Successful end

The project is successfully finished. We delivered the final document to the customer. Now it will be used as a base for expansion of the business incubators to the other campuses of IFCE. Final presentation took place on Friday, April 11, 2014. All customers and all members of the great Brazil 17 team in IFCE auditorium. For all of us the project was a great experience. I learned a lot and I hope I also helped to the development of Ceara with peace of mine experience.

Final presentation - Christine and me

Final presentation - me and Christine

Anderson, Rejane and Socorro

Rector's office

Formal visit of rector's office in the morning. We received many, many appreciations from IFCE management. Hopefully, our work will help them to implement incubators in all campuses and IFCE will contribute to the development of the Ceara state by creation of many innovative companies via organized activities and well structured environment inside the incubators. In fact, this is their mission.

Consultoria projeto de incubadoras

Christine, IFCE rector Virgílio Araripe and me

So very well done, I've learned a lot about consultancy work from my experienced colleague Christine, IBM consultant, within the short time I've also learned how the effective incubator should support the incubated companies, also how the educational institution like IFCE may work, because as I already mentioned in one of my previous posts, it's not just the university it's a social and educational institution in one. They do really a lot for the students. I've also learned how to be patient, respectful and more social. Because this is Brazil. 

We have only one day left before the final closing meeting will take place. Tomorrow we're going to do a presentation for students, similar as we did in Maracanau and Caucaia IFCE campuses. Check out the advertisement:

3 days more

On Tuesday we always have a status meeting at 7 PM. Today we were presenting the charts we will deliver to our clients on Friday. Everybody wants to deliver as much information as possible therefore most of the teams didn't manage to follow the time assigned for the presentation. It was just a test and I'm sure we will be better on Friday and will show all the professionalism to the clients. But really good job done by all teams since the beginning of the assignment.

The final document was already delivered to client and currently is being translated. Hope there will be only small corrections needed after the client's review, if any.

Our visit to Caucaia IFCE Campus

Article about us - Fortaleza Campus

Last working week just started

After another wonderful weekend on the beach (where else) the last week of assignment just started. During the weekend we were at the Praia do Futuro beach. Probably last time. Sunday just relax on the beach in front of the hotel and in the afternoon visit of the cultural centre Dragao do Mar to check the football expo.

Marcos Evangelista de Moraes

Ponte Dragão do Mar

Fortaleza

Today we received an output of the review done by IFCE. Not many comments, and few of them are just misunderstandings. So we're slowly moving to the successful end.

Campus Maracanau

April 3, 2014. Similar scenario as day before. We went to the IFCE Maracanau campus in the morning. The students were again curious about IBM, about us and what we're doing in Brazil. In addition we went to the "tour"of Maracanau campus and discovered that physical space for the business incubator is already prepared. And we had a chance to talk to teachers in the campus. Visit of Maracanau campus today and Caucaia yesterday was really helpful to us to widen our incubator expansion model considering local specifics of the campuses. In the afternoon we went to the Fortaleza campus where we were invited to support the incubator advisor on the call with company performing benchmark of incubators. We also discovered another part of the incubator where at least one incubated company resides.

Announcement for students

Some technical difficulties

Each Thursday there is a crab's day in Fortaleza. You can eat crabs anywhere, in restaurants, beach bars. We tried finally. Difficult to eat but the crab was really good.

Crab eating

April 4, 2014. Today early in the morning we went again to the Alda Façanha School. We bought the small present for them and as a small satisfaction for all the hospitality we received first time we went there. Hopefully the present will help during their studies in the school.

At Alda Façanha school with students

Than few of us went back to the hotel and we were working till 5PM. At least me :) We're still waiting for the review if the proposal by client. However, we already know more about IFCE campuses and requirements of incubated companies, therefore we're able to expand our work a bit more. Finally there is a weekend :)

Campus Caucaia

Some time ago, we proposed to the IFCE the presentation for the students. Presentation about us, about IBM, about the our culture. And we finally did it. In another campus called Caucaia. It is a small IFCE campus near Fortaleza, actually in the metropolitan area. Campus is now small but everything is only 2-3 years old there. They want to expand a little bit more. Currently the next building is under construction. The campus wants to accommodate the students from Fortaleza. Public transport for students is covered by major of the city.

Students were really interested. There was not enough time to answer so many questions but we did our best. Tomorrow we go to the Maracanau campus and to Fortaleza campus also talk to the students. Our proposal of Business incubator expansion model is still not reviewed by IFCE but we hope it will be done soon and we will be able to adjust the document according to the IFCE needs.

After the Caucaia campus visit we went for lunch to Combuco beach, considering to stay in Brazil for longer than just one month assignment. Maybe forever :) Btw, it was a business lunch of course. Fish and shrimps, all fresh. And yesterday it was rodizio. I cannot determine what's was better :)

In the afternoon we went back to the hotel, staring to improve our evaluation report of Fortaleza Business incubator for IFCE. Than the daily team meat at 7:30PM and after that, one beer on the beach made my day.

#ibmcsc brazil

Reitoria

Our new location

Today and yesterday were another work days at the client's location. Business incubator expansion model is "under translation" to Portuguese and we're waiting for the review of the customer. Therefore we had time to prepare our presentation for students which we will deliver tomorrow and on Thursday. In the afternoon we had a meeting with two former student which have company registered in the Fortaleza incubator. After the 2 hours meeting we realized that the evaluation of the incubator done by us was right. Several recommendations delivered to IFCE will help to improve the incubation process in Fortaleza campus as well as those should be used as "lessons learned" before the expansion model will be implemented.

Today's team meeting again showed us that each sub-team is preforming well. Really successful CSC crowd :)

PS: today we went through 1k pageviews. Thanks for your interest.

#ibmcsc brazil

Office building