Budapest Sun
Getting Connected 2003-4 @ Home in Budapest
IT does work wonders
by Tamás S Kiss
Integrated business solutions are vital in the day-to-day running of any business in Hungary, whether it be a small to medium sizes enterprise or a large multi-national firm.
Large, medium and small sized companies are developing rapidly in Hungary To survive they need to adopt cost-effective business management solutions
Companies want the freedom to concentrate on their businesses, says Stefan Gurszky, Country Manager for Microsoft Business Solutions Hungary Kft (previously called Navision Hungary Kft) "This is why more and more IT firms are offering integrated business solutions".
He explained that business solutions allow companies to grow at their own pace, build on their strengths, getting the best from their time and resources "It helps to streamline the business and increase productivity," he said.
Gurszky said that his company's business solutions deliver integrated functions for financial management, supply chain collaboration, CRM services and e-commerce.
Artúr Molnár, PR spokesman for software group SAP Hungary Kft, said that for companies to compete with a competitive edge in a 21" century economic environment their businesses needed to be able to adapt and respond to sudden changes and increasing client demands.
He added that companies are learning the need for flexible business solutions, enabling them to manage their entire business networks He said that as well as being a supplier to large corporate groups SAP also offers its own business solutions to meet the specific requirements of small- and medium-sized businesses
Ronald Nawrocki (pictured), Managing Director of Bl Solutions Kft, said that his company has a flagship product which enables executives to make quick decisions.
He explained that data is taken from existing transaction systems which can then be analyzed in order to increase the effectiveness, profitability and success of a company.
"From information on a certain company I can tell you which market, which sales representative, which product and which customer needs to be focused on," Nawrocki said.
"The bottom line (for profits) may be zero, but growth is still important no matter if you're a large multi-national such as Pepsi, a newspaper, or a charitable organization," he said.
Nawrocki added that because time is money, his company focuses on what he called the three E's - executive efficiency and effectiveness.
Nawrocki said that it was not enough to just introduce a business solutions product, but added that it was very important for users to gain expected.
"Frankly, I would say, after 11 months, I'm in the position I expected to be after four to six months Things seem to take longer in Hungary.
"My expectations are not unrealistic as I speak from six-and-a-half years business experience in Poland," he said.
Nawrocki went on to say that Hungarians are skeptical about using business solution technologies, which is probably due to the adage that it "sounds too good and too inexpensive to be true".
There is something about Hungarians which stops them from adapting new ideas and technologies" Perhaps if their brother-in-law(working at a multinational company) used it, then maybe they would try it," he said.
"It goes back to my analogy of the spread- sheet " If I had told you back in 1982 that I had software costing $700 that could increase your financial analysts productivity by 400%, then you would have said: 'Oh, but my guys are pretty good'," said Nawrocki.
No-one then would have believed him, he said, nor that 20 years later they wouldn't be able to run a business without spread- sheets.
"Just as the spread-sheet changed the world, this technology will also change the way CEOs, CFOs and CROs (Chief Revenue Officers) do business," he said.
"Everything I've done over the past 28 years, since the start of my career, would have been dramatically different had this technology been around then," Nawrocki said.
"I know my clients' needs, my client is me and my old life.
