Bekaert, a global leader in steel wire transformation and coating technologies, was looking at automation and AI to achieve their strategic goals. However, operating in 45 countries with a workforce of about 28,000, they faced challenges in identifying a starting point. They realised early on that without a concrete plan or guide, they would likely end up with an unmanageable target operating model that worked in theory but not in practice.
Bekaert not only needed a target operating model, but also a central entity to manage it: facilitating the discovery, assessment, and implementation of automation cases globally. We called this entity the Automation Center of Excellence (ACoE). Humain began by organising workshops to gather the basic requirements for building the ACoE. Which roles are necessary to manage the ACoE? What does the discovery process look like? How can we implement these ideas? What does the infrastructure look like? What are our restrictions?
Firstly, we assisted Bekaert in establishing a target operating model and ACoE to manage their global automation needs. Secondly, we initiated citizen development for implementing ideas, leveraging the tech-savvy employees in their local offices who are eager to participate. Lastly, we helped them build a backlog of ideas to get started. To discover valuable cases, we introduced a tested methodology with the South American branch, which they can now freely use.
After some back and forth, we created a comprehensive guideline called the "Automation Bible," detailing every aspect of the target operating model and the ACoE managing it. This mitigates the risk of shadow IT and motivates local workers to learn the skills of tomorrow. The target operating model is flexible enough to include low code and other intelligent automation technologies. Ultimately, Bekaert is prepared to embark on this journey, enabling their employees to focus on what truly matters.
