The Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) (G) : Control System Group

Abstract

This case describes the situation faced by the Control Systems Group (CSG) of ECIL, a multiproduct, multidivisional company. This Group is one of ECIL’‘s most important Groups in terms of turnover and in terms of the importance of the product. The Group is in the business of producing and supplying control systems including instrumentation. The control systems dealt with are nuclear for the nuclear plants and non nuclear for various other companies. Manufacturing itself is low in the Group: it takes products such as instruments, communications equipment and computers from other Groups and companies and integrates them into systems. Most of its turnover is in turnkey jobs. The opportunities are large but the Group needs to decide on what areas to concentrate on. Its organization structure is matrix, and this has been creating difficulties for a long time. The case presents the problems, opportunities and roadblocks faced by this Group.