Implementation of MIS & the E-working in SECR

Lokesh Vishnoi

DyCSTE/Con/BSP

SEC Railways

Data Entry Operators always remaining busy for Change-Card entries & corrections & validations in 04 shifts

Clerical staff always busy for preparing 04 batches change cards & Travelling to-&-fro between HQ & their workplace

Old system of EDP before formation of SECR

Old system of EDP before formation of SECR

• All Bill-Clerks will prepare Change-Data cards manually on sheets of paper

• Then they will bring it to EDP on/before a nominated date

• DEO/SrDEOs working continuously on COBOL based program will enter the Change-Data

• Concerned Bill-Clerks will again come for checking and/or validating the changed data

• The process of Data sending-Data feeding-Changed-Data-Validating was going on repeatedly in four batches every month

EDP challenges in starting of new Zone:-

• ADDITION OF NEW STAFF NAMES in their data lists for newly started Zonal HQ & one new division –the RAIPUR Division

• INTEGRATION OF IT PROCESSES IN ZONE, i.e., in all 03 Divisions & Sheds/Workshops of SECR

• The EVERGREEN PROBLEM of lesser-staff-for-more-work-in-new-areas(like IT)

• Updated Technical staff needed for maintenance & operation of new High-Tech gazettes

Go into details of everything you do..

• This was the MANTRA given by our top brasses at the starting of our Zone

and we followed this thoroughly, we specified the best & Cost-effective TPMC Servers for our need, we selected the best suited DATABASEs, Oracle for our Applications & DB2 for Office Automation, based on the specs & needs of the system we were thinking. `

Jobs given to IT Cell

A Zonal IT cell was formed, with CM/IT an HoD, and DyCM/IT & JM/IT as his assisting officers.

The Zonal IT cell was given the job to• Establish the IT culture in SECR• Collect all working MIS/ERP in Railways from different

zones & implement them in SECR with high quality HW/SW/NW

• Make SECR an IT aware zone with employees fully understanding IT & its processes

• Start new process of IT & automation to make SECR an IT-savvy zone to run efficiently, even with lesser staff

The new light…… Initiation of IT culture in SECR

We decided to make SECR the most IT-savvy zone. For this:-

• SECR had only one Divisional EDP Center at Bilaspur for Data I/O & printing jobs. We decided to make it the ZONAL IT CENTER, and henceforth, the IT Hub of SECR

• Maximum employees of SECR were to be made IT-savvy, so we decided to operate SECR-CT-IT, the in-house IT training school, where we will impart short-term knowledge of usefull IT topics

• An in-house IT periodical, SECR-IT journal was started, which was very much appreciated and ran for 03 years, enhancing the IT knowledge of our staff

• The exchange of information between departments were made on-line by starting SECROADS-the SECR Office Automation & Documentation System

Initiation of IT culture in SECR• The SECR-INET contract was awarded to collect all MIS/ERP

running in various Railways & start them in our Zone, It also had work to Install & Maintain all the needed HW, SW & NW and to maintain them for a period.

• HP ES-45, the Best quality Servers of that time, were taken via this contract for, process execution & data storages. They were replaced by IBM BLADE-SERVERs & SAN in next phase.

• Umpteen no of Dumb Terminals/Desktops were provided at all Data-Initiating points to avoid unnecessary manual travels

• High capacity Bandwidth were arranged with proper backups between all IMP points of Zone

The IT initiative of E-Zone, the SECR

The SEC Railway is recognized every Where as E-ZONE, due to immediate acceptance & now, dependence on these E-working domains:-

• SECR-INET:- the ERP/MIS systems of Railways, working collectively over a Central Server on a common Network. Has all known MIS developed in Railways.

• SECROADS:- the SEC Railways Office Automation & Documentation system, an e-office solution to reduce paper-wastage & faster online transmission of information

• SHARED-FOLDERS:- SECR established early & still has a culture of putting all the important information of all Departments in their respective Shared-Folders, where it is easily visible & available to the persons who need it on-the-spot

• SECR-CT-IT:- SECR’s Center for Training in IT, all IT related courses & the intricacies of finer E-working were taught to the Employees. It ran for 04 years, to ensure that Employees in SECR are familiar with IT.

• SECR-IT Journal:- SECR’s in-house quarterly IT journal, circulated freely to selected employees. It continued for 03 years & earned lots of praise from all quarters, even from RB & other Zones.

THE CRUX- IT cell pinned on MIS by…Collecting information about all working MIS in

various Railways. They found the available MIS are:-

• PRIME – Payroll & Related Independent ModulE• AFRES – Advance Finance Railway earnings &

Expenditure System• MMIS – Material Management Information System• OSS – Operating Statistics System

-Source code for PAS & FAS were not available at SER HQ, so

we decided to do without them. Instead, we developed TAS.

they were:-

• PMIS – Personnel Management Information System

• COMIS – COmmercial Management Information System

• IPMS – Integrated Project Management System

• TAS – Traffic Accounting System

I am happy to say that all these MIS were developed at & by SECR, and all are working with excellence. In second phase, HEMIS was also successfully added to SECR’s fold.

IT cell decided to develop some new MISes here at SECR…

Other IT MODULES

SECR has switched over to “Electronic Stores Bulletin”. Bulletinsare being sent by Materials Department to vendors throughe-mails from June 2010. This has resulted in savings in expendituretowards printing, postal and other charges. This also has reducedtime duration for opening of Bulletin Tenders. Now Store tenderBulletins are being generated weekly.

For benefit of staffs “E-withdrawal of PF” procedure has beencomputerized and applications received are sent on-line and thusthe processing time has been reduced and Employee can see thestatus of his application immediately through computer

PRAYAS, a Pass PRinting And Yearly Accountal System has beendeveloped for computerised printing of Passes.

CPGRAMS, an On-line Grievance Redressal And ManagementSystem has also been implemented from March’10.

System Map of SECR

•First on line system with centralized database catering to HQ, Bilaspur, Raipur & NGP divisions, WRS & MIS workshops, DLS/R & ELS/BYI sheds.

•Working on WAN(wide area network ) over leased lines.

•On line data entry and processing from different user departments, including remotest PWI/SSE unit, Crew booking points spread at distant locations.

•Working with more than 1000 terminals all over SECR.

•Datalinks were provided & later upgraded to very high capacity, with a proper standby link for both away divisions

Special features of the SECR IT System

System Diagram of SECR-INET

Zonal IT Centre - SECR

Servers in SECR-INETSl No. Name of Server Operating

System

Location Purpose

1 Database Server Tru64 Unix Bilaspur As Oracle 12.0.2.1 database

server for PRIME,

AFRES & PMIS for all

locations

2 Backup Database

Server

Tru64 Unix Bilaspur As Oracle 12.0.2.1 second

database server for

MMIS, OSS, COMIS &

PRIMES.

3 Application

server-

Bilaspur

Windows 2003 server Bilaspur As file server to PCs and

terminal services server

to thin clients for

Developer 2000

application.

4 Application

server-Raipur

Windows 2003 server Raipur As file server to PCs and

terminal services server

to thin clients for

Developer 2000

application.

5 Application server

Nagpur

Windows 2003 server Nagpur As file server to PCs and

terminal services server

to thin clients for

Developer 2000

application.

Our Experience: IMP Points while implementing a Zonal ERP systems:-

• Data once entered shall be FULLY SECURED:- we decided to have data copying scheme for that

• System has to be ALWAYS-AVAILABLE:- We deployed scheme 1+1 servers, both Back-up to each-other

• NO LATENCY in data entry & saving /viewing is tolerable:-we opted for very-large capacity data bandwidth links, with proper backups. But still we used smaller DB groups & different 1st

Server Priority for different MIS/Groups

• There shall be proper 3-TIER-WORKING:-We put up the Application Servers at all Divisions/Workshops

• Employees shall not consume SYSTEM CAPACITY/BANDWIDTH for just seeing figures:- We ensured data is put in SECROADS, away from our Servers, for simply viewing by all employees

• We shall ALWAYS HAVE HELP AVAILABLE:- We put clause in Tender to keep sufficient technical staff always at our premises & on our call

• All HW UPKEEP SYSTEM HAS TO BE FOOL-PROOF, as no free-time is there, when SYSTEM working starts

• Data connectivity links shall HAVE MORE THAN SUFFICIENT SPARE LINKS for all points

• Always use 3-TIER-DESIGN to avoid possibility of unwarranted data-changes by anybody

• To maintain proper 3-Tier structure & also control Data Bandwidth, Application Servers were placed at all three Divisions as interaction point with DB Server

Contd….

• We make each DB Server independent DB storage, with defined cold & hot back-up time. These are in addition to morning 06:00 Hr Synchronization time for the system

• To ensure continuous data availability and to make systems faster, we had divided our Zonal Database into smaller individual segments, as can be seen in next slide:-

INNOVATIONS WHILE RUNNING MIS

ACESTBSP

ACESTNGP

ACESTR

ACESTHQ

MMIS

OSS

COMIS

IPMS

PMS

ACESTBSP

ACESTNGP

ACESTR

ACESTHQ

MMIS

OSS

COMIS

IPMS

PMS

DS1(EDP) DS2(GM Buld.)

******

*******

Live Database

Sleep Database

Database Locations & How to ensure their concurrent status:-

Cold BackupDaily night at 23:00 - DS2 to DS101:00 – DS1 to DS2

Logical BackupDaily Evening at 18:00 by “export “Command Keptinto DAT in tarformat

SECROADS - the “South East Central Railway Office Automation and Documentation System”.

To keep all the procedures in our books intact, and still control manpower/files movement, the SEC Railway is extensively using its Office-Automation System, the SECROADS. A very fine example of e-working.

SECROADS is an electronic File Movement and Tracking System to automate generation and processing of documents, files and notes. The purpose of this software is to enable electronic movement and tracking of files and letters/documents

The main page can be accessed by typing URL <http://secroads/> or by entering the URL in the address bar of internet explorer browser .

After entering the URL you will get following screen which is the login page of SECROADS:-

login page of SECROADS:-

• To work on file movement and tracking application click on फाइल मुवमेंट और टै्रक िं ग link. It will open File movement and tracking application in one separate window and will load Dakpad of the logged-in user.

• Dakpad is the inbox of all the document which has been forwarded to logged-in user, on which he/she can perform various action.

Other IT PROCESES running in SECR SECR has switched over to Electronic Stores Bulletin. Bulletins are being

sent to vendors through e-mails from June 2010. This has resulted insavings in expenditure towards printing, postal and other charges. Thisalso has reduced time duration for opening of Bulletin Tenders. NowStore tender Bulletins are being generated weekly.

STAFF PF WITHDRAWAL procedure has been computerized andapplications received are sent on line and thus the processing time hasbeen reduced and an Employee can know the status of his applicationimmediately through computer

To avoid delays in manual process & to ensure proper record-keeping,SECR has started ON-LINE STORES-INDENTING, where no papers arerequired & processing also becomes speedier

PRAYAS : Pass Printing & Yearly Accountal System has been developedfor computerised printing of Passes.

GRAMS : An On line Grievance Redresal And Management System forthe staff has been implemented from March’10.

SECR’s WEBSITESECR Website has been locally created and is hosted on CRIS server atNDLS. This contains various information of railways, specially regardingpublic interest .The home-page is:-

SECR Face book page has been created on 08.02.2013,vide Railway board Ref: DO. No 2012/PR/5/38 dated15.01.2013 This page contains information like positive news,events, new policies, status of berth availability, train runninginformation, TV spots & documentations etc. Otherinformation like station building with architecture of note,tourist spots over the Zone.

Matter regarding face book page are given by allDept.s to IT Dept. for uploading and updating on regular basis.

This page is having very good strike rate and isvery popular among Rail-users there. Its home page is givenhere:-

SECR FACE BOOK PAGE

https://www.facebook.com/pages/South-East-Central-Railway/337603463012379

Last, but not the least………………

Apart from appreciation by Railway Board& other Zones, we got a recognition by the Database Grandmaster itself, the ORACLE.

System Details & the interview of LokeshVishnoi, the then DyChief Manager/IT, published on the website of ORACLE, are attached below:-

Oracle 1-800-633-0738

South East Central Railway Consolidates Eight Business-Critical

Applications onto One Platform, Reduces Data Management Staff by 95%

•Oracle Customer: South East Central Railway

Location: Bilaspur, India

Industry: Travel and Transportation

Employees: 40,000

Annual Revenue: $1 to $5 BillionSouth East Central Railway is part of India’s state-owned national railway system and is India’s busiest railway

zone, having carried over 130 million passenger journeys between FY2012 and FY2013, and it transports

around 150 million metric tons of freight each year. In particular, it transports high volumes of coal, iron, steel, and cement, which are essential to India’s infrastructure development program. The company’s staff of 40,000

manages the railway’s daily maintenance, provides 24-hour support, and interfaces with other railway zone

offices to secure Indian Railways’ national operations across its vast regions.

ChallengesA word from South East Central Railway : “We had used Oracle products for nearly 10 years and

were confident in selecting Oracle Database because it is a technically proficient, cost-effective, and seamless database solution. We’ve improved processing speed, saved license and

maintenance costs, and reduced data management staff by 95% while improving data accuracy. In addition, we’ve improved staff and customer satisfaction.” – Lokesh Vishnoi, Deputy Chief Signal

and Telecom Engineer (Construction), South East Central Railway

•Consolidate eight, business-critical applications, such as payroll, finance, revenue, and personnel

management, into a single database platform to reduce costs and optimize use of limited staff resources

•Upgrade the existing database platform to improve system performance, simplify data management

tasks, and strengthen data integrity and security to enhance railway services

•Improve customer and staff satisfaction by increasing transactional performance, such as accelerating

passenger ticketing and access to booking status and availability

Solutions

Oracle Product and Services

•Oracle Database

•Oracle Audit Vault and Database Firewall

•Oracle WebLogic Suite•Reduced staff resources required for enterprise data management tasks by 95%—from 300 to 15 staff

members—by consolidating eight, business-critical applications onto a single database platform

•Enabled faster and easier access to data, such as ticket availability, by upgrading to Oracle Database

11g, improving staff satisfaction and work efficiency across different railway zones

•Accelerated data processing time for providing passenger ticketing and accurate and up-to-date booking

status and availability, improving customer satisfaction

•Cut software licensing and maintenance costs through database consolidation•Enhanced corporate and transactional data security with Oracle Audit Vault and Database Firewall’s

robust security features

•Provided employees at remote locations with the ability to access up-to-date data online, rather than relying on information on their own PCs, by implementing Oracle WebLogic Suite, enabling them to print

up-to-date salary statements and financial reports and improving data accuracy and staff productivity

Implementation Process

South East Central Railway implemented a three-tier architecture consisting of a

database server, application server, and a wide-area network connecting terminals

in head office with remote locations. It completed the upgrade, including data

migration, in five days. The new database platform went live—on time and within

budget—in April 2012.

Partner

•Oracle Partner: KPIT Cummins

South East Central Railway engaged Oracle partner KPIT Cummins for

predeployment design and development and assistance with implementation,

including data migration and license purchasing. KPIT Cummins delivered user

acceptance testing and training during implementation, and it continues to provide

postdeployment support.

Web Address of this entry:

http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/customers/customersearch/sec-railway-

1-database-ss-2054133.html

Thank you for your time,Further, lets walk together.

lokeshv77@hotmail.comCUG: 9752440804

PRIME

System Maintenance

Employee's Payment System

Related Independent

Module

Employee Information

System

Employee Data

Report

Queries

Quarter

Bills

Change Data

Security Codes

Rule Master

Change Connection

Pass Account

Loan & Advances

Leave

Income Tax

Bonus

Process (On-Line)

Settlement

Status of Implementation of PRIME

Sl.No

Module HQ BSP Div

BSP con

NGP div NGP con

NGP W/S

RDiv

WRS/R

1Pay Roll Process & Reports

√ √ √ √ √ √ √ √

2 Leave Account √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √3 Quarters Module - UI - UI - - UI -4 Electricity Module - √ - NI - - NI -4 Income Tax √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √

5Bills (Salary/Suppl.)

√ √ √ √ √ √ √ √

6Cadre/Posts/Scale Check

√ - - - - - - -

7 Loan / Advances √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √8 Bio-Data √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √9 OT √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √

10 Bonus √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √11 OT Arrears √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √12 NDA Arrears NA √ √ √ √ √ √ √

AFRES

System Maintenance

Books & BudgetEarning Account

Expenditure Account

Internal Check

PF

Pension

Cash Office

Suspense Account

Books Security Codes

Rule Master

Change Connection

Traffic Account

Status of Implementation of AFRES

Modules HQBSP

Div. & Con.

R Div. &

WRS

NGP Div. , WS & Con.

Internal Check (Salary Bill)

Internal Check (Supplementary Bills)

Internal Check (Other/ Contractor/ Supplier etc. Bills)

PF Module

Pension Module (NR)

Pension Module (ONR)

Books Module (Cheque)

Books Module (Cash)

Books Module (EFT)

Books Module (JV/MCT)

Contd.

Books Module (Account Current & RAR)

Suspense Module

E-Suspense Module

New Pension Scheme Module

Cash Office Module - - -

Pay office Module (PMR Cash Book)

HMIS

Indoor Patient Management

Casualty Registration

Pathology

OPD Registration

Radiology

Local Purchase of Medicines

Sick & Fit Certificate

* Medicine purchase & Medicine Stock module yet to be implemented.

RELHS Card Issue

• Complete RCD module has been successfully implemented at BSP from 01-04-2014.

• There are 12 RCD’s spread over SECR for HSD oil fueling of diesel engines.

• Same module may replicate to other RCD’s after provision of Railnet connectivity & PCs.

• EDPM has inspected RCD/KRBA & RCD/BRJN for implementation.

Inventory Module for Railway Consumer Depot (RCD)

Pass

Court Case

Training

Transfer

Man Power Planning

D & A

Traffic Accounts

Passenger Classification

GoodsBalance Sheet

Traffic Billing

Goods Refund

MST Report

Statement – 7AStatement – 7BStatement – 12Statement – 15

Coaching Refund

Error Sheet

CoachingBalance Sheet

Sl.No

Module HQ BSP Div

BSP con

NGP div

NGP con

NGP W/S

RDiv

WRS/R

1 Service Record √ √ √ UI NI UI √ √

2 Pass √ √ UI √ NI UI √ √

3 Promotion NI √ NI UI NI NI √ NI

4 Transfer NI √ NI UI NI NI √ NI

5 Seniority NI √ NI UI NI NI √ NI

6 Court Case √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √

7 D&A NI NI NI NI NI NI NI NI

8 Training NI NI NI UI NI NI NI NI

9 Recruitment NI √ NI UI NI NI √ NI

10 MPP NI NI NI NI NI NI UI NI

11 Benchmarkingunder MPP

NA UI NA UI NA NA UI NA

12 PCDO √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √

13 Employee Portal √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √

14 Vigilance Developed & ready to implement

NI - Not implemented √ - Implemented UI - Under implementation NA - Not applicable

PMIS - Implementation Status

Further activities of IT cell of SECR are:-

Providing Technical support & Updating of SECR officialwebsite.

Updating of SECR Facebook Page.

Maintaining of GPS map (for SAFETY wing), with allSafety-Essential information fed for SECR

Coordination in respect of PH-17 (Computerisation) works.

Technical Clearance of Items related to IT.

Thank you for your time,Further, lets walk together.

lokeshv77@hotmail.comCUG: 9752440804