1. Disconnected Operations Across Plants

Challenge:

In a typical crushing season, each sugar unit runs round the clock, and materials, manpower, and data flow across plants rapidly. Rana Sugars had multiple manufacturing units—sugar, distillery, and co-gen—under the same branch, but each was running on a different database. There was no unified view of suppliers, inventory, or production batches. Even the same vendor and Certificate of Analysis (COA) had to be re-entered separately for each plant, causing inconsistency and manual work.

Solution from Dexciss ERP:

We implemented a centralized ERP where all plants operate on a single database. Supplier master data and COAs are now shared across units—so whether it’s lime for the mill or chemicals for distillery, duplication is eliminated. From cane yard to packaging, data now flows seamlessly across all locations.

2.  Lack of Branch Accounting & Financial Consolidation

Challenge:

With sugar, alcohol, and power functioning under separate legal entities, Rana was manually consolidating financial records. Moreover, support functions like HR, Accounts, and IT were shared across plants—but their expenses weren’t fairly distributed. There was no way to allocate shared costs based on operational contribution.

Solution from Dexciss ERP:

Along with branch-wise accounting and financial consolidation, we implemented dynamic cost center distribution. Shared service costs are now allocated based on actual production percentages, ensuring each unit bears its fair share of expenses. This brought precision to cost accounting and improved inter-departmental transparency.

3. Overbuying Raw Materials and Packaging Due to Poor Inventory Visibility

Challenge:

During peak season, purchase teams ordered raw materials and packaging bags based on estimates. With no cross-location visibility, the same materials were often stocked at different plants without anyone realizing. This tied up cash and led to wastage.

Solution from Dexciss ERP:

Dexciss provided plant-wise and consolidated inventory dashboards. Now, before placing a PO for packaging or chemicals, teams can check available stock across units. The system also flags ageing stock, so excess doesn’t sit unused beyond its usable life.

4.  Complicated Employee Transfers & Seasonal Workforce Management

Challenge:

Sugar plants hire hundreds of seasonal workers for 4–5 months. When the season ends, employees go on paid leave and return next year. HR struggled to maintain records, calculate pro-rata salaries, manage joining dates, or transfer workers between plants when needed.

Solution from Dexciss ERP:

We automated seasonal employee lifecycle management. From onboarding at season start to leave calculation during off-season and rejoining the next year, everything is handled by the system. If an employee shifts from the mill to the distillery for temporary duties, payroll and benefits adjust automatically.

5.  IT Dependency for Daily Reporting

Challenge:

Plant heads, finance teams, and top management needed daily reports on cane crushed, sugar recovery, bagged sugar, power exported, and stock movements. But most reports were compiled manually or required IT to run backend scripts—delaying daily reviews.

Solution from Dexciss ERP:

We enabled real-time dashboards that show recovery %, production trends, dispatch volumes, and financial summaries—all role-based. No IT team involvement. Reports auto-refresh every hour, and decision-makers now operate on live data.

6.  Manual GST, TDS, PF, and Compliance Filings

Challenge:

Filing GST, TDS, PF, and ESIC returns manually during peak production months meant errors and delays. Multiple systems and spreadsheets made it hard to reconcile transactions across sugar, alcohol, and power divisions.

Solution from Dexciss ERP:

Dexciss automated the entire compliance stack. Returns are prepared from system data, validated, and filed directly from the ERP. Whether it's excise returns from the distillery or GST filings from sugar dispatches, compliance is now seamless and audit-ready.

7.  Unstructured Sales & Commission Management

Challenge:

Sugar was sold via agents who booked orders based on daily "sauda" (deal) rates. Bookings were tracked on calls or paper slips. There was no way to verify at what rate or time the deal was struck. If dispatch was delayed or the market changed, confusion arose. Commission calculations and settlement also lacked any system linkage.

Solution from Dexciss ERP:

Dexciss automated the entire sauda-to-commission flow. Agents now book sugar based on real-time daily rates, captured directly in the ERP. The system records quantity, price, agent details, and dispatch status. Commissions are auto-calculated and settled in sync with delivery, reducing disputes and delays.

8.  Untracked Asset Repairs & Capitalization

Challenge:

Whether it was turbine maintenance in co-gen or pan filter repairs in the mill, equipment breakdowns often went unrecorded until production was impacted. There was no preventive maintenance schedule, asset register, or capitalization tracking.

Solution from Dexciss ERP:

Dexciss enabled full asset lifecycle tracking. Equipment servicing, repair logs, depreciation, and capitalization are all handled within the system. Preventive maintenance reminders help avoid downtime during peak crushing days.

9. Weighbridge Management Was Manual and Unverified

Challenge:

Tankers arriving to lift ethanol or supply molasses were manually logged. Security personnel checked IDs, noted vehicle numbers, and guessed capacity—often leading to errors in billing or delays in gate movement. There was no automated validation of capacity or vehicle identity.

Solution from Dexciss ERP:

We integrated RFID-based weighbridges and ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras. Tanker license plates are auto-read, capacity is verified, and gate-in/gate-out logs are digitally recorded. Dispatch weight, delivery notes, and ERP records are now fully synced—bringing speed and reliability to yard operations.

10.  Manual Approval & Guesthouse Management

Challenge:

Purchase orders, leave requests, fund allocations, and vendor approvals all went through paper trails or emails. If a manager was unavailable, the file simply sat in a tray—slowing operations across the board.

Solution from Dexciss ERP:

We digitized all approval workflows. Each request now moves through a defined path, with alerts, status tracking, and full traceability. Whether it’s a lime purchase approval or staff leave, the system ensures nothing gets delayed.

11.  Inefficient Vendor Selection & Quality Tracking

Challenge:

Lime, chemicals, bags, and machinery were purchased from long-time vendors—but without documented comparisons or performance history. Lowest bids weren’t always honored, and quality feedback was never looped into procurement.

Solution from Dexciss ERP:

We automated vendor comparison, L1 (lowest quote) logic, and integrated quality scoring. If a vendor’s lime shipment failed inspection, it reflects in their score and affects future allocations. Purchase decisions are now transparent and performance-based.

12.  Disconnected Communication & Lack of Training Management

Challenge:

Training new workers during the crushing season or updating shift staff on SOP changes relied on physical binders or word-of-mouth. Remote plants had no structured system for learning or communication.

Solution from Dexciss ERP:

We deployed a Learning Management System and Raven (our internal communication tool). SOPs, training videos, safety instructions, and policy updates are now accessible digitally to every worker—regardless of plant or shift.