EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY IN MANUFACTURING
02
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AT APOLLO TYRES WRIT TEN BY
SE AN GA LE A-PACE PRODUCED BY
K RIS TOFER PA LMER
03
w w w.a po l l o t y res . com
LISA ZINN, HEAD OF GLOBAL IT & BUSINESS SERVICES AT APOLLO TYRES, DISCUSSES HOW HER COMPANY IS LEVERAGING NEW TECHNOLOGY IN THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR AMIDST INDUSTRY 4.0
W
ith the fourth industrial revolution redefining the way manufacturing companies operate, many firms are
embracing technology to speed up processes in a bid to stay ahead of rivals. 04
As one of the world’s leading tyre manufacturers, Apollo Tyres has begun to digitalise its offering as the firm seeks to transform its production line. Lisa Zinn, Head of Global IT & Business Services, believes that due to the world constantly evolving, it has become vital that the company adapts to the latest trends. “We’re living in a world of interconnectivity which changes the way we live, work, produce and consume,” she comments. “Through the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), high-speed networks, open architectures and intelligent infrastructures we are witnessing an environment that intelligently communicates at a rate we have not seen since the first Industrial Revolution. As this revolution continues, it becomes increasingly critical that we are able to leverage the reliable communication and
05
w w w.a po l l o t y res . com
06
“ WE’RE CONTINUOUSLY WORKING ON WAYS TO BETTER ACCESS, CONNECT AND LEVERAGE OUR DATA” — Lisa Zinn, Head of Global IT & Business Services
CLICK TO WATCH : ‘MANUFACTURING EXCELLENCE AT APOLLO TYRES’ 07 seamless interaction between
become more data and fact driven,”
systems to produce business
Zinn recalls. “We’ve been able to
and customer benefits, as well
predict and plan more, as well as
as cost effectiveness in the tyre
utilise our ability to scale and forecast
manufacturing industry.”
an improvement.” In order to ensure Apollo Tyres
EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY
implements technology progressively,
Motivated by the emergence of new
Zinn believes that it’s important to
technologies, Apollo is becoming more
understand which new developments
data driven as an organisation, having
will provide the most value to the
incorporated new processes into
organisation, as opposed to introduc-
everyday use which enables the
ing the latest technology for the sake
company to better predict the future.
of it. “We have a system of prototyping
“Since I first joined in 2016, I believe the
and tooling selection which assures
way we conduct operations has
we make conscious and informed w w w.a po l l o t y res . com
$2.3bn Approximate revenue
1972
Year founded
16,500
08
Approximate number of employees
09
w w w.a po l l o t y res . com
Enabling Apollo Tyres to become an Intelligent Enterprise Our journey together, that began in 2002, has matured into a robust partnership spanning across various lines of businesses, multiple geographies and manufacturing locations.
Advert
SAP Suite on HANA forms the core business platform for Apollo Tyres and a key enabler for enterprise wide digital transformation. With its industry leading intelligent technologies and design thinking led approach to innovation, SAP is proud to be a trusted advisor for Apollo Tyres in their journey towards becoming an Intelligent Enterprise.
Start Building an Intelligent Enterprise with SAP today:
Redefine the end-to-end customer experience
Deliver a step change in productivity
Transform workforce engagement
Predict demand, procure the best suppliers, design and manufacture customised products and deliver personalised experiences.
Harness data-driven business processes to fuel new growth and revenue streams, adapt faster to change – and direct scarce resources where they’re needed most.
The latest technologies can give you the flexibility you need to attract, hire, contract, and retain top talent in a market that needs new skills.
For queries, please reach out to: 1-800-266-2208 | sapindiamarketing@sap.com
11
E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE
Lisa Zinn, Head of Global IT & Business Services Lisa is an energetic, decisive, structured and objective orientated leader who believes in strong partnering with business and IT to ensure stability and sustainability across the organisation whilst constantly striving to explore new technologies and ways of working to ensure growth, competitiveness and contribution to society as a whole. With two decades of experience across multiple industries spanning all phases of intiatives she has led individuals, teams and partners to achievement of tangible results and successful change implementation both from a process and technology point of view.
w w w.a po l l o t y res . com
12
KE Y CO N T RI BU TO R
Martijn ter Haar, Head Manufacturing Planning and Service Most of my professional life has been spent working in tyre development and manufacturing. Within Apollo have had the opportunity to develop myself across the numerous roles related to this core competence. I consider myself a blend of developer and operations manager, alongside which I consider myself to be more or less a ‘Datanaut’ in Apollo Tyres. I look forward to exploring and learning more from our data and creative ways to leverage it in a new and changing world.
choices prior to applying technology,”
mutual success is fundamental. Zinn
explains Zinn. “As an organisation
recognises the significance of
we’re continuously working on ways to
partnerships, highlighting a number of
better access, connect and leverage
key relationships on the company has
our data across the supply chain and
formed as part of its digital transfor-
manufacturing operations as well as in
mation journey. “We have a number of
our product development. This
key partners, from the Big Five to
leveraging of digital services has
smaller niche partners who we
enabled more visibility, better control
collaborate with on initiatives. We have
and overall efficiencies, and has
more recently moved towards a model
improved value throughout the supply
where we actively engage our part-
chain.”
ners, not just on individual projects but
Establishing a market leading
on longer term roadmaps to digitise as
position is a key strategic goal for
well as sustain,” she says. “We are
Apollo Tyres and Zinn reflects
working with our partners as part of
how important it is that her company
the journey and thinking process.
continues to innovate digitally in order
We have also moved towards a more
to stay ahead of its rivals.
active engagement between software
“Our greatest challenge is ensuring a
and hardware OEMs (Original Equip-
high speed of innovation whilst
ment Manufacturers) alongside
maintaining the continued operation of
implementation partners ensuring that
legacy systems. A changing business
our initiatives not only take into account
environment across the organisation
project delivery but also longer-term
has challenged us to
product roadmaps of OEMs.”
reexamine how we function and develop as a business partner.”
FUTURE PLANS In an industry as dynamic as manufac-
FORMING KEY PARTNERSHIPS
turing, it’s key that companies look to
The importance of developing and
diversify and accelerate their busi-
maintaining key partnerships with
nesses in order to remain leaders in
other companies in a bid to achieve
the field. Zinn affirms that her company w w w.a po l l o t y res . com
13
14
“ WE’RE DRIVEN BY FAMILY VALUES, A HUNGER FOR GROWTH AND A SENSE OF EMPOWERMENT IN OUR EMPLOYEES WHICH ENSURES WE MEET AND EXCEED OUR OBJECTIVES” — Lisa Zinn, Head of Global IT & Business Services
can’t afford to rely on previous success and must remain eager to grow in the sector. “Apollo is a strong family brand, with good roots in India and an ever-expanding global footprint. We’re driven by family values, a hunger for growth and a sense of empowerment in our employees which ensures we meet and exceed our objectives,” says Zinn. “It’s vital we never stand still and ensure our core is stable whilst always exploring and taking on new challenges, including geographies where we believe we can make our mark.” Looking ahead to the future, Zinn has clear ideas on how Apollo Tyres can remain sustainable and continue to achieve success in the region and beyond. “It’s important we continue to achieve strong growth in the OEM market in Europe as well as attaining sustainable growth in Asia, the Middle East and Africa despite rising raw material prices and external threat factors,” she explains. “In the near future, our immediate focus is on safety, people, technology and brand building. At all levels we have personal targets related to each of these regardless of where we are placed in the organisation and we all have a role to play in these focus areas to ensure our growth.”
w w w.a po l l o t y res . com
15
Apollo Tyres Ltd 7 Institutional Area Sector 32 Gurgaon 122001, India T 31634873973 www.apollotyres.com