Prof. Dr. Natalia Futekova is a managing partner of erp.bg – one of the leading Bulgarian companies for business software development. She combines successfully her entrepreneurial career in the sphere of technologies with her academic and scientific work, along with active participation in educational and other types of social causes. Her scientific interests are in the areas of the development of ERP systems and other business software solutions, business management and the implementation of information systems.
Prof. Dr. Natalia Futekova participates actively in different initiatives in support of education, culture and entrepreneurship. She is a member of the jury of the initiative “Innovators in education” and also a mentor of Start it Smart, where she provides guidance to young entrepreneurs to develop and achieve their ideas through personal mentor meetings, advice, strategic partnerships, provision of key resources etc.
In 2015, Natalia Futekova established ERP Academy – an innovative project of companies from the ERP sector in Bulgaria, which combine their efforts in the aim of bringing higher education closer to the actual needs of the business and the future employees – fully prepared for the work market in the areas of Business Management and IT. In collaboration with “Higher School of Finance and Insurance”, they created the postgraduate course “Business Software and ERP platforms”, which is the first of its kind in Bulgaria. Moreover, they created the first in Europe undergraduate course “IT analysis and business strategies”.
Natalia Futekova has two Bachelor’s degrees – one in “Economics and Communications” and one in “Accounting”, Master’s degree of “Economics and Communications” from UNWE and a Ph.D. degree from the same university with a degree of “Use of computing equipment in Economics”. In 2016, she obtained the title Docent and a few months later she was awarded from Junior Chamber International – Bulgaria for the program “Academic achievements and leadership”. The project is part of the world-famous format “The Outstanding Young Persons – TOYP. Natalia Futekova has also received a nomination in the international format of TOYP.
Since 2017, Natalia Futekova has been a member of the board of directors of the Bulgarian Association of Information Technologies. In February 2021, she was appointed Director of the Information and Communication Technologies Division in Laboratory for Applied Scientific Research (VUZF Lab) to the University of finance, business and entrepreneurship (VUZF University).
For 11 years, she was the main assistant in the department of “Information technologies and Communications”, faculty of “Applied Informatics and Statistics” in UNWE (University of National and World Economy (UNWE). Some of the courses she has taught there are “Management of Customer Relations”, “Systems for Resource Management of Enterprises”, “Informatics”, “Human Resource Management in ERP” and “Systems for management of customer relations”.
ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY
Natalia Futekova is a managing partner of ERP Bulgaria Ltd. (erp.bg) – one of the leading software development companies in Bulgaria.
She has participated in various projects on the implementation of information systems, marketing of new software products, marketing campaigns, as well as public initiatives.
She has participated in different projects on the implementation of information systems, market releases of new software products, marketing campaigns, and social initiatives.
EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY
In 2015, Natalia Futekova established ERP Academy – an innovative project of companies from the ERP sector in Bulgaria, which combine their efforts in the aim of bringing higher education closer to the actual needs of the business and the future employees – fully prepared for the work market in the areas of Business Management and IT. In collaboration with “Higher School of Finance and Insurance” they created the postgraduate course “Business Software and ERP platforms”, which is the first of its kind in Bulgaria. Moreover, they created the first in Europe undergraduate course “IT Analysis and Business Strategies”.
For 11 years, she was the main assistant in the department of “Information technologies and Communications”, faculty of “Applied informatics and statistics” in UNWE (University of National and World Economy (UNWE). Some of the courses she has taught there are “Management of customer relations”, “Systems for resource management of enterprises”, “Informatics”, “Human Resource Management in ERP” and “Systems for management of customer relations”.
Assoc. Prof., D-r Natalia Futekova is a co-founder of the Professional Association “Programs for European and National Development”, taking an active part in the chambers “Economic Development and Competitiveness” and “Science and Education.”
She participates in the development and releasing of European projects, linked with increasing the competencies of university professors and also with the practical education of students about their career development. She is a key expert in the project of UNWE “Facing the new challenges the of contemporary time: modern system for career development of teaching committee of UNWE” and also a functional expert in the national project “Student practices”. “. The latter aims to attract the business as an active participant in the process of planning and analyzing the needs of practical training of future staff, as well as in announcing job positions and accepting pupils and students. She was an expert in the field of information and communication technologies in the team of the implementation of the project “Cross-Border Implementation of Innovative Cost-Cutting Technologies”, financed by the European Territorial Cooperation Program Greece – Bulgaria 2007-2013.
She is a member of a team for the implementation of the project “Design and implementation of an extension in the functionality and scope of the information systems of the University of National and World Economy”, financed by a subsidy from the state budget.
SCIENTIFIC WORK
Throughout recent years, Assoc. Prof., Doctor Natalia Futekova has been collaborating with the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAN) in the development of innovative technologies in information systems.
She is the initiator and the main force of the research projects “Innovative technology for evaluation of the efficiency of ERP Systems in small and medium enterprises” financed under the program “Development of the competitiveness of the Bulgarian Economy 2007-2013” and “Production schedules and stock Management in SMEs “, funded under a program of NIF – IANSMP.
Natalia also has dozens of papers for international scientific conferences covering areas such as communications economics, SME development, business management systems, implementation of quality standards, competitiveness, mobile and online technologies for business, business process optimization, information security, resource management in the public sector, and more.
Natalia has published dozens of papers and publications for international scientific conferences, covering areas such as economics and communications, SME development, business management systems, implementation of quality standards, competitiveness, mobile and online technologies for businesses, information security, resource management in the public sector and more.
In 2015, “Methodological guide for working with ERP systems” was published. In it, Natalia Futekova presents well-established theoretical statements, practical examples and business case studies, implemented in an ERP system.
Again in 2015, Assoc. Professor Dr. Natalia Futekova published her first monographic work: “ERP systems” Effectiveness of the implementation process”. The monograph was created in co-authorship with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vladimir Monov from IICT at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and examines issues related to the possibilities for a preliminary evaluation of the process of ERP implementation. The book is designed primarily for students studying Economics as well as Information Technology and Systems disciplines but it could also be of interest to a wide range of readers and specialists dealing with business management systems.
In the same year again, the publications “Methodology for automating the process of implementation of enterprise resource management and resource planning systems” and “Statistical Study on the need for a preliminary assessment of the effectiveness of implementation Process of ERP Systems in Bulgarian SMEs” were released in the magazine Economic Alternatives, UNWE.
More research papers in the field of Resource Management Information Systems with a distinct focus in ERP systems include:
Dissertation on “Automatization of the implementation of ERP Systems with a business process analysis tool”
A conceptual framework for evaluating the effectiveness of the implementation of Enterprise Resource Planning systems in small and medium-sized enterprises. Economic Alternatives, UNWE, Sofia, 2014, 117-125, ISNN 1314-6556
Software Solutions for parameterizing the implementation of ERP systems in small and medium enterprises, “Economic and Social Alternatives” Magazine, University of National and World Economy, Sofia, 2014, 117-125, ISNN 1314-6556
Information systems for management of resources in the public sector. Economic and social alternatives, UNWE, Sofia, 2014, 38-57, ISNN 1314-6556
Problems in the implementation of MRP systems in University Curricula. In: Compilation of roundtable reports on “Higher Education and Business in the context of the Europe 2020 Strategy”, Svishtov, November 2014, Abagar, Veliko Tarnovo, 2014, 59-64, ISBN 978-619-168-103-7
Problems in the implementation of ERP and BI systems in the learning process of universities. In: Compilation of roundtable reports on “Higher Education and Business in the Context of the Europe 2020 Strategy”, Svishtov, November 2014, Abagar, Veliko Tarnovo, 2014, 55-58, ISBN 978-619-168-103-7
Problems in the implementation of ERP systems in the educational process of universities. In: Compilation of reports from an International Scientific Conference, dedicated to the 45th Anniversary of the Department of Informatics at Varna University of Economics, September 2014, Science and Economics, Varna, 2014, 257-263, ISBN 978-954-21-0780-4
The approach to critical factors of success in the implementation of ERP systems. In: Compilation of reports from an International Scientific Conference, dedicated to the 45th Anniversary of the Department of Informatics at Varna University of Economics, September 2014, Science and Economics, Varna, 2014, 123-132, ISBN 978-954-21-0780-4
Potentialities for parametrization of the stages of the implementation of ERP Systems. In: Compilation of reports from the 10th International Scientific Conference “The Modern Model of the European Union and the place of Bulgaria in it”, Boyana, June 14-15, 2013, Publishing House of MVBU, Botevgrad, 2013, 361-374 ISBN 978-954 -9432-61-9
Main features, and goals of the stages of Implementation of ERP Systems. In: Compilation of reports from the 10th International Scientific Conference “The Modern Model of the European Union and the place of Bulgaria in it”, Boyana, 14-15th June 2013, Publishing House of IBSEDU, Botevgrad, 2013, 375-384, ISBN 978-954-9432-61-9
Main Stages in Development of Software Applications in Telecommunications. In: Conference proceedings of the 10th Anniversary Conference “Information Security”, Kishinev, April 19th, 2013, Laboratory of Information Security of ASEM, Kishinev, 2013, 68-70, ISBN 978-9975-75-640-2
Methodological aspects of Automatization of the process of implementation of ERP systems. In: Compilation of reports from the International Scientific Conference “Modern Methods and Technologies in Scientific Research”, Varna, October 2012, Science and Economics, Varna, 2013, 250-255, ISBN 978-954-21-0630-2
Implementation of ERP systems as a factor for enhancing the competitiveness of enterprises. In: Compilation of reports from IV International Scientific Conference “E-Governance”, Sozopol, June 2012, Publishing House of TU-Sofia, Sofia, 252-258, ISSN 1313-8774
Use of specialized Software to support consultants’ work on the implementation of ERP systems. In: Compilation of reports from the 9th International Scientific Conference “Challenges of Modern Economics”, Boyana, June 22-23, 2012, publishing house of IBSEDU, Botevgrad, 2012, 115-123, ISBN 978 954-9432-57-2
Development of Methodology for measuring the economic impact of ERP Systems in small and medium enterprises. In: Conference proceedings of the International Conference on Application of Information and Communication Technology and Statistics in Economy and Education, Sofia, October 5-6th 2012, UNWE, Sofia, 2013, 276-281, ISBN 978-954-92247-4-0
Optimization of Business Processes in ERP Systems. In: Compilation of reports from the 9th International Scientific Conference “Challenges of Modern Economics”, Boyana, June 22-23, 2012, Publishing House of IBBS, Botevgrad, 2012, 115-123, ISBN 978 954-9432-57-2
Online Business Management with the help of a new generation of mobile ERP Systems. In: Compilation of reports from IV International Scientific Conference “E-Governance”, Sozopol, June 2012, Publishing House of TU-Sofia, Sofia, 2012, 248-251, ISSN 1313-8774
Information Security Management standards in the implementation of ERP systems. In: Conference proceedings of the 9th International Conference “Information Security”, Kishinev, June 18th, 2012, Laboratory of Information Security of ASEM, Kishinev, 2012, 18-20, ISBN 978-9975-75-499-6
Futekova, N. Optimization of Business Processes in enterprises by the implementation of an ERP and BPM system. In: Compilation of reports from the Anniversary Scientific Conference for the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the module “Statistics” in Bulgaria, Sofia, December 2011, Publishing House of UNWE, Sofia, 2012, 482-487, ISBN 978-954-644 -308-3
Grigorova. Integration between the ERP Business Management System and the ISO 9001 quality in a service company. In: Compilation of reports from the International Conference “Challenges in Higher Education and Research in crisis”, Vol. 2, Bourgas, 25-26 June 2010, Bourgas Free University, Bourgas, 2010, 356-363, ISBN 978- 954-9370-71-3
Futekova N. Key business problems of small and medium enterprises in Bulgaria and the Information Systems as an instrument of their solution through the prism of the organizational strategy. In: Compilation of reports from the scientific conference “Modern Managerial Practices IV”, Vol. 1, Bourgas, 17-19.02.2006, Bourgas Free University, Bourgas, 2006, ISBN 978-954-9370-46-1
Economics and Communications. University publishing house “Economy”, Sofia, 2008, 200p. ISBN 978-954-494-910-5
CHARITY CAMPAIGNS
In 2015, thanks to the initiative “Save Library”, organized by the software company erp.bg under the leadership of Assoc. Prof. Natalia Futekova and showbusiness stars, the library fund of 176th School in the village of Negovan is already full and the students can unfold their favourite books with a smile, and immerse themselves in the magical world of knowledge and fairy tales. The initiative was supported by erp.bg, Vesi Boneva, Deep Zone Project, Emil Konrad, Lidia Ivanova, Visa Club, Publishing Book Foundation, Kibea Publishing House, Mr. Ergin Emin – Governor of the Association of Bulgarian Cities, Triaditsa Mr. Evtim Evtimov, Mrs. Yanakieva, Mr. Manov from Sofia and of course all the good Bulgarians, who did not remain indifferent to the cause, aiming to support the new generation of our country.
The campaign, organized by the software company erp.bg (and ORP Bulgaria Ltd.), aims to support the 176th School in the village of Negovan, where the library burned down, but besides the necessary books and supplies, there is a shortage of computer equipment. The school is small and it is hard for it to be maintained financially on its own but it is the love and appreciation of knowledge and children that provoked the director to seek help from businesses and the public. At the moment, 144 children from the pre-school group up to the 8th grade are taught. All of them are taught informatics with an obsolete and insufficient equipment, which leads to difficulties in the learning process.
A year earlier, Assoc. Prof. Doctor Natalia Futekova helped the 176th Primary School in the village of Negovan again, and on behalf of the Bulgarian software company, erp.bg donated six computers at “St. St. Cyril and Methodius” in the village of Negovan. This happens just after six of the old computers in the school have been burned out and it has been impossible to organize an efficient learning process.
In 2014, erp.bg started a partnership with the “Give a Book” foundation. The company made a financial donation to a volunteer organization that helps children from social homes get a job and a career in life.