The Scorpio's IT Secret

Mahindra & Mahindra automated its key business processes such as
manufacturing, sales and distribution, marketing, accounts and costing,
budgeting and monitoring, finance, HR, product development, project management,
and management reporting.

It has derived benefits such as availability of reliable and accurate
information through real-time transactions and reduction in inventory levels and
order-to-delivery cycle time.

The company has extensive processes for studying the impact of IT, wherein
the company has built measures of performance for all business operations using
global benchmarks as well as interaction with users, besides developing its own
methodologies.

An early adopter of IT, the company has demonstrated leadership in its
transformation of an informative supplier website into a transactional portal.
The company's data center, which deploys biometric technology for
authentication and access control, was adjudged the second best in the industry
by APC in financial year 2003-04. Its use of wireless to enable anywhere,
anytime access to information with security and integrity using CDMA technology
has facilitated the access of business-critical information from around the
globe 24x7, besides allowing internet usage even when traveling.

But in recent times, the most dramatic impact of IT has been during the
Scorpio rollout. The development and launch of Scorpio is a direct result of
streamlining of the process of product development. The company has been able to
engage in new product developments in the shortest possible time despite
challenges such as expertise, cost and tool selection. And into the bargain, the
award in the Process category goes to Arvind Tawde, CIO, M&M.