INDAL: Belur Works

Abstract

The Belur Plant of indal is facing a significant increase in power tariffs. Power tariffs have significant influence in shaping the competitive advantage of firms in the aluminum industry. The extent to which this increase in power tariff would affect the competitive position of indal needs to be examined. A reduction in power consumption can be achieved through appropriate scheduling policies. The case focuses on understanding the complexities of shop-floor scheduling and the trade off between the objectives of delivery reliability and minimization of power consumption. In the process, it builds awareness of how the manufacturing strategy and business environment shape the objectives of shop-floor control and how the dynamics of the shop-floor, in turn, affect the competitive advantage.