Azerbaijani company enters Uzbek market with EBRD's support

The EBRD and the EU recently helped professional advertising specialists Vitam LLC to implement a new ERP system in Azerbaijan, Report informs, citing the EBRD.

The project optimised operational efficiencies and increased productivity within the company, freeing up valuable resources and maximising the utilisation of its existing labour force of 33 employees.

Coping without an automated management information system was causing inefficiencies in day-to-day operations and a lack of control over business processes, ultimately hampering growth and opportunities to attract clients,

To optimise the business and become more versatile and competitive, the company reached out to the EBRD’s Advice for Small Businesses programme for support.

“We decided that a new management system needed to be developed for Vitam, and that it should be modern, based on data analysis and measurable. When we approached the EBRD, the sale of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software was an expensive option and we did not have the finances to cover it ourselves. However, we learned that the EBRD offers the potential for collaboration in terms of joint financing, and the opportunity was too good to pass up," company CEO Tehran Aliyev said.

He said that, buoyed by these improvements, Vitam had even started new business lines, including the production of frames and stretched ceilings, and conceptual furniture design for restaurants and shops.

"The business had expanded its client portfolio and signed contracts with Samsung, Sony, Bosch, GlaxoSmithKline, Optimal, Baku Electronics, SOCAR and the UN, among many others, resulting in turnover nearly doubling," Tehran said.

The company has also developed a strategy to enter the global market, exporting to Central Asia and Europe and gaining international experience fulfilling orders for global brands. It now plans to open a production facility in Uzbekistan in collaboration with Bosch.

Established in 2004, Vitam – meaning ‘life’ in Latin – has become one of the leading display and signage solution companies in the country. The company produces visual advertising that showcases brands, such as bespoke signage, furniture and exhibition stands, along with large-format printing and graphic design services, helping clients communicate more effectively with prospective and existing customers.