e-Trade for SMEs

ITC E-Trade Bridge Programme

Geneva, 2003
 Content

• Defining e-Trade and Its Purpose

• Products and Services to Deliver e-Trade
• How We Deliver Value
• Our Clients and Partners
• How to Get Involved

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 Building National Capacities to Help
Enterprises Become Management, Export
and e-Competent
E-Trade is the application of networking technologies to improve
international competitiveness by transforming business processes and
transacting trade electronically across national borders.

• Information Rules
• New Market Mechanisms
• Managing Information and
Communications Technology
e-Competent • Business Process Design

Management Export
• Define the Business of the
Enterprise • Secure the Order
• Build Business Capabilities • Produce the Order
• Manage the Export • Ship the Order
Transaction • Get Paid

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Delivering the Promise of e-Trade

…to help us
adapt and E-Trade
improve… Products and
Services

…of
Internationally …to address
clients
the…
and competitive
partners SMEs

…e-needs

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 The e-Trade Bridge Programme – Improving
Competitiveness through “e”
Human and economic development are the primary goals of societies.
Trade fosters economic development. Competitive business are engines of
trade. “E “can help businesses to be competitive.
e for business
Macro level Initiatives taken by the macro level
(Government, institutions concerning resource
creation to facilitate the utilization of
policy levels) ICT by SMEs. Policies, strategies
concerning the creation of a pool of
E-Stakeholders
resources which are needed by the
SMES to utilise ICT (human,
financial,
Meso level Initiatives taken by the meso level
(Trade institutions concerning resource
allocation to facilitate the utilization of
Support ICT by SMEs. Provision of resources
Institutions) to SMEs (HR training on e from
institutions, financial support for e
from the finance organizations, etc.)
Micro level Initiatives taken by the SMEs
(SMEs) concerning resource acquisition to
facilitate the utilization of ICT.
Measures by SMEs to facilitate a
paradigm shift enabling ICT usage
Purposes
e as business
Initiatives taken by the macro
level to institutionalize businesses
dealing in e. National
telecommunication companies,
national Internet access providers,
etc.)
Initiatives by meso level
institutions in the e-industry.
Enterprises whose businesses are
enabled by ICT (ISPs, web
designers, solution providers,
portal managers, etc.)
e in business
Initiatives taken by the macro level
institutions that use e in the management
of their businesses. Using ICT to conduct
the transactions of macro level
institutions (government purchasing,
information dissemination, on-line
administrative procedures, etc.
Initiatives by meso level institutions that
use e to conduct their businesses. Using
ICT to produce and market products and
services (training on-line, selling
equipment on-line, on-line financing, etc.)
Initiatives by SMES to utilize ICT in to
manage their businesses. Digitization of
management (planning, execution and
control of the resources of a business)
and/or business processes (production
and marketing).
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Products and Services to Deliver e-Trade:
Defining “e” Needs
Companies export, not countries. For countries to improve their
international trade performance they must make it easy for small
and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to trade more effectively
and efficiently by using information and communication technology
and by developing new trade sectors based on ICT.

“e” as a Data processing, ICT hardware and software, web

business hosting companies

“e” for Using ICT as a means to deliver value to clients

business

“e” in Using “e” in the business to improve business

business processes and transact trade

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Products and Services to Deliver e-Trade:
Addressing “e” Needs
A tool kit of e-Trade resources to build the capacities of national
governments (macro level) and trade support institutions (meso
level) to improve the e-trade competencies of enterprise managers

1. Software tools to help 2. Training events

trade advisers diagnose and Awareness
and solve SME Raising Seminars
management, export
and e-readiness
challenges

3. Training
Materials and
Learning
Resources

4. Information
Products and 5. Consulting and
Country Market Advisory Services
Intelligence

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 1 Software Tools for Trade Trainers and
Advisers

Diagnosing the Issues: Addressing the Issues:

E-Opportunity Assessment – to determine how Verifying Business Strategy – a tool for
ICT can be applied to improve the overall researching buyers and competitors on the Internet
effectiveness and efficiency of the organization for the purpose of verifying the strategy of the
enterprise
Export Potential- The Export Potential Assessment
Tool is a decision support system which helps the Designing Web-based Promotions – a tool for
consultant examine the export potential of an designing promotions on the web
enterprise in detail. It helps the consultant identify
weaknesses in the following main areas: motivation Purchasing and Expediting – a tool for finding
for exporting, export strategy, capabilities for suppliers on the web
exporting, international transactions.
PLANSME – this software tool guides the user
NEEDSME – a decision-support software that through clearly identified stages towards the
helps trainers and consultants to assess the completion of a strategic business plan.
effectiveness and efficiency of an enterprise. The
NEEDSME report summarizes the responses in a
structured way and provides pointers in the areas
which require strengthening.
DEMANDSME – this software tool and
questionnaire-generator complements
NEEDSME by enabling consultants to establish the
willingness of respondents to pay for training
programmes at the individual and aggregate levels
(e.g. industry sector demand).

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 2 Training Events and Awareness Seminars
• e-Trade Bridge Kick-Off Meeting
This two to three day event provides an ideal forum for public and
private sector stakeholders to develop a shared national e-trade
agenda and action plan by raising awareness and fostering the
creation of an e-trade support network.

• National e-Trade Strategy Training

A two-three day course to help national export strategy makers
design effective national strategies to maximize the benefits of
e-facilitated trade.

• Training Programme for Trade Trainers and Advisers

This 6-module training programme gives prospective trade trainers and counsellors
the skills they need to design, deliver and manage trade training and counselling
interventions for SMEs. It is used in conjunction with the Business Management
System (BMS) training materials and software tools to give trainers and advisers
the in-depth skill and knowledge to improve the trade performance of SMEs.

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3 Training Materials and Learning
Resources
Introduction to the Business Management System (BMS)
A short overview of ITC’s proprietary trade training system which addresses
the issues of enterprise development and trade development in one learning
platform to improve skills in international management, the export transaction
and the application of information and communications technology (ICT).

Building Marketing and Production Capabilities

A 6 module training program based on the Business Management System
addressing the need to select and manage marketing and production tasks
critical to the success of the enterprise.

Managing the Export Transaction

A collection of 8 training modules covering the tasks and activities of the
export transaction cycle: getting an export order, fulfilling an export order and
getting paid.

Winning with the Web (WWW) SME Case Studies

A case study collection to illustrate how ICT is being used by manufacturing
and service firms in developing countries for use by SME trainers and
counsellors.
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 4 Information Products and Country Market
Intelligence

Country e-Preparedness Reports e-Business Resource DVD and Book

In-depth published report assessing the An extensive desk reference with

e-potential of countries and regions. The thousands of live web links for
report identifies the e-trade assets and trainers, researchers, strategy
liabilities of the country and draws up a designers and SME managers
list of the stakeholders interested in e-trade.
offering e-trade
resources to
companies.

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 5 Consulting and Advisory Services

• Project and Programme Design – consulting and advisory

services to help partner countries design effective human resource
development programmes to build national trade training and
counselling capacities.
• Creating and Strengthening Trade Training Institutions –
advisory services to create sustainable institutions to deliver
enterprise management development curricula which will improve
the skills of SME managers.
• Building Networks of Exporters – advisory services to help
foster the creation of networks of exporters as a means to improve
their market power and benefit from government supported
enterprise and export development programmes.

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How We Deliver Value

The ITC “product-network approach” is based upon four pillars:

• Develop generic products and services to meet global trade
challenges of SMEs (i.e. broad based demand and identified gap in
provision)
• Disseminate tools through partnership networks to reach SMEs (e.g.
lower transaction costs)
• Adapt tools at the country and sector levels to take account of
specific needs (e.g. products and markets)
• Refine and disseminate the adapted tools to reach a wider audience
(i.e.. harvesting investment)

This is an iterative process and one which makes our country partners
full owners of the resulting trade development solutions.

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Our Energies Are Focused on Securing and
Allocating Resources to Achieve Improved
Competitiveness of SMEs…
The primary goal of the e-Trade Bridge for SMEs is to ensure that information and
communication technology (ICT) is used effectively to improve the international
competitiveness of SMEs in developing countries.

Networks and Relationships

Human SME Information

Financial and Physical Assets

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 …by Working through our Clients and
Partners
International Development
Agencies: UNDP, World
Bank/IFC, UNCTAD, WTO and
others
National governments:
Ministries of Trade, Commerce
and Communications
Donors: Public and Private
Sector donors who finance
project work in countries and
regions (e.g. often
governments)
SME
Consultants and Technical
Partners: academic
institutions, consultants,
trainers and experts, e-
solution providers, NGOs
Trade Support Institutions:
Chambers of Commerce, Trade
Promotion Organizations, SME
Development Agencies, Trade Training
Institutions, Trade Associations
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 We’re Putting “e” to Work…
… in over 30 countries around the globe
Bolivia • Cameroon - e-trade training for women entrepreneurs
Ecuador
Costa Rica • Turkey – training of SME trade advisers
El Salvador
Kenya • Philippines – establishment of regional trade training
Uganda hub through ATIFTAP
Turkey
Romania • Central America – establishment of regional trade
Kazakhstan training hub COMPITE
Uzbekistan
China • Tanzania – development of academic level trade
India training programme with CIBDS
Mongolia
Barbados • Vietnam - National e-Trade Strategy Training
Nepal
Vietnam workshop, e-Trade Bridge Kick-Off
Trinidad and Tobago
Republic of South Africa
Philippines …and over 15 country preparedness reports
Honduras
Kyrgyzstan….. 16
How to Get Involved
Whether you are an SME manager, a technical partner or a
financing agency, there is scope for involvement right across
the board. We want to hear from you.

• Consultants, Trainers and Technical Partners: tools, skills or knowledge to

help SMEs become management, export and e-competent
• Donors: finance to help us continue our work and fulfil your own strategic
objectives
• Developing Country governments and Trade Support Institutions: Can we
work to jointly prepare a project document for funding?
• International Development Agencies: Can we act as a sub-contractor under
an existing programme or develop a new programme with you?

The best way to benefit is to get a project underway in your own country or request
some of the e-Trade tools which have already been developed through the e-Trade
Bridge Programme or elsewhere in ITC.

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To help us put “e” to work, contact:

Enterprise Management Development Section (EMDS)

International Trade Centre
Palais des Nations
54-56 Rue de Montbrillant
Geneva 10
Switzerland

Mr. Osman Ataç, Chief

Tel : 41 22 7300199
e-mail : etradebridge@intracen.org

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