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ARCELORMITTAL BELGIUM
In Belgium, more than 5,000 people work at ArcelorMittal, the world’s second-largest steel producer. Following an Axxes assessment, the IT team further improved its efficiency.
ArcelorMittal Belgium, with sites in Ghent, Genk, Geel, and the Liège region, ships approximately 5 million tons of high-quality flat steel each year for a wide range of applications in the automotive sector and other industries, including green energy. The Olympic and Paralympic torches and rings for the 2024 Games were also made by ArcelorMittal from low-carbon steel, supporting the company’s sustainability mission.
Technology naturally plays a key role, as the company is heavily focused on innovation to continually optimize production processes. “Software, hardware and networks are indispensable for production. IT is not a cost center but an integral part of our operations. Engagement among our IT professionals is very high because they have a direct impact,” says Kevin De Vos. He started as an Analyst at ArcelorMittal in 1998 and is now part of the Development Support team.
Within ArcelorMittal Belgium, the Digital Solutions & Innovation department is responsible for all technology-related activities. “The software we develop is primarily intended for the Belgian sites, although we also build applications and heuristics for other ArcelorMittal locations. Some time ago, we consolidated all Belgian local IT departments into one group so we can work even more efficiently and accelerate our transition toward sustainability. By phasing the assessment, we were able to manage the scope well and stay within budget. It was a very open and transparent collaboration.”
By phasing the assessment, we were able to manage the scope well and stay within budget. It was a very open and transparent collaboration.
The assessment across three teams
To identify opportunities for improvement, ArcelorMittal engaged Axxes for a three-month IT assessment. In such a review, we take an open look at where a company stands in terms of IT, mapping both strengths and areas for improvement. The assessment goes beyond technological alone. We also examine organizational structure, release management, software and code quality. “We never felt any limitations in Axxes’s knowledge and expertise.” Kevin confirms.
“Digital Solutions & Innovation includes several teams, but for the audit we focused on three groups that were representative of the others. The first team is Mesco, which develops software used in every production process. The second team is Genesis. They manage inventory and provide the software that generates crane assignments, automatically or not, when material moves in or out. Finally, we audited a team working in project mode, which will provide future support to the departments producing sustainable steel.”
They listened closely and took our questions and needs into account.
The process
The asessment began with a pilot project in one team to define the best approach. “We granted Axxes full access to our environment and created accounts so they could analyze the code at their own pace after we had walked through the structure together,” Kevin explains.
The Axxes experts then met with employees. “We spoke with a mix of long-time staff and newer colleagues.” says Kevin. “Those conversations were not only about code or organization; they also covered testing, an area we want to focus on more.”
We were pleasantly surprised by the points they identified in such a short time; this definitely helped us. You could immediately sense Axxes’s expertise, because it’s no small feat to dive into someone else’s code.
By starting with a pilot and capturing feedback early, Axxes and ArcelorMittal were able to refine their approach before moving on to the next two teams. “By phasing the audit, we managed the scope effectively and stayed on budget. It was a very open and transparent collaboration. They listened closely, took our questions and needs into account, and even presented initial high-level results early on. You could immediately sense Axxes’s expertise, because it’s no small feat to dive into someone else’s code.”
The audit produced a comprehensive set of recommendations that ArcelorMittal can integrate into its roadmap. “We were pleasantly surprised by the points they dentified in such a short time; this definitely helped us. At other companies, we sometimes feel pushed toward solutions because they happen to have developers available. But with Axxes we saw our challenges being approached in a neutral, needs-based way,” says Kevin.
This audit delivered exactly what we had hoped for.
Axxes provided a debrief not only to management and section leads but also to the employees who were interviewed. Using a SWOT analysis, they highlighted strengths, areas for improvement and potential solutions. Both at a general level and per team.
Kevin: “Some of the findings confirmed what we already suspected, while others revealed blind spots. Equally important, the positive points were highlighted as well. These weren’t empty compliments; they were well-argued and sincere. In the meantime, we’ve already started implementing several of the recommendations. This assessment delivered exactly what we had hoped for.”
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