ISSUE Manufacturing Industry: the backbone of Korean economy. But its SMEs are facing significant challenges.

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) announces the countries’ ranking of manufacturing competitiveness every year. The Republic of Korea entered 17th in 1990 and made it to the Top 10 in 2003. In 2017, it ranked 4th. It took Korea just 28 years to jump from 17th to 4th — a truly remarkable leap forward. The products of the manufacturing industry make up 90 percent of total exports, and domestic jobs created by the industry add up to over 4.5 million. As of 2017, the GDP portion of the nation’s manufacturing industry stands at 30.4 percent — higher than that of China (29.3 percent). In this respect, it is evident that the manufacturing industry has played a significant role in the rapid growth of Korean economy.

However, Korea’s manufacturing industry is said to be facing huge challenges. The business in the manufacturing industry — including steel, shipbuilding, and automotive — have reached the maturity stage, and are struggling against fierce competition amid overcapacity in the global market. Besides, There has been an increasing number of issues regarding the ecosystem of the manufacturing industry in recent years, such as promoting balanced growth between large companies and SMEs. The industry is being flooded with new technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution — such as Big Data, the Internet of Things (IoT), and Artificial Intelligence. There are concerns that these technologies might widen the disparity between large companies and SMEs. Eventually, the gap in knowledge, information, and technology could lead to economic polarization.

According to OECD statistics, Korea is one of the countries with the largest productivity gap between large companies and SMEs. The labor productivity of SMEs relative to large companies recorded 53.8 percent in 1988 but fell to 32.5 percent in 2014. On the scale of R&D expenditures, the gap between the two gradually widened over time as well. These gaps led to a huge difference in business performance, which in turn resulted in the disparity of labor, resources, and R&D investment capacity. This kind of repeated cycle is fatal to the industrial ecosystem vulnerable to its instability.

POSCO has an important role here. The World Economic Forum announced POSCO as a ‘Lighthouse Factory’ for pioneering the manufacturing industry by applying core technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. There are 44 lighthouse factories around the world and POSCO is the first and only Korean company on the list.

So, POSCO came up with a solution: establishing and pursuing shared growth programs that enable SMEs to become smart together. Since POSCO has the competitiveness that transforms the huge steelworks into a lighthouse factory, the company is stepping forward, more than willingly, to share its competitiveness with SMEs in a bid to strengthen the industrial ecosystem.

SOLUTION A POSCO-type Shared Growth

At POSCO, the term ‘Shared Growth’ isn’t a new concept. The company started its first Shared Growth activities in the late 1990s. In 2005, POSCO established an organization dedicated to the purpose and currently operates a total of 33 Shared Growth programs. The “Benefit Sharing” system, which is run by the government and participated by 472 companies nationwide, is known to be first launched by POSCO in 2004.

Among the many Shared Growth programs, POSCO focalizes on the POSCO-type Productivity Innovation as an effort to bridge the gap between large companies and SMEs.

The ‘POSCO-type Productivity Innovation’ program is an activity to transfer QSS (Quick Six Sigma), a POSCO’s own manufacturing innovation technique, and smart factory technology successfully built by POSCO. To facilitate it, POSCO is to contribute 20 billion KRW over five years and the government adds 10 billion KRW to run the program. So far, POSCO-type Productivity Innovation activities look similar to those of other companies.

However, delving into the details of the program, you might find something interesting — the program consists of two steps. The first step is ‘smartization consulting to enhance competence,’ and the second is ‘support service to build a smart factory’. Those two approaches might seem quite similar at first glance, but there is a reason why POSCO operates the program in this way. POSCO strives hard to teach how to fish rather than just give the fish itself.

Let’s say that building a smart factory is like making smart fishing spots and fishing gears. Good tools and fisheries are important, but before that, the fishers also need training. In the manufacturing industry, the importance of the workforce is paramount, so a smart factory can be completed only when the workforce becomes smart as well. For companies that need this fundamental change in structure, step 1 (smartization consulting) is implemented instead of building the smart factory straight away. POSCO carries out step 2 (support service to build a smart factory) for those companies that have already gone through innovation and are expected to create synergy with the build of a smart factory. The competitiveness and productivity innovation that POSCO would like to share lies here: a people-centered smart factory.

 SOLUTION STEP 1  Smartization Consulting to Enhance Competence

‘Smartization consulting to enhance competence’ is an improved version of POSCO’s QSS Innovation activities that had been carried on from 2013 to 2018. QSS Innovation is an industrial movement to improve the productivity of the manufacturing workplace. ‘Smartization consulting’ also uses the QSS as a consulting tool, but this activity concentrates on changing the SMEs’ fundamental structure and lay the foundation for smartization prior to build a smart factory. Thus, the project not only enables innovation in productivity but also help detect areas that require a smart factory. As of 2019, POSCO had carried out consulting projects in 108 companies and plans to expand to 110 companies in 2020.

 SOLUTION STEP 2  Support Service to Build a Smart Factory

In the second step of the program, POSCO Group specialists help build a smart system that is suitable for the company. At this point, the surrounding environment and the scale of the company are taken into consideration. The provided services include monitoring facilities, MES, and ERP, etc. A customized system — according to the SMEs’ smartization level — is proposed and built, with POSCO and the government each bearing 30% of total expenses. If the project cost is less than 20 million KRW, the total amount is borne by the POSCO and the government — without the burden of SMEs.

In most ‘smart factory building support’ provided by large companies, the support ends with just installing the system. But POSCO’s support can be differentiated since it reshapes the mind-set of the workforce in step 1, and then builds the smart factory in step 2. It is an ideal program, not just for establishing smart facilities but also for nurturing an intelligent workforce as well. Though there are some cases where the first and second steps of the program are conducted independently, POSCO plans to maximize synergies by implementing both steps as an integrated program. POSCO provided supports for 110 companies last year, and 120 companies will be supported this year. Targets include POSCO suppliers, partner and client companies, POSCO Group suppliers, and also companies that have no business transactions with POSCO.

“Shouldn’t our company be of a certain scale to get consulting from POSCO?” The answer is no. For the smaller SMEs, POSCO plans to introduce “Mini QSS” initiating this year. POSCO is to carry out consulting for smaller companies as well so that these companies can easily start innovative activities that are essential for growth.

※ Solution Case Study

What is QSS+?

QSS is a tailored and upgraded version of Six Sigma, a popular technique used in many businesses to reduce defects and variabilities in manufacturing and business processes. Moving beyond creating a clean workplace and restoring facility performance, POSCO further upgraded QSS to QSS+ in August 2014 to include My M&S (Machine & Safety) activities, designed specifically to build a more efficient and safer working environment.

Through QSS+, POSCO has been able to drastically improve its facilities by establishing standard manufacturing processes. They worked to make raw material and inventory management more efficient and reallocated working spaces for increased productivity. Since 2006, POSCO’s unique innovation program has helped its employees to complete over 8,000 assignments designed to improve the production line. Such efforts resulted in reducing the concentration of fine dust, equipment failures, and improving the operation rate up to 95%.

Executives and department heads inspect facilities as part of the My M&S initiative.

QSS+ Success Story

POSCO applied QSS not only to its steel mills but also to its family companies and overseas subsidiaries. In China, the first QSS leadership training and master workshop were launched in 2011, and after one year, Qingdao Pohang Stainless Steel became the first overseas subsidiaries to be QSS-certified. In 2015, POSCO China chose four representative branches to lead My M&S activities.

In 2013, POSCO Vietnam successfully completed facility restoration activities named ‘My Machine’ at 11 different facilities as well as 19 other QSS assignments. In 2016, It became the first facility in Southeast Asia to begin using QSS+, tailoring it for their multiple branches.

In Pohang, Korea, four plants drastically lowered the concentration of fine dust in the steelworks from 80mg/m2 in 2007 to 50.3mg/m2 in 2013. Also, in 2016, they launched ‘Smart M&S’ – a program that works to integrate ‘My M&S’ safety improvements with its smart factory, helping it to become safer and more efficient at the same time.

Facilities before (left) and after (right) carrying out a systematic inspection through My M&S Activities.

Initiating programs like QSS are not easy. Because factories are running 24 hours a day, it can be difficult for workers and management to see how individual steps can improve an entire system. According to Kim Dukbae, POSCO’s first QSS Master, “QSS+ was able to become a strong pillar of POSCO’s operations because the leadership team and employees took the initiative to constantly improve and transform our operations…”

QSS+ is now established as a goal-oriented and innovative program that focuses on the three elements of quality, stability, and safety. Thanks to QSS+ and its advancement over the past decade from Six Sigma and QSS, POSCO has been able to establish safe and healthy manufacturing sites. POSCO will continue to apply QSS+ in every level of its organization in order to ensure its position as an industry leading steelmaker.

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The IP Festival 2016 award winners, who made great achievements through POSTIM this year, pose for a photo with their families and POSCO CEO Ohjoon Kwon.

Held in Pohang with the theme “Let’s Innovate Together,” the event also took place simultaneously in Seoul, Songdo and Gwangyang through video connection. Over 1,200 POSCO Group employees attended the event, where they shared the achievements of the POSCO Total Innovation Methodology (POSTIM) and resolved to take the initiative in generating profitability by devoting themselves to innovation.

The event kicked off with President Eunyeon Hwang introducing the event with Tolmang, a robot operated by artificial intelligence. The video made by and featuring employees presented this year’s performance in innovative activities, and revealed that innovation can be attained through the cooperation and unison of those involved.

The participants then shared the achievements of POSTIM from the past year, such as its establishment, expansion and the foundation of its cause. They also listened carefully to learn about the target performances of POSTIM, such as POSCO Six Sigma Plus, Quality Stability Safety Plus and Smart Work Place, as well as next year’s direction for innovation.

In the presentation of outstanding IP projects, those that produced notable results were introduced among various differentiated plans for improvement, followed by a quiz about the contents of the presentation. The best idea contest was held in the form of a battle, where the participants explained their ideas to the audience and the audience voted for the best one onsite. Also, the unique video presentation of QSS+ best filmed by Group affiliates, global branches and outsourcing companies, captured the audience’s attention.

In the event, 35 successful projects from organizations and individuals this year received citations through POSTIM, with 7 receiving special rewards. Families of the award winners also attended the ceremony that day, which added to the excitement.

The video aired toward the end of the festival emphasized that “we” are at the heart of POSCO’s future innovation, and moved the hearts of the viewers with a wonderful presentation of POSCO’s mindset and plans for the next 50 years.

“We must use POSTIM for all POSCO Group employees to communicate in a single language and constantly seek innovation,” said POSCO CEO Ohjoon Kwon. “With our potential, let’s promote PSS+ and QSS+ more quickly and robustly next year and prepare ourselves for POSCO’s next 50 years.”

Unlike previous events, this year’s festival also featured a robot to convey the image of the company’s smart innovation activities in a natural and friendly manner. Moreover, the presentation of the performance was not in the form of one-sided speeches but in more diverse and engaging styles that met the employees’ approval. These presentations won the empathy of the participants, and highlighted the performances that emphasized the role of innovation for the future.

POSCO’s 10th Anniversary of QSS+, the Innovation DNA for a Lasting Corporation

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POSCO has been the No.1 steelmaker in the world for seven consecutive years. This remarkable achievement has been possible because of QSS+, which has allowed continuous improvements to be made in workplace environments, along with increases in facility competitiveness. This is the result of both tangible and intangible efforts made by the employees who created QSS+, the unique innovation DNA of POSCO. QSS+ originally evolved from previous programs Six Sigma and QSS.

QSS+ can be attributed to POSCO being able to maintain its competitive edge, regardless of crises. Over the past decade, employees have managed to reduce the rate of fine dust generation as well as facility complications and unexpected glitches. They have also boosted the operation ratio to 95% by focusing on completing over 8,000 assignments dedicated to improvement under the slogan, “We will protect our facilities ourselves.” The continuous efforts to undertake these types of assignments have also contributed to nurturing suitable talents for each site, improving trust between employees and establishing a positive organizational culture.

QSS+ is a derivative of Six Sigma and QSS. Having been adopted by global companies such as GE and Sony, Six Sigma is a management strategy for innovation that has been considered quite effective. POSCO determined Six Sigma as being useful for realizing financial achievement. However, it was difficult to learn and apply into the daily work process, which led to the establishment of POSCO’s unique innovation program, QSS+, in 2005.

POSCO operated a trial plant for about a year to confirm the effectiveness of the program, and officially started using QSS in May 2006. As QSS was suitable to use at sites and easily accessible by all employees, it helped companies in POSCO foster a culture dedicated to maintain healthier facilities.

QSS was adopted not only by the two main steelworks, but also by overseas subsidiaries and outsourcing partners. It has also been significantly effective in improving the environment and surrounding facilities, as well as in eliminating waste and inefficiencies. Many outside companies have requested to evaluate QSS for their own facilities. Small and medium-sized companies in areas such as Pohang, Gwangyang and Kyeongin have actually received QSS consulting from POSCO, and are noticeably improving their performance in management areas ranging from reduction in operation time and costs to enhancements in quality and productivity.

Executives and department heads inspecting facilities during the My M&S initiative activity. (Right, in November 2014)

POSCO has been carrying out its QSS+ program, which is the upgraded version of QSS, since August 2014. QSS+ is an activity program described as having been “innovated from an innovation program,” which reflects the characteristics of the facility-intensive steelworks. Moving beyond creating a clean workplace and restoring facility performance, the program focuses on improving the performance of core facilities with functions that are tailored to each department. With its focus on the three elements of Quality, Stability and Safety, QSS+ is a goal-oriented and site-driven innovation program. In particular, the company has begun a “Smart M&S” program this year which has incorporated the IoT (the Internet of Things) into My M&S in order to establish smart manufacturing sites.

POSCO has built healthy manufacturing sites through continuous innovation activities over the past decade. It will enhance the intrinsic value of the QSS+ program by claiming it as part of its unique innovative brand, reflecting the characteristics of each location under the philosophy, “The answers are found on site.”

QSS+, One More Step to ‘POSCO the Great’

Spreading QSS innovation activities to strengthen competitiveness of small- and medium-sized companies

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Successful companies have three factors in common: 1) A goal that all members share together, 2) empathy for a unified ideology, 3) sharing strategies to achieve a goal. POSCO has been sharing the vision of ‘POSCO the Great’ with all employees and striving to enhance its corporate value. Thus, based on their shared innovation agendas and management ideologies, ‘POSTIM’ was newly established as a powerful execution engine.

1. POSCO’s Unique Innovation Model, POSTIM

POSTIM, which stands for POSCO Total Innovation Model, is based on the participation of all POSCO employees and subsidiaries, as well as integration of work and innovation. By establishing a specific solution to the previous problems and systemizing the accumulated procedures and capabilities through POSTIM, POSCO will make its way to realize ‘POSCO the Great’.

2. Four Basic Principles of POSTIM

POSCO established four basic principles with the goals of increasing profitability, creating a Great Work Place, and enhancing job commitment. The specific principles are: 1) striving to generate profits by integrating work and innovation, 2) offering a reward corresponding to voluntary participation and employee performance, 3) creating a work environment in which employees are committed to creative activities and jobs, and 4) fostering and giving preferential treatment to talented individuals with technical and problem-solving skills.

3. POSTIM’s engine for implementation

POSTIM consists of PWS, QSS+, and SWP activities. Each activity will act as an engine for implementation to practice the management ideologies – One POSCO, Creative POSCO and Top POSCO – and fulfill POSCO’s innovation agendas. POSTIM is expected to contribute greatly to accelerating the fulfillment of ‘POSCO the Great’ by systemizing the accumulated organizational competences, such as innovation methodologies, human resources and systems within a unique innovation model

• PWS (Project-based Working System)A business method in which employees find new projects to increase profitability, attain qualitative goals, and concentrate on producing outstanding results

• ŸQSS+ (Quick Six Sigma Plus) in every corner of the siteActivities to improve Quality, Stability and Safety by evolving a unique method suitable for steelworks with a focus on operating facilities. Accordingly, steel mill sites such as STS steel manufacture and quality-technology departments, are accelerating the realization of ‘POSCO the Great’ by having proclamation ceremony for QSS+ and holding an information session in each department. POSCO expects QSS+ to root down firmly in every corer of the sites and contribute as a stepping-stone for unprecedented innovation activities.
• SWP (Smart Work Place)A series of activities carried out to enable employees to concentrate on their jobs by performing high value-added tasks and generating creative ideas based on a harmonious and positive organizational culture.

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Notes from CEO

 “Let’s develop POSTIM as POSCO’s unique innovation model”

If the innovation methodology that POSCO has been promoting was in a physically mixed condition, the new POSTIM is the result of chemical bonding of innovation methodologies. For example, we utilized TESAL and Six Sigma individually in the past. However, as TESAL’s good methodology is applied to Six Sigma, POSTIM is a systemized model that is not limited to a certain methodology and allows combined application. Through this new model, POSCO is able to apply the majority of the existing methodologies with further convenience and can choose the part to include in POSTIM if a better methodology is developed in the future. Let’s develop POSTIM as POSCO’s unique innovation model.

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POSCO’s Innovation Activity named QSS has been the main driving force behind POSCO’s many unique innovations and promising results. With the help of QSS, POSCO was able to drastically improve its facilities while minimizing wastage since the initial application.

However, as it reached the “Best Plant” stage, the employees evaluated and urged that an application of existing QSS is unsuitable for facilities that operate 24/7. Taking into account, POSCO has made adjustments and developed an upgraded version of QSS named QSS+ which reflects the characteristics of steel company and respects autonomy. On August 12^th, 2014, POSCO held the proclamation ceremony for this new QSS+.  Let’s look into details!

One More Step to ‘POSCO the Great’ with the new QSS+

QSS+ with My M&S (Machine&Safety) Activities

Newly introduced ‘My M&S (Machine & Safety)’ differentiates the QSS+ from the existing QSS. Besides this new application, the rest of previous activities, such as 5S (Working Environment Improvement) and My Machine, remain identical. The new My M&S is specifically designed to create the world’s most safe and an ideal working environment for the employees mainly by deviating away from traditional ‘top-down’ to ‘bottom-up’ approach, which enables each division to self-set goals.

Furthermore, in order to heighten its technology capability in parallel with the QS5+, POSCO implemented 5 Stage OJT System and the ‘Master Hand of the Year’ program that nominates and honors 6 of the most talented technicians every year. In the long run, QSS+ will enable employees to ‘integrate work and innovation’ through efficient management.

Another Step to ‘POSCO the Great’ with Innovation Projects

In addition to QSS+, POSCO has been spurring the realization of ‘POSCO the Great’ through Innovation Projects. Ever since POSCO announced the ‘Project-oriented work method’, POSCO is expediting outcomes by applying ‘Project Visual Planning’ which allows POSCO to systematically manage the process and utilize a suitable methodology to its ongoing projects.

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VP (Visual Planning)

VP highlights P-D-C-A (Plan – Do – Check – Action) to stimulate efficient and effective performance of a group. This VP can be categorized into four groups depending on characteristics of the business: V-MBO type (methodical execution of business strategy related work), Work Diet type (unnecessary task cut down), Project type (efficient goal achievement) and Task Sharing type (constant task sharing).

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On August 12^th, Chairman Ohjoon Kwon complimented on the project layout status and excellence of coordinators after a thorough inspection on ongoing field projects and future plans. Moreover, he expressed that “innovation projects must target for the tasks that will actually generate profit” and requested for the projects to contribute to creation of fruitful outcomes by cooperating with relevant departments such as research, marketing and sales. 

Notes from Chairman Ohjoon Kwon on Steps Toward ‘POSCO the Great’

POSCO Chairman Ohjoon Kwon made a request for the employees to amplify their passions as QSS+ officially starts from its ceremony. He believes that passion is the key energy force to carry out the robust manufacturing sites to ‘POSCO the Great’ into realization. How would he define the further steps toward ‘POSCO the Great’?

Give value to the field sites

First, please give yourself values to your account. The sites manufacture the products that customers want, and it is the sites that determine whether values can be granted to the company or not. I hope that all the leaders at this ceremony could give values to each self. It is the leaders who are responsible for creating a workspace where the employees at sites could find their own values.

Be a master, not a servant

Second, I believe that if one thinks like a master, the one is motivated to seek for more works to do. Each leader must actively cope with changes and set up a goal by perspectives of Quality, Stability and Safety. Then, both the leaders and employees should estimate what needs to be done and bring out to actions in order to reach the goal.

Create positive energy by compliments and appreciations

Third, there is an old African proverb that says “If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” If we encourage and cooperate with open minds, we will inspire positive energy to each other and this will be the driving force to consistently and accurately bring out the QSS+ activities.

We ask for your continuous attention tothe QSS+’s establishment as a good methodology that possesses the world best installation ability and surpasses the outcomes of the existing QSS!

On December 6^th, POSCO and the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business hosted the ‘Launching ceremony for QSS innovation activities to make living manufacturing sites’ at Top Metal, located in the Namdong Industrial Complex in Incheon.

The ceremony was a result of the ‘POSCO-Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business Agreement to Spread QSS Innovation Activities,’ with the aim of expanding POSCO’s small and medium company innovation activity support from those involved in businesses with POSCO in the Pohang and Gwangyang regions to all 450 companies nationwide.

Seventy people attended the event, including Chairman Kim Ki-mun of the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business, CEO Chung Joonyang, as well as presidents and employees of small- and medium-sized companies participating in QSS innovation activities.

POSCO will provide overall management support from forming an innovation culture to talent fostering, efficiency management, and environment management to the small- and medium-sized companies participating in the QSS innovation activities.

The first priority will be to settle 5S (arrangement, order, cleaning, cleanliness, habituation) activities to eliminate sources of pollution and maintain a clean working environment. Daily inspection sheets will be utilized for systematic equipment inspection such as cleaning, tightening, and lubricating facilities, and maintaining the most optimal conditions through ‘management through the eyes’ activities. Material management efficiency will be maintained by adhering to fixed products, fixed quantities, and fixed locations, and preventing ‘time wasted from searching,’ while safety accident prevention will be guided through facility improvement and education.

Top Metal, where the event was held, has received QSS activity support from POSCO since last year, and since introducing QSS activities has seen great management results including reduced product manufacturing time, cost reduction, and improved quality and productivity.

 Participants heard Top Metal’s innovation activity results and learned innovation know-how by benchmarking real on-site cases, and developed a desire to improve productivity and secure competitiveness through QSS activities.

CEO Chung Joonyang commented, “In an era of increasingly intense and infinite competition, our small and medium companies must become stronger to survive, and to survive must become accustomed to change and improvement. The QSS activities POSCO is supporting will become the base for small and medium companies to grow innovation capabilities and become stronger.”

POSCO and the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business will start with support of 50 companies this year and extend it to an additional 100 companies each subsequent year, with plans to support a total of 450 small and medium companies by 2017 and help strengthen their competitiveness and continuous growth.

The POSCO Family Partners Day is an event where best cases of shared growth activities are rewarded, and participants can share their activity results and development direction. 

▲ Approximately 300 members attended the event including CEO Chung Joon-yang
as well as  presidents and employees of both primary and secondary investing companies

An award for best case of shared growth activities was presented in 5 categories: △shared results; △technology cooperation; △productivity innovation; △cooperation with small and medium-sized enterprises; and △QSS. Six individuals were also presented with awards in the newly created individual category, which aims to encourage POSCO and investing company employee participation in shared growth activities.

For best cases in each category, △’Nickel Ore Loading/Unloading Rate Improvement’ of SNNC cooperating company PORT.L, △’Joint Development of Reaction-type Steam Turbine Technology’ of POSCO Energy cooperating company HK Turbine, △’Productivity Improvement through CDQ Material Maintenance Technology Innovation‘ by POSCO CHEMTECH cooperating company Seong Ju Industry, and △’2 Steelmaking RH Vessel Operation Improvement Case’ by POSCO CHEMTECH cooperating company Sekang Industry were selected. In the QSS category, POSCO client company Top Metal and POSCO E&C cooperating company SI TECH both received the award.

 Aside from the Best Case award, 11 companies were presented excellence awards, and 3 POSCO employees and 3 POSCO investing company employees were commended with awards for their shared growth activity efforts with cooperating companies.

After the award ceremony, there was a presentation session on the results and development direction of shared growth activities. The participants reaffirmed establishing a strong steel ecosystem with the solid network between POSCO Family cooperating companies.

The participants also announced the POSCO Family Shared Growth Principles, which define the principles and regulations that the POSCO Family must adhere to as a pan-social model company, and POSCO Family and cooperating company employees pledged to take the lead to set an example. 

A performance by the POSCO PCP Choir followed the main event. The POSCO PCP Choir, which consists of 40 employees of POSCO and cooperating company employees, created beautiful harmony and received great responses from the audience.      .

With this event, POSCO will continue its successful achievement that POSCO and cooperating companies have made and use it as foothold for a new leap forward, and make an effort so that the shared growth culture can spread throughout the POSCO Family.

Between 8th and 12th April, POSCO Vietnam invited 40 new employees from POSCO Vietnam, POSCO VHPC, VPS and POSCO SS-VINA for a 5 day training course. The session was designed to improve working and communication skills for the new members of POSCO.

The training course offered educational sessions on POSCO’s history, corporate core values, Korean culture, QSS activity, Information and Labor Safety regulations, communication skills and steel production process. These are all closely related to POSCO’s operations around the globe and their everyday tasks.

Lee Kwang-yung, general director of POSCO Vietnam, also participated in the training course as a lecturer, delivering an hour-long lecture for working skills and labor safety measures in working environment. During the session, he emphasized the importance of core value of POSCO and self-consciousness of the employees as the members of POSCO Family.

When the educational sessions were concluded, the participants undertook a paper examination over the knowledge they acquired from the program. Luong An Xuyen, POSCO Vietnam, and Nguyen Kim Dong of POSCO SS VINA were awarded as the most enthusiastic and excellent members for the 5-day-long event.

After the closing ceremony, all the trainees joined an outside activity, climbing up the highest mountain near the training facility. It was a great opportunity for all of us to concrete the sense of belongingness and partnership as POSCO’s new prospects.

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Interview with Luong An Xuyen,
Marketing Department, POSCO Vietnam

Q: How did you feel about the training course?

[dropcap style=”1″ size=”3″]L[/dropcap]uong An Xuyen: I felt comfortable and really liked the impression when I first attended the course. Through this training, I have learned about the history of POSCO and meaning of ‘Spirit of Facing Right’, one of POSCO’s core values. Becoming one of the best new staff members was another joy I received from participating in the event. I think it was a great opportunity for all of us to build a strong partnership. After the training, we still keep in touch with each other. The training course has truly become a driving force for me at work.

Q: As a member of POSCO, how do you see the company and its future?

[dropcap style=”1″ size=”3″]P[/dropcap]OSCO is a well-known steel manufacturer and I have a strong belief in its future. I am also proud of the marketing department I am currently working with. It is a place where my background skills can be utilized and developed. I also love the atmosphere and the people I am working with. I must say that POSCO is also a very staff-friendly corporate as the company always listens to us and provide well-equipped welfare policies, such as insurance, unemployment aid, accident insurance and support program for married or pregnant staff. It is a wonderful place to work.

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