UrBC, Magnitogorsk, February 10, 2020. Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works (MMK) saved RUB 585.4 million through implementation of workers’ improvement proposals last year. This was 29% more than in the year 2018, MMK’s Information & PR Department reports.

‘Since innovations play such a key role in today’s global industry, companies need to make a special effort to encourage improvement proposals and inventor activity. This is why innovation is now on MMK’s list of priorities,’ the company says.

The company has a special system for submitting and implementing improvement proposals that proved highly efficient. While increasingly more (and better) proposals are getting submitted, it takes less and less time to introduce the improvements and changes into the process.

MMK’s expert boards went over 6,207 submitted proposals in 2019 (compared with 5,792 in 2018) and approved 4,256 of them for the launch (compared with 3,872 in 2018). Last year, the authors of the proposals were paid a total of RUB 22.2 million in premiums.

In addition to money premiums, MMK keeps workers motivated and encourages them to get creative and be proactive through contests, workshops, exhibitions, and other events.