ICT and Business Development

ICT and traffic Development In line with the important priorities set by the URBACT Information Society Network, this theme foc habits on crease education and the graphic symbol of ICT as a means of tackling economic restructuring and promoting employment and in doing so fostering social cohesion and economic inclusion. The purpose of this brief account is to act as a guide for colleagues when preparing material or presentations on this topic and to provoke discussion on the issues raised in it. barter Development and its relationship to ICT?Business Development is the process of improvement that enables a business to become much efficient, profitable, and thereby creating or safeguarding jobs. Business development therefore does not unaccompanied concern marketing and sales departments, save all parts of a business which constitute its rate set up and requires legal communication and co-operation within a company. Over the last 20 years ICT has increasingly been identi fied as a major reader to the process of business development and improvement and it has been identified that ICT . is responsible for nearly half of productivity growth in modern economies.It drives meliorate energy and better serve and products across the entirety of the private and the public sectors. (Viviane Reding, genus Phallus of the European Commission responsible for Information Society). What has been the impact of ICT on Business? The use of ICT and engine room has affected every aspect of business, turning not only the way that business is conducted but also creating raw(a) business sectors and jobs. The psychiatric hospital of companies like Google and e-Bay which did not exist 10 years ago, was only make possible by advances in engineering science and the modifys that this has bring aboutd in the way that masses ehave (currently Google is valued at ?44billion Source BBC 5th June 05). Some examples of the nature of this change include Marketing The use of websites has accepted companies to develop current and cheaper ways of range new markets, offering customers the opportunity of buying goods and services whenever they want and much at reduced cost, whilst also enhancing the level of customer service. This has been coupled with the functional unwrap and use of e-mails which again has been used by business to market their goods and services directly to potential customers, as well as communicating with existing customers and suppliers.Increasingly the marketing operates of businesses include the use of technologies such as Contact way Systems that allows them to co-ordinate, monitor and report on various aspects of their marketing campaigns in new ways making these campaigns more targeted and effective. Finance Practically all companies this instant use softw atomic number 18 programs e. g. Sage or Excel to manage their accounts. This has allowed them to emotional state at financial teaching when required, monitor an d respond to their customers purchasing patterns by e. g. offering discounts and overall improve the management of their finances.The result of this has been for more companies a reduction in their accountancy fees. Out of office working For some businesses the need for staff to be away from the office attending meetings and so on or to be based in another geographical perspective has grown alongside employee demands for more flexible working patterns. However effective communication and ability to access information etc. remains unfavorable to the productivity of these staff members. Therefore by the use of engine room many companies now use a range of technologies to enable this.These include smooth phones, e-mail, broadband, laptops, etc. Thus ensuring that companies are able to be flexible and reconciling depending on their business needs. Networks Virtually all businesses now have or have access to a computer. The existence of two or more computers in an office almost always leads to the creation of a network. The main advantage of doing so is that resources bottom be shared e. g. printers, internet access, files/information can be managed and shared amongst workstations and the security of information can be better managed through a network.Increasingly networks are not just wrapped to the office but are being adopted so that they allow home/remote working that raises changing business needs. This transformation has very taken place over the last 20 years and continues to transform the way business is done. No business today can edit the use of technology as its effective use helps businesses to remain war-ridden and profitable, thereby creating or safeguarding jobs. The role of the exoteric Sector? What is the case for Public Sector intervention if this is already happening?Talking specifically virtually SMEs, the final report (Feb. 2004) of the European Go Digital Awareness campaign 2001-2003 shows that to help SMEs to Go Digital is st ill a indemnity challenge as SMEs remain sceptical about ICT and e-business. This is generally the result of Their experience of procuring technology has often left an impression that the wrong decision was made as the expected benefits from using new technology have not materialised. This then affects businesses willingness to further invest in technology and therefore threatens their further competitiveness. The creation of new businesses especially in new industries requires that the right on support and business environment are present.For example the front end of Science Parks, Universities, and Research Centres etc. can help the fiesta of an innovative culture amongst businesses. In the absence of proper support and the right environment areas/regions risk losing the jobs and prosperity brought by the creation of new businesses. Procuring technology in itself is not a route to successful business development but requires that staff have the right skills to implement and use it efficaciously. many a(prenominal) of the new technologies and emerging or existing businesses are increasing subordinate on the presence of a relevant technological infrastructure to support business development e. g. Broadband access. The lack of this infrastructure can overthrow business development, therefore damaging competitiveness and jobs. The issues above although not pure(a) are indications of market failure and therefore a challenge to the public sector in defining a role and develop nominates/iniatives to manner of speaking them.Without effective action areas/regions risk falling behind and therefore losing out in terms of Developing new businesses in new business sectors made possible by advances in technology Ensuring that businesses by effectively using technology are competitive both locally and globally Ensuring that businesses have the necessary information and support to develop into new markets change businesses to become more flexible and responsi ve to the demands of their customers and their staff Developing a workforce with the necessary skills that are demanded in the present and future lug market.How did you develop your declare oneself? Once you have identified a business or issue then the next stage is to plan actions to bounce back or redress these issues. This starts with the planning stage which is a critical member to the success of any project, starting with identifying the need for the project, and includes project time scales, project design, project finance, project partners and resources, project organisation and management etc. What were the get word factors in achieving this and what barriers did you have to overcome to do so?Main outcomes of the project to businesses? Over the quarrel of any project measuring its success is a necessary part of project management, reporting and measuring impact or change. What therefore were the main outcomes of the project and how were they measured? ?Increased or im proved use of ICT helped to expand business activities? ?Increased or improved use of ICT resulted in the development of new services and/or products? ?ICT usage has helped to create new networks inside and outside the company? The adoption of ICT solutions has lead to the restructuring of working and communication methods in the enterprise? ?New models of working and/new jobs emerged? ?The death penalty of e-work helped to integrate people who have been excluded from traditional jobs in the company onward? ?The business now understands better the need for staff training? ? supernumerary jobs and/or the maintenance of exiting ones as a result of the projects work? Lessons learnt?During the course of any project the experience of delivery often throws up many unforeseen issues, especially when you are dealing with technology, which are a result of internal and external factors. This then leads to lessons learnt which can range from better ways to manage a project through to innova tive approaches to providing support etc. These lessons learnt are not only of value to the project staff but also for others interested in developing or currently running similar projects.