KOMTERM: Quality shift in planning

In 2004 we were forced to deal with and resolve the issues of the management information system because of the company growth. The existing one was not sufficient for the increased demands of the company management. We however needed badly to find such system which would be capable of consolidating data from different information systems used in our companies and which would assist us in the development of integral plans for both the separate entities and parent company.

Company characteristics

KOMTERM, a.s. ranks among the topmost providers of energetic services and consulting in the Czech and Slovak markets. It brings to its clients including, above all, industrial and manufacturing companies, hospitals, schools, housing co-operatives or proprietors of independent objects and municipal sources of heat the optimization of their energetic needs. The company key products are as follows: production and sale of heat and electric power; development and operation of heat sources; operation and management of complexes and buildings; and measurement and regulation (“M&R”). KOMTERM, a.s. is one of the few entities offering in the Czech Republic the product EPC (Energy Performance Contracting), i.e. guaranteed energy savings, on turnkey basis and without the purchaser’s investments.

Prior to BNS installation

Our company incorporates five legal entities which used four different information systems. With an expansion of our business we faced more and more the complicated task consisting in the consolidation of the data and results enabling effective controlling. The obtained data were therefore rather considered from the viewpoint of their expedient structuring and no responsibility was involved. Under such conditions the strategic planning presented a complicated task overloading the responsible persons.

After BNS installation

Upon BNS implementation a huge qualitative leap in respect of the work with corporate data and their further distribution to appropriate managers took place. Another shift forward took place at the time when the subsidiaries too were added to the system. In the future we consider additional development of this system, especially, in the area of comprehensive monitoring and evaluation of the business performance achieved by individual entities. It is there where we expect creating new motivation indicators defined, above all, on the basis of their susceptibility by individual entities.

What was the decisive point

Business Navigation System was selected in the tender procedure invited opened by our company. Its adaptability as well as a possibility to import the data from different information systems of our companies to BNS within which the achieved results may be easily evaluated especially suited our intentions. The significant point was for us also the scope of services, which could be offered to us by Inekon Systems itself or through the intermediary of its partners within the framework of the Business Navigation Alliance (“BNA”).

Implementation procedure

Implementation of the new BNS itself took place at the beginning of 2005. We selected together with Inekon Systems specialists the required operational areas and decided the final solution of a number of the pre-defined procedures, methods and panels. The first application modules were commissioned at the beginning of the second quarter of 2005 and the other ones followed shortly afterward. In the course of one and a half year of operation the BNS was extended to other subsidiaries too. It is utilized by three companies incorporated within KOMTERM Group at present. In the future we plan to extend it to the whole Group.
Within the framework of KOMTERM Group the BNS system has been utilized for a number of corporate tasks, starting from the sales performance, financial planning, consolidation of business results of individual subsidiaries up to the structured data analysis. The data are procured at a regular interval in the structure supported by our operational system. Each value saved therein is unequivocally structured within the dimensions and hierarchies so as designed in the Navigation Concept.

Results:

• The system enables presentation of complicated data in required structures and connections.
  
• In view of that the user’s environment has been integrated within the generally known environment MS Excel it is not difficult for managers on all the company levels to operate therewith.
  
• Upon BNS installation the controller’s work has been conveniently shifted so that he/she may reserve time for developmental analytical tasks, thanks to the data processes automation.
  
• The solution has enabled us flexibly to respond to current controlling requirements faced by our Group.

Ing. Marcel Kresta, controller:

Based on several years of experiences one may confirm that upon introducing BNS system to KOMTERM Group great quality changes in the areas of controlling, planning and strategic decision making have taken place. I am convinced that concurrently with its utilization we shall be able further to respond flexibly to the information requirements of managers resulting from the development of KOMTERM Group.