General
Director´s Introductory Speech
Dear Shareholders,
1999
was our first year of consolidation and seeking a path towards a new future and long-term prosperity based on the global concept of
"increasing company efficiency and effectiveness".The
key activity was the initiation of restructuring and
re-engineering throughout the company, with the aim of attaining
an acceptable ratio of administrative staff to production staff
and reducing wage costs. Many activities were contracted out to
other companies.
Fundamental changes took place in the areas of sales and
production as we began to construct a marketing-driven company. On
the basis of a SWOT analysis we dealt with individual market
segments and product groups. We found new sales possibilities,
which, at least for the next three years, appear to be very
promising. We came to the unequivocal conclusion that only a high
level of flexibility in deliveries and quality of services can
assure us a competitive edge at a time of falling sales prices. In
line with this philosophy, 270 new products were developed
according to customers´ requirements and the development of
the new C 130 material was completed. Production of the material,
beginning in 2000, will make Elektroporcelán Louny a.s.
one of the leading manufacturers in the world and will attract the
most demanding of customers. This is borne out by the customers´
audits already carried out in our company.
In
the field of quality we began applying the "Total quality
management" (TQM) method, which should ensure that our
products are awarded the "Czech Made" mark during 2000
and that the quality of all processes gradually improves.
In the field of information technology we started the programme of
implementing the MFG/PRO information system, Preactor and Promis.
Following their complete implementation at the Louny Plant,
implementation will follow at the Merklín Plant and further
MIS and EIS modules will be implemented. We also plan to introduce
support systems for the technical preparations for production. Our
aim is to achieve totally digitised operations by the year 2005.
The current management is aware that our employees, their skills,
attitude and behaviour constitute the chief source of prosperity
for our company and that we must promote their personal
development by using modern personnel methods purposefully and on
a long term basis. The goal of this activity must be to raise our
corporate culture to a new level.
In the last
two months of the year our company had to deal with a series of
unexpected problems, which had an impact on our final trading
result for the year. Despite that, we can give a very positive
assessment of last year´s work, because much was
accomplished that will have a measurable impact in the near
future. The fact that the overwhelming majority of our work was
both successful and more effective is borne out by the development
of the analytical indicators. I would assess my first year in the
company as, above all, a year in which conditions were created
for stabilisation to be followed by dynamic growth. I look to the
future with optimism and am convinced that our aim has been
achieved and that the capabilities of the new management will
guarantee the company´s future prosperity.
Allow me to
take this opportunity to thank all the staff of the company for
their work, as well as the members of the Supervisory Board and
the Board of Directors for the active expertise and guidance they
provided during 1999.
 Ing.Milan
Březovský General Director and Deputy Chairman of
the Board of Directors
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