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PHAROS user Survey
In July, 2002, questionnaires were sent to enterprises and
educational organizations where the UNIDO – PHAROS Business Navigator
software had been installed during the period 1999 – 2002. The objective
of the survey was two-fold: to obtain user evaluation of the software,
and gather user proposals on where improvements could be made in the
next PHAROS release. As at August 7th, responses had been received from
51 of the 76 enterprises surveyed. These represented users in Chile,
Colombia, Egypt, India, Kenya, Russia, Slovakia, Thailand, Uganda, UK,
USA, and Zambia (12 out of 22 countries surveyed), and a broad range of
industries: food, textile, clothing, wood processing, plastic products,
electro technical, electronics, metal processing, leather and shoe
production, metal processing, education and consulting.
The survey indicates that customer satisfaction is high. The respondents
indicate that they were using the software (82%) and all (100%) considered PHAROS a
"useful and effective tool for managers". The suggestions for
improvements (112) for the next version of the software, indicated a
good knowledge of the software gained through usage. The 17 major
suggestions have been selected and prioritized. Improvements users can
expect to see in the next version of PHAROS include: the simplification
of data import form external software into PHAROS; additional
flexibility in customization; increased security and authorization;
expansion and clarification of the definitions of business objectives
accordingly to UNIDO continuous improvement methodology; the
introduction of product costing; detailed manufacturing measurements to
Industrial Engineering and TPM standards; the simplification of
self-benchmarking and comparison with national and international
industrial performance levels. Speaking of the next version of PHAROS,
Director of GOLEM Austria, UNIDO's partner in the development of the
software, Serge Golovanov said, "of the feedback we received from users,
our overriding consideration is to keep the software simple and easy to
operate".
The straightforward nature of PHAROS and the fact that it is simple
to learn and use, requiring very little support, were at the top of the
list for many PHAROS users, including Rudy Umans, President, Aurora
Business Consulting Inc., Florida, USA. In his general comments Mr.
Umans referred to the fact that "although USA is considered a highly
advanced and developed country, ... the business failure rate is still
on average about 70% in the first two years. Some of the most important
causes for premature business failure are the lack of cash flow, too
late or not recognizing failing business trends within the organization,
caused by procrastination or pure arrogance". Bearing this in mind, with
respect to UNIDO's activities in developing countries, he said "... it
would be good if UNIDO could and would emphasize the importance of
business planning in general and strategic planning in particular.
Industrial Development starts with business planning and understanding
basic business skills. PHAROS especially, is a great monitoring and/or
educational tool for entrepreneurs and small business owners to avoid
costly mistakes".
Peter Balasov, General Manager, MELLI Interiors, a furniture factory
in Bratislava, Slovakia was another who considered the "easiness and
simplicity of use" an important feature. "Nothing similar is known to us
since we had installed it in 1999. We still use PHAROS for monitoring of
the company performance, ... we gradually improved our internal
procedures for measuring business processes, evaluating major results
and overall business performance. Looking back I must say that important
consequences of PHAROS installation besides these were not only in the
possibility to view the company performance easily at a glance but in
the introduction of systematic approach to improvement of our business,
overall quality of both production and management as a routine working
procedure. We look forward to get new version of PHAROS with its
enhanced features", said Mr. Balasov.
In addition to a new version of PHAROS, the Austrian company GOLEM,
which works together with UNIDO on its development and distribution, is
currently working with Mike Dillon Associates (MDA) Ltd to merge PHAROS
and MDA's productivity measurement tool Produce-IT© (see story this
issue).
Gerardo
Patacconi, UNIDO, tel: +43 1 26026/3605
PHAROS + Produce IT©
The UNIDO - PHAROS software,
named after the island of Pharos, the location of the lighthouse of
Alexandria, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, is a business
navigation software. It has been successfully implemented in over 200
enterprises in over 20 countries (see story this issue) to monitor
business and quality performance. Produce-IT© a product of the UK firm
Mike Dillon Associates (MDA) Ltd., is a software for production
management and planning. MDA UK specializes in consultancy, training and
research on cost effectiveness in manufacturing industries, especially
the food industry, and is working with UNIDO on projects in Africa.
PHAROS was developed by UNIDO together with the Austrian firm GOLEM
Integrated Microelectronics solutions, which has been working with UNIDO
for a number of years in the development, training and distribution of
UNIDO software. During the last six months, a team of experts from GOLEM
and MDA has been working to finalize the specifications for a new
software integrating the UNIDO / GOLEM Pharos and the MDA Produce-IT©
softwares. In addition to identifying technical solutions to merge the
databases and indicators of the two softwares, the team is also
preparing a training kit. The PHAROS + Produce-IT package software has
been field-tested in various UNIDO projects, such as the PHAROS workshop
for leather industry, held in Bogota, Colombia, March 2002 (see
UNIDOScope 12-18 May, 2002), Uganda in March, 2002, and in Uganda again
in August. The Pharos + Produce-IT package will be an innovative tool
for entrepreneurs to carry out detailed business, costing and production
efficiency analysis, carry out company benchmarking, introduce
continuous improvement practices and achieve significant improvements in
their business and production performance.
An initial 25 copies have already been licensed to the Regional
Centre of Manufacturing Excellence (RCME) of NE Lincolnshire in UK,
funded by the UK Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The RCME will
use the software to carry out detailed benchmarking in some 1000
diagnostic analyses it is undertaking within the region. Data will be
also made available to UNIDO to benchmark enterprises in developing
countries against UK firms. There is also the opportunity to promote the
new package within the whole RCME network in the UK. PHAROS + Produce IT
is already used in the Food Manufacturing Management work-based degree
of the Centre of Vocational Excellence (COVE) at the University of Hull,
UK. A proposal is currently being submitted to COVE for the software to
be used in a vocational skills development course.
The final version of PHAROS + Produce IT is expected to be ready by
December 2003. A programme with the Mexican Chamber of Industry (CANACINTRA),
scheduled to begin towards the end of 2003, will implement the PHAROS +
Produce IT methodology and the package in 10,000 enterprises. Another
prospective user is the Lithuanian Export Agency, which has requested
assistance in benchmarking through UNIDO software and methodology. The
UNIDO/EU UEMOA Project is also likely to find PHAROS + Produce IT a
valuable tool. The Arab Regional Centre for Entrepreneurship and
Investment Training (ARCEIT) in Bahrain will include the training on the
new package in its activities.
Gerardo
Patacconi, UNIDO, tel: +43 1 26026/3605
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