smallbusiness.co.uk: Helping your business think big

A formula developed by a leading psychologist can help small businesses rate their use of information and communications technology and ultimately improve efficiency and profits, claims BT Business.

The formula, commissioned by BT Business and developed by leading psychologist and Cardiff and Birmingham University lecturer, Dr Cliff Arnall, identifies the key factors that enable a small business and its employees to thrive.

‘This is not a formula to measure IT skills or if a business is making use of the latest widgets,’ explains Dr Arnall. ‘It is about identifying the balance that exists between people, practices and tools and how to get the most out of them. Not one of these organisational ‘pillars’ can achieve best results without the ongoing support of the other two and technology is just one of these support systems.’

The formula is:

K + T + F + (P x C) + L

K = Knowledge P = Planning
T = Technology C = Confidence
F = Flexible approach to working
L = Location of business

To find out how your company rates, score the following factors 1 – 5, 1 being the lowest. To take the test online, visit www.bt.com/business/workitwell.

K - How good is your knowledge of your current ICT solution, its capabilities and how to utilise them?

T - Do you have all the technology and communications tools available to you that you need?

F - Are you able to work flexibly, on the move, at home, whilst away from the office?

P - Did you build a business case and plan before implementing your current ICT solution so that you can accommodate growth and measure the return on investment?

C - Are you confident that your ICT solution is safe, secure and supported if you have a problem?

L - Location of business
Urban: 5
Suburban: 4
Semi rural: 3
Rural: 2

How to interpret your results
6 – 16 You are probably struggling with your current ICT arrangements and it is advisable to review them and consider implementing a converged solution, which would mean you have one technology to support for all your applications.

17 – 26 You clearly have some knowledge of ICT, but need to get a better understanding of what is the right solution for your business through proper pre-planning and post implementation support to ensure you realise the benefits.

27 – 36 Your knowledge is good and you are generally satisfied with the running and support of your systems. You may still be struggling to realise a true return on investment and benefits such as flexible working, which all SMEs should be looking to capitalise on for efficiency and productivity.

37 – 45 An IT savvy organisation, you probably took time to plan things and have resisted the temptation to bolt on “extras”. This means your systems have remained manageable and flexible enough to accommodate the demands of your business.

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