BRK Ambiental Sumaré: Operational Excellence and Continuous Improvement

ABSTRACT The case portrays the dilemma of Rafaella Scorsatto, operations manager at the Sumaré unit, who needs to propose an operational plan to win the concession for water supply and sewage collection and treatment in the municipality of Maceió. Rafaella managed the process of operational improvement in the Sumaré unit when the company took over the concession in 2015. Despite a troubled start, in less than six years, the Sumaré unit has become a reference in operational excellence within BRK Ambiental. This achievement was possible because, in three different moments in time, the unit was able to understand the main demands of users and public authorities and align its operational resources with them. The case was designed to show students the elements of operations strategy (market demands and operational decisions), the need for alignment between these elements, and the importance of adapting operational practices as new demands arise. To achieve this purpose, the case describes the latent demands of each phase and the operational practices adopted to meet them. By understanding the need for alignment and how each operational decision helps in delivering market demands, students acquire conditions to help Rafaella propose a plan with the potential to win the concession in Maceió. The use of this case is recommended in operations strategy undergraduate and graduate courses, especially at the beginning of the course.