Client background

Client: US-based multinational energy company

Industry:  Oil & Gas

Area of Operations: Worldwide

Number of Employees: Over 45000

Products & Services: Petroleum, petrochemicals and natural gas

Challenge

A Fortune 500 organization, driven by the values of responsible operations, execution excellence and technology innovation, was facing challenges in adhering to their vision as their current systems and processes were becoming outdated, and accurate tracking of lubricants was proving to be difficult. They wanted to implement product batch traceability and setup smart warehouse operations to keep up with the ever-evolving demands of their clients. They were looking for a technology partner who could help them in effectively designing and implementing a phase-wise transformation solution addressing their key challenge areas i.e. product batch traceability, supply chain transparency, lubricant tracking, and after-sales service.

Solution

Wipro stepped in as the preferred partner and initiated smart warehouse operations for the client. MS Azure was chosen for IaaS and PaaS solution deployment.

Solution involved integration of multiple systems and hardware like MS Azure, Azure Data factory, local plant server database, hand-held scanners, hand-held computers, mobile application platform, QR code printers, SAP EWM, data collection agent programs, tower lamps, SAP MII, and PCN network.

 A Lubricant Track and Trace solution was implemented. Its capabilities included:

• Exchange of data (production order, batch details, plant details, batch start and end details etc) bi-directionally between SAP and Azure
• Mapping production order, batch, plant etc to QR code
• Mapping pails to pallets
• Pallet inbound and outbound operations from the warehouse
• Hand-held application for 3^rd party warehouse/retailers/ for inbound warehouse operations
• End user product verification by QR code scan. 

The engagement involved four key phases:

• Assessment- This stage involved interaction with key client stakeholders to conduct as-is assessment, identification of problem areas, study of reference sites and understanding the Information & Communication Technology and application landscape.
• Planning- The second stage involved coming up with the detailed plan of action basis the understanding obtained in the first phase. The action points included refinement and redevelopment of processes based on process re-engineering suggestions and technology trends followed by a detailed gap analysis.
• Design- In the design stage, Wipro team evaluated multiple solutions, products and vendors and came up with the detailed Information & Communication Technology infra solution proposal and functional requirement specification of applications. The team corroborated with the client on the design and incorporated suggested changes.
• Development- Wipro team, through an Agile onshore-offshore process, delivered the solution capabilities explained above. During the development, Wipro team ensured constant client (business and end user) involvement.

Business Impact

The client enabled sustainable transformation by adapting advancements in technology to enhance their market competitiveness, and showed results with the successful deployment of Lubricant Track and Trace solution. Some of the major outcomes of the engagement were:

• Improved efficiency - Automated reading of QR code on the line eliminated manual entries and reconciliation with respect to batch completion, total quantity count, inbound and outbound operations. This increased the efficiency of production and stacking.
• Time and cost savings - Through QR code scan, identifying/demarcating damaged and defective items at third party warehouses, retailers and distributers became very easy. Hence, returns were simplified, saving time and cost.
• Enhanced customer satisfaction - Scanning of the pail QR code enabled web authentication which indicated the authenticity of the product. This stopped counterfeiting of products and enhanced customer satisfaction.
• Better visibility - Scanning of the QR code of each stock that entered the warehouse led to better visibility and traceability at each level of transit.