At the HP Software Universe 2004 happening which took place last week in Madrid, leaders from such companies, and many more, explained to the 2,900 delegates how IT has helped them simplify and vastly improve their business, helping them to cut costs and become more competitive.

Suzanne Wellerbrink Ryden, from the Swedish Civil Aviation Administration, described how pre-2003 every airport in Sweden had its own IT system, sometimes acting in conflict or at least not in agreement with each other, with territorial disputes all the way. The decision was taken, in 2003, to simplify the whole operation. Cut costs, clarify roles and increase cost efficiency. Another objective was to make the IT department much more customer-oriented.

It was not an easy task, as territorial conflict still intruded, but one year down the line the results are already being seen in a far simpler and efficient operation, and the customers now appreciate a better commercial and focused attention they get from the IT people.

Karl-Heinz Neumann, from Munich Re, the big international insurance company, with E25 billion in gross premiums, 6,000 employees and 60 subsidiaries, explained his company’s strategies in a world of ever increasing stronger competition.

In collaboration with HP, the company re-engineered its business processes, got a platform for global data, improved the processes between the various units of the company and its common IT platform ensured that the company vastly improved in its internal flexibility.

Silvia Thomas from HP and Derek Johnston from Vodafone explained how IT helps mobile phone companies provide a service to customers within 20 minutes of the demand. While this, on the outside, may seem to be a very simple task, it is none of the sort since it involves interaction with various sections of the company in a very short time. Any hiccups in this short space of time means lost customers, while increasing efficiency not only attracts more customers but also improves the company’s operations.