Project nominated for the Excellence in education and training Steelie Award 2021
The year 2020 started with bright prospects for Gerdau. On the verge of completing 120 years, the company remained firmly committed to its purpose and principles, with a focus on its people, sustainability and digital and cultural transformation.
The results pointed to an exceptional phase, but the novel coronavirus spread across the world and hit Brazil severely in the first quarter, leading to market contraction and consumption of a part of the backlog.
Amid this challenging scenario, the Realizar 2020 Programme was created, the goal of which was delivery of results and creation of an on-the-job opportunity to accelerate digital transformation.
With the slogan, “Making the Improbable Happen,” the project surpassed its target already in its first year, delivering gains of US$157 million, compared to the initial projection of US$120 million, considering the Gerdau Brazil Long Steel business (GAB) and the Gerdau Brazil Special Steel business (GSB), from July to December 2020.
The rolling forecast, which had fallen to US$12.3 million in April, registered an actual amount of US$17.4 million. The innumerable legacies also include the mapping of 72 opportunities.
Given the strong partnership that already exists between the people team and the digital technology team, the Realizar Programme accelerated the dissemination and learning processes of an agile mindset across the organisation, while strengthening key growth drivers with a team of leaders to tackle specific fronts.
The programme involved 90 employees in nine multidisciplinary teams called squads, with each having eight to ten members and led by a Project Owner (PO).
The CEO himself and other sponsors participated in bi-weekly meetings with teams to support their knowledge and development vision in challenges.