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CXO Speak : Raghvendra Mehta, Sr Executive VP, Reliance Infrastructure

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PCQ Bureau
New Update

Q What are some of your short term priorities?



The key challenges are to arrange long-term power availability and achieve

full customer satisfaction, in existing power shortage scenario resulting in

high power costs; to build competitive advantage through transparent and

value-add services; to find technical solutions for theft of electricity and

reduction of AT&C losses; and to maintain leadership position on technology in

Distribution business.

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QHow critical a role does technology play to achieve a company's vision?



It is a part of R-Infra mission to become a technology-driven company;

attain global best practices and become a world-class utility; and create

world-class assets and infrastructure to provide the platform for faster,

consistent growth for India. R-Infra is already one of the best utility

companies in India that sets pioneering benchmarks in the use of technology

within the organization. It boasts of extensive use state-of-the-art technology

platforms such as ISU-CCS (a unique integrated billing and customer care

software from SAP), GIS, SCADA, DMS (Distribution Management System) etc.

Innovative services and initiatives have been integrated with these platforms to

provide several transparent, accessible, customer-friendly and value-add

services to our customers. Some of the examples of use of IT in tackling our

challenges include: accurately forecasting of power requirement on day ahead

basis; exploiting the existing IT tools in data collection; analysis and

developing applications for more efficient functioning of the business; and

looking out for newer technologies and applications in distribution business.

QWhat is your approach towards IT solution deployment to match business

requirements?



Top management encourages the IT department to carry out new developments

aligned to the vision of the organisation. It follows a PLAN — DO — CHECK — ACT

approach.

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PLAN — IT Department is involved in the strategic planning and budgeting

process in order to meet the business objectives and formulation of IT

architecture. This helps in aligning its mission of becoming a 'Technology

driven organisation'. Top management involvement has helped to build credible

Decision Support Systems (DSS) at R-Infra that enables us to build an agile

organisation. We also encourage the IT team to identify best-in-class practices

for use of technology available world-wide, and facilitates its deployment at

R-Infra.

DO — All end-user departments and support functions are encouraged to work

with the IT department as a team, to suggest innovative use of existing

state-of-the-art technology platforms for enhancing process capabilities and

launching a range of value-add services for customers.

CHECK — The management reviews the performance of the key IT initiatives and

the performance of the IT department during weekly and monthly reviews. Head-IT

is one of the operating board members, constituted by the top management to

review business operations on monthly basis.

ACT — We encourage continual improvement in processes, services and products

through use of technology and innovation.

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