Twinning plants, sharing knowledge
Arcelor Mittal has industrial plants in 27 countries around the globe. Some of the installations of the integrated group share similar production and characteristics. As part of an innovative benchmarking process, similar sites are being ‘twinned’. What does that mean? Let’s take a look at an example: Acindar (Argentina) and Point Lisas (Trinidad and Tobago).
Acindar, former Arcelor site, is a leader in the Argentine steel market. Point Lisas, former Mittal Steel site, is the largest steelmaker in the Caribbean and the largest non-oil industrial complex in Trinidad and Tobago. Apart from being now in the same integrated group, both sites have something in common: they produce high-quality direct reduced iron (DRI).
There are only a few plants in the entire Arcelor Mittal perimeter dedicated to DRI. To share best practices, identify improvement actions and bridge gaps, Acindar and Point Lisas started a ‘twinning’ project in November.
Facilities of Point Lisas (left) and Acindar (right)
Benefits for all
In the last weeks of 2006, three groups from Trinidad and Tobago of five employees each spent a week in Acindar. Five Acindar colleagues also paid a visit to Point Lisas. The aim of these meetings was to see how the other site works, to get ideas, to mutually transfer know-how and to agree on common improvement plans.
Twinning brings three major benefits:
- Learning the best of the company the site is twinning with, which allows to improve systems and results
- Getting to know what is going on in the rest of the group, technically and culturally
- For companies of the same region, creating a better cooperation in the market
An excellent atmosphere, a complete action plan
All the teams that participated in the Acindar – Point Lisas twinning project highlight not only the operational benefits of the experience, but also the good support and attention provided by their counterparts, as well as the excellent working atmosphere.
As an outcome of the visits, action plans are now being put in place. Both Arturo Acevedo and John Kuriyan point out that, even if technical and management changes can take several months, the cooperation between both sites will give some immediate benefits.
3 comments
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February 19th, 2007 by Evérgito Urdaneta
Well done. Congratulations!
That is the way it should be.
E. Urdaneta
Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela.
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February 21st, 2007 by S.K.Sinha
A good benchmarking as well as knowledge management exrcise has been started that will lead to Continuous Improvement in operational as well as managerial aspeects of best utilizing the existing technologies and learning from each other. Only Arcelor-Mittal could do it as its basic philosophy is cosolidation. Such exercises are the “consolidation of technologies” and will go a long way in practical gains on shop floors on productivity increases and cost reduction.
A well initiated and thought out step has been taken. My best wishes to the working groups.
S.K.Sinha
Head (Iron Making)
SAIL, RDCIS
India
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August 7th, 2007 by Portrait artists
This strategy is also used by most successful companies in UK. Harmonization is not only in terms of structure, legal framework, and the likes but also profit and income. Thus, it’s not only the physical site that’s twinned but also the profit. Either one becomes a testing ground and at the same time a countercheck of the other one.
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