Introduction:

Asset management refers to the management process through which the utilization of assets is effectively addressed to ensure the most optimum Return on the Investment.  Thus, it is a systematic process of operating, maintaining, utilizing and upgrading assets, cost-effectively.

 Any of the cement company owns several and different categories of assets. For example:

• Plant and equipments
• Captive raw materials
• Human assets
• Utility assets such as captive power plant, water resources etc
• Hidden assets such as heat and dust emission, revenue and cost leakages
• Inventories
• Market assets
• Logistical assets such as transport fleets, ware houses etc

Any responsible owner of a big set up would certainly have some of the following questions in his/ her mind. For example:

• Are my assets healthy?
• Are they growing, stagnant or deteriorating? 
• Are they being utilized to their potential?
• Are they being maintained and operated properly?
• Are their performances comparable to Industry average/ best?
• Is benchmarking of various practices (such as operating, maintenance, quality control etc) being followed in my company?
• Is there any scope for enhancing the return on their investment? How?
• Is the money being spent for plant operation and maintenance is for the right solution, the right quality, in the right place, at the right time?

Coverage:

Typically, an assignment includes: 

• Data Analysis
• Raw mix design
• Heat, mass & gas balance
• Assessment of efficiency for critical fans
• Assessment of various unit operations
• Capacity Assessment – de-bottlenecking, modernising and potential hidden capacity
• Benchmarking
• Key strengths
• Key areas of improvement
• Report coverage
• Plant’s strengths and weaknesses
• Key Performance Indicators: Actuals vs. planned
• Benchmarking
• Assets’ Condition
• Areas of Concern covering quarry  plant, quality, environment, etc
• Improvement potential
• Main recommendations
• Action plans
  • Relevance of action plans
  • Possible gains
  • Detailed action plans with responsibilities and time frame for execution
• Guidance in implementation of action plans, as required

Methodology:

Given its global exposure to all facets of the industry, we are in the unique position to offer the services for management of assets. A two-pronged approach can be considered: a) Holtec specialists would conduct a preliminary diagnostic analysis to examine the possible improvement areas in the plant and recommend further focus in specific asset categories, or b) the client’s top management would give a mandate to Holtec to examine improvement potential in specific asset categories.

The service can typically:

• Answer such questions and help the owner take corrective timely actions.
• Keep a continuous watch on assets performance.
• Guide owner (through action plans) as to what needs to be done to improve overall returns on investments.

 To perform the above service, we undertake quarterly visits to the plant (by a group of people from various disciplines) and an Asset Fitness model is developed. The results are presented to the owners and action plans are finalised and put into implementation.

The above services are provided at a nominal cost and may result into:

• Periodic assessment of various assets.
• Timely intervention, in case of need.
• Improving plant life and resources.
• Increasing revenues, cost savings and improving returns on investments.

Benefits:

• In our 45 years of experience, we have done substantial work on performance enhancement of various cement projects.
• We possess the necessary experience for plant operation, as well as skills to upgrade the plants.
• We have large databases for benchmarking plant operations and follow best practices prevalent in the industry.
• We have a continuous source of feedback on the performance, maintenance and operations related aspects of all the renowned cement manufacturers and suppliers worldwide.