Brain and Estação

We are founding members of Brain, Private Institute of Science and Technology, which connects ideas and people – inspired by the open innovation model – to the development of disruptive solutions focused on new products, services and business models. Since its inception, in 2017, Brain has been working on four main themes: Internet of Things (IoT), Cybersecurity, Cloud and Digital.

Mission

Building strategic partnerships to simplify the day-to-day lives of individuals and companies through the development of disruptive business solutions using the Agile methodology.

Structure of Brain

Methodology

Brain also engages in partnerships with relevant technology and telecommunications companies or with start-ups that are aligned with the purposes of developing new business models, focused on solutions to facilitate, in particular, the daily life of companies. Brain also partners with IBI (Israel Brazil Innovations) incubators and ACE (Startups Accelerator and Corporate Innovation) incubators to evaluate and develop disruptive ideas in the contexts of Israel and Brazil, respectively. Learn more about the subjects discussed and studied by Brain on the Institute’s blog.

Estação

To disseminate the culture of innovation within Algar Telecom, in 2018 we carried out an on-the-job training with 60 of our employees, who lived and experienced the Agile development model at Brain. In the same way, in 2018, we structured Estação, an area focused on two Tribes: Digital Products and Digital Customer Experience (structured in the same model of Brain, with employees from different areas working together to leverage digital channels in both sales and customer relationship processes and enable faster deliveries). Thanks to the Lean and Agile methodologies, Estação will allow Algar Telecom to scale up projects and disruptive solutions faster. The outlook is that in three years, 70% of Algar Telecom will be structured and working in this format, generating a greater synergy to the processes.

Sustainable Development Goals
8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth

The telecommunications industry is a major driver of economic growth, especially due to broadband and the generation of direct and indirect jobs.

With the inspiration of the corporate purpose of People serving People, we have been able to intensify the investment in the development of talents for the continuous improvement of productivity through programs of Innovation and technological modernization, intrinsic to our business. We are one of the founding members of Brain, an Institute for Technology and Innovation, to foster the innovation ecosystem in Brazil. The initiative develops skills in agile methodologies of the employees of Algar Telecom and articulates with the industries of innovation, like the start-ups.

This year for us was full of cases and awards in technological modernization and innovation, which certifies the path and strategies adopted to promote this important goal of sustainable development.

Brain and Estação’s Flow x Conventional Flow

Brain’s flow involves three main steps: idea generation, preparation, and development. In the first phase, ideas of disruptive solutions are analyzed and a survey is carried out with companies and start-ups to verify the main discussions on innovations and potential projects to be developed. In the next phase, the ideas are submitted to the Advisory Committee, the body responsible for evaluating the opportunities. Finally, the development is carried out by the squads, with multidisciplinary teams, providing agility for deliveries and allowing the Minimum Product Viable (MPV) to be quickly and easily available to the market, being improved until reaching the Desirable Product. This process takes about six months and is more assertive because between the MPV and the end product, the customers can send suggestions for improvement on the product according to their needs.

With the launch of Estação, our area fully structured according to the Agile and Lean methodologies, the products developed by Brain could be more easily inserted into our portfolio and scaled in a period of 15 to 30 days. Previously, due to the difference between Brain’s and Algar Telecom’s structures, a developed solution took more than 4 months to be incorporated into our portfolio.

Brain: assertiveness and agility