Hyderabad: Software major Satyam Computer Services Tuesday announced that it has developed a new solution to reduce downtime for process manufacturing companies, which normally take an annual or semi-annual plant maintenance shutdown.

Using Satyam's solution, Priya Cement, the brand name of Rain Commodities Ltd (RCL), reduced its plant shutdown time from 18 days to 13 days, enabling production of an additional 15,000 tonnes of cement and $1.6 million worth of sales.

The solution is based on the Theory of Constraints (TOC), developed by Israeli physicist Eliyahu Goldratt, said Satyam in a statement.

The business value enhancement team of Satyam implemented a solution based on TOC's critical chain project management (CCPM).

"The measures suggested by Satyam to evaluate the project status and progress were simple yet revealing and brought about an enormous amount of management focus in areas on tasks where required," said Priya Cement (operations) president P.B. Gopalakrishna.

Satyam has also used this solution to reduce shutdown times by 30 percent at Shree Cement, resulting in cement production of an additional 24,000 tonnes and is prepared to apply this solution to other industries such as chemical process, petroleum refining and steel.