Today, the governments of developing countries recognize the importance of SMEs for their contribution to economic growth, job creation, as well as regional and local development. Small and medium-sized enterprises, SMEs, are particularly important for national economies, not only for their contributions to the production and distribution of goods and services, but also for the flexibility to adapt to technological changes and great potential for job creation. They represent an excellent means to promote economic development and a better distribution of wealth.
SMEs in Mexico constitute 97% of the total companies, generating employment of 79% of the population and generating income equivalent to 23% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the above is a clear signal that we must pay attention to this type of companies and see them for what they really are: the base of the Mexican economy. (INEGI, 2005)
They have the widest range of productive, marketing and service lines and tend to carry out autonomous activities that are related to the largest companies, and thus suffer the influence of these that usually subject them, minimizing their possibilities of development or establish an interdependence.
On the other hand, small and medium-sized companies have important advantages: agility to adapt to change, close to the local market, growing outsourcing, growth capacity and support programs. But they have a big drawback: technology resists them.
In the global community in which we live, small and medium-sized companies need to enter information technologies in order to develop them. The problem is that there is a great diversity of companies, for example, those that sell to the final consumer, or those that sell raw materials or sophisticated products. For any type of business, there are many benefits, but also challenges to face. The most important thing is to first identify them to be aware of what information technologies mean and see how they align with the business strategy.
La incorporación de nuevas herramientas se produce más por imitación que por planteamientos estratégicos. Hay que aprender a beneficiarse de su utilidad. Las pequeñas empresas carecen de personal técnico capaz de diseñar, implantar y desarrollar aplicaciones de las tecnologías de la información. «Todas manifiestan un gran interés por la información y las tecnologías relacionadas, sin embargo, desconocen la oferta tecnológica disponible, como acceder a ella, como utilizarla y cuáles son los beneficios de su uso.
Information technologies are tried to implement in large companies as a business strategy, but SMEs are more difficult to convince due to the costs that this represents, or at least, what they think. Small businesses are generally managed by their owners and when making a decision about technologies, when this is not your business, then you cannot understand all the benefits that this change represents.
In addition to the lack of knowledge of the costs and benefits, the available options or how to better choose the hardware and software necessary for each company are not known, especially when there is not a department or at least one person within the company dedicated exclusively to this item. E-commerce and the internet are not the only way to incorporate ICTs into a business, no matter how large or small it may be.
Avoiding viruses, having better communication and better control are some of the possibilities that information technologies offer. In some cases, ICTs are only seen as a possible future competitive advantage, but in others, they are a weapon so that their competitors do not take small companies out of the market.
Benefits of technology for SMEs:
- Rapid processes Greater ease of communication, faster and easier, improving response times and eliminating communication barriers Cost reduction More automated processes that can help reduce human errors Better service Improves effectiveness and efficiency in the execution of processes Publicity Support SMEs of local business people to present and sell their products through the Internet Increase of Competitive Advantage Offer new forms of work Increase in the production and dissemination of new technologies and possibilities that companies have of accessing to know and use them.
Generally the problem is not the technologies, but the fear of change. Pressures for this change can come from suppliers and customers, not just from competitors. When you have large suppliers or customers, with technologies already integrated, the company has to adopt them to make transactions and communication more efficient.
Despite the idea that there is little opportunity that small firms have to have information technologies, the mentality is changing and an increase in the sales of these products is expected for 2006. Fortunately, companies dedicated to developing These technologies have realized that small businesses also need to evolve and have options for every business and budget.
Before acquiring an information technology product, it is necessary to have the information about the product and, if possible, consult an expert, either internal to the company or a consultant. Although the first thing to do is think about exactly what you are looking for and how it will benefit the business so as not to buy something that was not used. SMEs should begin to implement information technologies since they offer many benefits and are something that must be incorporated into the company in order to continue the development of business.
