Challenges of the Research Institute
The Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IChF PAN) is a renowned research unit whose activities are characterized by intensive project work. The International Centre for Eye Research (ICTER) also operates within its structures. This institution also includes ChemiPAN, which also deals with production activities on a daily basis, which significantly complicated the process of settling projects and tasks. The Institutes simultaneously ran several dozen grants and research projects, engaging several hundred scientists and doctoral students.
Before the implementation of the Gardens ERP system, IChF PAN faced numerous challenges that hindered effective management and controlling. The key problem was the lack of a central, integrated solution that would support project management and grant settlement.
Main challenges before implementation:
- Lack of centralization and manual processes
Cost estimation, material requirements (e.g., test tubes, small equipment, toilet paper, copy paper) and resource management were carried out via email or paper. The grants department collected this data in non-integrated tools and then it was processed manually.
- Complexity of the Public Procurement Law
IChF PAN, as one entity in the light of the Public Procurement Law (PZP), had to aggregate all purchasing needs of the Institute. Cost estimation for each of the several dozen research projects and many scientific teams, based on CPV codes, was scattered. To determine whether a given purchase falls within the free threshold or requires a national or European tender (above 120,000), it was necessary to manually sum all estimates.
- Problems with grant settlement
Grant settlement was time-consuming and prone to errors. The Institute faced difficulties in precisely categorizing eligible and ineligible costs and in generating reports compliant with the requirements of grant providers. The lack of an integrated environment prevented quick and transparent presentation of the specifications of incurred costs.
- Lack of electronic document circulation and employee portal
Many administrative processes, including document circulation, took place outside the system, and employees did not have access to a dedicated portal that would aggregate all necessary documents in one place.
In the face of these challenges, the goal of implementing the Gardens ERP system was to streamline processes related to project management, financial controlling, grant accounting, document workflow, as well as human resources and payroll.
Gardens ERP System as comprehensive support for scientific institutes and research units
The implemented ERP system - Gardens is a response to the complex needs of IChF PAN, integrating the key areas of the institute's operations.
Implemented modules:
- Project Management
The central module of the system, constituting the core of the implementation, focused on effective management of budgets, costs, and resources of research projects.
- Finance and Accounting
Integrated with the project module, enabling precise tracking and settlement of costs, including those related to grants.
- Document Circulation
Electronic system for handling requisitions, invoices, contracts, and other documents, ensuring full archiving, process automation, and tracking of acceptance history.
- Kadry i Płace
Module supporting the specificity of settling remuneration for scientists employed part-time across many projects and grants.
- Uniqueness of the solution
Gardens ERP System precisely addresses the needs for grant settlement and financial controlling of projects in research institutes. We offer comprehensive tools adapted to the specificity of scientific activity and public regulations.
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How Gardens ERP changed management at IChF PAN
The implementation of the Gardens system brought a number of benefits to IChF PAN, transforming the way projects, finances, and documentation are managed.
Effective project controlling:
- Current visibility of project finances
The system ensures full control over the budget of every project item. The user has access to information on the budget, incurred costs, and amounts reserved by complex requisitions. Remaining funds are calculated in real time.
- Automatic blocking of funds
Requisitions submitted by authorized users automatically reserve funds, even if the invoice has not yet arrived, preventing double spending of the same funds.
- Detailed reporting and transparency
The system allows tracking of all costs incurred in projects, with reference to specific invoices, signed agreements, and acceptance protocols. Thanks to this, the Institute knows the source of declared costs and has immediate specifications.
- Organization of documentation
All attachments and project documents (e.g., supplier selection protocols) are gathered in one place, which significantly facilitates management and access, organizing the work related to project documentation.
- Compliance with the Public Procurement Law
The system supports the organization of purchasing procedures, archiving all attachments, and automatic generation of signed requisition files. This helps in complying with the formal requirements related to the Public Procurement Law (PZP), including appropriate reaction to exceeding purchasing thresholds and the need to announce tenders.
Streamlined grant settlement:
- Precise cost categorization
The system facilitates the correct description of eligible and ineligible costs, ensuring compliance with the budget items presented in the grant application.
- Cost specification "on demand"
The ability to immediately show the grant provider the incurred costs in the project, along with detailed specification, attachments, and decrees, was a huge added value that the Institute did not have previously. This facilitates the settlement of grants proportionally to the incurred costs and their progress.
- Support for audits
Easy access to data and documentation simplifies audit processes and ensures compliance with regulations, which is key in the context of settling external funds.
Integration and automation:
- Document circulation as the core
All user work—from submitting requisitions within the project, through their acceptance, to cost settlement—is based on integrated document circulation. This process blocks funds already at the requisition stage.
- Smooth information flow
Data from the HR and financial modules automatically feeds the project module, eliminating manual data entry and minimizing errors.
- Management of scientists' remuneration
The system effectively settles the remuneration of scientific employees who are employed part-time across many projects and grants, correctly allocating costs to the relevant projects. This is a great simplification that is not obvious in standard HR and payroll systems.
Partnership for the success of Scientific Institutes
The implementation of the Gardens system at IChF PAN is proof of how a comprehensive ERP solution can revolutionize management in research and public units.
- Increased managerial control
IChF PAN gained full control over project finances, the possibility of precise budget planning and effective reporting. The Institute's management now has access to global management of its resources and does not have to rely on scattered Excel sheets.
- Reduction of risk and errors
The elimination of manual processes and scattered data significantly reduced the risk of errors and financial complications, which translates into greater operational security.
- Invaluable added value
The system organized all the Institute's operations, ensuring clarity and control over the activity code, which allowed the full potential of employees to be unleashed, eliminating manual work on documents.
Solution for other Public Units
The Gardens solution, although prepared for the needs of the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences in the presented example, is highly scalable and ideally suited to the needs of other units that are covered by the Public Procurement Law and face challenges related to project controlling and grant settlement.
Gardens ERP will also work well in:
- Large research and scientific institutes (e.g., other Institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences, government institutes, such as research institutes operating under ministries).
- Universities and higher education institutions (especially in departments managing research projects, technology transfer centers, or science offices, where numerous projects and grants are settled).
- Philharmonics and Operas (which often carry out artistic and educational projects financed by grants, requiring meticulous settlement)..
- Theatres (also operating based on artistic projects and grant funds, with the necessity of transparent management).
- Museums (carrying out conservation, exhibition, or educational projects, often co-financed from external funds).
- Local Government Units with a larger scope of operation (e.g., Voivodeship City Offices, Marshal's Offices, where managing numerous EU and national projects requires precise controlling).
- Large public hospitals and medical institutes (involved in research, clinical, and investment projects, often financed by grants and public funds).
