VARIANT plus

A wholesale company with a range of electronic building systems relies on ABRA Gen.

VARIANT Plus

How does ABRA Gen help?

  • Provides a sophisticated Call Center module.
  • Offers a Slovak version of the information system.
  • Allows for a sophisticated pricing, online responsiveness to all of the market-leading factors of the electronic security industry.
  • Supports business development especially in sales, unifies all information in one place, and especially in terms of business and relationships, makes the entire work system easier to understand.
Logo VARIANT Plus
FIELDFinance, Trade
EMPLOYEES33
ANNUAL TURNOVER113 mil. CZK
PLACEVysočina region
WEBwww.variant.cz

VARIANT plus svůj obchodní úspěch staví na kvalitních produktech, široké nabídce zboží kompletně pokrývající potřeby klientů, jejich trvalé skladové dostupnosti, kvalitním technologickém zázemí, poradenství a pružné prodejní strategii, na jejímž vrcholu je propracovaná cenotvorba, online reagující na všechny faktory prodejního trhu odvětví elektronického zabezpečení budov.

Juraj Urbančík, VARIANT Plus

Juraj Urbančík

Founder, VARIANT plus

“VARIANT plus is based on three pillars: people, technological background and information system.”

VARIANT plus builds its business success on high-quality goods, a wide range of products that fully meet customer needs, their durable stock availability, high-quality technology background, advice, and flexible sales strategy, topped by sophisticated pricing, online responsiveness to all sales market factors for the electronic security industry buildings.

In 1990, ING. Juraj Urbančík, the founder of the company VARIANT plus, started his business journey in Košice, Slovakia. With several associates, he started with the sale and installation of mechanical security elements. He has achieved his financial success within a few months and has decided to leave his job and start a business. Through his acquaintance, he gained contact with the newly-established Canadian company Paradox and began ordering electronic security systems from them. “Four Czech-Slovak firms were customers of Paradox in the early 90s, but we have endured to this day,” commented on the post-revolutionary boom of entrepreneurs Juraj Urbančík.

In 1991, business activity consisted of 90% assembly and 10% sales. A year later, after the elections in Slovakia succeeded by Mr. Mečiar, J. Urbančík moved to the Czech Republic, where he felt greater business potential. He settled in Třebíč, which accommodated him by its position and size, and became independent from the companions. He built a stable trading company, which in the period from 1992 to 2001 had around 40 million CZK with about six employees.

In 2001, he began systematically expanding the product range, actively acquiring new clientele and maintaining stable customers. At that time, turnover rose to 60 million with eleven employees; the Paradox range accounted for roughly 60% of the turnover.

FROM THE RECENT HISTORY it is necessary to mention the nationalization of the factory in 1948 when the Petrof family lost property and its rights.

In 2005, J. Urbančík decided to break out of family-sized company and to develop more vigorously. Up to now, one branch assortment, EZS – electronic building security (alarms, switchboards, sensors, cables, batteries), has has been complemented by further assortment that stable clients needed for complete material coverage of their work:
EVS – Electronic entry systems (attendance and access terminals, card readers, videophones, audio systems);
SKS – structured cabling (cables, cabinets, etc.);
CCTV – camera systems (cameras, HW for image processing);
EPS – Electronic fire systems.

Between 2006 and 2010 the company grew to three times the number of employees and six times the number of products in the offer, the turnover increased from 65 to 113 million CZK. “The goal of the company is to reach 180 million CZK in turnover over the next five years, with the current number of employees,” plans Urbancik and explains what the company has undergone in recent years: in the years 06′-10’the growth of the company was based on three pillars: People – we managed to find good workers, we have minimal employee turnover, we managed to restructure into departments, work is now done according to clear rules etc. Second the pillar was technical background. We bought and reconstructed the company’s present-day premises, got warehouses, in Prague we set up a branch of five people. The third pillar was to support the electronification of the company’s functioning through an information system. “

In 2008, Variant’s management decided to acquire a new information system that not only will not hinder business processes, but will support the development of the company in particular in the field of sales, unify all information in one place, and in particular in business conditions and relations. The company hired an external consultant who recommended first describing all workflows. It took several months, but it helped set priorities and how the IS should be chosen.

THE SELECTION PROCEDURE had three rounds. ABRA did not score in the first two rounds, but Variant did not choose from the provided list of companies. The company hired a new external consultant for the third round to develop a detailed specification of the requirements. ABRA succeeded in the third round – mainly because it met the selection conditions, it offered a sophisticated Call Center module and offered a Slovak version of the information system.

Download the detailed case study

Are you interested in customized solution for your company?

I am interested in a presentation [post_title] EN