Jasmina Omerbegović-Bijelović’s research while affiliated with University of Belgrade and other places

The topic of this paper was born out of the pratical need for improving collaboration also within planning, and it deals with synchronising a) constant improvement of Planning Systems (principles, concepts, processes, structure, software sulutions etc.) of the Supply Chain members (SCPS) and b) limited ability of the SC members (especially if they are of the small and medium enterprise type-SMEs) to maintain the required software solutions needed to support such a dynamic planning system in SC. Bearing in mind: a) the different types of SC and their members (big business and/or SME), b) the complexity of planning per se, c) the different ways of organising for planning in LS and d) the difficulty in applying software changes within SCPS (stress, waiting, cost etc.), the problem is how to ensure adequate, but not overly expensive software support (new or improved) in a timely fashion for the new SCPS concept. The initial hypothesis is that there is at least one way in which it is possible to develop SCPS and, at the same time maintain the adequacy of the software solution supporting it. The paper is intended for those who design and construct SCPS, as well as all users of it, with the intention to increase awareness of the necessity for constant development of that particular system and about the need for its flexibility, as well as the awareness of the significance and possibilities of planning system engineering. At the same time it is also intended for those who create SCPS software-so that they bear in mind that their software should be functional even if significant changes within SCPS occur. In this paper we have shown a SC model followed by the relevant problem areas (and related works): planning in SC, with the need for SCPS improvement, and the standard software solutions in SC planning/management. In the section about research and results, we have defined seven research questions; we have then pointed out the significant elements of participant collaboration complexity within SC, as well as the possibility for maintaining the adequacy (relevancy) of the software solutions whilst constantly imporving SCPS.

This paper presents a study on the entrepreneurial readiness of 113 students from several faculties in Serbia. Research data were collected through the scientifically verified questionnaire. Authors examined the opinions of the students related to the five dimensions of Entrepreneurial readiness (Entrepreneurial intention, Perceived ability, Perceived attractiveness, Learning Orientation, Passion for work). The aim of the study was to determine whether the following characteristics of students have an impact on their entrepreneurial intentions: a) Education (manager, engineer); b) Education in entrepreneurship-through classes at the faculty; c) Entrepreneurial experience in the environment (family) and d) Different socio-demographic characteristics of the students. According to this, authors define nine research questions that are analyzed on a sample of students using statistical analysis (correlation coefficient, T-test and multivariate analysis). The most interesting research question refers to the comparison of two groups of students (1. management education and 2. engineering education) according to their tendency towards entrepreneurship and starting their own business. Based on the analyzed sample of students, the difference between these two groups is statistically proven and shown in this paper, together with all other research results. The presented results can be useful for: a) Educational institutions-in order to create educational programs for youth entrepreneurship support; b) The state-to stimulate entrepreneurial economy among youth, and c) Individuals who would like to examine their entrepreneurial readiness and intentions.

This paper points out a way to help with solving the high levels of unemployment amongst the young in Serbia – by designing and realising programs which would allow their inclusion in the entrepreneurial waters - either self-employment and/or employment of others. The idea is to identify and recommend to stakeholders competencies and motives driving the young entrepreneurs nowadays – as models for enabling and motivating unemployed youths to engage with the entrepreneurial world. On the basis of facts obtained by research – which pinpoint the competencies - both practical and theoretical - and the motives of the young entrepreneurs in Serbia, as well as on the basis of their beliefs/attitudes about the same aspects of starting and undertaking entrepreneurial projects, some recommendations have been generated for designing programs to encourage those young people to join the ranks of entrepreneurs. That which remains is for the relevant authorities - in the legal and even family settings, i.e. all those who can recognise some self-interest, to get started and dedicate themselves to the young and their entry into the world of entrepreneurship. The contribution of this paper is in the packages of suggestions for the different types of stakeholders which would help them design programs to bring the young generations into the entrepreneurial sphere. We also consider useful even the very fact of pointing out the different roles of the various social subjects/stakeholders in bringing the young in Serbia into the world of entrepreneurship, as a form of care for the young generations.

This paper presents the study on open source Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software from the perspective of their production module. The study was based on the survey of five open source ERP software. The survey method was content analysis. The observed ERP solutions were evaluated, in a qualitative way, regarding important functionalities and analysis tools of their production module. Besides that, the paper is also focused on capabilities, advantages, and shortcomings of open source ERP solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises. The purpose of this paper is to further present information and knowledge about reasons for SMEs to adopt open source ERP. One of the goals is also to promote alternative ways of supplying SMEs with adequate management and IT solutions. In this paper, analysed and presented open source ERPs (Oddo, WebErp, OpenBravo, Compiere, and NextERP) have proved to be very useful and equipped solutions for SMEs production planning. The findings of this paper are interesting both for scholars and practitioners (including SMEs) as well as for ERP developers.

Choosing and using key performance indicators is necessary for each part of the economy. Retail market is one of the most dynamic fields in economy, and choosing and analyzing the right indicators could be crucial for decision making. This paper should provide guidelines for choosing adequate key performance indicators in retail industry, but also give a brief overview on the different aspects of interpreting those indicators. Modern retail is mostly focused on two main indicators: Turnover and Gross margin, which are directly affecting profitability of retailers. Mentioned indicators could be analyzed more detailed which is of special meaning for lower levels of management. Turnover and Gross margin are indicators that are the basics for many other indicators-Market share, EBIT/EBITDA/EBITDAR, for vertical and horizontal financial analysis, etc. Based on that fact, there are many factors which are dictating the potential turnover and gross margin. One of the main factors are prices and prices strategies. In retail, there are two main pricing strategies: EDLP (Every Day Low Prices) and Hi-Lo (High-Low). Since turnover could be calculated as quantity multiplied with prices, pricing strategies are in position to define planned level of turnover and gross margin. Managing prices successfully gives a good platform for managing key indicators and decision making.

This paper presents a model for effective planning of support services for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The idea is to scrutinize and measure the suitability of support services in order to give recommendations for the improvement of a support planning process. We examined the applied support services and matched them with the problems and needs of SMEs, based on the survey conducted in 2013 on a sample of 336 SMEs in Serbia. We defined and analysed the five research questions that refer to support services, their consistency with the SMEs' problems and needs, and the relation between the given support and SMEs' success. The survey results have shown a statistically significant connection between them. Based on this result, we proposed an eight-phase model as a method for the improvement of support service planning for SMEs. This model helps SMEs to plan better their requirements in terms of support; government and administration bodies at all levels and organizations that provide support services to understand better SMEs' problems and needs for support.

Ovaj rad predstavlja istraživanje spremnosti za preduzetništvo studenata Univerziteta u Beogradu. Istraživanje koje je sprovedeno tokom 2014. godine na uzorku od 177 studenata, imalo je za cilj da ispita stavove studenata o njihovoj spremnosti i namerama na preduzetništvo. Spremnosti studenata za preduzetništvo je povezana sa njihovim različitim socio-demografskim karakteristikama kao i njihovim znanja i iskustvima iz preduzetništva. Na osnovu toga, izvršena je analiza istraživačkih varijabli, uz pomoć koeficijenta korelacije i T-testa. Najinteresantniji deo analize spremnosti na preduzetništvo, među različitim grupama studenta, se odnosio na poređenje studenata inženjerskih disciplina i studenata menadžment/društvenih disciplina. Na posmatranom uzorku je utvrđeno da postoji statistički značajna razlika između navedene dve grupe studenta, što je u radu predstavljeno zajedno sa ostalim nalazima. Rezultati predstavljeni u radu mogu koristiti obrazovnim institucijama u cilju stvaranja programa za podršku preduzetništvu mladih i u cilju daljeg razvijanja akademskih programa iz oblasti preduzetništva posebno na fakultetima iz inženjerskih disciplina.

This paper considers the attributes of Serbian companies in regard to their knowledge and application of e-banking, thus measuring their ability to do business with potential business partners. This, in turn, gives foreign partners the possibility to make business decisions based on reliable information about potential Serbian markets and companies. The primary hypothesis is that companies in Serbia are familiar with e-banking to the extent that enables them to use it in dealing with international companies. This paper presents the results of a survey of 104 companies in Serbia. It was found that 94 percent of companies use at least some form of e-banking in their operations. The results of this study are primarily intended to encourage researchers to focus their research toward the generation of business information that contributes to more reliable insights into the business environment. On the other hand, it presents business people the possibility and feasibility of thorough preparation for business connections, i.e. the supply of information on potential markets and channels of business operations to recover from the present economic crisis.

The overall supply chain (SC) for an item from the moment of preparing for production (resource supplying) through production until the moment of product placement on the shelf of retail facilities is accompanied by a great amount of inventories in every “inter-station” — each SC company. The lack of information or/and incomplete information is the same as the fear of the impossibility of meeting the demand that affects the supply creation in every SC member — starting from the inventory in the raw material warehouse of the producer through the inventory of finished goods of the producer to the inventory in the central distribution warehouse, local wholesale warehouses, and even in the warehouses of retail facilities. The SC members are the first, the second, the third, and so on successors to each other; or observed in the reverse direction the third, the second, and the first predecessor.