Tricolor TV completes implementation of a technology complex of management of budgeting

The largest Russian operator of a pay TV of Tricolor TV (National Satellite Company Ltd) jointly with the international consulting company Columbus implement the project on process automation of budgeting and budget control. Start of a system in commercial operation is going to be performed in the summer of 2012.

Implementation of this project is dictated by the dynamic growth of a subscriber base of the satellite operator, and, as a result, significant increase in volumes of financial information. For process optimization of planning, budget performance monitoring, a financial analysis and the reporting the management of Tricolor TV addressed specialists of the international consulting company Columbus.

Within the joint project based on IBM Cognos TM1 and the specialized solution of Columbus Requisition System (Cor RSys) the new integrated budgeting system and budget control of all divisions of the central office of the operator will be developed. "Simplicity of their deployment, a possibility of flexible configuration under the changing business processes of the customer, the high level of performance and scalability and also ample opportunities of integration became the main selection terms for benefit of these software products. Application of IBM Cognos TM1 accelerates processing and the analysis of large volumes of the data characteristic of the telecommunication sphere that will support long-term plans of development of Tricolor TV, - Dorogov Nikolay, the director of practice of information and analytical systems of Columbus says.

The IBM Cognos TM1 tools automate processes of formation and the approval of the annual budget of Tricolor TV, will give opportunities of introduction of quarterly adjustments, will arrange collecting and consolidation of budget requests on all divisions of the company and also will provide maintaining the plan-fact reporting. In turn, the solution Columbus Requisition System (Cor RSys) will simplify reconciliation procedures and trackings of requests for carrying out operating expenses of the operator.

Check and the adoption of payments will be organized on dynamically defined hierarchy of business users taking into account their roles and areas of responsibility. Data on the registered payments of Tricolor TV will become available in IBM Cognos TM1 when unloading the plan-fact reporting. Use of Columbus Cor RSys will increase transparency of execution of budgets of Tricolor TV and guarantees operating control of expenses of all functional divisions on the basis of the approved planned limits.

The CEO of Tricolor TV Makarov Alexander told: "The single automated system created by specialists of Columbus will allow to reduce significantly terms of preparation and approval of budget plans of Tricolor TV, to keep the better analysis of revenue breakdown and expenses of the company, will increase efficiency of obtaining the financial statements necessary for acceptance of management decisions and also will enhance financial discipline of our employees".

2013. To the project final

Implementation of an automated system of budgeting and control of payments is complete. The project is implemented together with the consulting company Columbus on the basis of software products IBM Cognos TM1 and Columbus RSys.

Creation and start of a system in commercial operation took about 6 months.

At the expense of system implementation of Tricolor TV first of all it was succeeded to provide high-quality planning and forecasting of a profitable and account part of the annual budget.

"Separate accounting of income from physical persons and legal entities is provided in the solution Columbus on the IBM Cognos TM1 platform. The services paid by subscribers individuals through payment systems or using cards of prolongation of a subscription are selected in different budget items, - Sergey Novozhilov, the account manager of Columbus told. – In turn, production costs of payment cards and bonuses to partners are calculated proceeding from the current rates and services in subscriber agreements".

The specialized solution of Columbus Requisition System (Columbus RSys) increases transparency of operating expenses of the satellite company. A system supports a full stroke of management of payments of Tricolor TV – from introduction of requests for payment before their actual execution. Routes of approval of payments are established depending on type of the cost item, the approved budget limits and the current balances in cash. Control of process of approval of requests for payment of Columbus RSys by means allows the staff of satellite operator to work within the planned budgets and to make operational decisions on each payment transaction before its carrying out.

"About 5 employees of Tricolor TV participate in reconciliation procedure, all in day it is approved up to 30 payments. The approved requests for payment are reflected in the plan-fact reporting by functional divisions of the company, – Roman Mikhaylov, the Columbus project manager emphasized. - Thus, Tricolor TV obtains operational and detailed information about cash flow and prevents risks of exceeding of the approved limits, maintaining financial stability of all organization". Besides, at the expense of a new system the satellite operator managed to increase transparency of interaction and to enhance financial discipline of the employees.

50 users of Tricolor TV work with the solution Columbus and in the nearest future the company intends to increase their quantity up to 200.

Evgenia Nosova, the chief financial officer of Tricolor TV, noted: "The complete solution Columbus optimum corresponds to scales and dynamics of our business, supporting key stages of budget process of Tricolor TV. With its help we can deliberately estimate a financial condition of our company and each division, effectively plan income and expenses, to provide exact execution of budgets and by that more accurately to follow the long-term development strategy and the interests of our subscribers".