Data Management across industrial sectors is an essential reference to increasing firm efficiency because it helps them to develop strategies for growing their business, improving efficiency and larger profits. Data and information collected and collated through proper and efficient data management systems provides the information about sensitivity of intra industrial parameters, which affects the efficiency and profitability. On the other hand proper communication of these data provides inter industrial units, the information to set up benchmarks and best practices which will increase healthy competition among the various players and ultimately increase the efficiency and better management resources.

Proper communication of data and information beyond the trans industrial boundaries helps the regulators or the policy makers to address issues related to the sector in an efficient manner. Lack of information or misinformation only misdirects the policy makers, leads them to wrong conclusions and results into improper regulation. The availability of accurate and reliable information enables decision/ policy makers across functional areas to better understand the important factors that have an impact on the bottom line of their activities. A clearer picture of those factors enhances their ability to plan and implement policies that more accurately address the problems of a given process.

For non-practitioners and researchers, a sound and well managed database provides valuable information about the changes taking place in any sector, which enable them to correctly project the future demand of any product or service or to look at the past records for drawing specific lessons. It thus reduces the uncertainty in the process. This refers to the process of accessing value added, firm-relevant information in a timely manner.

Information technology is an important tool for Data Management and dissemination. It involves the process of data collection, data analysis, storage and dissemination. Managing data effectively transforms it into valuable information. ‘Managed data’ is an asset, unmanaged data is not. As a result of IT innovation, organizations around the globe have greater accessibility to increased amount of information than any time in the past. The proper utilization of Information Technology, therefore, increases the overall performance of a given organization. Enhanced accessibility to data helps in reducing the uncertainty of those issues that really affect day to day operations at the firm level.

Some sectors of economy are organized and thus keep proper records of relevant information and data. Whereas many sectors are unorganized and data availability happens to be a big hurdle. These sectors however, can’t be ignored due to their importance to society and economy. Brick sector in India is a typical example of an unorganized sector.

Data Management in the Indian Brick Sector is negligible because of its traditional nature. In India Brick manufacturing is very unorganised , mostly confined to rural and peri-urban areas in small clusters. Brick manufacturing consumes more than 27% of total energy consumption in the construction sector in India. Over more than one lakh production units produce about 100 billion bricks annually .The industry has an annual turnover of over Rs. 10,000 crores and, more importantly, is one of the second largest employment generating industrial sector comprising millions of workers.

Inspite of being such a huge industry, there are very few state level (organised) brick associations, in the four states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Main reason for this is the fact that production occurs at a very small-scale and is spread over a large area. Although the Brick industry is categorized as a small-scale industry (SSI), government and entrepreneurs should come forward to organise it.

There is an urgent need to address the challenges being faced by the traditional brick industry, including productivity increase, brick quality improvement, mechanisation and development of energy efficient kilns. There also exists the need for product diversification to lower the use of productive topsoil to make the products eco-friendly and to undertake R&D on alternative fuels and materials to reduce emissions. This can be done only through organised associations.

There can be a hierarchical set up of organised associations, first at the regional level, the district level and then at the state level. The state level associations will be responsible to Central Pollution Control Board (C.P.C.B) and other concerned agencies. They would provide relevant data on production, fuel type, coal and other fuel consumption, type of technology, raw materials, variety of products, etc. Through this hierarchical set up of organised associations, dissemination of information on clean technologies and research & development would be easier even to the smallest unit.

Some training programmes, workshops and seminars should be organised to make the industry aware about the data management. There should be awareness campaigns for entrepreneurs and policy makers. Civil Society Organizations can play an important role in mobilising people and facilitating their data management and dissemination.

Institutional support and infrastructure development to benefit small-scale industries is an effective means for mitigating adverse environmental effects from this sector. The role of industry associations/organisations is especially important in this respect.

Investment should be made for building a flexible data management infrastructure that can accommodate a variety of data and analytical techniques. Joint efforts of the government, entrepreneurs, organizations and civil society can only make this work. q

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