High Performance Teams (HPTs), which are increasingly valued in the business world, are trained, integrated groups that work toward common objectives, have autonomous decision-making power, and are responsible for the results of a work process.

Developing HPTs means creating a more participative work environment, decentralizing the decision-making process, increasing the efficiency of communication within the company, and developing process-focused personnel capable of critical analysis of results and system-level thinking. This is how companies become more flexible and efficient.

At VM, the development of EAPs started at the Steel Business Unit, currently managed by Votorantim Siderurgy, and already comprises the Vazante and São Miguel Paulista Units. Soon, the concept will be implemented throughout the organization, according to the readiness of each unit, in order to strengthen the company's management system, accelerate the ongoing improvement process, encourage greater competitiveness (increased efficiency and productivity) and allow greater teamwork.

The importance of developing these teams at all levels of the organization is becoming increasingly apparent to major corporations. This need arose due to important changes taking place in the business world.

A few years ago, companies followed the command-and-control management model, because they existed in a stable, permanent world. Today, the information age has brought unpredictability and uncertainty, as well as a replacement for command-and-control: participative leadership.
 
Structural changes in organizations have also been a key part of the process. Today, companies are structured horizontally, with few intermediate levels, and human activity is increasingly interdependent and knowledge-based.

People must constantly learn and relearn because knowledge is the main fuel that moves teams to high performance and excellence.

In addition to encouraging organizations to adjust to all of these changes, the development of HPTs makes employees into collaborators with greater self esteem, autonomy, job satisfaction, and personal accomplishment, because the new environment encourages learning and ongoing achievement.