Corporate Sustainability

Senior Leaders follow triple bottom line concept (social, environmental and economic) for

organizational sustainability and works to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In social front, CD & SW department gathers needs and expectations of the surrounding communities. They prioritize them and endeavor to address them. These are then reviewed by senior leaders To excel in its environmental performance,

(i)                  products, processes and equipment are ensured to be environment friendly,

(ii)                air and water pollution levels are kept below the statutory norms and reduced continually and

(iii)               Environment is enhanced through planting trees every year and natural resource conservation, energy conservation and climate change initiatives are taken up on priority basis. On the economic front, senior leaders strategies through strategy planning process to improve its top and bottom line (Fortune 500 and Mission 2000 being the examples). TRL Krosaki has taken a number of steps such as growth through modernization & expansion to ensure long-term sustainability. After successful implementation of Fortune 500, TRL Krosaki has embarked on ambitious Mission 2000. RM Security is gaining critical importance for long term sustainability for refractories industry. TRL Krosaki has created a post of VP (Strategic Raw Material Sourcing) to take care of this aspect. A no. of strategic initiatives such as

(i) Tie up with strategic RM suppliers,

(ii) Backward integration,

(iii) Development of second source of Dolomite and

(iv) Initiating basic research with national and international laboratories are few of them. Finally senior leaders build on its core competencies and knowledge assets through organization and employee learning in such a way that competitive advantage is preserved over time.

Culture of performance improvement and accomplishment of strategic objectives:

Environment for performance improvement is created by cascading the strategic objectives to Divisional Score Cards, departmental and individual targets (KRAs). Targets of Divisions and departments are reviewed regularly through MIS and improvement actions are initiated. Accomplishment against individual targets is reviewed half yearly. This ensures accomplishment of strategic objectives. Fact  based evaluation and improvement has become a culture in TRL Krosaki where every body is involved in performance improvement through TOC, SGAs, CIPs, CFTs and QFD in the bottom ranks and organizational reviews in the top level of the management.

Innovation is an integral part of our leadership system. A number of techniques have been introduced in the organization to create an atmosphere of innovation at all levels. (Examples are: quality circles - 1992, work simplification-1993, value engineering-1994 to 1999, ISO-9002-1994 to 1999, ERP implementation- 2000, TOP program- 2003-2004, IMS-2006, DOE-2007, SBUs-2007). Workforce is trained in these techniques and is encouraged to take up projects to improve the processes they are engaged in. The participants implementing their project successfully are recognized and rewarded in public functions. Suggestion committee accepts suggestions and innovations from all levels of workforce as an E&I. In addition to these setting stretched targets in CBSC creates opportunities for innovation. Leadership encourages benchmarking for setting targets and improving processes for driving innovation. TRL Krosaki won the Golden Peacock award in innovation for the year 2005~06 from Golden Peacock Foundation and won one of the top three awards in Tata Innovation Day organized by TQMS, Pune during July 2007. TRL Krosaki's technology division consist of a dedicated group of scientists who are working continuously on developing newer and better products of OP). IISC (Innovations Implementation Suggestion Committee) also promotes for innovations through rewards and appreciations.

Organizational agility :

It is achieved through focus on multi-skill training to all workers and through job rotations, CFTs, CIPs and organization restructuring for officers. Earlier a production worker could operate a machine efficiently, to which he was assigned permanently, but was not so useful at other machines. The situation was critically studied in the year 1999 workers were trained to operate a group of machines providing flexibility. As an E&I, this situation was further improved in the year 2001 to perform minor maintenance by the operators. Further E&I has now started from the year 2002 a new “Millwright Program” to train workmen in all operational and maintenance aspects of processes and equipment. They are also given behavioral training so that they become knowledge workers of the future. TRL Krosaki has been a pioneer in adapting the latest technologies in the world for its operations, products and for its customers. e.g. Firing of refractories in microwave, development of FRT-2 bricks for better life ( of OP), change to pet coke from coal for environmental compliance, up gradation to new ERP servers and database for fast response etc.

Organizational & employee learning:

Organizational learning is achieved in TRL Krosaki through following means. (1) leaders encourage workforce to take part in QCs, VEs and other improvement teams. Organizational knowledge is shared among these members, (2) customer Knowledge is gathered by visit to customers both by marketing as well as operations and technology personnel and this is discussed in different review meetings.(3) employees are sent to (i) exhibitions, (ii) different national competitions, (iii) seminars and trade fairs both in India and abroad (such as IREFCON, UNITCER ceramic society of India annual function etc. and (4) suppliers (both indigenous and foreign) are a great source of relevant knowledge. Organizational learning is also improved to great extent, by participation of officers in review meetings of senior leaders. Major failures and successes at TRL Krosaki are great source of organizational knowledge. KM (Knowledge Management) is another strong pillar of organizational learning Leaders encourage employee learning by taking training programs and SYK talks themselves.  Training needs are identified through a systematic process.

Succession Planning:

MD and senior leaders take direct part in succession planning exercise and MD himself owns the process for senior leaders. As a process, all critical positions have been identified to keep people ready to fill up position that may arise due to vertical and lateral movements. The decision on succession planning is discussed in SEM. However the final decision rests with the MD. As an E&I, a MDP program has been started in house to groom pool of second rung managers.

Leadership development:

Based on the performance and future potential tracked through appraisal system and assessment of MD, competent managers are identified and moved up on career ladder and groomed as future organizational leaders. They are further sent to management institutes such as ISB, IIMs, XLRI and TMTC for management development programs.

Every year 360 deg feedback exercise is made for the SEM members where they get the feedback from subordinates, peer and their reporting officers. This feedback is very objective and this is used by the SEM members to improve their leadership effectiveness. Senior leaders are sent for attending various Management training programmes to TMTC, IIMs, ISBs and other management institutions for enhancing their overall leadership skills.