ABSTRACT
The global production of cement has already crossed the mark of 4.0 billion ton per year and it is still growing at a rapid pace. The cement plants are capital intensive and the manufacturing process is not only resource-intensive but also highly energy consuming. Because of the intrinsic process characteristics, the industry happens to be an emitter of large proportions of greenhouse gases affecting the climate. As a consequence of all these factors the industry today faces serious challenges that include realization of plant potency, early recovery of invested capital, achievement of triple bottom lines, moving to greener manufacturing, raising the standards of corporate governance, compliance with policies for environmental protection, health and safety standards, and meeting the diverse customer needs and demands. For successfully encountering these challenges, ERP solutions have already been adopted by the industry for bigger data transparency and effective integration of all functions from production to delivery. The ERP software packages are mostly customized to meet the particular requirements of plants to integrate production with the supply chain, inventory management, stock handling, cement trade, finances, and pricing. This chapter intends to unfold the basics of development and application of ERP solutions for sustainable cement production.
