Stefanini supports implementation of cognitive platform for Usiminas

Virtual assistant is available on the website and intranet of one of the largest producers of steel in the Americas

SÃO PAULO, Brazil, Jan. 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Usiminas, a Brazilian leader in flat steel, in partnership with Stefanini, one of the most important global providers of technology-based business solutions, has developed a cognitive platform to offer its customers and employees a virtual attendant named Bob Steel.

The virtual assistant is available on the site of the steelmaker to guide or clarify the doubts of those who visit the platforms. Talking with Bob is very easy; just access the icon in the right-hand corner of the screen or click on "Contact Us." The modern and friendly virtual partner is also on the intranet, ensuring more agility and dynamism in the search of employee information.

According to Eduardo Sebastião de Carvalho, corporate manager of Operations Technology and Information Security in the steel industry, Usiminas was one of the first companies to adopt this tool. "The implementation of the project shows that we are tuned to new technologies and connected to all market trends," he said.

Winy Siqueira de Melo, Usiminas information technology specialist responsible for the project, explains that Bob Steel also allows the call center staff to be more focused on the demands that require more attention, with more complexity. "For  example, we used to receive  many calls from people searching for extensions or addresses from our units. From now on, all this information can be answered by our virtual attendant, allowing the call center to act more assertively and strategically,” she said.

Since 2011, Stefanini has been working within Usiminas to provide specialized services and systems development. In 2017, the contract was upgraded to service desk, field, NOC (Network Operation Center) services, in the resource allocation part in the development area and with artificial intelligence. "We are happy to be able to help Usiminas with this project as well. The initiative aims to facilitate the contact between the user and the steel company, bringing more agility, dynamism and interactivity,” said Alexandre Winetzki, director of R&D at Stefanini.

Bob Steel

Another interesting point of the project is that the name of the virtual assistant was chosen by the employees through an intranet vote. Bob Steel, who brings references to steel coils - the company's main business - was preferred. In all, there were about 1,900 votes, plus several creative comments, showing that the cybernetic partner has won the sympathy of all.

Sophie, Stefanini’s cognitive intelligence platform used in the Usiminas project is now available in version 3.0, responding in 44 languages, and has been implemented in various segments such as industry, retail, insurance and government. The platform can be added to all of Stefanini's offerings in Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO), Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and call center, as well as to most major IT Service Management (ITMS) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) available in the market.

About Usiminas

Much more than steel, Usiminas (http://www.usiminas.com/eng/) offers solutions to the country’s greatest industrial challenges. In cars, in ships. In refrigerators, in stoves. In offshore platforms, in tractors. In industrial machinery and much more. It is not by chance that it is Latin America’s biggest flat steel producer and market leader in Brazil.

About Stefanini

Stefanini (www.stefanini.com) is a Brazilian multinational with 30 years of experience in the market, investing in a complete innovation ecosystem to meet the main verticals and assist customers in the process of digital transformation. With robust offerings aligned with market trends such as automation, cloud, Internet of Things (IoT) and user experience (UX), the company has been recognized with several awards in the area of innovation.

Today, the company has a broad portfolio of solutions that combine innovative consulting, marketing, mobility, personalized campaigns and artificial intelligence services for traditional solutions such as service desk, field service and outsourcing (BPO).

With a presence in 40 countries, Stefanini was named the fifth most internationalized company, according to the Dom Cabral Foundation ranking of 2017.

Editorial Contacts

Carla Ferber (Carla.ferber@stefanini.com)

Vanessa Morais (Vanessa.morais@stefanini.com)

+1 248 263.8612