It would be good if the method was applied also in large public companies undergoing restructuring, said Zarko Primorac, regional director for the Deloitte consulting company, the organiser of the conference which pooled representatives of institutions and companies from 12 countries which apply the method.
The implementation of the method in Croatia is co-financed by the Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship Ministry, which covers 40 per cent of the costs, through a programme aimed at upgrading the competitiveness of Croatia's economy.
Assistant Minister Ivan Bracic said the objective was to prepare the economy for competition on the European market.
The "20 Keys" method was devised by Japanese professor Iwao Kobayashi. It is applied in about 700 companies in 55 countries, and in nearly half it is co-financed by the government.
Eighteen companies from Croatia, Slovenia, Germany, South Africa, Moldova, Great Britain, Japan, and New Zealand presented their experience in applying the method.
Application in Croatia began two years ago. The economy ministry set aside EUR2 million for a three-year application period.