IT-Network for Small and Medium sized Enterprises Dr. Martin Michelson Hochschule Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt ITAM, 17.10.2008

Situation In the last years SME have added about 500.000 new jobs in Germany, large scale enterprises have reduced jobs by 100.000 No sufficient use of (Business-) IT-applications to increase competitiveness in a global market The lacking IT-strategy go ahead with isolated applications and insufficient data exchange with customers, suppliers, business partners and administration  SME can improve their competitiveness by applying suitable IT-applications.

In the last years SME have added about 500.000 new jobs in Germany, large scale enterprises have reduced jobs by 100.000

No sufficient use of (Business-) IT-applications to increase competitiveness in a global market

The lacking IT-strategy go ahead with isolated applications and insufficient data exchange with customers, suppliers, business partners and administration

 SME can improve their competitiveness by applying suitable IT-applications.

Situation Awareness about the problem is existing Heterogeneous demand on IT-solutions (no standarized solutions) Demand for small solution which are applicable in short time and easy to handle Investment on IT should not be extensive  IT- providers should offer appropriate solutions and should be able to communicate the benefits of their solutions to the firms

Awareness about the problem is existing

Heterogeneous demand on IT-solutions (no standarized solutions)

Demand for small solution which are applicable in short time and easy to handle

Investment on IT should not be extensive

 IT- providers should offer appropriate solutions and should be able to communicate the benefits of their solutions to the firms

Program „Information Society 2010“ Program of the german government to promote the IT-location Germany Annually recurring IT-meetings with high representatives of politics, business and science 8 working groups presenting the results of their work on the meetings and give recommendation for the government’s politics Working group 6: IT and SME. Group members: Companies from the IT-industry, telecommunication, consulting and scientific institutions including the Hochschule Darmstadt A project group of the information science and computer science departments developed the concept Objective: IT-network for linking existing support offers and to give SME assistance in finding the partners and solutions for their IT-demands

Program of the german government to promote the IT-location Germany

Annually recurring IT-meetings with high representatives of politics, business and science

8 working groups presenting the results of their work on the meetings and give recommendation for the government’s politics

Working group 6: IT and SME. Group members: Companies from the IT-industry, telecommunication, consulting and scientific institutions including the Hochschule Darmstadt

A project group of the information science and computer science departments developed the concept

Objective: IT-network for linking existing support offers and to give SME assistance in finding the partners and solutions for their IT-demands

Primary objective of the project Developing a web-based platform aiming to give thematically and institutional support for SME to find the right partner and solutions. Tasks: Find out the special demand of SME on business IT-applications in selected industries by doing a demand analysis (desktop research, expert interviews) Identify existing websites or web-based platforms which are offering neutral support and consultancy. Connect relevant websites or web-based platforms in a network

Developing a web-based platform aiming to give thematically and institutional support for SME to find the right partner and solutions.

Tasks:

Find out the special demand of SME on business IT-applications in selected industries by doing a demand analysis (desktop research, expert interviews)

Identify existing websites or web-based platforms which are offering neutral support and consultancy.

Connect relevant websites or web-based platforms in a network

Results Demand Analysis Internet as information and communication platform Procurement, customer service and data exchange on the Internet is getting relevant E-Commerce and bidding is still not very common up to now E-business solutions: Operational standard software, CRM, electronic order, charching Essential areas of IT usage of SME:

Internet as information and communication platform

Procurement, customer service and data exchange on the Internet is getting relevant

E-Commerce and bidding is still not very common up to now

E-business solutions: Operational standard software, CRM, electronic order, charching

Results Demand Analysis Electronic procurement Customer Relationship Management E-Commerce Knowledge Management, Document Management, Workflow Systems IT areas considered as important :

Electronic procurement

Customer Relationship Management

E-Commerce

Knowledge Management, Document Management, Workflow Systems

Results Demand Analysis Demand on basic information at smaller enterprises Demand on more specific information and solutions with rising size of enterprises Supplier-neutral consultancy offers Best Practise-solutions, check lists, guides, cost-benefit analyse Requests of SME :

Demand on basic information at smaller enterprises

Demand on more specific information and solutions with rising size of enterprises

Supplier-neutral consultancy offers

Best Practise-solutions, check lists, guides, cost-benefit analyse

Results websites and platforms Missing transparency about all the offers Entrance hurdles Not user-oriented Not practise-related A lot of websites and platforms especially from official institutions like the chambers of commerce or the trade associations offer information, consultancy and support concerning IT-applications for SME. Why don‘t they really succeed?  Consequence: Avoid a further "me too" – solution

Missing transparency about all the offers

Entrance hurdles

Not user-oriented

Not practise-related

Presentation of certified information and consultancy offers Low barrier search approach Target group specific content and structure (enterprises, broker, experts, ...) Market-place Results and views referring to the region Web Platform Network of certified contact persons Consolidation of existing networks Connecting and repositoring of knowledge Contact to sepcialist / providers Broker-Network Hybrid Concect of Web Platform and Broker-Network

Presentation of certified information and consultancy offers

Low barrier search approach

Target group specific content and structure (enterprises, broker, experts, ...)

Market-place

Results and views referring to the region

Network of certified contact persons

Consolidation of existing networks

Connecting and repositoring of knowledge

Contact to sepcialist / providers

Client Web Platform Hybrid Concect of Web Platform and Broker-Network Search Browse Information and contact advise Broker Communication via Platform, Telephone, Email, Provider Expert / Provider Offers, Success Stories, Best Practices, Trends, ... Consultation Contact

Client Web Platform Hybrid Concect of Web Platform and Broker-Network Search Browse Information and contact advise Broker Communication via Platform, Telephone, Email, Provider Expert / Provider Offers, Success Stories, Best Practices, Trends, ... Consultation Contact

The Broker Communicator/ Multiplicator/ Networker Retrieval and consultancy competence Knowledge of business and industry sectors Profile Chambers of commerce and trade associations Universities and institutions Enterprises Arise from

Communicator/ Multiplicator/ Networker

Retrieval and consultancy competence

Knowledge of business and industry sectors

Chambers of commerce and trade associations

Universities and institutions

Enterprises

Facet Classification Classification of offers and their contents Searching of offers and their contents Level of detail of classification depends on the individual offer Flexible, adapable, extendable Web Platform and broker data are indexed by a facet classification

Classification of offers and their contents

Searching of offers and their contents

Level of detail of classification depends on the individual offer

Flexible, adapable, extendable

Facet Classification

Scenarios Scenarios help to present, discuss and to enhance the concept. They are helpful to develop a prototype of the platform. Depending on the scenario a different access and user interface is presented.

The client requires information / consultancy / support relating to a specific IT-topic He phones local chamber of commerce, is being forwarded to a Broker in the network The Broker talks to the client, apprehends the demand The Broker searches the web platform The Broker presents the results or provides contact to a specialist  User Interface for the Broker Scenario 1

The client requires information / consultancy / support relating to a specific IT-topic

He phones local chamber of commerce, is being forwarded to a Broker in the network

The Broker talks to the client, apprehends the demand

The Broker searches the web platform

The Broker presents the results or provides contact to a specialist

 User Interface for the Broker

Scenario 1: Semantic oriented

The Client requires information / consultancy / support relating to a specific IT-topic The Client searches the web platform He finds out about offers and success stories The Client searches for regional offers, using map interface  User Interface: map containing local / regional contacts Scenario 2

The Client requires information / consultancy / support relating to a specific IT-topic

The Client searches the web platform

He finds out about offers and success stories

The Client searches for regional offers, using map interface

 User Interface: map containing local / regional contacts

Scenario 2: Geo-oriented

The client requires information / consultancy / support relating to a specific IT-topic The client searches directly for a competent contact person using the web platform He contacts the broker / the specialist  User Interface: List of industry sectors and contact person; Topic Map; Zooming Grid Scenario 3

The client requires information / consultancy / support relating to a specific IT-topic

The client searches directly for a competent contact person using the web platform

He contacts the broker / the specialist

 User Interface: List of industry sectors and contact person; Topic Map; Zooming Grid

Scenario 3: Zooming Grid

Scenario 3: Zooming Grid

Scenario 3: Zooming Grid

The discussion of the concept with representatives of SME as well as chambers of commerce showed good approval. The concept was transferred into a prototype based on a server of our university linking some of the existing web-sites in the platform Problems still to be solved: - Organisation of the network - Brokers and Experts - Costs - …… Conclusion and state of activities

The discussion of the concept with representatives of SME as well as chambers of commerce showed good approval.

The concept was transferred into a prototype based on a server of our university linking some of the existing web-sites in the platform

Problems still to be solved: - Organisation of the network - Brokers and Experts - Costs - ……