Efficient use of ICT in business processes Awareness and Networking Initiative Bavaria and Austria

http://www.lga.de/aniba

Final Report : executive summary Pdf version

1. The project partners

1.1 LGA ( Landesgewerbeanstalt Bayern ) - Provider of technical services

LGA is a semi-public testing and certification institute founded in Nuremberg in 1869, employing today nearly 1.000 people in 19 subsidiaries in Bavaria.

The main activity fields of LGA are:

• Testing and certification in the areas materials, products, geotechnique, static's and environmental protection. The independent subsidiary company LGA InterCert certifies quality management and environmental management systems.
• Research and development and technology transfer
• Participation in technological and technical-economical bodies and standardisation committees
• Training and further training in technology and management
• Technical Information Centre including library of patents and standards and Euro Info Centre (EIC)

Contact:
Thomas Strätz-Schödlbauer LGA, Technology Transfer and Innovation Tillystr.2 - D-90431 Nürnberg, Germany Fon: +49-911-655 4973 Fax: +49-911-655 4912 E-mail: iisc@lga.de	Edwin Schmitt LGA, Technical Information , EIC Tillystr.2 - D-90431 Nürnberg, Germany Fon: +49-911-655 4933 Fax: +49-911-655 4935 E-mail: eic@lga.de

1.2 Technologie- und StandortAgentur GmbH

SalzburgAgentur - the Technologie- und StandortAgentur GmbH is an important part of the overall service structure of the Techno Z Salzburg Group. The Techno Z Salzburg Group operates five technology parks in the Austrian States of Salzburg and Upper Austria and one in Bavaria, Germany. It hosts more than 180 enterprises mainly in field of telecommunication and information technologies.

Founded in 1994 as an independent department of Techno-Z Salzburg it was decided in 1995 to shed TechnologieAgentur from Techno-Z group as a 100% subsidiary, named Technologie und StandortAgentur, with the status of a Limited Liability Company.

SalzburgAgentur is active in four strategic business units and key activity areas:

• Investment Promotion
• ICT Consulting
• EU Consulting
• Strategic alliances

Contact:

Heinz Neumann Technologie- und Standort Agentur Salzburg GmbH Schillerstr.30 - 5020 Salzburg, Austria Fon: +43-622 451 327 Fax: +43-622 451 327 11 E-mail: nehe@tzs.co.at

1.3 TCC, TELE-COMMERCE + CONSULT GMBH

TCC, founded 1997 with the status of a Limited Liability Company, is a so called "start up" enterprise. 10 employees working together at different subsidiaries as a virtual team.

The main purpose of TCC is to network people and enterprises in virtual structures with the possibilities of modern ICT.

Key activities areas of TCC:

• Multimedia communications
• Telecommercing
• Teleconsulting
• Online services

2. Project objectives

New business processes like tele-co-operation, tele-service, electronic commerce or tele-working open new possibilities, organisational improvements and general benefits also for industrial SMEs.

The information management of companies is basically concerned by the new development and must be adapted to new requirements. The right information at the right time is one of the essential prerequisites for innovation and therefore has become to a decisive competitive factor, the "forth production factor".

To increase the power of innovation in industrial companies and their competitiveness on international markets, an effective information management system is a necessity.

All these new kind of business and information processes require the appropriate use of modern Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The experience in Bavaria and Austria shows, that new ICT and their application possibilities are not much known especially by industrial SMEs and therefore only insufficient in use.

In this context the objectives of the project ANIBA are:

• Give information and examples to the possibilities of the best use of ICT in SMEs
• Raise interest and sensitise especially the executives in SME of the importance of ICT for the innovation-processes and the economic-power in their own enterprise.
• Support the executives with an analysing tool to help them to get the right ICT solution for their enterprises.
• Set up a network of SMEs at the European level as a virtual enterprise to sustain a durable development. Co-ordinate the self-supporting of SMEs by sharing the information and experiences made in the project and by stimulating the building of partnerships of different kinds at the European level.
• Implement a information exchange and self-support forum for ICT in SMEs and therefore co-ordinate the technology transfer processes. Use the synergy between current projects in the field of training and implementation of ICT.
• Reinforce the results of the different projects in the field of telematic by using synergy effects.
• Improve the methods and show their suitability in SMEs of different countries.
• Make best use of material and experience already developed

3. Proposed services and project content

• To raise the awareness of a broad mass of executives and for information reasons we are going to made an "ANIBA"-flyer. This leaflet will contain a short presentation of multimedia-dialog-systems, some examples of their applications and the content of the "ANIBA"-project, inclusive the benefits of participating companies. This flyer will be used in mailings for SME. There are special "ANIBA"-mailings foreseen, send to selected industrial companies in Bavaria and Austria.

• In total 15 events are scheduled with live-presentations of multimedia-dialog-systems and their possibilities. To a single event it´s intended to get 15 up to 20 executives from SME. The events take place in the evening for two hours with cocktail afterwards. The visitors have to pay a small admission to make sure that they are really interested. 10 events are scheduled for Bavaria and 5 for Austria.

• An "ANIBA"-web page will be installed on a Bavaria and an Austrian server for further information and for marketing reasons. It is intended to include on the web page general info on ICTan application possibilities, on the "ANIBA"-project and on the participants of the project, to set-up a network of competence. In a later stage it should be linked with the central server of the umbrella structure.

• We will present the "ANIBA"-project on fairs and conferences with SME as the target audience. In Germany we will be present at the "Interprise", a co-operation purse of SME in Europe, carried out for a specific branch, and the "Hannover Messe" at the Bavarian Common stand in R&D hall. In Austria we will present "ANIBA" on a special Multimedia congress. The target for all this activities is to raise the awareness for the new ICT-possibilities to make the executives the influence on the core activities of industrial companies clear. Especially the SMEs should be sensitised for a further analysis of the range of application of ICT in the specific enterprise, leading to a second phase of the "ANIBA"-project described in the following tasks.

• The ICT-analysis will be carried out with a standardised method, using well developed checklists. The consultant visit the interested enterprises and examines the technical and organisational conditions. In addition he has meetings with the executives and the concerned employees. Normally the assessment process in the companies endures 3 days. Within this method, not only the technical, also the social, hierarchical, financial, organisational aspects and the required training are examined. Intentional there will be 45 analysis in total, 30 in Bavaria and 15 in Austria.

• The utilisation of the checklists occurs in a computer-controlled-process. In addition the know how of ICT-specialists is involved. The result is a written report of an well suited, individual ICT-concept. It shows the possibilities, the costs and the necessary training for the employees in detail.

• The report will be presented and discussed in the companies and the best way of implementing the ICT-concept will be described. The implementing itself is not part of the "ANIBA"-project. Nevertheless the implementation of the technical equipment and the training of the employees, or of the executives itself, can be managed. In "top elf", a related project in which the division Technology Transfer and Innovation is involved, so called "Telezentren" was founded. These knowledge centres ( like the KRC mentioned in the information package ), working together as a virtual enterprise, could undertake this tasks. So the synergy between the two projects "ANIBA" and "top elf" will be achieved at its best .

• The result of each analysis will further be used, to refine and improve the method.

• Foundation and installation of an ICT-forum with experts and involved enterprises for supporting at appearing ICT-problems and giving answer for frequently asked questions is the main target. Showing the involved executives the advantages of working together in a virtual network is the second. The forum will use the ICT possibilities and is therefore an example for an ICT-application.

• A database of the involved companies, their core activities, their specific use of the ICT and their experience on using these techniques will be installed. The information stored in this database can be used as examples and as criteria for executives, in which cases which IC-application should be implemented. Furthermore it could be used as a register of examples for executives, which like to know the ICT possibilities for their branch. In later stage the database should be linked with the central server of the umbrella structure joining the network at the European level.

• A technical support with experts and different ICT-services will be included in the "ANIBA"-project. E.g. tax consult, legal advice or patent information will help to show further advantages of modern communication technologies.

4. European dimension

One basis of the ANIBA project is a carefully worked out and tested methodology for the analysis of existing ICT in companies and for the evaluation and recommendation procedure.

The referring tools are transferable and applicable in all European countries.

In this context ANIBA is a Trans-national pilot project on the one hand demonstrating, that the methodology works in principle in the two different countries Germany and Austria and causes benefits for the participating companies. On the other hand the method will be improved and adapted during that pilot phase for the general use in Europe.

The virtual network of SME in Bavaria and Austria will be installed in a open way, so that the communication to a central structure or to other networks in Europe is possible. This encourages Trans-national information/experience exchange and self-support of the connecting companies.

5. Linkages to other projects and programmes

top elf:

To encourage the use of telematics in private and business processes the Bavarian state started the initiative "Bayern Online". One target of that initiative, namely in the sub-project "top elf", is to create new tele-working jobs in the countryside and to generate a virtual network of enterprises. LGA’s department Technology Transfer and Innovation is involved in "top elf" and proposes this bid, fitting into the total concept of Bayern Online.

Both projects, ANIBA and top elf, show new possibilities for SME in the fields of ICT. So both they will benefit on synergy effects.

6. Anticipated impact

One main objective of the ANIBA project is to raise broad awareness among managers of industrial SMEs. More than 300 companies will get knowledge in detail, what new ICT and which application possibilities are existing. This awareness action will reduce negative pre-opinions about ICT and will cut down existing obstacles concerning the introduction of ICT.

As a medium-term effect you can expect, that many of participated companies will change their mind and take the decision to implement at least parts of new ICT in the future.

In a second phase around 50 companies will take the opportunity within "ANIBA", to let analyse their today existing ICT, with the intention to start a changeover process and to implement new appropriate technique with in the next few month. This is one important step towards the active participation in the Information Society.

Those companies using new ICT in their business processes increase in a long-term period productivity and consequently their competitiveness. They move in certain business areas from time-oriented work to result-oriented work and cut down hierarchic structures, making it necessary, to change the behaviour both of the employees and the executives. This contributes to the principles of Lean Management.

There are advantages for clients too, resulting from the application of new ICT, e.g. more flexible structure, faster communication, result oriented working people.

Another social impact of ANIBA is the strengthening of SME’s position compared with large-scale enterprises. The SME using modern ICT, provide good conditions to reduce office, transfer and information obtaining costs. In general the use of new ICT will increase the capability to innovate and to be more competitive.

One important impact, finally must be mentioned, results from the implementation of new ICT too: There is a need of qualified employees, able to apply the new tools. This fact is taken into consideration by a concept in the background of Bayern Online, ensuring an offer of qualification courses in co-operation with the tele-centres.

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