The UNIDO Integrated Programme for Colombia, Component II "improving quality of production and management, productivity and competitiveness of national industry by continuous improvement using UNIDO Pharos Business Navigator software" in Barrancabermeja, Bogotá, Eje-Cafetero, Ibague, 2002-2004 was launched in 2002 under coordination by Mr. Otto Loesener, UNIDO.

The implementation of training workshops “UNIDO Pharos Business Navigator” for Executive Managers and Trainers and on-site coaching within the first stage of the Programme was made by Serge Golovanov, UNIDO International Consultant. The training and coaching in continuous improvement practices implementation was made by Oswaldo Rossi, UNIDO International Consultant. After the training or trainers the group of consultants provided coaching and advisory services in on-site installations of PHAROS in leather industry enterprises in Bogota. 

The large training workshop in the PHAROS software application for business performance monitoring took place in the Jorge Tadeo Lozano University, Bogotá between 11-15 March 2002 prior to on-site installations and coaching. Among its 28 workshop participants there were executives of the leather production enterprises, educational organizations and national consultants, selected for the implementation of the Programme as trainers.

After the successful workshop PHAROS - Business Navigator software was implemented in 8 shoe and 2 leather production factories in Bogotá within period 16-23 March 2002 as follows:

• Boston Shoes Ltda
• Calzado Atlas Ltda.
• Curtiembres el Reno Ltda
• Districarnazas Luna Ltda
• Esmeralda Leather Ltda
• Henry Mouse Ltda
• Imacal Ltda
• Industria de Calzado Soani Ltda.
• Manufacturas en Cuero V & C Ltda
• Shoomarker Ltda

The Programme implementation included installations and on-site coaching in software applications in 40 local enterprises in 4 industrial regions made by within second stage by the team of 7 national consultants - trainers and two international consultants - coaches from Austria and Brazil.

All programme participants showed keen interest to learning and using of the UNIDO information tools for the implementation of managerial tasks, education and consulting in the industry.

The managers in each company were highly motivated in reviewing their company performance based on actual data for the last year or several latest months. They showed strong interest and enthusiasm in starting using the software routinely in their companies to monitor and continuously improve the company performance. The implementation of the on-site training proved that key issues of successful acceptance of IT tools by the executives are after-training support in on-site installation, data collection and obtaining the first hand experience in the software. The managers recognized and acknowledged that the success of the implementation and effective introduction of continuous improvement practices were as result of two key factors:

• Simplicity, easiness of learning and operating with the Pharos Business Navigator software
• Prompt support and coaching of external consulting during the implementation period

Managers of all companies were previously unaware of any IT software tools similar to UNIDO Pharos Business Navigator providing similar functionality, simplicity and user friendliness. The managerial needs for applying IT for monitoring company performance can be illustrated by the following observations by UNIDO International consultants:

• In most of the enterprises there were no practices of planning for company business for next coming year prior to introduction of Pharos software which required such practices to be established as a routine
• Two of the managers purchased notebooks for the first time specifically to run Pharos software for monitoring of their companies becoming first time PCs users
• At least two managers identified considerable discrepancies between their planned budget and actual results and inefficiencies in customer services during the analysis of application results
• Well prepared and guided introduction of the PHAROS application into executive routine practices is required to overcome the related psychological and technical know-how issues ensuring effective start up. This support can be effectively provided by the trained and certified national consultants in several industrial sectors.

After the end of onsite installations and coaching in Bogotá enterprises (leather industrial sector) the newly certified trainers and international consultants run installations and coaching on sites in 40 other enterprises of metal processing, textile, electronics industrial sectors.

The implementation of the UNIDO Component II phase took place for 13 months over period 2002-2003.