Success Story: ASTARTA

Agro-industrial holding ASTARTA has implemented an internal corporate portal based on Microsoft SharePoint technologies.


  • During the years of operation of the agro-industrial holding ASTARTA-KYIV, the world has changed beyond recognition, and similarly, the company itself has been changing: it has transformed and improved, expanding the scope of business activities. However, the focus embodied in the mission of ASTARTA remains unchanged: building strong Ukraine and strengthening confidence in it globally.

    Astarta is a history of more than 28 years: it is about ecosystem partnership and sustainable development, about innovation and increasing efficiency, about responsibility and mutual trust. Thanks to stable synergy within the company and with partners, Astarta has been a national leader in the cultivation of agricultural products for many years, with more than 230 thousand hectares of land in eight regions of Ukraine, sugar production at six sugar factories and with a nationwide production share of 22%.

Customer

Astarta-Kyiv
Website: astartaholding.com
Country: Ukraine
Industry: Agro-industrial holding
Customer size: Large (1,000 – 9,999 employees)

Customer profile

Astarta-Kyiv is one of the largest vertically integrated agro-industrial holdings in Ukraine. The main areas of activity include agriculture, sugar production, animal husbandry, soybean processing and bioenergy.

Software and services

Microsoft SharePoint

  • More than 90% of milk produced on dairy farms is of “extra” grade, and the livestock of cattle is more than 22 thousand heads. The company is among the most powerful soybean processing enterprises in Ukraine: the total annual processing capacity is more than 220 thousand tons.

    ASTARTA production facilities

    ASTARTA had a need to implement an internal corporate portal, the main goal of which would be to unite all employees of the company in a single information field, quick and convenient access to programs and services required for work, strengthening the corporate culture in the company and access to information and services at any time.

    The main requirements to the solution were as follows:

    • Prompt informing of employees, including those who do not have accounts.
    • Creation of the organizational structure of the company.
    • Implementation of a directory of contacts with differentiated search.
    • Display of the list of birthdays in line with the “current date + 2 days”
    • Management of internal company events by the portal administrator.
    • Non-material motivation of personnel.
    • Portal implementation on a tight schedule.

     

    SMART business has developed a solution based on Microsoft SharePoint technologies, which allowed the customer to implement the required functionality within the agreed time frame. Employees got quick access to corporate information, including the following:

    • Displaying corporate news by topics.
    • Quick access to corporate and reference materials.
    • Informing the staff about new employees by messages on the main page of the portal.
    • Messages about the birthdays of colleagues and other important events.
    • Storage of corporate videos and photos.
    • Fast and convenient access to external resources of the company.
    • Implementation of the “Organizational Structure”.
    • Personal services of employees in the “Personal cabinet”.

    “My dream is that we at ASTARTA start the morning not with a coffee, but with the corporate portal. For each employee, this is the so-called gateway to the world of the company. Therefore, for HR and IT departments, the portal is an interesting and at the same time complex project, because we understand its importance and the fact that it cannot be a sustainable product but must constantly accumulate useful features for users and become interactive.

    The choice of a Microsoft SharePoint product for the portal implementation was the best choice, it suits all our plans regarding the portal and information needs, and also makes it possible to integrate other products of the Microsoft’s Office 365 system.

    We are pleased to note that we are implementing this project with Microsoft’s ‘gold partner’ – SMART business. The decision on cooperation was taken prudently, and during the work we were convinced of its correctness. So, during work, we argued a lot, and this was right, because the project is special, and both sides wanted to make it as good as possible. Importantly, the partners accepted and analyzed our requests carefully, promptly, and resolved controversial issues in a short time”.

    Author's imageOleksandr VoinalovychHead of Information Technology Development Department

    * Note. By calling SMART business a ‘gold partner’, Oleksandr implies that the company owns 18 Microsoft Gold Competencies out of 18 possible.

     

    “Thanks to modern technology, it has become much easier to combine all information in a single space that all employees have access to, regardless of their position or location. This helps to instantly inform colleagues about important events, to centrally control procedural documentation. An internal corporate portal is simply a must have for companies with a large number of employees and for those who work remotely

    Author's imageNatalya Onyshchuka Managing Partner of SMART business

     

    Due to the integration with the ERP system 1C:Enterprise, the following has become possible:

    • Prompt display of the “Personnel changes” and “Organizational structure”
    • Viewing up-to-date contact information of employees.
    • Quick and easy search for information about colleagues.

     

    At the customer’s request, the design of the standard blocks “Event Calendar” and “Surveys” has been changed to a more compact one, since the standard blocks took up a lot of space on the main page of the portal.

     

    Besides, an additional block of “Informational dynamic banners” has been developed on the main page with additional relevant information and the ability to “wire in” links.
     

    From the customer’s side, automatic loading of the solution when opening the browser has been configured for quick access to the portal.

    ASTARTA is planning to further develop the internal corporate portal and implement the following:

    • Logistics services.
    • Knowledge base.
    • Corporate marketplace for the sale of material assets among employees and enterprises.

     

     

    “We are proud of our cooperation with ASTARTA and share their values, the primary of which is care for employees. We understand how important it is for employees not only to fulfill their official duties, but also to understand the purpose of the company’s existence and share a common corporate culture. This not only motivates to develop and improve professional skills, but also is a significant factor in reducing staff churn”.

    Author's imageNatalya Onyshchuka Managing Partner of SMART business

     

     

    To learn more about the solutions and services of SMART business,
    call +38 (044) 585-35-50 or submit your request here.

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