ESET software spol. s r.o. - case study
ESET is a global IT security company. The company was founded in 1992, and since then it has established itself as a leading global player in its industry. Nowadays, its products are used by more than 110 million users worldwide. The Company has customers across the spectrum from large multinational corporations to single individuals.
Requirements
The aim of the project was to create a comprehensive performance management tool that would combine financial data from the entire company. The required solution had to include both data integration of reality, as well as planning and forecasting functions and, last but not least, reports for the company management. The aim was to eliminate the Excel files used until then as much as possible.
A great emphasis had to be placed on data securityso that none of the more than 250 users had access outside their defined role.
An important part of the model is automatic or semi-automatic integration to a number of the existing tools used in ESET.
From a process perspective, an important requirement was to centralize the entire solution so that the consolidation of input plans would be automated in real time. This could significantly speed up and refine the entire planning cycle.
Given the global user base, the challenge was to design the system in such a way that the time windows required for maintenance were minimised and the system was as user-friendly as possible.
Solution
We designed and implemented a modern solution for the customer containing a central data model consisting of more than 10 interconnected modules. The tool completely combines the entire planning and forecasting cycle.
The model allows for a wide range of planning types - budget, forecast but also, for example, a multi-year strategic plan.
The implemented solution supports the following functions:
- Configuration of the system by a business administrator (no need for IT support)
- Data connection to data repositories (on-premise/cloud, in/out)
- Multi-level approval of plans according to two parallel organizational charts
- Plan comparison and what-if analysis
- Direct-input and driver-based approaches to plan creation
- Reality and plan allocation
- Built-in calculation of payroll costs
- Gestor-based approaches to sub-areas
- Change management to implement adjustments associated with downstream business requirements for both planning and reporting
- Email notifications to users
- Security from a functional and organizational perspective
The implemented solution thus covers the comprehensive agenda of the financial performance management.Thanks to the MS Excel add-in, it also significantly expands the user possibilities of ad-hoc analyses.
A great advantage of the solution is its modularity,where the detail of individual sub-areas/modules can be changed if necessary with minimal impact on the surrounding modules.
Benefits
Connecting the model to the MDS
All major dimensions of the model are synchronized with the central code lists, helping to ensure data integrity in relation to external systems.
Increasing data detail
Robust technology has made it possible to increase the detail of the data used. This allows users to perform a range of new analyses as well as create more accurate plans and forecasts.
Clarification of the planning process
Users are easily informed about the planning process and the centralisation of the model removes the need to identify differences between versions of the same plan.
Modelling of plans
Like regular users, controlling staff can use what-if scenarios to monitor the impact of changing input conditions on plan outcomes online.
Data clarity
In Excel, it was possible to overwrite a formula, now there is only one formula in the central warehouse with limited access. It has eliminated situations where users try to compare different data in 2 Excel files and look for differences and errors.
Access to real-time data, reducing the time
- of the planning cycle by weeks
- Reducing the number of iterations of plans required
- Processing reports and analyses is significantly easier
Tracking user activity
Keeping a history of user activity makes it possible, if necessary, to find out who entered what data and when, or if there are errors.
Technology: IBM Planning Analytics Local
