This document summarizes a project that aims to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) improve their business processes and use of information and communications technology (ICT). It does this by having university students analyze SMEs' business processes and identify opportunities to enhance them with ICT solutions. Specifically: 1. Master's students helped define the business processes of 17 SMEs and identified bottlenecks and ICT needs. 2. Both SMEs and students found the project useful - it provided practical experience for students and new insights into processes and ICT for SMEs. 3. Future sessions will focus on specific ICT topics and solutions to further improve SMEs' processes and competit

1. E-Link II: How to stimulate BPM and ICT in SME's by using
students?
Chris Block
20/09/12

2. E-Link Coordinator
Chris Block
• Master in Electronic Engineering
• Master in Business Administration
• Managing Director of Br@ins.Trust,
• Chairman of the Innovation Centre of the Antwerp
Province
• Chairman of VOKA Chamber of Commerce
Neteland associated with VOKA Chamber of
Commerce of Mechelen
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/chris-
block/0/471/310
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3. E-Link II project consists out of 2 parts:
• Part 1 - To improve and to extend the E-Gov applications for the city
Mechelen on the base of the input of SME’s This part is managed by
the city Mechelen
• Part 2 - To help SME’s (5 – 50 people) with the definition of their
Business Processes and with the usage of ICT applications. This
part is managed by the Voka Chamber of Commerce of Mechelen
• This afternoon we will talk only about part 2
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4. SME’s have a lot of questions about ICT
• Their ICT knowledge is limited and is not a business priority. This results in
insufficiently maturity in the management of ICT processes, in increase of
business risks and reduces their competitive strength.
• The following elements prove this:
• In many cases SME’s do not have a business strategy and for sure no ICT strategy
• No integration between the different ICT processes
• SME’s see ICT as a cost not as an added value
• For business security are no budgets
• For ICT solutions they think too local
• Project management is underestimated by implementation
•
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5. Objectives of the project
1. To create a more performing organisation.
2. To improve the business processes with ICT solutions
3. To create smart networks
The project is a cooperation between
Voka Chamber of Commerce Mechelen, City Mechelen,
Lessius University College and Br@ins.Trust
Ps. The name of Lessius University College changes its name in KUL- Thomas Moore from 9 October 2012
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6. The project is focussed on the following ICT trends
• SaaS
• E-Business
• Electronic Document Management
• Digital Mobility
• Web 2.0
• Virtualisation
• E-gov
Information always and everywhere available
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7. Unique Integrated Concept
Analysis Cycles of Knowledge ICT
Knowledge
Web based about defined ICT Knowledge
Business transfer by
inquiry needs and SME’s
processes experts
bottlenecks
Lessius Lessius
Communication Tools
• Website – Knowledge Database
• Web Based Newsletter - link to create a virtual community
• Articles and Links related with ICT knowledge
MOTIVATING – UNDERSTANDABLE - COMMUNICATIVE
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8. What makes the project unique?
• Integrated concept
• Bottom up approach
• Usage of students to help SME’s
• Not a free lunch for the students 2 credits (60 – 80 hours work).
SME’s have to give points following defined criteria
• Cycles of Knowledge
• A knowledge database www.elinkmechelen.be coupled with a
monthly newsletter.
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9. Lessons learned from the SME’s Inquiries
• ICT necessary but knowhow not available internally
• ICT budget will increase
• Project management is weak
• Knowledge of Business Processes is important
• Network stability and security is mostly poor.
• SME’s are interested to know more about virtual working
• Advantages of SAAS are insufficiently known
• E-business is for many unclear certainly if business processes are
insufficiently known
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10. Business Processes
• 19 Academic Master students in Operations Management of the
KULeuven subfaculty for Business Studies in Antwerp (formally
known as the Business department of the Lessius University
College) helped SME’s with defining their business processes
• In 3 months they had to deliver for 17 SME’s a report with the
following elements:
1. Mission – vision – strategy (vision and strategy related to ICT)
2. Organisation structure
3. Business processes (mainly the critical processes)
4. Bottlenecks and needs for ICT
5. Suggestions for improvement with ICT solutions
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11. Concept of collaboration with the students
Lessius
Lessius
Lessius
Student Student
Intemediate Final
Methods to evaluation
evaluation
define Preparation Preparation
BP’s BP’s BP’s
Introduction
- Brainstorm Brainstorm - Brainstorm Brainstorm-
students session ing with 5 session ing with 5
SME’s students students
and 5 SME’s and 5 SME’s
SME SME
Voka
COCM
Voka Voka
COCM COCM
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12. Relevance for SME’s(1)
Does the exercise helps the SME’s?
Have they received sufficient elements for a workable implementation?
• The students supplied realistic possibilities
• The approach gives an added value to help SME’s in analysing the
business processes
• It is a good start to complete the exercise later on.
• It is a good exercise to review business processes
• It is a useful method to evaluate present, planned and future
processes
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13. Relevance for SME’s(2)
Is the exercise sufficiently practical built up and applied to the
concrete situation of the SME?
• Yes It was very concrete
• It is helpful to do the exercise with somebody from outside the
company.
• The project was pleasant and instructive.
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14. Relevance for SME’s(3)
Was the student sufficient motivated?
How much energy have they put in the project?
How far the student dug in the company's information to create the BP’s?
• We were amazed that the students could pick up the existing processes so
quickly and accurately and they took good conclusions for optimisation.
• The students approached the project in a very professional way.
• Very efficient in the short time
• A very good capability of visualisation.
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15. Conclusions of the evaluation
• Very good work in a very short time.
• The students are also very positive about the project
• The coordinators of the Lessius University college want to
integrate this method in their courses from next year on
• The creation of cycles of knowledge gives positive results.
• The exercise creates also cases for master theses
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16. Relevance for the cooperating students?
• First hands on experience with realistic strategic ICT problems
• First hands on experience with BPM
• Close cooperation and communication between CEO and student
• High level of enthusiasm!
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17. Improvement of BP’s with ICT concepts
3
E
Business
4 8
Needs
6 1
SME’s
New way
Infra-
of structure
working
7 9 2 5
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18. Content of the sessions
1 Business stability and security is a must for an SME’s
2 What is the meaning of a managed workplace?
How can we organise an efficient Customer Relation Management (CRM)
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system?
Which elements of Supply Chain Management (SCM) are important for
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the SME?
5 Mobility is increasing. How to get ready
6 Cloud computing is this important for the SME?
7 Remote working – how to approach?
8 What do we have to know about websites, webshops and E-Business?
9 How the SME has to work with social media?
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19. Valorisation aspects of the Elink II project
• Industry exercise for master students.
• Improves cooperation between industry and academic world
• Talent creation
• Master theses for students
• Cooperation between SME’s and IT companies
• Creation of a virtual office with Belgacom ICT Bridging , Microsoft and a few SME’s at
the end of this project (Early 2013)
• SME’s get in contact with 18 ICT companies during the project
• Opportunities for ICT companies
• Increase of ICT competences by best practices sessions
• Cooperation between a few performing ICT- companies.
• The created knowledge is gathered in a knowledge database
• Cooperation between Voka chambers of Commerce and cities to reach a larger
group of SME’s
We restart with a new group SME’s on 10/12/12
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20. Information about the new project
• Voka Chamber of Commerce O.L.Vrouwestraat 85 2800 Mechelen
Eric.Kessels@voka.be
Roel.Dockx@voka.be
Tel +32 15 45 10 20
• Br@ins.Trust Het Innemen 49 2930 Brasschaat
Chris.Block@brainstrust.be
Mob. +32 494 50 00 10
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