VimpelCom: Thanks to a CPM system we in the online mode analyze income and costs

Marina Polyakova: Our company works at the telecommunication market in the conditions of fierce competition long ago, and the subject of increase in efficiency always was relevant. We use all opportunities for achievement of the greatest cost efficiency, and the existing information systems allow us to carry out quickly enough the analysis and to find growth points.

Now we, certainly, strengthened focus of our attention on the analysis of business processes of preparation and providing the management reporting allowing company management to obtain quickly information on the current financial position for adoption of necessary solutions. And here, of course, changes could not but affect IT infrastructure.

Konstantin Melnikov: First of all, in crisis conditions we concentrate on simplification of an IT landscape (reduction of quantity of systems, agreements, vendors and integrators), virtualization of IT infrastructure and transfer of operational support on outsourcing. Thereby the company reduces the cost of ownership of IT infrastructure and reduces time necessary for start of new products or changes.

It should be noted that very important indicator is the speed of change and creation of the new models and the analyst allowing to estimate quickly efficiency of our internal processes and the started products. Therefore we select such IT solutions which can be configured by business with the minimum attraction of IT resources.

Marina Polyakova: As main system of creation of the management reporting and also a budgeting system and forecasting, we selected Oracle Hyperion Planning. She became a uniform source of the verified information for any of business divisions of the company.

Marina Polyakova: We considered several alternative options. At that time Oracle offered the most flexible and productive system which was capable to satisfy requirements of our growing business. Well and, certainly, experience of successful implementing solutions of Oracle played a role.

Konstantin Melnikov: One more of factors was the fact that the company at the time of the choice of a system of management accounting used several years Oracle E-Business Suite as the full-function ERP system allowing to manage effectively all aspects of activity of the company: purchases, logistics, finance, personnel, vendor relations and clients. The choice of a managerial system from one vendor (Oracle) facilitated integration of two solutions.

Marina Polyakova: The main requirement was support of deep degree of analytics by all geographical locations where there is VimpelCom. Besides the mobility of a system was important: speed and simplicity of setup under promptly changing market demands, the high performance and data processing rate.

Eventually requirements to the used analytical cuts only increase, the same as requirements for high-speed performance and reliability of a system increase.

Marina Polyakova: Any serious project forces to look at the existing processes critically. It is not necessary to undertake implementation of IT systems, aiming to change only a cover – roughly speaking, the picture on the user screen. Such approach – waste of money.

We reviewed all cycle of budget process and preparation of the management reporting. It was necessary to change ideology of work with a system, as much as possible involving with it functional divisions. Now they rather freely are guided in a system, using it as for control of the entering information, and – that is extremely important – for independent formation and obtaining analytical information.

Implementation of Oracle Hyperion Planning in VimpelCom – result of joint work of the summary project team which included representatives of all functional divisions. As result – the working functionality satisfying to requirements of the company. And we by right can be proud of this project.

Konstantin Melnikov: Today process of budgeting is constructed in such a way that all owners of budgets are directly involved in this process and prepare primary information for loading in a system. Also such tool as independent control of the budget using analytical reports is available to them. It allows to save time, gives the chance to representatives of each business function in the online mode to analyze the income / costs and, as a result, allows to approach implementation of one of key requirements of the company in the conditions of an adverse economic situation – to operational obtaining the structured information for decision making.

Marina Polyakova: At development of the system of planning its owners (financial Department) involved all structural divisions of the company in study and formulation of functional requirements. We created the tool not only for financial function, and for all business divisions. It is joint work, the joint project. And at the moment any division can initiate necessary completion for ensuring the necessary functionality in a system.

Of course, operating any serious system, over time there is a wish for something bigger: improve, optimize, expand, etc. The systems of similar level – a live organism. And thanks to a feedback from business divisions, we manage this organism not only to support, but also to rejuvenate. Along with satisfaction of business needs for operational providing reliable information, it is very important to have also the friendly interface, allowing to do it. In a word, in such difficult case as maintenance of process of budgeting and planning, it is important to achieve harmony.