business plan for 2004 - EDP

2003 - Annual Report - EDP
• The rollout of the Cimpor SAP system for its factory in
Egypt;
• The maintenance of management systems and
implementation of new customer applications for Cape
Verde Telecom and Unitel (Angola);
• The implementation of a SAP ISU solution for
NaturCorp;
• The Mercator project within the georeferenced
solutions for Élèctricité de France/Gaz de France;
• Involvement in a data migration project for COX
Telecommunications in the USA;
• In Brazil, implementation of a georeferenced
information system solution at SABESP, the provision
of outsourcing in the GIS area for COMGÁS and
implementation of an Application Service Provider and
security system for TV Cidade, using Cisco technology;
and
• Microsoft training courses for the European
Community (EuroStat), technical and functional
assistance for the Luanda electricity distribution
company, co-operation with SAP Italy in the
implementation of several projects for companies
located in that country and the development of Assync
call centres and TV events (management of voting by
phone) in Spain with the co-operation of Hewlett
Packard.
>> 3.4 The Business of Central-e
Central-e operates in the B2B market through the
forumB2B.com portal. This EDP Group company has
been in business for three years and owns the first
corporate portal to carry out transactions in Portugal.
This constitutes a prime means of controlling and
reducing costs related to the transactions of member
organisations.
Entirely supported by the Internet, the forumB2B.com
applications cover companies entire procurement
processes, based on the following aspects:
• Tools – e-procurement, electronic auctions, calls for
tenders and catalogue management;
• Methodologies – project management, strategic
sourcing, procurement and management of change; and
• Experience – EDP Group, Galp Energia, ONI, CME,
Metropolitano de Lisboa and UMIC – Mission,
Innovation and Knowledge Unit.
According to various studies, the B2B market continues to
grow. The trend is towards increasing integration of
corporate information systems and electronic business
solutions and towards increasing investment in mainly
Internet-based integrated management information
systems.
Creation of catalogues containing more and better
information on goods and services will make a significant
contribution to the development of electronic business.
Online transactions will lead to better knowledge of the
market and to greater transparency (at the level of
competitors’ strategies and of in-house procedures).
Market pressure will be determinant to the development
of electronic business since companies with
technologically more sophisticated business partners will
be obliged to negotiate and co-operated online and the
pressure of major corporate groups brought to bear on
their partners to use electronic solutions will also be
decisive to their development.
During 2003, two large domestic companies, CME and
Metropolitano de Lisboa, implemented the
forumB2B.com electronic procurement platform. EDP,
Galp Energia and ONI have already implemented this
procurement system.
Several electronic auctions and negotiations have also
been undertaken for these customers, generating total
savings of €1.27 million. These electronic auctions
involved various products, such as vehicles and electrical
material (EDP), accessories and cables (SMS) and
cleaning, security, furniture, signaletics and metalworking
services (Metro). The biggest dynamic negotiation of
prices to contract out services was undertaken by a stateowned
company using forumB2B.com. This deal
involved a total of 107 bids, split between the various lots.
Total savings amounted to around €0.5 million, to about
10% of the overall value of the services.
The first public online call for tenders was also
implemented via forumB2B.com for Galp Energia,
covering every stage from the issue of invitations to
tender up to the negotiation stage. The bidders were
qualified in advance by the organiser and used the
electronic platform to access the tender documents, to
submit their tenders and to take part in the final
negotiation. This electronic form of calls for tenders led to
improved procedures, less time, elimination of
paperwork and simplicity of execution, among other
aspects.
The year was also influenced by the setting up of an
incorporated joint venture (or ACE) between Central-e
and Tradecom (PT Group), initially designed to provide
services within the scope of electronic procurement by
Public Administration, an initiative headed by the
Innovation and Knowledge Mission Unit, which reports
to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. The main
object of the ACE is to provide a unique range of
technological services and platforms to simplify the
exchange of products and services between subscribing
companies and organisations, contributing to a reduction
of costs and to an increase of the transparency of
procurement procedures.
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