Interview by Cleide Oliveira.
Largest Brazilian management consultancy, recognized by the skin in the game factor in DNA, breaks paradigms towards the transformation of its business model.
A leader in the management consulting segment in Brazil, Falconi has been helping organizations to obtain excellent results for more than 30 years by perfecting work processes and methodologies. Throughout this period, its global performance in segments such as mining, construction, petrochemical, steel, logistics, and retail, among many others, has always been recognized for exceeding the limits of theory.
They are a partner company of FCBB in the dissemination of knowledge about Brazil in the scope of management excellence. A collaboration that started at the Mississauga Board of Trade event, in which the Falconi team presented a lecture on the Brazilian success in Management, Quality, and Efficiency. A hand-shaking that has been getting stronger at every new project they develop together.
According to Bernardo Miranda, Partner-Head of Falconi North America, the company's uniqueness comes from its “skin in the game” DNA. The expression is originally credited to the American mega-investor Warren Buffet, and means a deep-dive in the business, putting your skin at stake.
Since the beginning of operations, the consultancy has distanced itself from conventional models. “This is because, traditionally, what the players in the segment do is to recommend processes”, explains Bernardo. "And Falconi also participates in the implementation, side-by-side with the client". An operating model that is moving towards the digital world and rapid innovation.
Innovation chain
The change in progress happens through artificial intelligence, automation, virtual reality, and other technological tools, all that is necessary to promote a global impact on the market of Industry 4.0, the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution. “Drawing a parallel of past performance and connecting with the current world, it is understood that the amount of data was limited. Hence the use of simple analysis tools, they were sufficient ”, analyzes the Partner-Head.
"Technological innovation has brought a certain breaking point with traditional business models, because they are more recurrent and accelerated, which has changed the types of problems within companies". The moment is to focus on people and technology so that they join the management pillar and add a model of balance to organizations.
This is what Bernardo calls “skin in the game on steroids. The management methodology of the past was eager for results, mostly financial ones. But society demands that companies also meet social needs ”. It is a concept closely attached to the customer journey, which increases the need to be satisfied with what comes with a brand. “It is not enough for the customer to be satisfied, every human being around the company must be happy: the employees, the suppliers. What we are changing in this spectrum of people is the 360-degree impact ”.
“Today we realize that our method also impacts other areas, in addition to the operational ones. We adapted our look inside, to talk to these new people, and, from there, we developed a data science area from scratch, a lab that today is focused on the incubation of new businesses ”. The department connects research and development integrated with the operation, to help consultants deepen their knowledge about problems and design better solutions.
In this way, Falconi promotes a change focused on collaboration “in the sense of learning-teaching, as we are a school company. Learning is in our veins; today we are a group of approximately 800 people, who have the solving problems responsibility. That's why we have to break down barriers to make collaboration happen ”.
Under the leadership of CEO Viviane Martins, Falconi seeks to increasingly associate itself with the digital ecosystem of start-ups. She is responsible for the Transformation of the company with initiatives such as FRST (Falconi Road of Skills and Talent) and MID, which deal with the training of professionals in the era of innovation, and service to medium-sized companies, respectively.
As Bernardo explains, “today we have a hub with 320 connected companies, taking part in the transformation and resulting in a start-up focused on people, technology, innovation, learning, teaching. The FRST platform helps organizations to train their employees in the most demanded skills, according to the future of jobs report from the World economic Forum”. Also in this list, creativity, flexibility, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, communication, and negotiation.
On the other side of the bridge, speaking of the companies, Falconi focuses on the MID platform for medium-sized companies with R$ 320MM revenue average. "This platform helps medium-sized companies to achieve their strategies and results using Falconi technology with less human capital". With all the changes in the way, Bernardo sees “an open path in the coming years, but with the same believe: That excellence in people, management with technology build extraordinary organizations for a better society. What we want is already set, let's wait for what the future brings ”, he concludes.
For FCBB, the certainty about the future is that fostering innovation, technology and the development of start-ups further consolidates the partnership with Falconi. Soon, once the pandemic is under control, the presentation of the innovation ecosystem is set to take place in Toronto and Waterloo. It is an opportunity to add commercially to all those involved, but mainly for the actions of entrepreneurship in Brazil and Canada.
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