Background

The Government is committed to making UK industry a world leader in the use of e-business. As part of the Government's programme for change, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) wanted to review the current impact of e-business in several different industries.

Atmaana led reviews in three key sectors:

- Automotive industry supply chain.

- Electricity industry: transmission and distribution equipment manufacturers.

- Electricity Industry: power generation equipment manufacturers.

Atmaana's role

Drawing on its extensive network of contacts, Atmaana arranged to partner with a dedicated industry expert for each review. These experts provided a unique depth of understanding of e-commerce and topical industry issues.

The research applied the OECD methodology, which is primarily a qualitative approach that uses a 3-tiered matrix to model the captured data and produce impact footprints. This enables the results of the research to be easily understood and significantly enhances the quality of information from customer questionnaires.

Each of the studies followed a similar approach:

- Demonstration of in-depth knowledge and understanding of the industry and its supply chain, through a detailed analysis of current issues and trends.

- Highlighting of key e-business issues affecting the industry, through detailed case studies with selected companies.

- Analysis of findings and prediction of future patterns of usage through strategic modelling and scenario techniques.

Deliverables

Atmaana collated the study findings in a report, along with recommendations for increasing the rate of usage within the sector.

Our consultants also organised and delivered several dissemination events for key stakeholders, including workshops, conferences and one-to-one feedback sessions.

When drafting its recommendations, Atmaana was careful to ensure they were practical and realistic at a macro level (relating to Government policy), as well as at a micro level (making them company-specific).

Client benefits

Atmaana's recommendations have been used by the Government to help shape future initiatives within e-business.

Participating companies reported to the DTI that they found Atmaana's work extremely useful, giving them an insight into the potential benefits of e-business usage.

Atmaana has subsequently been invited to present its work in detail to the Boards of several participating companies, and has since helped several of them plan and implement their own e-business initiatives.

To find out more about the DTI project, or Atmaana's extensive range of services, contact Steve Clews