Project Log

Offering a Net advantage to farmers

S C Mittal, ED (MSD), IFFCO, talks to Dominic K about his experience in creating a robust networking infrastructure that has helped the organisation in reaching out to farmers

"The deployment has contributed to smooth and swift operations in all areas from manufacturing plants to daily administration" - S C Mittal ED (MSD), IFFCO

Indian Farmers Fertilisers Co-operative (IFFCO) is the world’s largest fertiliser co-operative and biggest producer of chemical fertilisers in India. With annual sales of about Rs 9,700 crore, our products are marketed through more than 37,300 co-operative societies and 165 farmer service centres across the country. Through our member co-operatives, we are involved in advising farmers on various topics ranging from technical knowhow to availability of fertilisers.

In order to inter-connect various manufacturing units, state and city offices and also to serve farmers and co-operative members better, we decided to overhaul our corporate information technology infrastructure. Our earlier set-up included LAN, satellite-based messaging and a VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal)-based communication system. It connected a handful of locations and was used to run simple applications like e-mail. As for upgrading to a new networking facility we consulted Cisco. The solution by Cisco offered a single, unified IP-based network that integrated multiple functions and users. After due considerations and study we made our decision on the deployment.

We decided to hire Cisco as consultant and HCL Comnet as network integrator. Based on suggestions and studies involving vendors and consultants, we chose IP VPN for benefits such as security, reliability, scalability, video telephony and cost savings.

Phased implementation

Phase-1 integrated five manufacturing and production units—Kalol, Kandla, Phulpur, Aonla and Paradeep. Phase-2 was targeted to inter-connect all the marketing offices situated in various states, mostly in state capitals. Phase-3, which is underway, aims at providing WAN connectivity to 80 locations including regional and rural offices over MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) VPN. The final and fourth phase will connect more than 700 mobile/home office workers of the field force over dial-up VPN.

Equipment being deployed includes Cisco switches, routers, IP communications and security and WAN equipment on point-to-point leased links and MPLS VPN links sourced from BSNL and MTNL.

We had an advantage in that we didn’t have much of legacy infrastructure, which made it easy to migrate to an IP-based solution without much difficulty. Besides the network, security and IP technologies, the migration also complemented almost all the software developed by our internal IT group.

We also found this to be the right opportunity to launch our various Web-based business applications like HR, finance, inventory and sales. The management further simplified various traditional government protocols by introducing e-Recruitment, e-Procurement, and a Rural Information Portal for the benefit of co-operatives, members and farmers.

For instance, e-Procurement fetches details of enquiries and purchase orders online. It brings in transparency as the vendors can submit their bids online. Since it’s a Web-based interaction, the tender can be published at our Web site with an SMS/e-mail alert to vendors as an intimation. Vendors thereafter log into their account upon which the system asks them to quote online, upload their files or documents. Any transaction made, gets a reply via SMS or e-mail. The system asks the vendors for digital certificates and upon authentication they commit their bids and get a confirmation. The solution has been developed by our internal team as per IT Act 2000, using Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), Digital Certificate and Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology.

Similarly e-Recruitment has been initiated and the recruitment process and procedures are conducted electronically.

We have also initiated an information portal to educate farmers and co-operative societies on issues close to their heart like farming technology, crop practices, soil conditions, plant diseases and treatment and weather.

Besides, the farmers are informed about the current market rates for their produce and the emerging market trends. It is a multilingual portal through a touch screen kiosk.

Looking back

The deployment has contributed to smooth and swift operations in all areas from manufacturing plants to daily administration. It has resulted in faster and easier communication, cost reduction and improved work efficiency.

The network has facilitated the deployment of centralised applications and consolidation of data and resources, assets monitoring, virus management, version control, standardisation of business processes, production and sales performance monitoring and faster policy communication. It has allowed us to close our annual accounts before the end of the financial quarter in the month of April (within days of closure of the annual financial year).

It has contributed in the planning and implementation of many diversification and expansion projects. Several Internet-based applications like e-Recruitment, vendors’ registration, e-Procurement and intranet have been launched. The biggest advantage has been the savings. We spent Rs 5 crore approximately on communication in 2005-06. Post-implementation we have saved close to Rs 25 lakh on telephony costs within the first year itself.

Moving ahead

A move to automate the field staff is under consideration. Up next we plan to expand our network further to new global and domestic business ventures, and co-operative societies who represent them. Further expansion of IP communications with deployment of wireless communication devices and scaling-up products and expansion of new services is also on the agenda.

The entire deployment would be an ideal benchmark for other government departments and co-operatives to indulge in such technology-driven initiatives.