Sitis is a Ukrainian company specialised in ‘1C’ enterprise control systems – a universal cloud and on-premise system for automating a company’s financial and wider operational activities. In this capacity, the company has acted both as a consultant for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s (EBRD) business advisory service, and as a beneficiary of those same services, restructuring the company to increase profitability and efficiency with EBRD and EU support.
Back in 2008, the company thought about its competitive position on a Ukrainian market where there are around 100 ‘1С’ franchise companies. Rather than competing on price, Sitis tried to find a specific niche, and chose the construction industry, a field where there were almost no companies that had automated their processes.
The move paid off, and Sitis soon increased the amount of consulting projects it was involved in.
“The client wants to implement ‘1C’ quickly,” explains company director Arthur Redin. “He does not want to wait for a year, he wants it up and running in 3-4 months.”
“To achieve this, you need to have a complete solution with well-structured processes. We are currently moving in this direction by creating more finished and tailor-made solutions.”
Sitis cooperated with the EBRD under its Advice for Small Businesses Programme, both as a consultant and as a customer who orders consulting services. “As a consultant, we implemented three projects: the first for a company that designs ‘smart houses’, the second for a construction company and the third for a production company,” says Redin.
In 2014, it was the turn for Sitis to benefit from the expertise of EBRD consultants. “With the support of the EBRD under the EU4Business initiative we implemented a project management system.”
“Cooperation with the EBRD gave us an opportunity to negotiate with customers at a higher level.”
As a part of the project, Sitis conducted a number of workshops and trainings for its staff, and reorganised the structure within the company.
“Before, we had several project managers, but by the end of the project, we left only one. There was no staff reduction, we just redistributed the responsibilities,” says the head of Sitis.
The aims of the consulting project, funded under the EU4Business initiative, were the following: to make the projects more profitable, to complete them on time, and to improve budgeting and time management. “We have achieved all the goals we set,” says Redin.
EBRD Advice for Small Businesses
The EBRD Advice for Small Businesses programme, funded in the Eastern Partnership countries by the EU under its EU4Business initiative, aims to promote good management in the SME sector by providing assistance to individual enterprises, helping them to grow their businesses. It supports SMEs to make structural changes and develop new business skills, helping them to thrive and compete in market economies. The programme also enables SMEs to access local consulting services on a cost-sharing basis by providing grants of up to €10,000.
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