Brasil Telecom, one of the largest telecommunications companies in Brazil, was one of three fixed-line operators that broke out when the industry was deregulated in 1999. Through its nine operating subsidiaries, Brasil Telecom operates in nine different states throughout central and southern Brazil, serving 34% of the country, including the capital.
Like many telecommunications companies around the world, Brasil Telecom faced high-risk project and IT challenges. Employees were managing many different projects but without any consistency in quality, cost, communication and leadership. Company executives knew that if they were going to compete in this newly deregulated, highly competitive industry, it was time to change.
The need for structured project management methodology
Raimundo Ramos, Corporate Education Manager at Brasil Telecom, knew from experience that a structured project management methodology was needed. After managing the training programme at another company, he understood the benefits of a professional development programme in project management. And he knew there was only one place to get it - ESI International.
“We needed to improve quality and reduce costs, and we needed consistency in how employees managed their projects,” Ramos says. “Our employees are working on more than 3,000 projects, budgeted at $1.5 billion. If even one of those projects is delayed by just one month, we could lose up to $30 million”. Ramos had worked with ESI and knew first-hand the training provider’s commitment to performance improvement. Not only was ESI able to provide the structure and training so critical to Brasil Telecom’s project needs, ESI offered professional credentials to validate the training. Through a partnership with the prestigious George Washington University in Washington, DC, ESI’s seven-course curriculum culminates in a Master’s Certificate in Project Management.
ESI deliver solution to meet Brasil Telecom’s specific needs
One of the selling points of the ESI programme was that it took into consideration that project management has discrete techniques that can be applied to projects of any size or complexity. “Successfully managing projects is not an easy task. It takes a lot of knowledge and skills that few of us possess,” says Henrique Neves, President and Chief Executive Officer at Brasil Telecom. “This is why we chose to partner with ESI."
The programme they offer provides a solid foundation in project management concepts, practices, and skills, as well as many advanced tools and techniques.” Brasil Telecom’s first group of 24 employees came from diverse divisions within the company including IT, Engineering, Marketing and other departments. Over a nine-month period, they attended seven courses in ESI’s curriculum. Once finished, the employees all received a Master’s Certificate in Project Management from The George Washington University.
Project success for Brasil Telecom’s employees Since that time, approximately 150 out of the 250 employees required to participate in the training have completed the programme, Ramos says. “Employee feedback has been very positive,” he says, adding that students have been extremely impressed with ESI’s instructors. “All of ESI’s instructors have brought real-world experiences to the classes they have taught. It’s clear they have worked as practitioners and know what life is like on the front lines of project management.”
The programme also offers an added bonus: it acts as a retention tool. Ramos says all 150 employees are still with the company. They now network with their counterparts in other states to exchange best practices and share information about how their competitors are performing.
ESI training - the key for future success Brasil Telecom reports that they have been so pleased with the programme that they are planning to train 500 project team members this year and 1,500 more over the next three years. “The training couldn't have come at a better time,” says Ramos.
The Brazilian government recently identified 45 goals that each telecommunication company must now meet. He says the company is in great shape, due in large part to the training Brasil Telecom has received from ESI. “In fact,” Ramos says, “earlier this year, the Brazilian government recognized Brasil Telecom for its high performance in meeting quality objectives.”
ESI’s project management training has already proven to be worthwhile for Brasil telecom. “Our project managers are using the tools and techniques they learned from ESI’s programme and are delivering projects on time and within budget,” Ramos says. “We now have consistency that we didn't have before. I feel confident this will be a key to our success in our industry.”