As you know, information rules the world. And even more so with business! Such concepts as “databases”, “information flows”, “information / communication management”, “information security”, etc. - have become everyday life for business. The dynamics and density of competition, the complexity of external and internal interactions make each management decision potentially critical for a business result. Information support for management decisions in modern conditions is becoming an important factor in ensuring business success. And the quality of the information supplied directly affects the effectiveness of decisions made on its basis.

In addition, in our age of pervasive information flows and communications, it is becoming increasingly difficult to select / filter actual / relevant information. Such concepts as “Information noise” and “Distortion of information” are becoming more pronounced in information and communication systems. In the stream of daily momentary communications, it is becoming increasingly difficult to choose truly valuable and priority ones. In such conditions, it is advisable to single out the supply of business solutions with quality information in a separate area of management

Obtaining relevant, reliable and relevant information in business, the factor of access to important / necessary information is generally difficult to overestimate. The phrase is well-known and already quite banal: “Nothing is as expensive as information!” I will clarify this statement - quality information is expensive! For simply information in the public domain - an infinite amount! Not only that, the modern information environment is not a passive storage, it is an active, extremely dynamic and often intrusive structure. And without organized, structured management of this area, there is a high probability of inefficient use of personal physical resources when immersed in this chaos. That is, for the rational organization of business information, the issue of not only access to quality information, but also the filtering and structuring of incoming information and communications is an acute issue.

For effective and productive management you need information:

• Reliable - the main parameter on which the quality of information depends. Means the accuracy and relevance of information for business decisions. This is a necessary (but not sufficient) quality of information for making the right decisions. It means that on the basis of false information, wrong, erroneous decisions will be guaranteed.
• Full is another parameter of information that reflects its quality for decision making. It closely echoes reliability, and often the level of reliability also depends on it. It means the degree of necessary detailing of information to make the right decision.
• Actual - the next indicator of the quality of information. Accurate and detailed information will not be valuable if it is old to make the right decisions. Therefore, the management attaches great importance to the relevance of information, the speed of its delivery for making the right decisions at the right time.
• Structured - a relatively new parameter of the information for decision-making. It means its ordering, hierarchization, presentation in a convenient form for making managerial decisions on its basis. The information prepared and filtered in the right way becomes a prerequisite for specific decisions. Makes the choice of the desired solution faster without significant resource costs for its study and analysis. The structuring of information occurs through a system of filters and accesses, which cut off unnecessary information flows that create an interfering "information noise", select specific information for a particular consumer and provide it in a convenient form.

The simplest and most reasonable typology and classification of information is by the scale and degree of coverage of business tasks:

• Local / narrow information related to the implementation of a particular task of a particular executor. This class of information is the most dynamic and large-scale, it is at this level that the main dynamics of communications in the organizational structure is created (see the solution "Effective Communications"), covering all levels of the business;
• Average information coverage - related to the implementation of individual projects, functions. These are blocks of summary information, structured in accordance with the cluster structure of the business goals tree (see the “Management by Objectives (MBO)” solution) at the level of departments, functional units, or projects;
• High-level information - on key business areas included in the most important strategic areas and used for management within business units or project portfolios.

As can be seen from the figure illustrating the classification of incoming and circulating information according to the degree of coverage and scale of tasks in the business, each type of information corresponds to its own type of consumer:

• Linear employees - the level of consumption of local information as part of the performance of personal functions / tasks of specific employees. This level of consumers is characterized by access to information that is necessary for the formulation and execution of specific everyday tasks.
• Mid-level managers - this is the level of consumers of information of average coverage built up over linear employees. In fact, these are their immediate supervisors. Which for the management of departments and projects need information of a higher level, consolidated and structured by functional areas.
• TOP managers and shareholders are consumers of high-level information for managing business areas and the business as a whole. Information of this level is structured and filtered to make critical decisions on the business as a whole, therefore its quality is most critical.

In order to emphasize the general importance of organizing an information management system in business, I will give the most common problems in this area that are found everywhere:

• Lack of quality information is the most common problem. Each management decision at any of the presented levels is accompanied by some information on the basis of which it is adopted. This means, for example, that when there is no information on a specific important issue, then there is no the most important solution. Or in this case, a decision is made without taking into account the necessary information - with a high probability - incorrect.
• The irrelevance of the type of information to the type of consumer to whom it is delivered. This refers to, for example, when a shareholder or a top manager receives information for the middle managerial level, or, what is very bad, intended for ordinary task performers. In this case, an excess of unnecessary information is created for the manager (see the next paragraph), from which it is difficult to isolate the really necessary information for making important management decisions. The head is immersed in the so-called "information noise." And even worse, if on the basis of such information he tries to make decisions of a lower level, for his subordinates. In this case, the managerial crisis of the bottleneck is realized very quickly (see the solution “Management Crises”).
  
  And it’s really bad if the top-level information “walks” among ordinary personnel, at least from the point of view of information security, since such information is, as a rule, “sensitive” for business. That is, if the information is not filtered and not structured by type of consumer, this directly leads to low management efficiency in the business as a whole and generates unnecessary risks.
• An overabundance of information (especially unstructured) is a direct consequence of the weak structure of information in the management system. Any extra information interferes with a clear perception of relevant necessary information. This creates the effect of "information noise" in the control system and reduces the efficiency of management.

As a result, I will formulate: actual, reliable and relevant information - the key to the right decisions. Conversely, a lack of information or its distortion is often the cause of incorrect decisions that can become critical for a business - cause losses, or even put the existence of a business into question.

The most important business task is to build an information system that would generate management information of the right quality, in the right structure and deliver it to the right consumer. Access to quality, business-relevant information creates many opportunities, creates responsiveness and flexibility in decisions, and often creates a competitive advantage.

In this solution, we are talking mostly about the 3rd type of information (top-level) and the 3rd type of consumer for whom it is intended (TOP managers and shareholders).

Information system (IS) in business always exists. Either in an organized or unorganized form. Business does not exist in a vacuum, the "information space" in business is somehow present as a content of the system of interactions / communications. Another question is how conscious and structured the organization of such a space is.

The degree of systematic approach to the organization of IS (information systems), as a rule, depends on the degree of “awareness” of solving such a problem (building an information system). Somewhere, such a system develops randomly (unconsciously), according to the usual patterns “like in life”, by simply transferring all communication systems to business without a special organization (chats, mail, phone, direct communications). It has developed somewhere as part of a management system (for example, 1C) without setting separately the tasks of organizing an information system (partial awareness). But in companies where the organization of the information system in the business is a deliberate problem, such awareness begins with the setting of IS tasks. The tasks that IS is designed to solve in the first place.

The objectives of the business information system are:

• Generation of specialized information designed to provide a decision-making system and business management. The primary task of the business information system is to provide the necessary information that meets all quality parameters to support the necessary management decisions. It is necessary to determine where such information appears and how to fix / identify it. For example, generating the necessary financial information about the costs of a business is possible and logical from the payment management system (see the solution “Payment Management”).
• Filtration / Selection / Structuring of information is the next task for a business information system. All information should be relevant to the consumer and the tasks he solves. And also take a form convenient for providing the necessary solutions, to minimize resources for its study and analysis. For this, it is necessary to determine the range of typical tasks in business and the parameters of the information provided (structuring) to ensure effective solutions.
• Designated delivery of structured information - providing decision makers with timely, quality information. It is formed by organizing a system of access to specialized information.

We fix it as a fact - IS (information system) is in any business. There is no business without the information circulating in it. How it is organized is the second question (see the previous paragraph of this decision).

Traditionally, the information system (IS) is implemented through such typical formats as:

• Planning session, meetings, team briefings - forms of direct personal communication through the organization of meetings of specialized working groups to exchange information and develop collective decisions. The selection of participants in such meetings takes place on some functional / organizational basis. For example: a planning meeting in the sales department, a meeting of the project committee, a meeting of shareholders, a business board, etc. Usually, for such communications, they develop some rules for their organization, the course and structure of the topics discussed, and the norms for the information provided.
• Informing and communicating by email, in instant messengers, business chats, on forums by means of simple virtual communications, newsletters, organization of discussion groups, etc. It differs from direct face-to-face communications only in the possibility of communication over the “distance” via the Internet. Formatting and structuring of information occurs at the level of defining topics and recipients. This is a less organized and more spontaneous type of communication. In such communications, the format for presenting information is poorly structured.
• One-time and periodic reports and consultations - individual bilateral communications, providing the required information upon request or on some kind of systematic periodic basis (daily, weekly, quarterly, etc.). It is distinguished by its flexibility in organization, since there are usually two participants in such communication: an information provider and a consumer of information.

The listed types of communications exist in almost any business, from poorly organized small to large with advanced information systems.

The disadvantages of such typical forms of information include the following:

• They usually require the personal presence of a leader, since such communications are usually designed to provide information support to decision makers. So, they take away an expensive resource, a leader.
• They require deep immersion, involvement of the leader. Since information in such forms, as a rule, is poorly structured and not prepared for making a specific decision, the manager has to immerse himself in its study, evaluation and analysis in order to work out the necessary solution on his own.
• An excess of information is formed, a lot of "noise". Information with such circulation moves without a system, sometimes just randomly, not structured and not filtered. In such a IS, a lot of unnecessary, irrelevant communications are formed, in the system there is a lot of redundant information that is not related to specific solutions. Information is not tied to the addressee, place and time. And therefore, a lot of "information noise" is created, clogging the information channels and reducing the effectiveness of the control system as a whole.
• Difficult / long decisions are made. The lack of structure in IS means the fuzziness of decision-making and control algorithms. A lot of uncertainty is generated. The efficiency of using the resource of managers and decision makers is extremely low. From here, decisions are made in slow motion with low efficiency.
• The emergence of a management crisis - "bottlenecks" (see the solution “Management Crises”), for almost every decision-maker. Each leader is constantly overloaded, deadlines are always on, there is no time and resource to work out decisions and study incoming information, decisions have to be made in the face of a catastrophic lack of time, in time pressure. Because of this, the risks of poor-quality decisions grow many times.
• For one reason or another, important information blocks may periodically or constantly drop out. In such a situation of poor controllability of the information environment, information blocks critical for effective management may fall out of the spotlight.

In addition to traditional IS, more advanced companies use a variety of modern information solutions - management information systems, of which there are a great many on the market. Starting from complex systems such as ERP, continuing with simpler BMS systems, and ending with relatively small programs and applications that cover individual control sections (for example, task managers). The obvious advantages of such IS:

• Ready-made solutions for typical business algorithms. For example, accounting , sales, HR, project management, etc.
• Automation and increasing the efficiency of implementing business algorithms.
• Reducing resource costs (time, money, people) in the process of implementing automated business algorithms.
• Decreased resource costs for decision making based on quality information.

However, here there are pitfalls and unexpected problems. The market has a lot of failures in introducing large IS in large companies, which as a result not only did not produce a positive economic effect, but caused serious losses for the business. In small and medium-sized businesses, such stories are also numerous, although they are less resonant and well-known.

First of all, in such stories of failure, the difficulties of introducing and adapting third-party systems to existing business algorithms are manifested. Third-party systems (unlike indoor systems, those developed by the companies themselves), with all their apparent convenience, promising prospects, etc., are implemented very tightly, with tremendous efforts both from consultant developers and from project initiators within the company. And, unfortunately, very often all efforts are in vain and the implementation fails. Why?

It should be understood that in each third-party IS, its principles, models, algorithms of managerial processes and the solution of certain business problems are “hard-wired”. And these principles-models-algorithms, of course, will not always coincide with what your company practices.

Hence the logical conclusion - introducing a third-party information system for managing a business, one must be prepared to restructure its business processes, managerial principles, and sometimes corporate culture (!).

Faced with such a need, few will be ready to go this way to the end. As a rule, at this stage, when it is discovered that the existing order of things does not fit into the model of the implemented system, disappointment sets in and the attempt to implement fails.

In the end, it is obvious that what matters most is not the information system with a description of its functionality, but the organizational solutions that this system is called upon to implement! Businesses considering the possibility of introducing a new IS need to identify, first of all, the functional blocks for the organizational business-solutions that underlie the information system. It is necessary to familiarize yourself with what business needs, tasks, problems these solutions are addressed. And how they correlate with and relevant to those needs that are in the existing organizational structure of the business. For more information about the problems of introducing modern IS in business, see my article “Why are business management information systems not being introduced? ".

So, we have determined for ourselves (see above) that building an information system in business is the most important task. At the same time, realizing this task is not as simple as it seems at first glance. Just like that, the system will not work, it will not organize itself, and you will not do that by simply buying ready-made solutions on the market. If we want an effective IS, we will have to make an effort.

What is important for building an effective IS? Two things must be understood that seem to contradict each other. On the one hand, business activity is quite technologically advanced: there are standard algorithms for its organization, and standard structural business areas are allocated in management science: finance, logistics, HR, marketing, manufacturing, sales, etc.

On the other hand, each business is unique and inimitable in its content and structure. The importance of this or that block, the priority of management - have different meanings in different types of activities: somewhere, the financial block is in priority (for example, banking, investment and insurance business), somewhere production, and somewhere marketing and sales. And therefore, the composition and structure of business organization already at this level has its own individual characteristics. If we go further, the filling and functioning of each standard unit has its own characteristics and specifics within each specific business. The uniqueness of the business structure and its management becomes even more distinct. Hence the complexity of IS organization, because it is flesh from the flesh of a business structure and should reflect all its specificity and meet its individuality. And provide relevant quality information for management, taking into account all the features.

The most important task for the leader is to keep the entire organizational structure in the control and management zone. And therefore, all organizational units in the business structure must generate information for management. High-quality information that meets all the necessary criteria for its effective use and adoption of high-quality management decisions on its basis.

The first thing to do when building an IS is to understand what information blocks it should consist of, from which (critical) areas of your business activity it is most important to receive information. This is exactly what requires an individual approach. Somewhere the most important part is sales, and somewhere - the production unit occupies a significant part of the business. And first of all, it is necessary to identify such important blocks in the management that their information blocks will correspond to.

When compiling such a list and determining the structure of the necessary information for managing a business, it becomes clear that such blocks are not unique in themselves. On the contrary, they come into the focus of attention as technological and algorithmic, the mystical flair of control as shamanism / magic / art is lost. Conversely, management becomes algorithmized, understandable and predictable.

For example, structuring important blocks for your business from the point of view of information circulation: production, sales, HR, financial management, all management algorithms are built, from the point of generating the necessary information to its structuring and delivery to the decision maker. And further, the decisions made also become the “content” of the information system, and the triggers in the business management algorithms laid down. When building an IS, the head forms a combination of important information blocks (corresponding to management structures), individual for a business.

The next step for the leader is to solve the question: what information is needed (necessary and sufficient) for effective management / decision-making. Within the framework of the selected information blocks, the manager determines and prioritizes the nature, structure and composition of the incoming information to generate decisions. Defines a standard set of such solutions, and after that, IS becomes adapted / organic to the tasks and specifics of the business.

The previous step - to define a list of information blocks relevant for business - means an approach from general to particular, when first the area of actual management in business is outlined in large strokes (look from above). Now we need to go from the opposite side, from the particular to the general, based on the internal accepted business practice.

To determine the composition and structure of filling IS information in blocks (content), it is advisable for the leader to perform the following iterations:

• on the basis of current business practice, understand / define / identify which typical / standard decisions are made within the selected management zones (relevant for the business);
• further, starting from this, to determine what information (in terms of content) is needed for these decisions to be of the highest quality;
• to work out a format / structure for the presentation of such information that would be most convenient for the perception and making typical / standard decisions, and fix the rules for its delivery to decision makers (format, frequency, responsible).

After that, both the structure of IS and its content will meet the needs of the business, its individual characteristics and specifics.

As stated earlier in this solution, the layout and configuration of IS for any particular business is a purely individual matter and depends on the specifics and characteristics of the business. However, the list of such information blocks is standard; their content and tasks are also generally typical.

I will give examples of typical information blocks in IS based on descriptions in SCIM-BOOK devoted to corresponding solutions with links to them.

Note that this refers to the operational-tactical level of activity and management in business. In contrast to the strategic level of management. In the system of operational business management, it is important to keep abreast of everything that happens at any given moment: what is happening now in the most important areas, how current tasks are being performed.

What information is needed here.

The most important tasks at this level of management are:

• Establishment of a system of accounting and control over the implementation of current business tasks. For the leader, this is personal control over the execution of tasks assigned by him, as well as control over tasks of high priority.
• Restoring order and prioritizing the business communications system. Business communications in business activities never stop. And the flow of such communications determines the circulation of information in business. The effectiveness of the management system depends on how such communications are organized. A properly organized IS prioritizes, structures and filters information, cutting off unnecessary “noise”. It forms communication “about”, and makes it possible to receive information in a convenient form and at a convenient time.

What questions do we want to receive answers.

• What is the composition of the most important and priority operational business tasks at the moment?
• What is the current status of the execution of these most important and priority tasks?
• What problems arise with the implementation of these tasks? Where and what tasks are stuck and why? Where do bottlenecks come from?

How to implement.

Establishing a business task management system is just that management technology, which, on the one hand, is very simple and affordable, and on the other hand, it brings a significant positive effect to the business almost immediately.

The business task management system includes:

1. Rules for setting and accepting business tasks
2. Information system for accounting and control of business tasks

For more information, see the «Performance Discipline» solution.

Business communication is the exchange of information, on the basis of which the manager receives the data necessary for effective decisions and communicates the decisions made to the organization’s employees.

The problem of inefficient working communications is quite typical. Numerous chats (skype, WhatsApp, QIP, Viber, Telegramm, icq, etc.), groups in chats, social networks, e-mail, SMS, calls and personal communication. Information messages for a variety of occasions and business tasks are flowing. And the higher the status of the employee, the more numerous the message, the more diverse the communication channels and the higher the value of receiving clear and timely information for decision-making.

To solve the problem it is necessary:

• To classify informational occasions of communications and to prescribe the rules for such communications.
• Define and unify communication channels and methods for highlighted occasions. Describe the rules or set of rules in different types of communications. It is advisable to place all communication channels in one electronic medium so as not to disperse and form a history of communications.
• Introduce such rules, clearly follow them yourself and require their implementation from employees.

For more details see the solution «Effective Communications».

If we are consistent in our discussions of operational management and the IS associated with it, then in almost every information block in the IS there is information for operational management. Above, I have indicated the most general and universal approaches to solving this problem.

This unit is a strategic level of business management. Setting goals for the future (long-term, medium-term), and defining the vector of activity / movement / business development. This level begins with a common vision of the business prospects, its mission and further - the definition of strategic goals that can be decomposed to levels lower down to operational by departments and specialists.

What information is needed here.

This block needs summary information on the business and in the most important areas in order to make decisions for determining high-level goals in the medium and long term. Identify the vector of the company and the direction of its efforts. As a rule, this is financial information for planning financial results and resources, information on business risks, summary statistics and results from previous periods. In addition, information is needed on the implementation of strategic objectives for the current strategic period for the business as a whole, as well as for areas / projects.

What questions do we want to receive answers.

• What are the results in key areas of previous periods?
• What to strive for in the medium / long term and what needs to be done?
• How much resources are there in the business and what are they to be allocated first of all?
• What should business be afraid of and what efforts should be made to avoid these threats?
• What is the status of the implementation of strategic objectives for the current strategic period?

How to implement.

Financial plans, production and marketing plans, sales plans, plans for hiring and training personnel, and all other functional plans and budgets should flow from the company's top-level business strategy, its strategic goals.

The strategy is the establishment of the basic goals of the organization, the development of an action plan, as well as the allocation of resources necessary to achieve these goals.

In accordance with the strategic cycle model, the formation and implementation of a medium-term business strategy is carried out in 5 stages:

1. Definition of strategic goals;
2. Decomposition of strategic goals;
3. Operational planning and budgeting;
4. Monitoring the implementation of operational plans, achieving goals;
5. Analysis of the results.

See the «Business Strategy» solution for more details.

MBO (Management By Objectives) is a system-methodical principle of business management. It suggests that the management of the organization is based on a system of interconnected and interdependent goals. Normally, such a rule in the company assumes that at the beginning of the planning period (month, quarter, year) specific goals and objectives are set for the company, departments and managers, which are directly related to strategic goals of a higher order (often follow from them). On the implementation of which bonuses and other motivational components depend. The MBO method in the broad sense is the determination of the key goals of a company and their distribution to the organizational structure and managers of the organization through the goal tree according to the “top-down” principle.

IS in this solution involves the generation and delivery of information to decision-makers to monitor the implementation of all goals and plans in the goal tree.

See the «Management By Objectives (MBO)» solution for more information.

Entrepreneurship is ALWAYS associated with a certain courage in making decisions, implies a determination to take certain risks. Thus, business effectiveness is directly related to the ability to manage in a situation of uncertainty, to work with risks, reducing the likelihood of negative developments and increasing the likelihood of the desired result. That is the essence of entrepreneurship - to make decisions and act to achieve their goals in a situation of uncertainties and threats. Risk and Profitability - ALWAYS are inseparable, interconnected and interdependent!

The meaning of IS in this solution is to build a map of business risks in areas and projects. Allocation of critical risks (red and yellow zones) for priority management.

For more details, see the «Business Risk Management» solution.

Compliance in management theory means compliance with the norms and rules of internal local acts and the external legislative field.

Although the term Compliance came precisely from the theory of financial company management, in fact, Compliance exists in any business in each company. The Compliance form can be associated with any functional activity of the company, because almost any functional field within the framework of the company’s activity is legally regulated. For example, labor Compliance - compliance of the company with labor law. And the personnel officer (labor inspector), engaged in personnel accounting, is largely engaged in the Compliance activity, ensures compliance of personnel records in the company with labor legislation. This is a dedicated unit in the company’s business. Just as an accountant is engaged almost exclusively in the activities of Compliance, generating and submitting regular accounting and tax reporting to comply with accounting and tax compliance. By themselves, these full-time units (accountant, human resources inspector) do not bring any value or income to the business, except for those that manage and level the COMPLIANCE RISKS. That is why there is always the temptation to save on the allocation of resources for this activity (not generating income), to optimize, so to speak, expenses. Sometimes outsourcing these functions, outstaffing (at best). And even simply ignoring them, that is, simply not dealing with them, as insignificant from a business point of view. That is why there is always the temptation to save on the allocation of resources for this activity (not generating income), to optimize, so to speak, expenses. Sometimes outsourcing these functions, outstaffing (at best). And even ignoring them, that is, simply not dealing with them, as insignificant from a business point of view.

BUT!- jokes are bad with the state and it is better to manage your activities in the field of Compliance so as not to create critical risks and threats for business. The risks of being outside the legislative field and the threat of sanctions by state regulators and disruption of the company’s business.

For more details see the solution «Compliance Management».

For the strategic level of management, the P&L block (Profit and Losses) is important, which provides consolidated financial information - on planned and achieved financial results - by business, by lines of business and projects. It allows you to make strategic decisions based on information about the achieved financial result (as criteria for achieving strategic goals), monitor the implementation of strategic financial goals, and plan the financial goals of the business for the future.

See the «Financial Planning» solution for more details.

Consider the IS unit associated with personnel management.

What information is needed here.

This information block needs comprehensive information about the available staff - for each and every employee in order to know, develop and plan this resource. The main content of such information is the presence / lack of a quality resource for the implementation of business objectives. Based on the IS in the HR block, the manager makes decisions about the HR resource - its motivation and development (or dismissal), or replenishment from the market.

What questions do we want to receive answers.

• How many employees (what qualifications) are allocated in different areas, sectors and projects?
• What is the need for specialists of what qualifications do businesses have in different areas?
• What are the prospects and forecasts for the Human Resources (HR) filling business?
• What are the forecasts, plans, motivation, etc. for each of the employees, in terms of its resource value?

How to implement.

How to motivate staff to work highly effectively and achieve company goals? So that employees throughout their career and work in the company strive to create tangible value for it?

It is work with staff motivation that is a fine-tuning of the effectiveness of the entire organization, which determines, as a result, the level of competencies of current staff, development prospects, loyalty, and overall performance.

For more details see «HR Motivation» solution.

How to control employees so that it is always clear who is doing what, how busy? How to evaluate their effectiveness and contribution to the implementation of business goals and objectives?

Control is the most important end-to-end process that is present in almost all business activities and procedures. In a significant part of HR-procedures, control is their main essence, meaning. Control in personnel management is:

• Personnel selection control / How many employees (what qualifications) are allocated in different areas, sectors and projects?
• Employee load control
• Monitoring the fulfillment of mutual obligations of an employee and a company (employee and employer)
• Staff quality control
• Motivation control

For more details see the «HR Control» solution.

The HR block of IS provides here information on the current status of personnel qualifications and forecasts of its changes for each employee.

The main task is to organize a system for the continuous development of company personnel. To provide the business with the necessary human resources of the required quality. Retain effective and promising employees.

For more details see the «HR Development» solution.

What information is needed here.

The most significant and important part of IS in terms of supplying information for business management. Since it provides the most important data on the current state of the business and the forecast of its financial resources, on the financial result in general for the business and for areas / projects. The most significant blocks of information are P&L (financial plan), balance sheet / NAV (composition of assets / liabilities of the business and their distribution by beneficiaries), CF (cash flow management, liquidity management).

What questions do we want to receive answers.

• What is the current state of finance and forecasts for it?
• What are our financial plans and the quality of their implementation?
• What is the performance (in terms of finances) in areas and projects in business?
• What is the current state of finance in the company's accounts?
• What are the current and planned costs?
• What is the current and planned profitability of the business?
• What is the composition of the assets and liabilities of the business and what is their distribution by beneficiaries?

Etc. You can cite many indicators of direct and analytical information that this block generates. It is configured individually for the needs of the business and in accordance with its specifics.

How to implement.

The meaning of the solution is to organize strategic and operational financial management of the business. Give financial information a convenient and practical format. Make credible financial estimates, forecasts and plans.

The financial plan allows you to understand:

• What is the current financial condition of the business, its profitability, the ratio of income and expenses in the structure of the business. What is the expected and actual profit of the business at the end of the planning period and within it;
• What is the volume of estimated cash revenue (by all sources, activities). What are the sources of income (revenue) in the business. What is their structure, share and ratio;
• What the business spends money on. Directions and cost structure;
• What is the profitability (loss-making) of the business as a whole, areas of business activity, clients, projects;
• What goals are we planning to achieve with what resources.

As a result of the analysis of these indicators, we also get answers to the most important questions:

• What are our investment opportunities (through internal resources) within the planning period, based on the planned and actually achieved financial results in it.
• How to effectively allocate resources to customers, projects, business areas, based on indicators of their actual and future profitability. What are the optimal proportions in the distribution of financial resources in the structure of the company’s business.
• What are the opportunities for optimizing business costs. What is the rationale for the estimated costs and the expected return.
• Which of the projects, clients, business areas are profitable and / or promising - deserving of attention and investment, and which are unprofitable / ineffective - “exit” candidates .
• How to achieve a balance of cash receiving and spending to ensure the solvency of the company, its stable financial situation.
• What business opportunities are there for development, and what threatens its well-being.

See the «Financial Planning» solution for more details.

The main task of this management unit is to reliably control the withdrawal of money and its targeted spending.

The main content of IS in this solution:

• control of targeted spending of funds,
• convenience of monitoring payment statuses,
• convenience of reconciling (approval) of payments,
• flexible configuration and reliable control of access to sensitive financial information,
• formation of the payments calendar.

See the «Payment Management» solution for more details.

The task is to establish liquidity management (management of financial flows) in business. Effectively organize the planning, analysis and control of cash flow (CF) on the accounts of the company.

IS content in the solution:

• a complete, 100% reliable picture of the accounts balances and cash flows online;
• up-to-date, reliable information on the distribution of funds by account holders, banks and accounts;
• the ability to get forecasts on account balances taking into account planned expenses and receipts;
• synchronization of the payment calendar (payment plan) with the forecast for the receipt of funds for accounts / projects / directions.

See the «Liquidity Management» solution for more details.

What information is needed here.

This block reflects the dynamics and effectiveness of business interactions with the market. An important block in terms of business commercial success. As you know, the market situation and decisions made on the basis of market information are among the key factors for business success. And from this block, the leader draws information about the state of this interaction: how business relationships with consumers are built, how the front office works, what are the forecasts for making profit.

What questions do we want to receive answers.

• How many leads are in work?
• What is the lead status in the funnel?
• What performance do sellers work with?
• What are the forecasts for profits / deals for business, for sellers, customers, and for company products?
• What is the current business situation in the market compared to competitors?

How to implement.

The task is to achieve the implementation of sales plans. Increase the percentage of bringing potential buyers to the deal. Keep control of all stages of sales. Bring sales to the result!

IS information here - monitoring the implementation of sales plans and the movement of leads on the sales funnel.

Ideally, the first result of communication with a lead (potential client) is to obtain contact information from each lead. After that, preparing a potential client (informing, persuading) to purchase a product or service. As a result, potential buyers are transformed into real ones, potential sales into real ones.

Sales funnel is a marketing term that describes the process of selling a product or service. The sale process consists of several stages, at each of which part of the customers is screened out. At the funnel, the top is wider than the bottom, and not all content passes through it - therefore, the sale is compared with this item. We could compare the sales process with multi-level filtering. The term "sales funnel" has taken root and is commonly used. At the beginning of sales, the widest possible range of potential customers (leads) is covered. At the end, a relatively small number of leads is finished by the purchase / deal, expressed as the percentage of conversion (transformation) of leads into buyers. The task is to make this statistic indicator as high as possible.

See the solution «Sales. Control and pushing» for more details.

The task is to systematically organize sales, take them under your control and management. Achieve their high efficiency and effectiveness. Reduce the dependence of sales results on external and internal factors. Improve the accuracy and clarity of sales forecasts.

The result is the construction of an entire sales management system, part of which is a structured IS about all products, leads, customers, sales plans, sellers' effectiveness. Structure and condition of sales funnels.

See the solution «Sales. System» for more details.

The goal is to make sellers' work transparent, controlled, and manageable. Objectively evaluate the performance and potential of sellers. Effectively influence sellers, stimulate and control every sale.

IS in this solution provides information for an objective assessment of the effectiveness and potential of the seller:

• Based on an analysis of the current “Sales Funnel”
• Based on an analysis of sellers “Sales Plans”.

See the solution «Sales. Seller Control» for more details.

The management unit “Documents” itself is a standard communication system that accompanies management actions in business.

What information is needed here.

IS is part of an organized workflow. Communication on the examination and approval of documents is important here. For the signatory it is important to know that all standard algorithms for the examination and approval of the document have been passed and all the risks of poor-quality elaboration of the document are minimized. Other information that is needed from IS in the document flow, information about the current status and the location of each of the business documents at any particular time. These are the two general tasks of IS related to documents as information carriers and document management, as a communication system in business.

What questions do we want to receive answers.

• Where, in what status are the necessary documents, and who is responsible for their initiation, elaboration, signing and storage?
• Who is involved in the examination and elaboration of documents before signing?
• Where can I find reference and regulatory documents?
• What is the quality of implementation of the regulatory framework for business?

How to implement.

The task is to ensure the high quality of elaboration and control of documents received for signature by the head. To fine-tune the mechanisms of qualified examination and approval of documents before signing.

Modern business is accompanied by a significant, diverse and intensive workflow. It is impossible to imagine a business without contracts, protocols, bills, acts and other documents fixing certain managerial decisions, financial iterations, arrangements and business communications with partners, contractors, customers, employees and other participants in business processes. Documents record all significant activity in the business, perform regulatory, managerial and communicative functions.

As a result of this solution implementation, that part of the managerial IS is formed in which all documents are reliably controlled throughout the chain. The initiator at any time knows what stage of approval the document is at. A rigid accounting system - not a single document is lost or out of focus. Reliable control of examination, signing, execution and storage of documents is organized.

For more details see the «Document Quality Control» solution.

The task is to restore order in the business documents, to ensure the reliability and efficiency of the workflow. As a result, all business communications in terms of document management form certainty from the point of view of information about the location of each and every individual document in the business: its status, location and those responsible for its development, movement and storage.

Another important task of the system is the formation of a regulatory framework for business. Tidying up all control documents that formulate the rules for the flow of critical business processes. All business algorithms become formalized in several stages:

• description of the business process
• the formation and elaboration of regulations, its examination, coordination and approval / signing,
• control by the person in charge of the regulations implementation, instructions and sanctions against its violators, if necessary - the introduction of amendments and revision of the regulatory document.

In such a system, management documents and document templates (for example, contracts and other business-specific documents) form the basis of reference information for employees, and the entire system becomes part of the corporate culture.

For more details see the «Workflow. System» solution.

A control unit that is often arrogantly overlooked. And often undeservedly underestimated, as part of IS for making key decisions.

What information is needed here.

In this block, information about threats to business and the likelihood of their implementation are concentrated and structured. The other part, purely managerial, is a list of measures (plans) to prevent risks, and plans of measures in case of risks being implemented in order to minimize losses.

In IS for risk management, first of all, information on risks in the business as a whole is important: a map of risks by business and by direction / project. There are specialized IS units for managing special risks: compliance and document management. These specialized risk zones are highlighted for special attention and risk prevention measures in the most important areas (desisions), errors and risks in which can become critical for business/

What questions do we want to receive answers.

• What are the risks associated with our business?
• How are these risks characterized in terms of the likelihood of their implementation and the severity of the consequences, if implemented?
• What is the current status of business risks? What risks have been realized?
• What measures are planned to prevent the implementation of risks?
• What measures are planned to minimize the consequences of realized risks?
• What is the quality of the implementation of risk prevention (avoidance) plans?
• What is the quality of the implementation of plans to manage realized risks (to minimize losses)?
• What is the quality of fulfilling Compliance risk mitigation plans (compliance with regulatory authorities and legislation)?
• What is the quality of execution of control documents in business processes?
• How high-quality is the elaboration of the most important documents before signing?

How to implement.

The task is to build a system for identifying, evaluating, prioritizing and managing business risks. Reduce the likelihood of risks and reduce the negative consequences if they occur.

All business activities, every business decision are accompanied by a variety of risks. And a businessman weighs his every decision in terms of threats, dangers - risks that can be realized. And only after that he chooses his relatively safe business trajectory, which is accompanied by a set of actions and measures, so that there are fewer dangers, they become unlikely (not realized) or insignificant for the business (their consequences if implemented).

The task is to achieve impeccable compliance with all legislative standards within the business framework in order to eliminate the critical risks of reprisals and sanctions by the state.

COMPLIANCE RISKS are the risks of non-compliance of the organization with the norms of the law, regulatory rules and standards, threatening business in the form of sanctions and the negative impacts of state regulatory bodies in the form fines, suspension of licenses and certificates, up to the full a ban on company activities and threats of administrative and criminal penalties.

The result of the formation of IS in the part of Compliance management is the taking under full control of the relevant risks: fines, sanctions and pressure from the regulatory authorities. Formation in IS of a database / list of Compliance events and planning for them a list of necessary tasks take the business out of the risk zone of fines and sanctions by the state and reduce the general anxiety of the business.

See the «Compliance Management» solution for more information.

The most important aspect that requires control and management in organizing the workflow is the risks that it generates.Важнейший аспект, требующий контроля и управления при организации документооборота – риски, которые он генерирует.

Document flow is not just on its own. It always goes parallel to some important business processes (or rather, along with them). After all, any document in itself is part of the business process. In fact, a document in business is a fixation and execution of business decisions, agreements, rules, conditions and responsibilities. Insufficient elaboration and errors in the preparation of any document can be fraught with tangible negative consequences that arise from the business processes themselves: for the business as a whole and personally for the head (TOP manager).

Building in IS a system of complete control over workflow reduces the risks associated with it to a minimum. The presence in IS of information about the movement of a document allows with absolute accuracy to identify the status and location of any document in the business. The transparency of the movement of documents and their control is ensured. High-quality examination of documents, sharing of responsibility for them become the key to the quality of the processing of documents.

For more details see the solution «Workflow. System».

SCIM was originally conceived as a business control panel within the framework of management modules as thematic business solutions. At the same time, gradually, having assembled all the standard control units, SCIM was transformed into a universal management environment, which includes all the capabilities of collecting, structuring, analyzing, storing and transmitting information in a format relevant for thematic management units. Thus, SCIM gathered all the qualities of IS with standard sets of solutions, with the possibility of individual adaptation and adjustment to the specifics of a particular business.

SCIM is an electronic platform for automating business process management procedures, an electronic online organizer, a company control panel and consolidation of management information.

Advantages of the SCIM system for organizing a business information and communication system:

1. SCIM makes it possible to form an IS (INFORMATION SYSTEM) on one panel practically across ALL KEY BUSINESS INFORMATION UNITS. All information in them is presented in a convenient structured form.
2. SCIM enables INDIVIDUAL CONFIGURATION OF THE CONTROL PANEL AND COMMUNICATIONS on thematic information blocks. The location of the information blocks is regulated by individual settings.
3. SCIM gives you the ability to access information ANYWHERE ANYTIME THROUGH ANY BROWSER FROM ANY DEVICE (PC, smartphone, tablet).
4. SCIM has a CONVENIENT BUILT-IN BUSINESS CHAT for unstructured communications without leaving the management environment with convenient presentation of “about” information (tasks, meetings, payments, documents, etc.).
5. SCIM has a THREE-LEVEL SYSTEM OF INSTANT NOTIFICATIONS about new tasks, meetings, events, changes in them, as well as the emergence of other important management information.
6. SCIM provides the CALENDAR FROM ALL TASKS OF ALL MODULES - with reminders and convenient presentation in one panel.
7. SCIM makes it possible to form a BUSINESS EVENT FEED as an alternative (social) news feed with DISTRIBUTED ACCESS TO INFORMATION IN IT.
8. SCIM has the capabilities of FORMING AUTONOMOUS WORKING GROUPS and a communication environment for a business / project / topic with controlled access to information.
9. All IS information blocks in SCIM are worked out within the framework of thematic modules and create a UNIQUE INFORMATION-COMMUNICATION ENVIRONMENT FOR BUSINESS MANAGEMENT.

SCIM can be considered as a holistic and multifunctional business information system, in which there is an organic set of options that ensure the effectiveness of communications and information support for management decisions.

SCIM provides the following useful capabilities as part of organizing a business information and communication system:

• the creation of work teams and project teams, the organization of work and communications in project teams and work teams
• task management: statement, control and evaluation of performance, analysis and storage of results
• meeting management: planning, setting, tracking participation statuses, analysis and storage of results
• project management: adding projects, structuring and planning of project tasks, monitoring their implementation
• business management in various business areas: Sales, Payments, Finance, Human Resources, Risk Management, Document Management and more
• information access control
• three-level system of instant alerts about the arrival of new business information that requires your attention
• system of planning and control of the work schedule
• built-in chat (exchange of short messages and documents) with colleagues

SCIM ADVANTAGES:

• quick training in the system: training programs, interactive tips, detailed instructions, online consultations
• multi-user (“collegial”) organization of work and communications in the system
• all your business activity and information is interconnected and located in a single place
• "cloud" service: the system does not require installation on users' devices
• instant "synchronization" of information on all devices, including mobile
• system maintenance and updating takes place centrally, without user involvement
• access to the system anywhere in the world from any device connected to the Internet
• convenient viewing of information in the feed format
• optimized for mobile devices (smartphones and tablets), laptops and desktops
• You can start working in the system right after a simple registration, which takes only a couple of minutes

We are always happy to give additional free consultations and recommendations on how to implement this and other SCIM solutions in your business. We will also be grateful to receive your feedback on how SCIM solutions have proved useful and effective for your business and suggestions for improving them.

Online consultations are available online: ask the “SCIM” user in the SCIM chat

You can also send your questions by e-mail scim@scim.ru