Research and Analysis of Management Information Process in Continuous Improvement Area at Worldwide Steel Company

This article aims to present specific features concerning types of information management in the Continuous Improvement area of the Americas Long Carbon sector in ArcelorMittal, the largest steel company in the world. The aim is to also learn what the informational resources (products and processes) related to continuous improvement in ArcelorMittal Americas are and describe how the process of managing information related to continuous improvement area actually happens. Were adopted in this research: method survey, documentary research and bibliography search as data collection techniques. The study has conducted a quantitative non-probability research between September 11(th) and October 7(th) 2008 with professionals involved with the to processes, products and services improvement from Long Carbon Americas at different management levels. Ninety invitation letters were sent out by e-mail with a link to a specific site in internet for them to answer a questionnaire. After this period of time 57% or 51 people from the management level answered the research and all data were analyzed on the basis of theoretical models of information management. The study was based on theoretical models of Davenport (1998) and Choo (2006) and tried to understand how the efficient management of information can aid in decision making in organizations. The result of documentary research revealed the existence of initiatives throughout the different units in Americas and also revaled corporate tools for information management. However, none of the corporate programs was presented in solid form in field research, as a recognized program for managing information. The results of field research indicate the need for a structured and formalized model of information management that responds to users in adequate time, while alert to the need for policies that encourage the sharing of information related to the improvement of processes, products and services.