In a context of increased competition due to globalization and the more recent crisis, mastering and use of digital tools is an asset for companies. Train companies in the digital culture is one of the major concerns of the French government.
French companies, especially smaller ones, are not making any efforts to incorporate digital tools in their strategies. For example, less than half of the companies having 10 to 20 employees own a website. Of those that do, only a tiny part sells their products online; even though digital economy allows SMEs to reduce their costs, increase their margins, their visibility (and thus their revenues) and improve the quality of their processes and products.
The government has therefore decided to enact a number of key elements in its digital politics. According to studies by the authorities, it turned out that the weakness of digital adoption is not material but “cultural.” The “digital transition program” targets local relays to companies.
The actions of political representatives
– The creation of a capillary network of public advisors and para-public throughout the country, by promoting local initiatives;
– The setting of tools for advisors and enhancement of their skills;
– The creation of private structure to advice to SMEs on digital issues mainly composed by independents.
Collaborative work
The company may have long-term competitive advantage towards its competitors if it mastered the concept of Enterprise 2.0 extended to customers and suppliers. This tool can allow it to have broader knowledge of their environment. It can therefore anticipate their needs in no time.
A relationship of trust or “win-win” can be very valuable for a company. It accelerates and facilitates the integration of people. Mutual understanding and social ties between employees are strengthened. The company must have a long term digital strategy and not a mere partial digital strategy. The use of digital tools allows them to reduce costs by quickly finding a more suitable solution to the problems faced by the company. The emergence of collective intelligence and 2.0 organizations makes this an easy practice.
Human and technical challenge
The deployment of this tool requires a significant human and technical support. We must teach people the digital culture and empower them to do so easily. Human support is very important. On a technical and operational level, expectations are concerned with questions of reliability of service and mastering of the networks. The answers to these questions should not be delayed to get a satisfactory result.
Political tools
Collaborative tools should allow the management of a working group. They take responsibility for:
– Technical elements (hardware, networks and software managements of these networks)
– Organizational elements (communication and information services) and skills from the human actors.
Yaya DIALLO Etudiant en Master 2 Commerce Electronique à la faculté de Droit, de Sciences Politiques et de Gestion de l’Université de Strasbourg, je suis passionné par les nouvelles technologies de l’information et de la communication et éprouve un intérêt particulier pour la finance et l’expertise comptable.
