1. Experience of business diagnose from the agreement between entities
EURODECO
Meeting Ostrava
23,24,25 maig 2007
Fondo Social Europeo

2. 1. REFERENCE FRAMEWORK

3. AREA OF INTERVENTION Metropolitan region of Barcelona
inhabitants
583,2 km2
1.433,6 inhab/km2
23 municipalities
Vallès Occidental

4. SOCIOECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS (1)
Unemployment rate: 10,24% (6,74% men 13,74% women)
Employment temporality: 87,9% temporary contracts
Recently increase of immigration: 9,4%
Young: difficulties for a professional career development
Over 45 years: adaptation difficulties
Women: horizontal and vertical segregation

5. SOCIOECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS (2)
Current business activity
employees
companies
Main sectors:
63% services (58% salaried workers)
22% industry (34% salaried workers)
14% construction (8% salaried workers)
Size of companies
83,1 % Micro companies
16,5% Small and Medium companies
0,4% Large companies

6. CONCIALIATION TOOLS Evolution
Employment agreement in the Vallès Occidental area
Aims
Resource optimisation to reduce unemployment
Innovative action
Co-operation from public and private agents
1st Action Plan :
2nd Action Plan :
3rd Action Plan :
Created: July 2006
Stages
Evolution
Consortium for employment and economic promotion of
Vallès Occidental

7. 2. THE PROJECT OF EQUAL IMPAC-TEM VALLÈS

8. PARTICIPATING ENTITIES
12 City Councils
Badia del Vallès
Barberà del Vallès
Castellar del Vallès
Cerdanyola del Vallès
Montcada i Reixac
Palau-solità i Plegamans
Polinyà
Rubí
Sabadell
Sant Cugat del Vallès
Santa Perpètua de Mogoda
Terrassa
Supralocal administrations
Vallès Occidental Area Council
Catalonia Employment Service
Barcelona County Council
Catalan Women’s Institute
Social and economic agents
Centre Metal·lúrgic (Metallurgy Centre)
Gremi de Fabricants (Manufacturers Guild)
CECOT Private Training Foundation
CCOO Trade Union for Vallès Occidental Area
UGT- Trade Union for Vallès Occidental Area

9. AIM
competitiveness challenges, through co-operation between local institutions and companies
with new work organisation and business management formulae: business co-operation, agreed timetable flexibility, balance between private and working life, promoting innovation, qualifying human resources,...
equal employment opportunities for men and women
To face
To experiment
To improve

10. PROPOSED ACTION
business situation: current activity, difficulties, interests,...
, according to companies and market challenges
, to reflect upon the company future
and advise on its development
aimed at management personnel, middle management, male and female trade union delegates, male and female workers, to adapt the company to changes
and training for male and female workers
Analysing
Designing specific proposals
Using self-diagnosis tools
Developing Adaptability Plans
Training
Developing Career Plans

11. INTERVENTION AGREEMENT
COORDINATION OF RESOURCES IN THE TERRITORY
Collaboration between the agents: common intervention methodology
Project actions and resources which complement those already existing
Exploitation of good practices already existing
CONSENSUS ON THE TARGET PUBLIC
Micro companies and SMEs
Reference size: 5 to 50 employees
Sectors: graphic arts, food and agriculture, distribution, construction, chemical, metal, textile, wood, catering, company services, personal services
ADJUSTMENT OF THE PROJECT TO THE REALITY OF THE TARGET PUBLIC
Taking advantage of expert/professional knowledge within the territory
The project’s initial action “Analysis of the reality of SMEs”: identifying problems, interests, demands…
ADJUSTMENT OF THE PROJECT TO EACH ORGANIZATION
Organization’s objective, own resources,...

12. INTERVENTION FRAMEWORK

13. 3. BUSINESS DIAGNOSIS

14. RESOURCES IN THE TERRITORY
Local administrations with different levels of company service resources
Big towns, structures and company services, especially for newly created companies
Medium-sized towns, with company services being developed
Small towns, without structures and company services
Supralocal administrations which promote different initiatives to support companies:
Access complicated: high level of bureaucracy
Initiatives not well known and/or unsuitable for SMEs
Problems for SMEs to gain access: lack of interest, lack of time, low perception of needs,…
Well-developed management organizations which offer resources and services to associated companies

15. COMPANY SITUATION Small enterprises with slightly mature structures
Persons in charge of companies who often are expert in their profession but do not know about management
Insufficient use of ICTs (71% of companies), especially in the operations, marketing and human resources organization departments
Persistence of management strategies based on costs (11% of companies)
Little organizational innovation (31% of companies)
Little flexibility and adaptability in work teams (48% of companies)
Low level of adaptation of productive technology when faced with changes (6.6 points on a scale of 0 to 10)
Hardly any implantation of process and project organization (28% of companies)

16. HOW TO INTERVENE? THE DIAGNOSE, THE BEST START TO A PROCESS OF CHANGE
The majority of micro-companies or small companies perform a management centered on the short term, on the day to day, and not in a systematic way.
In general there is a lack of time, to apply changes works out very difficult and the SME’s do not contemplate it and/or do not know where to start
THE DIAGNOSE, THE BEST START TO A PROCESS OF CHANGE
AND IMPROVEMENT OF RESULTS

17. AIM
Identify the main problems, and global and particular needs of participant companies.
Identify possible solutions in an agreed way, taking into account their feasibility and impact on result improvement.
Encourage interest in business diagnosis, strategic management…
Transfer knowledge about entrepreneurial management
Define a suitable strategy in order to encourage a process of change
Obtain the maximum implication of the businessman/woman
Identify opportunities for business cooperation
Reinforce the value of the business diagnosis in those SME’s already visited

18. THE DIAGNOSE PROCESS Phase I Phase II SELF-DIAGNOSE
Tool accessible on line
Phase II
GENERAL
ADVICE
With expert professionals

19. PHASE I
SELF - DIAGNOSE

20. THE SELF-DIAGNOSE on line self-diagnose APPROACH
The self-diagnose as an import value itself for the company
The Businessman as protagonist of the process
Promote the use of Internet
Create a Flexible tool , with clear, easy-to-use concepts
CONSTRUCTION PROCESS OF THE TOOL
Elaboration of an external consultancy
Team work of the entities for the follow up and technical contributions
on line self-diagnose

21. CHARACTERISTICS OF ON LINE SELF-DIAGNOSIS
We have used as a reference the EFQM Management Model, considered to be excellent.
The Model’s fundamental concepts are: orientation towards results and to the customer, leadership and constancy, management through processes, development and involvement of people, continuous training and improvement, collaboration, and social responsibility.
The main use of the model is self-assessment, from which we obtain a set of strong points and areas open to improvement.
On this basis, and once prioritization work has been carried out, a plan of action can be built in order to put the corresponding improvements into effect.
The application has been defined, distinguishing between two fields of action:
Administration Web Site
Self-Diagnosis Web Site
Different levels of safety, specific contents and procedure access have been established for each field of action

22. USAGE GENERAL FRAMEWORK
PROSPECTOR SUPPORT TO THE COMPANIES
Presentation of the tool (disseminacion diptych)
Personal visit
Telephone call
An access code is provided
The businessman is offered the possibility to be accompanied when using it
Assures the access from behalf of the businessman
Doubts are cleared from the questioner, facilitating knowledge regarding the business management
Allows obtaining complementary information on the Company
Consolidates a prospector-businessman relationship (entity/administration-company)

23. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS (1)
ADMINISTRATION Web Site
The objectives of the Administration area are:
To facilitate treatment and management of data necessary to access the Self-Diagnosis.
To allow consultation of the data generated by the self-diagnoses.
The Administration form is divided into four modules:
Access to the information contained in this web site is based on a hierarchy according to which only the data which is managed directly can be accessed. It is for this reason that different profiles and authorizations must be defined.
Administration of users
Add user
Interview requests
Reports

24. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS (2)
SELF-DIAGNOSIS Web Site
The Self-Diagnosis form is divided into four question modules:
Each module of the questionnaire:
Contains 10 questions with five possible answers for each one
Is a multiple answer questionnaire
A minimum of 8 questions must be answered: any not considered to pertain to the company may be left in blank.
More than one person in the company may use the diagnosis questionnaire, as long as they are kept as drafts and the diagnosis has not been closed. A draft is generated for each questionnaire and this can be accessed and modified at any time.
Once the diagnosis is closed, the questionnaire and report may be accessed, but no modifications may be made.
General Organization
Persons Administration
Operations Management
Information Systems

25. ANALISIS AND RESULTS
Each of the Self-Diagnosis answers are internally assessed using 5 parameters:
4 parameters which are used to carry out the Self-Diagnosis analysis: mangement tool, category, management flow
1 parameter which relates the answer to the EFQM model
At the end of each module a partial summary is presented:
Analysis of percentage of use of good management
Proposal of tools to improve management, identifying the areas with potential for improvement, based on the opportunities detected. The company can mark those which it considers interesting to introduce
At the end of the self-diagnosis, an overall report is included, offering the following sections:
Analysis of the percentage of improvement opportunities for each Self-Diagnosis module.
Areas in the company which allow management improvement by using action tools. At this point, the company can evaluate and review which ones it considers more interesting to introduce.
List of activities with improvement potential

26. PHASE II
GENERAL ADVICE

27. PROCEDURE (1) DESCOVERY PRESENTATION GUARANTEE
Compare results: use the results obtained from the self-diagnose tools and to reflect on the future of the company. The tools must allow evaluating requirements and criteria which is where the opportunity of improvement is.
Set priorities: Analyze the relative importance of the requirements detected, with the aim to be able to prioritize them according to the company’s cost-profit criteria.
Define an action plan: From the previous priorities ( agreed upon with the company) design specific proposals according to the company and the market challenges with the aim to become more competitive.
Present the action plan: Presentation of the agreed upon action plan, discuss it with the company and adjust it (if necessary). Capability in the use of immediate implementation management tools that are useful for the improvement of the company’s competitiveness.
Guidance and follow up of the implementation and coordination of the improvements, including proposals of participation in other complementary activities of the IMPAC-TEM VALLÈS project .
1st PHASE PRESENTIAL
Non Presential
2nd PHASE PRESENTIAL
Non Presential

28. PROCEDURE (2) Action Plan Company general data
Synthesis of the current situation: global approach, problems detected, interests and priorities..,
Strong points and week points
Lines of action: improvement actions proposed for the short an medium term
Actions of immediate impact
Additional Information of interest

29. FUNTIONING GENERAL FRAMEWORK
COORDINATION RESEARCH TEAM-ADVISORY TEAM
As from the company’s request, the 1st interview is arranged through the person who coordinates the advisory team
Taking into account the businessman's availability
Prospector
Provides previous complementary information on the company if considered necessary
Presents the expert to the company, remaining as person of reference
Follows the outcome of the interviews ( /telephone)
Participates when the Action Plan is presented to the company
In some occasions participates throughout the process
Business Advisor
Provides complementary information on the company and/or the work performed
One or various interviews. Average dedication per company: 6h

30. 3. Raising awareness, self-diagnosis and selection of firms
METHODOLOGY
Methodological guide : to co-ordinate intervention among the group of male/female advisors
Preparing one report per company including the derivation proposal
Co-ordination and follow-up : company male/female researcher
It is important to consider the transversal application of the principle of equal opportunities

31. RESULTS AND EVALUATION
Features
Participant 14/09/06
Evaluation
On-line self-diagnosis
200
7,6 (1 to 10)
Personalised advice
200 adaptacion plan
8,8 (1 to 10)
COMPANIES PROFILE
Between 1 and 5 employees %
Between 6 and 10 employees %
Between 11 and 25 employees %
More than 25 employees %
MAIN ACTIVITY FIELDS
Business strategy ,2 %
Improvement plans for production and organization processes 26,8 %
Commercialization and marketing strategies 14,1 %
Technological innovation on business management, continuous improvement 11,7 %
Human resources management: training, motivation, conciliation 21,6 %
Other ,6 %