Elena Gudimova: To improve product quality, we are planning targeted investments in rolling mills

Elena Gudimova has been appointed the new head of the quality department of PJSC ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih. It is she who at the enterprise knows all the nuances about new steel grades and types of products, without which today it is difficult to imagine a full-fledged line of sales of PJSC "ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih". In an interview with a corporate website, she explained why the company will have to introduce specialization of production at three continuous casting machines, perform a spot reconstruction of mills and create independent inspection sites for control over the quality of finished products.

- You came to the company at the age of 17 - did you study by correspondence?

- Yes, the financial capabilities of the parents did not allow them to lead a carefree student life, so I worked and studied at the same time, which I do not regret. I graduated from the institute with honors, and received practical knowledge in our laboratory of metallurgy. I was lucky, I found specialists with enormous work experience and excellent theoretical training, from whom I learned a lot, having gone through an excellent school of metal scientists.

- You headed this laboratory for three years - what has changed in it since then?

- In total, I have 10 years of experience in the laboratory of metallurgy. We have always been well aware of her needs. At one time we were supported by the technical director V. Cholet, thanks to this we managed to completely modernize it. We now have the strongest laboratory in Ukraine among the enterprises of the mining and metallurgical complex. And if we consider our capabilities in the field of testing and research, we actually have our own R&D center, capable of supporting enterprises in our segment. In particular, the Kazakh enterprise of the corporation in Temirtau.

- Why were you transferred to another structure?

- The manager offered me a development perspective in the position of quality manager and coordination of R&D projects in the department of development of new types of products of technical management. During these one and a half years, I studied all the main processes at the enterprise, oversaw the production of new products from steel production to the processing of finished products at the consumer, coordinated work with the corporate research and development center (R&D center), which made it possible to take the best from their experience.

In addition, she was responsible for analyzing consumer complaints regarding the quality of our products. Feedback is very important. If it is negative, it is a red signal for us, confirming a failure in the quality control chain. Identifying and punishing those responsible is a seemingly obvious but ineffective way. A competent technologist, understanding the intricacies of the technological process, is able to assess the situation comprehensively, if necessary, make adjustments as if