| UNIDO Programme in continuous
improvement started by training workshop for Executive Managers and Trainers
and
on-site installations of PHAROS - Business Navigator in enterprises of
leather industry, Bogota, Colombia
PHAROS - Business Navigator was successfully
introduced into 8 shoe and 2 leather production factories in Bogotá within 16-23 March 2002.
The installations and on-site training were the first part of the 40
enterprise programme run by
the team of 7 national trainers in PHAROS
applications and their coach from EPIC which arrived from Austria. The enterprises had been selected for participation in the UNIDO
Integrated Programme for Colombia, coordinated by Mr. Otto Loesener,
UNIDO to improve quality of production and
management, productivity and competitiveness of national industry.
The
large training workshop in the PHAROS software application for business
performance monitoring took place in the
Jorge Tadeo Lozano University, Bogotá
between 11-15 March 2002 before the installations. Within its 28 participants there were executives of the
leather production enterprises, educational
organizations and national consultants, selected for the
implementation of the Programme as trainers.
Photo: Workshop participants
The workshop
program consisted as follows:
1.
Introduction to the UNIDO business excellence tools: PHAROS, BEST and
FIT.
2.
Clarifying basic concepts of continuous improvement in quality of
enterprise management and performance, which were implemented in the
UNIDO Business Performance Software.
3. In
depth coverage of the PHAROS software package, including main
concepts, features, functionality, objectives, methodology, modules,
user interface and potential applications for small and middle size
industrial enterprises, financial institutions working with business
development and use of PHAROS software in executive education as
practical aid.
4.
Defining the stages and content of the preparatory work at the
enterprises for collecting data required for running the software,
analysis of enterprise information/
5.
Reviewing of documentation and training materials available, options
in obtaining necessary assistance and instructions in identification
of data entry for each PHAROS module, its potential sources, and
preparation of the operational database for the sample enterprise.
6.
Practical application session aimed at obtaining experience of
preparing actual data sets for input, making the data input,
developing the data collection and entry procedures, assisting manager
in using the PHAROS software for the analysis of its business and
monitoring of the company performance, developing continuous
improvement techniques based on the performance information obtained,
interpretation of production results and customer relations, analysis
of indicators and their formulas, defining the business targets and
developing best practices, making production scenarios to analyze
prospective business development options and preparing the most
effective decisions.
7.
Options in benchmarking of the businesses by using such tools as
integrated package PHAROS and Produce-IT by MDA, UK.
8.
Instruction on “How to use the available additional materials”
assisting trainers and end users in the software application and
self-training (Data Preparation Sheets, Data Entry Instructions,
sample database, on-line help).
9.
Overview of the further developments and evolution of PHAROS to
modular comprehensive enterprise information system and use of options
in use of the key PHAROS indicators for real time monitoring of
national industrial performance.
10.
Discussion, questions and answers.
11.
Certification tests for all the trainees participating in the course
and the questionnaire for evaluation of the trainer.
13.
Handling of the Certificates of Attendance to the trainees.
All participants showed deep interest to learning
and use of the UNIDO information tools for the
managerial tasks, education and consulting in the industry. They took active part in learning of
PHAROS software methodology, applications and practical work. The
attendance was high and stable during the duration of the course.
The EPIC trainer initiated collaborative development
of the sample shoe enterprise database during the practical session
using kind assistance provided by Mr. J.D.Cardona, workshop
participant in obtaining the realistic sample data on shoe production
factory with local content. It allowed using collective trainees
experience in the given sector and facilitate transfer of know how on
data collection and entry procedures.
The software installations were made at 10
companies participating at UNIDO Programme as follows:
 
The on-site installations were made by the team
of national instructors which was coached by Mr. Serge Golovanov,
UNIDO Expert. As all of the managers were present at the training
workshop they used the opportunity to train their enterprises staff in
use and application of the software.
 
The list of national consultants which
successfully passed the requirements to the certified trainers is
presented in the
Global Partnership Directory.
 
The managers in each company were highly
motivated in reviewing their company performance based on actual data
for the last year or several latest months. They showed strong
interest and enthusiasm in starting using the software routinely in
their companies to monitor and continuously improve the company performance. The
implementation of the on-site training proved that after-training
support on-site in installation, data collection and obtaining the
first hand experience in the software use are the key issues of the
PHAROS acceptance by
the executives. The managers recognized that simplicity, easiness of learning and operating with the software as well as
availability of external consulting support is very important for the
success. They acknowledged importance of the UNIDO software for
developing best effective continuous improvement practices which
were introduced by Mr. Oswaldo Rossi, UNIDO International Consultant
for the Programme.
In all companies managers were unaware of any
tools similar to UNIDO PHAROS in functionality, easy of use and user
friendliness. The managerial need for applying PHAROS tool to monitor company
performance can be illustrated by the following observations:
-
In most of the enterprises there were no
practices of advanced planning for company business for the coming
year before introduction of PHAROS which requires such practices to be
established as a routine.
-
Two of the managers purchased notebooks specially
to run PHAROS for company monitoring.
-
At least two managers found out considerable
discrepancies between their planned budget and actual results,
requesting cross checking the data collected by their financial
assistants.
-
Two of the managers started using PCs for the
first time because they wanted to use
PHAROS software.
-
Well
prepared and guided introduction of the PHAROS application
into executive routine practices is required to overcome the related
psychological and technical know-how issues ensuring effective start
up. This support can be effectively provided by the trained and
certified national
consultants in several industrial sectors.
After the end of the installations in Bogotá the
newly certified trainers continue installations in the other 40
enterprises in the other industrial sectors.
The successful implementation of the Programme
and active participation
 of the industrial enterprises influenced
positively the
increasingly growing interest to the larger programme for small and
medium enterprises involving
several thousand businesses in different industrial
sectors of Colombia. The proposal for such programme was forwarded to
the UNIDO office in Bogotá and key national organizations involved in
the development of the private sector and SMEs in Colombia.
UNIDO Programme for Colombia:
overview of Component
II
UNIDO Programme for Colombia:
after one year
of implementation -
first results
Link to
UNIDOScope news bulletin for viewing the artilce "UNIDO
Sofware for Colombia Leather Industry"
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