Innovation tools make all the difference in today’s scenarios, such as the HR Mobile Android application. This app is being used by Techint Engineering & Construction at the Hot Rolling Mill in Mexico to detect COVID-19 cases and enable isolation measures to be taken.

Techint E&C is now using HR Mobile, an Android application that helps to improve on-site people-related logistics so these function more quickly and efficiently. It has also become a key support tool in the context of the pandemic, which is affecting every aspect of life.

HR Mobile can be easily deployed from a cell phone or handheld device using a barcode or NFC reader. Each manager can access the application, synchronize the information and use it to read staff badges or cards enabling access to the plant or different areas on the work site.

The case of the Hot Rolling Mill and MOA at Ternium

HR Mobile was initially deployed as part of the COVID-19 operation at the Hot Rolling Mill (LACA) and the MOA project (Managed Labor only contract) to support health prevention efforts at Ternium in Mexico.

The tool allowed data from personnel temperature checks taken at the entrance for employees entering their work shifts to be recorded more quickly, allowing possible symptoms to be identified early on. "Despite the fact that this pandemic situation is new for everyone, HR Mobile allowed us to create daily information records quickly and smoothly, and we managed to get the operation up and running in just three to four days," explains Antonio Frías, Chief of General Services at the LACA Electromechanical project.

Based on the suspected cases reported, the system was able to trace all the people coming into close contact with them on-site, on the personnel transport bus, and in the accommodation facilities. In each case, efficient identification meant that they could be isolated quickly.

Optimizing time at workshift entry and exit

Another benefit offered by the HR Mobile system in this context is that it has helped to organize and optimize time at worksite entrances and exits. After the pandemic, the proposal made to the customer was to allow Techint employees to board the buses directly at the worksite and perform the HR Mobile detailed checks on the bus itself. These involved checking the driver, passenger names, route and final destination, which helped to avoid crowding and improve workshift exit times.

This tool is just a small example of the developments involved in the digital transformation under way at Techint E&C. "In the current context, technology is playing an increasingly important role, as it means we will emerge from the pandemic as a stronger and more efficient organization," says Jorge Valdez, Head of Systems for the Northern Area.