A methodology for M-Tansformation of small and medium enterprises

1. A Methodology for
M-Transformation of
Small and Medium
Enterprises
Lecture 3

2. Introduction
• Organization worldwide come to realize that
in the ever changing business world, survival
and success is closely linked to adopting
information and communication technologies
(ICTs). Along with the technology however,
organizations have to also adjust their
processes to take full advantage of the
potential ICTs have to offer. This process, of
technology adoption, linked with process
adjustment and re-engineering is called
e-transformation

3. M-transformation
• M-transformation is the process of
transitioning an existing organization into
the mobile business world.
• CBEADS - a framework, which provides a
low overhead, low-cost infrastructure for
e-business applications development and
deployment.
• CBEADS©, which stands for Component-
Based E-Application Development (and
deployment) Shell.

4. Definition
M-Transformation – the evolution of
business practices via the adoption of
suitable processes and technologies that
enable mobility and pervasiveness.
Perquisites to M-Transformation
1. business process adoption
2. adoption of suitable mobile
technologies and products

5. Benefits from M-Transformation
• Better information flow between
systems
• Improved customer projected image
• Rapid and dynamic customization of
products and services
• Increased internal efficiency in
managing human resources
• Improvement in employee morale
coming from flexibility in the workplace

6. Major benefits from
M-Transformation of SMEs

7. Why SMEs has fixated mindset
SMEs are not ICT experts, nor do they wish to
understand the intricacies of mobile
technologies. They want something that is
simple and easy to use, and just works.
Causes of this mindset:
1. SMEs have a unique “results-based” view of
doing business.
2. Their understanding of ICT technologies that
could be suitable for mobility is very
fragmented and incomplete.

8. SME characteristics affecting M-Transformation

9. Special characteristics of SMEs
• Small Staff Count Affected by Seasonal Conditions
• Small to Non-Existent ICT Budget
• Lack of Permanent In-House ICT Expertise
• Staff Have Limited Time and Critical Availability
• ICT Systems Establishment is Done Ad-Hoc
• Organizational Knowledge is Centralized and Tacit
• Very Limited Diffusion of ICT Knowledge among
Staff
• Decision Making is Quick and Reactive
• Each Client is Very Highly Valued

10. ICT systems requirements
for SME M-Transformation

11. ICT systems requirements
for SME M-Transformation
• Solutions Quick and Easy to Deploy and Maintain
– Solutions for M-Transformation suitable for SMEs must
be relatively straightforward and quick to deploy while
requiring very little maintenance, if any at all
• Secure and Trustworthy
– solutions are adopted to fulfil the technical part of the
M-Transformation must be secure and trustworthy
• Robust and Reliable
– in order for users to gain confidence in the system
which will in turn guarantee its continuing use, it has
to be reliable
– ICT should cater for incorrect use and be prepared to
deal with end users that are not sufficiently trained in
using the system

12. ICT systems requirements
for SME M-Transformation
• Extensibility and Standards Compliance Are
Paramount
– IT systems developed or purchased must be
extensible, able to cope with change, an standards
compliant
• Widely Available and Well Understood
– IT systems selected to assist with M-Transformation
are widely available elsewhere and well understood
• ICT Solutions that are Easy to Use
– Solutions are adopted to fulfil the technical part of the
M-Transformation have to be easy to use.
– The more common the technologies used are, the
easier it is convincing an SME to embrace them

13. Business process adoption requirements
for SME M-Transformation
• Small and Incremental Changes
– adopting new business processes that allow for
mobility has to be done as a series of small and
incremental changes, as opposed to the big-bang
approach
• Adoption Must Minimize Risk by Changing
Non-Core Processes First
– changes during m-transformation is that these are
done to non-core business processes first
• Change Introduction Must Be Gradual and
Reversible
– the ability to be gradual and the changes
reversible

14. Business process adoption requirements
for SME M-Transformation
• Return on Investment Must be Continuous
and Apparent
– every dollar spent towards that goal has to offer
and also be seen to offer value as soon as possible
– new or improved business processes should offer
continuous and apparent return on investment
(ROI).
• Change Should Gradually be Applied
throughout the Organization
– ensuring that changes to business processes will
cascade over time to reach as many staff
members across the organizations as possible

15. Methodology requirements
for M-Transforming SMEs
• The methodology for SME M-
Transformation is very important because:
– it is what will “glue” together the technology
on the one hand and the new or improved
business processes on the other to produce
the desired set of outcomes in the end—
namely;
– it increases the efficiency of the organization;
– it offers better management and utilization of
resources;
– it allows for more responsive customer
service.

16. The methodology of M-Transformation
needs to meet set of requirements
• Staged, Well-Communicated Process
– must adopt an overall staged process that leads to full M-
Transformation;
– must also for communicating the process in advance with
the stakeholders in the organization.
• Benefits of M-Transformation Must be Shown Quickly
and Continuously
– should ensure that the benefits of the efforts can be easily
seen and that they start to come into existence as early into
the process as possible.
• Methodology Must be Balanced Between ICT and
Business Processes Adoption
– has to offer a balanced approach between technology
adoption and business process reengineering or adoption

17. The methodology of M-Transformation
needs to meet set of requirements
• Plan for the Worse and Expect Resistance to Change
– has to be built taking the worse case scenario in mind, as
well as the fact that people shall resist changes necessary
for the full implementation of M-Transformation
• Methodology Evolution Must be Based on Feedback
Received
– must have built-in feedback loops where input from the
SME itself should be actively solicited and used to adjust
the future steps or timing of those as prescribed by the
methodology for M-Transformation

18. Actual steps involved in the
methodology of M-Transformation

19. Considerations in selecting ICT for SME M-Transformation