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UNIDO Educational Software for
Business Performance
Measurement, Management, Benchmarking and best practices in continuous improvement, capacity for trade,
exports, investments and access to markets, development of knowledge
capital
The UNIDO Pharos software suite is an introductory
educational yet operational set of IT tools for
entrepreneurs of Small and Medium Enterprises and business consultants.
It does not require special knowledge and skills but facilitate business planning, performance management,
measurement, benchmarking and preparation of effective decisions by
simulation of outcomes, including innovations. The suite is effectively
used in enterprise practice, business consulting in countries and quick enterprise
audit. It is valuable aid in vocational trainingand executive education as well.
The UNIDO business performance
software supports preparation and implementation of ISO 9001
(Sections "Establish monitoring and measurement processes" and "Carry out
monitoring and measurement activities") and ISO 9004 (Sections
"Measurement and analysis" and "Continual improvement").
It facilitates continuous improvement practices in enterprises by the
following:
Measuring business
results
Identifying
problematic areas having measurements data, describing the issues
Determining
the causes
Formulating optional solutions which can potentially solve problems and bring
improvements
Evaluating the
improvement decision options including impact of uncertainties and risks by simulating the
major outcomes
Selecting the
best (most effective) option corresponding to strategic business goals
Monitoring
the implementing of the decision
Comparing the results with
initial decision making assumptions.
The software
implements the following concepts:
minimizing data being collected for enterprise
applications while maximizing meaningful results
maximum simplicity proving for easy applications by managers
and enterprise specialists with minimum level of relevant knowledge and
skills
providing prompt indication of a problem when
appears
allowing in-depth analysis of the problems when necessary
using of external data available in some third
party software and databases e.g. accounting, quality management, production
management, sales, etc by importing and exporting data
benchmarking of performance and reporting
to assist management in implementation of in-house analysis as well as in
presentation of their business results to third parties (e.g. investors, banks, customers, industrial associations, etc.)
simplifying simulation of the major decision options
based on real enterprise results to improve financial results, planning, production,
introduction of innovations and new technologies, developing responses to
market change and globalization
facilitating business management learning and
knowledge capital development stimulating managers in achieving measured
sustainable improvements
in their businesses.
The Pharos package provides unique
combination of design concepts, underlying methodology, simplicity of operation and acceptability by SMEs. It had
been successfully applied for improving productivity, quality,
competitiveness and managerial capacity in various international
programmes by UNIDO since 1999 providing simple IT tools for
entrepreneurs to ensure sustainable enterprise growth from start-up to
up to 200-300 employees.
There are 3 software components in the package as
follows:
PHAROS - Business Navigator
Produce Plus
FIT
The extensive complementary user reference and training
materials are included into the package along with the software
supporting learning and implementation.
PHAROS -
Business Navigator
PHAROS
-Business Navigator is simple and easy to use however
comprehensive PC software package for measuring, monitoring and
benchmarking business performance
of enterprises accordingly to business strategies and relevant targets. It helps upper and middle level enterprise management,
entrepreneurs and consultants introducing continuous improvement into
business, increasing productivity, competitiveness, efficiency and
sustainability. Based on comparison of the actual business results to
targets which are set by a manager, Pharos allows managing of 25
key business performance indicators. The quick evaluation of results
is made by reviewing six major lighthouse
indicators Costs, Performance,
Quality, Competitiveness,
Product and Customer
sales.
The set of indicators was selected by UNIDO to concentrate on
information which is most important for a manager. The
Pharos-lighthouse-colors allow simple interpretation of actual
enterprise status as follows: Green is "Very Good" (or better
than planned), Yellow is "Acceptable"
and Red is "Unacceptable". While transforming complex enterprise
performance information into the clear and simple vision of a company
as a whole, Pharos is integrated with another manufacturing
performance management software “Produce Plus” providing detailed
production, costing and quality data.
Enterprise benchmarking and business self-assessment tools based
on PHAROS database are supported by add-on benchmarking
module,
providing 7 main business indicators such as Net Profit (Pre Tax),
Expenses Overall, Sales Revenue, Added Value Overall, Added Value per
Employee, Labor Ratio, Overall Equipment Efficiency. The changes in values of
these indicators can be quickly analyzed by selecting any reference date
prior to the current date. All indicator graphs including radar and time
series are available in two business report formats: brief and detailed
which includes particular indicator time series.
The software can be used as a simple decision simulation aid providing evaluation of optional production scenarios by varying
major production variables like particular product output, adding new or canceling old products, acquiring new
machines, establishing new production facilities, etc. The enterprises obtain effective
yet simple and inexpensive means
and experiences to monitor their performance, develop managerial skills and internal
policies facilitating continuous improvement in productivity,
competitiveness, quality, customer relations and e-business incentives.
Pharos does not require knowledge of theoretical business
concepts or proficiency in personal computers. The software provides
executives as well as shareholders, investors with possibility to make
quick and easy evaluation of company performance over time. Pharos is
excellent executive education and training aid for learning of
information technology application to business management and can be
used in practical exercises representing real business environment as well as business gaming in various existing
vocational training courses.
PHAROS software became an important component of
enterprise service package offered within the
SME Training Programmes to improve
quality, productivity, competitiveness and performance management. The
package includes training and certification of managers, software suite
licenses for installation in enterprises, durable of on-site support for
several months by local consultants as well as pre- and post-programme
benchmarking of results.
The software allows users to monitor the enterprise
performance and update its database in one language (e.g. Russian or
Spanish) while having reports and graphs available in another language.
It facilitates easy and simple presentation of business results in
standard terminology to international investors and investment promotion
programmes.
Additional information regarding the programmes can be found here. The
national consultants, upgrading specialists and entrepreneurs can be
trained in
training workshops in Vienna, Austria
or locally.
Pharos - Business Navigator is a part of the UNIDO Pharos software
suite for entrepreneur training support.
Produce
Plus is simple and easy to use, yet sophisticated PC software to
measure, monitor and benchmark production performance which is suitable for all levels of
management.
Produce Plus'
six major traffic light indicators - Production, Quality, OEE,
Performance/Efficiency, Costs, and Labour Performance - make it possible
to compare current results with previously defined targets. The
indicators were selected to concentrate on the most important production
information for managers.
The traffic
light colours provide a quick overview of the current status of a
business: Green means "good" or "better than expected", amber is
"acceptable" and red is "unacceptable". If a potential problem is
identified, the user can access more detailed reports from Produce
Plus's Global Reports Menu. From here, many more detailed reports can be
viewed on screen and printed, to identify the area where problems may be
occurring.
Produce Plus
has many key features that are useful to any manufacturer, but are
especially vital to many SME's. The main Produce Plus functions allow
you to accurately cost line manning, total production, individual
products and proposed new products.
It can provide
managers with accurate ex-factory costs for each of their products at
specific work rates and labour compliments. This cost takes into account
raw materials, packaging, direct and indirect labour and allocated
overheads. This function alone can be critical in assisting a company
realise its true costs of production.
The software
can hold information on different types of production, not only for
products that are manufactured on a hand or machine line, but also for
continuous or intermittent batching processes.
Produce Plus
collates data on work rates for different processes and allows you to
enter validation records for each work rate. The software will tell you
how many samples should be taken to ensure a high degree of confidence
in the calculated work rate.
Produce Plus
is a unique practical training tool and is included in
UNIDO
training workshops and upgrading programmes for enterprises. The
Introduction to Performance Measures course covers the methods of how to
calculate:
·Overall Effective Efficiency
·Effective
Line Performance
·Line
Running Efficiency
·Line
Utilisation
·Labour
Performance
·Overhead
Recovery
·Standard
Labour Cost and Compliment
These concepts
are then explored using the Produce Plus software tool within a factory
or with case study data.
Training courses are
also available on the software and data collection methods alone,
without covering the background to the calculations. Produce Plus
provides a business with an industrial engineering capability in a
simple and easy to use tool. The software is an excellent training tool
that can be used to raise the awareness of production management.
Produce Plus is integrated with the PHAROS - Business
Navigator as a part of Pharos software suite. PHAROS provides the user with a general overview of
overall business
performance and compliance to selected strategies, whereas Produce Plus provides a more focused look at
production and efficiencies.
FIT, the "Financial Improvement
Toolkit", is a simple PC software assisting company managers in
analysis and improvements of annual financial assets. Efficient use of
the financial assets is one of the main components of good business
performance, success and
competitive position in the market.
FIT presents 23
standard financial indicators based on a yearly income statement and a yearly balance
sheet data. FIT assists managers by:
Providing a coherent view
of the financial situation of an enterprise over time
Monitoring the factors of
financial health, which determine a company's profitability
Providing managers with
decision support to improve the use of limited financial resources
Facilitating the process
of continuous improvement of enterprise performance
Making possible prompt review
of business results in the standard format known to financial
specialists and investors without special audit
Having the initial data
entered in one language and results presented in English thus
facilitating uniform financial analysis practices
Supporting Basel II standard
implementation for credit risk assessment
The calculated financial ratios
are considered in evaluation of enterprise ranking accordingly to
Basel II standard requirements on assessment of credit risks and
widely used in investment analysis.
The software allows user monitoring
the financial performance and updating database in one language (e.g.
Russian or Spanish) while having reports and graphs available in another
language. It facilitates easy and simple presentation of financial
results in standard terminology to international investors and
investment promotion programmes. FIT is a part of the UNIDO Pharos software
package.
BEST
- Business Environment Strategic Toolkit
BEST, which is short for "Business
Environment Strategic Toolkit", is a PC software decision support
tool based on modern business concepts (revenue and market oriented) and
the set of original innovative economic indicators as business
performance measures.
The software allows transforming your company's
strategic objectives into a coherent set of performance measures meeting
the manager needs in market economies. The software provides management
with hints for strategic and operational enterprise management, scenario
analysis tools allowing in-depth consideration of the optional
developments in production, price setting and investment analysis.
The BEST philosophy is based on the idea of continuous
improvement of enterprise business performance. Continuous improvement
is reviewed as identification of those areas that most need attention of
a manager. The Pharos software suite inherited major concepts
implemented in BEST software.
MCCT -
Measurement Control Chart Toolkit
MCCT, which is
short for "Measurement Control Chart Toolkit", is PC software
tool assisting managers in their routine activities related to handling
measurement systems at the enterprises.
MCCT allows monitoring usage of the devices and
systems, their planned certification and uninterrupted measurement
process, provides for measurement data analysis and identification of
potential problems in quality of production and necessary actions.
The software provides significant improvement in
keeping track of measurement quality, easy analysis of complex
measurement data from various devices and systems, and quality assurance
monitoring. In addition, it enables managers and engineers to enter and
view the results of certification of each measurement device and to make
statistical data analysis for rejects. It supports implementation
of section 7.6 CONTROL MONITORING AND MEASURING EQUIPMENT in ISO 9001.
The UNIDO Business Performance Management Software can be
purchased by direct orders
to GOLEM or UNIDO or through authorized distributors & training
partners. It is provided to participants of the
Training Programmes
as wellas trainees of
UNIDO Training workshops
as a component of the service package.
1.
UNIDO: Mr. Gerardo Patacconi, Unit Chief, Productivity,
Quality and Enterprise Upgrading Unit, Trade Capacity Building Branch (TCB), phone: +43 (1) 26026-3605,
email: G.Patacconi(at)unido.org
The
software design has the following managerial objectives
in mind:
…"Have it just at my desk, always ready to provide
quick insight
and measure my business performance keeping sometimes sensitive issues under
my personal control.
Easy using for brief overview and in-depth analysis.
Providing real picture of the enterprise at a glance,
facilitating truly "right for us" decisions taken in
continuous improvement process.
Support my learning of measuring, benchmarking and
managing our business performance to improve it.
