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OM02

Technology Management
Assignment I

Assignment Code: 2010OM02B1 Last Date of Submission: 30th September 2010


Maximum Marks: 100
Attempt all the questions. All questions are compulsory and carry equal marks.

Section -A
1. What is the role of technology in the business plan of a new firm? How does technology affect the
overall business strategies of a firm?

2. What is technology scanning? Discuss various factors that may govern the choice of a particular
technology.

3. What is appropriate technology? Explain its various aspects with examples. Comment whether
appropriateness of technology is a static concept?

4. “Technology development capabilities play an important role in the competitiveness and growth of
companies.” Comment with example of Indian automobile companies.

Section –B
The SENTO India spent 30 crore on implementation of ERP (Enterprise Resources Planning) system. It
was a two year long arduous exercise of installing the most sophisticated system that was expected to
change the vary culture of the SENTO Group.

The implementation of ERP System did not lead to any competitive advantage to SENTO India.
End result was a system manager’s nightmare. Some units were on ERP while others continued with the
legacy system. Some of the divisions in the company had integrated the function while others had not. Data
was being entered into the system manually, balances were being adjusted manually, documents were
cancelled and omitted to be recorded. The very imperfections that made SENTO opt for ERP were now
part of the organization.

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The IT manager of SENTO and incharge of project was convinced that if SENTO’s Rs.30 crore investment
in ERP was to be realized that all the parts of ERP had to be implemented and the underlying systems fully
adhered to. But there was no pressure on Vice-Presidents and directors to implement and adhere to the
system’s regimen. Worse this attitude was percolating down to the units.
It was realized that all efforts largely been in putting the hardware in place and in communications. But
most of employees of SENTO just could not use the computers for communicating. Some of them found it
difficult to even use “help menus”.

That is why many SENTO employees could not appreciate how the integrated environment could be use
efficiently. On the other hand, SENTO India failed to create the ethos for computer friendliness among its
employees. .

Questions:-

1. What is wrong at SENTO India? What mistakes have been committed?

2. What lessons can be learnt from SENTO’s experience?

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OM02
Technology Management
Assignment II
Assignment Code: 2010OM02B2 Last Date of Submission: 15th November 2010
Maximum Marks: 100

Attempt all the questions. All questions are compulsory and carry equal marks.

Section –A
1. What factors should an importer of technology consider while entering in to technology transfer
agreement?

2. What is the difference between technology evaluation and technology assessment? Which stages
should the process of technology assessment pass through? Explain.

3. What are intellectual property rights (IPR)? Why are they important? Discuss the various factors of
management of the IPR.

4. What is patent? How many types of patent exist under Indian law? What is procedure for patenting in
India?

Section –B
Cement industry in India has made tremendous strides in technological up gradation and assimilation of
latest technology. In cement production, raw materials preparation involves primary and secondary
crushing of the quarried material, drying the material (for use in the dry process) or undertaking a further
raw grinding through either wet or dry process, and blending the materials. Clinker production is the most
energy -intensive step, accounting for about 80% of the energy used in cement production. Produced by
burning a mixture of materials, mainly limestone, silicon oxides, aluminum, and iron oxides, clinker is
made by one of the two production processes: wet or dry; these terms refer to the grinding processes
although other configurations and mixed forms (semi-wet, semi-dry) exist for both types.

The dry process is modern and more energy-efficient as compared to the wet process, and the semi-wet is
somewhat more energy efficient than the semi-dry process. The semi-dry process has never played an

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important role in Indian cement production and accounts for less than 0.2% of total production. In 1960,
around 94% of the cement plants in India were dependant on wet process kilns. However, these kilns have
been phased out over the last 46 years; and in 2006-07, 96.3% of the kilns were based on dry process, 3%
on wet, and only 1% on semi dry process. Dry process kilns are typically larger, with capacities in India
ranging from 300-8000 tonnes per day or tpd (average of 2880tpd). While capacities in semi-dry kilns
range from 600-1200 tpd (average 521 tpd), and capacities in wet process kilns range from 200-750 tpd
(average 425 tpd). Over the last decade, increased preference is being given to the energy efficient dry
process so as to achieve cost efficiency in a competitive market. Moreover, since the initiation of the
decontrol process, many manufacturers have switched over from the wet technology to the dry one by
making suitable modifications in their plants.

There is tremendous scope for waste heat recovery in cement plants and thereby reduction in emission
level. One project for co-generation of power utilizing waste heat in an Indian cement plant is being
implemented with Japanese assistance under Green Aid Plan.

The induction of advanced technology has helped the industry immensely to conserve energy and fuel and
to save materials substantially. Indian cement industry is efficient and eco-friendly, when it comes to
energy conservation, the best level is achieved by the Industry as far as data goes of 687 kilo calories per kg
of clinker and 66 KWh per tonne cement are at par with the best achieved levels in the world. The Cement
industry effort towards control of emissions, preservations of ecology and its Corporate Social

Responsibility for Environmental Protection are laudable. The sustainable and long- standing efforts
towards reduction of carbon footprint is commendable – CO2 emission of 0.82 tonne per tonne of cement
produced in 2006, a sustainable drop from the level of 1.12 in 1996 and 0.94 in 2000.

On the technology front, the Indian Cement Industry has largely adopted state-of-art manufacturing
technologies, system for cogeneration of power and technologies for low NOx and SO2 emission have yet
to achieve many targets. The initiative taken by cement industry for waste utilization are evident from the
fact that production of blended cement in the country in the year 2008-09 was as high as 74 per cent as
against only 36 per cent in 2000-01. The Indian Cement Industry annually recycles more that 30 million
tones of fly ash, apart from consuming the entire quality of granulated blast furnace slag- another waste
generated by steel plants in our country.

The rising cost of energy transportation and persistent raw material pressures have been playing a heavy
strain on the cement and construction industry. As a result, Indian Companies have to not only explore
alternate sources of energy and materials but also strive to enhance operational efficiency.

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The technological advancement has also affected product structure .The types of cement in India have
increased over the years with advancements in research and development, and technology. By a fair
estimate, there are around 11 different types of cement being produced in India. Some of the varieties of
cement produced in India are: Clinker Cement, Ordinary Portland Cement, Portland Blast furnace Slag
Cement, Portland Pozzolana Cement, Rapid Hardening Portland Cement, Oil Well Cement, White Cement
and Sulphate Resisting Portland Cement. Among the different kinds of cement produced in India, Portland
Pozzolana Cement, Ordinary Portland Cement, and Portland Blast Furnace Slag Cement are the most
important ones because they account for around 99% of the total cement production in the country.

Questions:

1. Discuss the technological changes in Indian cement industry? How the advancement in technology has
changed product structure?

2. Discuss the importance of technology in eco-friendly steps taken by Indian cement industry to protect
the environment?

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