"The more the economy is disturbed, the more important role is played by high-quality management information on particular business organization and its environment. Previous trends are becoming less important, if not unimportant at all, and managers need to be able to plan key business activities under consideration of substantially higher number of factors as well as in dramatically shorter deadlines. Companies that have introduced their own systems for data collection and systematic data evaluation will be able to quickly address risks and even to prevent them," saysIng. Jan Hušek, Ph.D., commercial director of INEKON SYSTEMS, s. r. o.

"Nearly 89 percent of Czech companies expect decreasing number of jobs in the first half of this year," told Ilona Staňková, regional manager of CCI for South-Moravian Region. This is twice as much in comparison with April last year, according to new questionnaire survey by CCI among 1600 member companies which was published during BND. Nevertheless, the twelve lectures given by experienced economists reveal that companies with high-quality management information systems (MIS) may avoid catastrophic consequences of the situation. MIS are able to immediately reflect deviations against corporate plans and analyze their reasons and causes. "With their help, it is possible to shorten the time necessary for taking measures and updating plans from weeks to days," confirmed Bc. Roman Senecký, director general of the Slovak company Mondi SPC Ružomberok, Ing. Petr Žáček, economic director of Budějovický Budvar and Ing. Hana Soukupová, controlling manager of STOCK Plzeň-Božkov.

"Naturally, even a company with well-organized MIS also has to cut their budget and investment as well as to re-evaluate projects in areas that suffer most from diminishing customer base,“ said prof. Ing. Bohumil Král, CSc., head of management accounting faculty of the University of Economics in Prague. "Those survive the crisis who not only cut budgets but also make the best evaluation of expenses and esteem correctly the benefits of such expenses. Rationalization that is encouraged in difficult times should not be mistaken for greediness. The most economical activities are those that bring more than what is invested in them."

Thanks to the management information systems like Business Navigation, it is possible to obtain a complex survey of all key processes that influence corporate management. Products or delivered goods are subject to permanent analysis which enables to assess their sensible volume, age and potential for development and change. The same is necessary for customer portfolio and distribution channels. "It is necessary to find and seal any financial leaks of the company,"explained Ing. Václav Houser, executive director of INEKON SYSTEMS. "Business should be seen as one complex structures process and its planning, prognosis and analyses have to be complex, too. Any interference by the management in an area has to be immediately reflected to all neighboring areas. Processes that exert greatest influence on corporate management are mainly hidden in the functional areas like sales performance, expenses and profitability, financial performance and resources for potential performance."

The conference included a ceremony to award company that achieved success due to the implementation of company navigation during the last twelve months. The Crystal Globe for long-term contribution for Business Navigation was awarded to the company KOMTERM while the Blue Globe for best navigation project of the year was awarded to the company STOCK Plzeň-Božkov.

As an international conference, Business Navigation^® Days brings managers, controlling experts and other corporate experts up-to-date information from the area of controlling and business navigation. At the same time, participant have the opportunity to bring up their ideas concerning the role of management systems in corporate management frameworks and to discuss them with specialists.