The adoption of social media (web 2.0) in the e-marketing strategy of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is not yet researched much. Research findings in bigger companies in the USA, Europe and the Netherlands suggest that the issue is high on the think list of marketers and entrepreneurs. But what are the drivers and barriers for small and medium enterprises to make, execute, and further develop their strategy on social media? This paper places the perceptions and actions of 10 SMEs in the Netherlands in the Stages of Growth for e-Business model (SOG-e model) which focuses on e-business maturity. Findings are that general expectations and customer wishes are important drivers and that, besides time and money, the fear of negative comments on the Internet are important barriers.
More than 80 % of all information in an organization is unstructured, created by knowledge workers engaged in peer-to-peer networks of expertise to share knowledge across organizational boundaries. Enterprise Information Systems (EIS) do not integrate unstructured information. At best, they integrate links to unstructured information connected with structured information in their databases. The amount of unstructured information is rising quickly. Ensuring the quality of this unstructured information is difficult. It is often inaccessible, unavailable, incomplete, irrelevant, untimely, inaccurate, and/or incomprehensible. It becomes problematic to reconstruct what has happened in organizations. When used for organizational policies, decisions, products, actions and transactions, structured and unstructured information are called records. They are an entity of information, consisting out of an information object (structured or unstructured) and its metadata. They are important for organizational accountability and business process performance, for without them reconstruction of past happenings and meaningful production become an impossibility. Organization-wide management of records is not a common functionality for EIS, resulting in [1] a fragmentation in the management of records, where structured and unstructured information objects are stored in a variety of systems, unconnected with their metadata; [2] a fragmentation in metadata management, leading to a loss of contextuality because metadata are separated from their information objects; and [3] a declining quality or records, because their provenance, integrity, and preservation are in peril. Organizational accountability is based on records and their context to reconstruct the past. Because records are not controlled by EIS, they can only marginally be used for accountability. The challenge for organizational accountability is to generate trusted records, fixed and contextual information objects inseparately linked with metadata that capture context to regain evidential value and to allow for the reconstruction of the past. The research question of this paper is how to capture records and their context within EIS to regain the evidential value of records to allow for a more robust organizational accountability. To find an answer, we need to pay attention to the concept of context, on how to capture context in metadata, and how to embed and manage records in EIS.
With the development of Enterprise Architecture (EA) as a discipline, measuring and understanding its value for business and IT has become relevant. In this paper a framework for categorizing the benefits of EA, the Enterprise Architecture Value Framework (EAVF), is presented and based on this framework, a measurability maturity scale is introduced. In the EAVF the value aspects of EA are expressed using the four perspectives of the Balanced Scorecard with regard to the development of these aspects over time, defining sixteen key areas in which EA may provide value. In its current form the framework can support architects and researchers in describing and categorizing the benefits of EA. As part of our ongoing research on the value of EA, two pilots using the framework have been carried out at large financial institutions. These pilots illustrate how to use the EAVF as a tool in measuring the benefits of EA
In line with European sustainability goals, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Dutch automotive aftermarket face the challenge of maintaining competitiveness while transitioning to circular business models. These models, supported by EU policies such as the Circular Economy Action Plan and the European Green Deal, drive innovation in product lifecycle management, recycling, and sustainability. However, as SMEs adapt to these changes, they must also navigate the growing competition from imported Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), which bring both opportunities and risks. Logistics plays a critical role in this transition, as optimizing supply chains, enhancing resource efficiency, and minimizing waste are essential for achieving circularity. Will the Chinese car manufacturers move their value chain to Europe? Or will they further localize in aftersales businesses? Either scenario would affect a chain of SMEs in automotive aftermarket. Focusing on the auto parts SMEs in the Brainport region, this research examines how SMEs can stay competitive by leveraging logistics strategies to support circular practices, and navigate the challenges posed by the influx of Chinese EVs while remaining resilient and adaptable in the automotive aftermarket value chain. Together with our consortium partners, we help the regional SMEs in the automotive aftermarket with: 1. Mapping out logistical challenges and objectives, 2. Risk mitigation and demand planning, 3. Strategic supply chain development. Involving Fontys International Business graduation projects on data analysis, this project combines quantitative and qualitative insights to examine the transition of automotive aftermarket to an EV-dominated future. The SMEs in our consortium network are drive to adapt to the evolving landscape by investing in new measures. Through scenario assessment, we help them with scenario strategies in circular transition. For a broader impact, this project brings SMEs, branch and public organizations together and presents shared responsibilities in creating a resilient supply chain.
