1. Generally concept

The Balanced Scorecard or Square of Control Integral is a very useful tool for the enterprises address in the short one and in the long term. In the first place, because when combining financial indicators and non financiers it allows to advance tendencies and to carry out a political strategic proactive. In second place, because it offers a method structured to select the indicators guide that it implies to the address of the company.

Norton and Kaplan introduced at the beginning of the years 90 the concept of Square of Integral Control (IMC) that supplements the traditional financial mensurations with other approaches that measure the acting from three additional perspectives: clients, processes of internal business and learning and growth. This concept has helped to many organizations to make a pursuit of its  financial and operational results revising simultaneously the evolution of the growth of the capacities and the acquisition of knowledge in the intangible assets that this would need for the future growth.

In later years, Norton and Kaplan they observed that some organizations had extended the concept of BALANCED SCORECARD but there of their use like a tool of administration control. These organizations were also using it like an important piece of their system of administration strategic. Using this way, the BALANCED SCORECARD approaches an important deficiency of the traditional administration systems: their inability to connect the strategic objectives of long term of the organization with their actions of short term.

The systems of administration control of most of the organizations are built around indicators and financial goals that have little relationship with the progress in the achievement of the strategic objectives of half and release term. These traditional systems of administration control, don't help to counteract the natural tendency of the organizations to not “to work” the objectives of long term with the same intensity and opportunity that those of short term. This way, the emphasis that the organizations place in their financial objectives of short term generates a breach between the development of the strategy and its implementation.

The use of BALANCED SCORECARD prevents that financial indicators are only used to evaluate the acting of an organization. The BALANCED SCORECARD allows to introduce four administration processes that separately, and on the whole, they contribute to connect or to connect the strategic objectives of long term with the actions of short term.

In United States, Europe and Asia is using the BALANCED so much SCORECARD for the big corporations as in the medium companys. In multinational several Colombia they have already implemented it and it is expected that in a couple of years their use extends in our country.

The BALANCED SCORECARD allows to contemplate and it provides information of the company on four different and important angles:

2.1 perspective of the Client or Consumer: what do they expect from the company?

The good Service from the client is very important and it is the gound to be able to remain in a concerned market. It is probable that the Mission highlights on this matter. The clients wait products of good quality, with an appropriate cost that you surrender on time and that their yield is the conventional one.

2.2 Internal perspective: in what can we stand out?

What to make inside the enterprises to fulfill the expectations of the clients? The Processes of the company should be studied and to be evaluated to get the satisfaction of the consumers.

2.3 perspective of the innovation or learning: What should you continue improving?

The competition is ferocious in this new millennium, for it the company should be capable to innovate and to improve. The products complete their cycle of life and it is necessary to have some new ones, with more and more attractive capacities.

2.4 Financial perspective: What do the shareholders wait?

Who invest their money they wait, in legitimate form an appropriate yield. If this doesn't delight, it is probable that they invest their money in a different company.

The execution of the four pillars of the BALANCED SCORECARD contributes in a lot to: the motivation of the employees; to improve all the stages of the chain of value; to satisfy the expectations of the clients and to get their loyalty; and lastly, to offer bigger economic yields to the shareholders. To see Graphic No.1. Pillars of the IMC.

Later to the definition of the pillars of the four perspectives, when integrating the different control strategies and to make decisions of on the same ones, these they allow redireccionar appropriately the organization. Just as it is presented in the Graphic No.2, it is detailed as the perspective of the Learning (Investigation and Growth) it supports to the External Client's perspectives and of the Internal Processes. This last one supports in turn to the External Client's perspective.

To the “to improve” in the perspectives of the Client-market and of the Internal Process, the organization should improve in its Financial perspective.

By way of summary one can say that improving (controlling) the learning (Investigation and Growth), they improve the relationships with the clients and the internal production (processes); that which will be reflected in a situation financial ideal.

2.5 General process for the BALANCED SCORECARD Construction  and applicability

The construction of a BSC, just as it was mentioned it is the result of a detailed analysis of the organization and of a definition clear and coherent strategic.

The Professional responsible for its application can not leave of the definition “solitary” of indicators without taking into account the true utility and connection with the organizational objectives of the company or vice versa.

The general methodology to build a BALANCED SCORECARD leaves of the definition of the VISION and MISSION of the company; standing out that for it is advisable to carry out an I diagnose internal and of their previous market environment. With these clear definitions the strategists define the ORGANIZATIONAL OBJECTIVES, to which are determined of period and goals.

On this ORGANIZATIONAL OBJECTIVES they think about the STRATEGIES that will lead to the achievement of the same ones.

To each one of these STRATEGIES and ORGANIZATIONAL OBJECTIVES are outlined the necessary INDICATORS OF CONTROL, and it is there where when integrating them by means of a Square of Control, it is built and it adjusts the definitive Square of Integral Control or Balanced Scorecard.

 3 GRAPHS HERE

Of that exposed we can deduce that the BALANCED SCORECARD seeks to go beyond the classic control square, since it is something more than a group of indicators that  inform the march of the most outstanding aspects in the organization. The BALANCED SCORECARD seeks to translate the strategy and the mission in a group of indicators that  inform  the attainment of the objectives. Also, and this it is one of the main taxes of this instrument, it is sought to identify the relationships cause-effect that cause the obtained results. Therefore, it is to obtain outstanding information about the main factors that can take to the attainment of the objectives of the universities. It is also very useful to communicate the strategy to the whole university Community and so that each employee's objectives are coherent with those of the own university. Other contributions of the BALANCED SCORECARD that have been stood out has to do with its potential as formation instrument, of administration participativa, of motivation and the employees' incentive, of continuous improvement and of revision of the strategy. With everything it, you can contribute to improve the effectiveness, the efficiency and the quality of the public universities.

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