Sectoral e-Business Watch

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve the article or discuss these issues on the talk page. It needs sources or references that appear in third-party publications. Tagged since December 2008. Very few or no other articles link to it. Please help introduce links to this page from other articles related to it. Tagged since February 2009. It may have been edited by a person who has a conflict of interest with the subject matter. Tagged since December 2008.

Sectoral e-Business Watch (SeBW)^[1] is a continuous study project on behalf of the Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry of the European Commission, implemented in 2002.^[2] It monitors and analyses the uptake of Information and communications technologies (ICT) by companies in different sectors of the European economy and its economic impact, allowing the identification of competitiveness-enhancing industrial policy challenges.

Project logo

Mission and methodology

The overall mission of Sectoral e-Business Watch is to study and assess the impact of ICT on enterprises, industries and the economy in general. It highlights barriers for ICT uptake, such as issues hindering a more effective use of ICT by enterprises in Europe. Further objectives are identification and discussion of public policy challenges stemming from the observed developments, notably at the European level, and to engage in dialogue with stakeholders from industry and policy institutions, providing a forum for debate on relevant issues.

In its scientific approach Sectoral e-Business Watch includes various research methods, such as enterprise surveys with computer-assisted telephone interviews, online surveys, case studies, expert interviews, Delphi-style interviews, econometric analyses, and literature evaluation. Enterprise surveys were conducted in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007. They cover varying sectors and countries and a different number of enterprises. The largest Sectoral e-Business Watch survey was the one in 2006 which included around 14,000 enterprises in 29 countries^[3][4]. The results are presented in shape of study reports, table reports with survey findings, brochures with selected findings, and annual synthesis reports. All reports as well as files with survey data and accompanying information are available for free download from the project website. Researchers can apply for raw data.

Key findings

According to the study reports, Sectoral e-Business Watch has affirmed that basic ICT infrastructure, such as simple computer networks and access to the internet, has become a commodity for a majority of enterprises in all sectors^[5]. These technologies have become so widely used that they are now essential in daily business. Beside its basic role, ICT creates wide strategic potential for enabling new business models, influencing value chains and increasing process efficiency. The Sectoral e-Business reports could repeatedly show the critical role of ICT in tomorrow's economy^[6]. Advanced information infrastructures, services and value creating activities are made possible by computer networks and internet access.

Moreover, Sectoral e-Business Watch has found evidence that e-business is nowadays far beyond systems and technology. It is about optimally managing relationships with customers, suppliers and business partners in a complex and often global competitive environment^[7]. Furthermore, e-business is not just about accomplishing electronic transactions such as procurement and sales. It is about accessing, providing and sharing information in business networks. Ultimately, it is about doing business in the advancing digital economy^[8]. The way business is done is changing rapidly, mainly due to globalisation. Large companies are moving rapidly to exploit the advantages offered by ICT for their business strategies. Smaller companies will have to follow suit, or risk being excluded from digital supply chains^[9].

The trend towards digitally integrated value systems connected through ICT is considered by Sectoral e-Business Watch as a new life-cycle of e-business^[10]. The period between 1995 and 2000, over which internet based trade emerged, is referred to as "e-Business 1.0". During this time, companies connected to the internet and were quickly lured into buying all sorts of immature technology. After the shake-out of several failed business models, e-business between 2001 and 2005 focused on cutting costs. This period of more conservative attitude towards ICT is referred to as "e-Business 2.0". However, currently companies have been growing more "e-friendly" again. The underlying information infrastructures have matured and today no one doubts their importance for modern business. According to Sectoral e-Business Watch "A new era appears to have emerged - 'e-Business 3.0'".^[11]

With regard to today's economic crisis Sectoral e-Business Watch states that companies, even in times of economic difficulties, tend to exploit the innovative potential of ICT in order to cut costs and thus emerge stronger and more competitive out of the crisis.^[12]

Subjects of study

References

1. ^ Sectoral e-Business Watch project homepage
2. ^ European Commission, Directorate General Enterprise and Industry, Policy Area ICT for Competitiveness & Innovation
3. ^ The European e-Business Report 2006/07 edition
4. ^ Nepelski, Daniel und Sushmita Swaminathan (2007): OSS Adaption: Who is Leading and Why? in: DIW Weekly Report, No. 1/2007, Volume 3, pp 2-3 (Scientific article about open source software adoption based on data from the e-Business Watch survey 2006.)
5. ^ The European e-Business Report 2005 edition, p 21
6. ^ The European e-Business Report 2008 edition
7. ^ The European e-Business Report 2008 edition
8. ^ The European e-Business Report 2008 edition
9. ^ The European e-Business Report 2005 edition, p 13
10. ^ The European e-Business Report 2008 edition, p 9
11. ^ The European e-Business Report 2008 edition, p 9
12. ^ The Sectoral e-Business Watch ICT and e-Business Impact Studies – 2009

External links

• European e-Business policies portal
• "European e-Business Support Network" with relevant information for SMEs on the topic

Publications using study data

• Koellinger, Philipp (2008): The relationship between technology, innovation, and firm performance—Empirical evidence from e-business in Europe. In: Research Policy, Vol. 37, pp 1317–1328. (Scientific journal article using e-Business Watch survey data from 2003.)
• Koellinger, Philipp (2006): Technological Change – An Analysis of the Diffusion and Implications of e-Business Technologies. Dissertation leading to a PhD in Economics and Management Science from the Humboldt-University Berlin. [1] (Dissertation using data from the e-Business Watch surveys in July 2002, March 2003 and November/December 2003.)
• Nepelski, Daniel und Sushmita Swaminathan (2007): OSS Adaption: Who is Leading and Why? in: DIW Weekly Report, No. 1/2007, Volume 3. [2] (Scientific article about open source software adoption based on data from the e-Business Watch survey 2006.)
• Schaer, Alexander et al. (2006): Wettbewerbspotenziale im e-Business: Modell eines e-Business-Selbsttests. VDM Verlag Dr. Müller. (Scientific publication using data of the e-Business Watch survey 2005 for developing a model that allows IT managers to ascertain their ICT usage according to strategic criteria.)
• Soto-Acosta, Pedro; Merono-Cerdan, Angel Luis (2008): Analysing e-business value creation from a resource-based perspective. In: International Journal of Information Management, Vol. 28, pp. 49–60. Abstract. (Scientific article using data from the e-Business Watch survey in 2003.)