direct participation through their devices
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Ensures smooth audio and video conferencing with any number of participants
Analytics Without investing in large business analytics systems, users can utilize Cloud and Excel sheets provide accurate reports and other benefits. •
Allows users to employ familiar tools such as Excel spreadsheets in internetconnected team sites
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Enables easy creation of reports that anyone can access
All cloud-enabled systems enumerated here have built-in security and compliance features. These provide critical benefits for all SMEs. •
Enables routing of incoming and outgoing email copies to central email
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Prevents configuration of Outlook on unauthorized PCs or laptops even with password
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Prevents copying and pasting of file data
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Restricts access of document team sites to specific IP addresses
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Prevents leak of confidential data and emails
Pay as you go Indian SMEs can surely implement stateof-the-art technology. The good news is that they can avail this through a cloudbased subscription model. This means, companies can add or reduce users as per their needs. With the cost per user being less than that of two coffees, they can hardly ask for more to be on the path of optimum growth and advancement.
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Cloud Accelerator Program Industries all over the world have recognized cloud computing as the way forward and are turning to it for their communication and collaboration requirements. Microsoft is working on an innovative program to help you better reap the benefits of cloud computing and incorporate it seamlessly into your IT strategy. Microsoft has three main tracks to help you begin your cloud journey: Track 1
Strategy - This is the beginning of the process which focuses on senior decision makers of the organization. Microsoft will present a special brief to help them understand the benefits and aspects of working on the cloud. Track 2
Planning - Once the leadership is convinced of fully exploring cloud capabilities, the next step is to plan a migration process. Whether a quick cloud assessment of your company needs or a detailed adoption blueprint, Microsoft will help you chart your cloud implementation process. Track 3
Tapan Garg Founder and CEO CIO Association of India P1, Gem Wellington Old Airport Road Bangalore 560017 E: tapan@cioindia.org W: www.cioindia.org
Getting Started - Microsoft’s advanced migration service will ensure that your organization’s infrastructure and application move seamlessly to the cloud. Now your organization is ready to go! To know more, please visit: http://www.microsoft.com/india/datacenter/cloudaccelerator-program.aspx
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