Puertos del Estado (Spanish Ports Authority)

Advise, not dictate: that was the watchword for Puertos del Estado, the agency that oversees Spain's commercial ports, in effecting a strategic transformation throughout its system of 27 autonomous port authorities. The BSC helped the agency navigate this precarious course, transforming individual fiefdoms into a unified confederation-and achieving impressive results.

Puertos del Estado is the entity responsible for the strategy coordination of all commercial ports in Spain, organized in a total 27 Ports Authorities, representing the existing 44 port of general interest, and distributed all over the Spain coast and its islands. With 168 direct employees and around 5,200 employees in the 27 Port Authorities, the total annual revenue in 2003 was € 736 860 000.

"The Public Spanish Port System has been experiencing an outstanding performance over the last decade, turning it in a worldwide success story. Puertos del Estado was created by law in 1992 with the main purpose of representing the state in all port and maritime transportation matters and performing the important role of integrator and promoter of the Spanish Port System as a whole, despite individual autonomy of its 27 different port authorities. Since Puertos del Estado creation, great accomplishments have been achieved due to the high commitment of all port authorities in becoming part of a true success story in the sector and becoming essential contributors to the economic development of Spain. A considerable change management effort was undertaken. More than three years after BSC implementation, the Public Spanish Port System is proud to announce that success has been achieved. The results in every key indicator are clear: 15% revenue increase, 13% in cargo growth, and 11% in efficiency improvement, coupled with the world best standards. But we must not forget its less visible face: a new management model focused on strategy, more people committed to management, team work, accountability, and communication, a port community aligned with the port strategy, and key information available for management and for benchmarking among ports."

Don Mariano Navas, President