On February 17 at the MCCI, there was a presentation of a joint study of the MCCI and “SCHNEIDER GROUP” on the topic: "The level of digitalisation of small and medium business".
"We have gathered here to highlight the opportunities and prospects outlined today between the MCCI and “SCHNEIDER GROUP," said the Vice President of the MCCI, Mr. Suren Vardanyan. "The digitalisation has already changed and continues to change our lives for the better, noted Mr. Vladimir Platonov, the President of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He reminded that the MCCI unites about four thousand representatives of small and medium businesses. "About five years ago, there was a request from the business community to create a virtual platform, where it would be possible to receive information about the goods and services, which are produced or would be bought by Moscow’s entrepreneurs. We went beyond Moscow very quickly, because it was relevant to a large number of entrepreneurs and regions - and then the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry initialed the project the "Business Market" ... During the pandemic, we began to actively use this platform to work online... Thanks to the "Business Market”, we were the first in Russia, who conducted online exhibitions", - said the speaker. According to him, virtual exhibitions will be in demand even after the pandemic is over, because they save time, money and resources for entrepreneurs.
"I am pleased that during the 30 years of market relations’ development in our country, we started cooperating with our colleagues abroad, and our today's meeting illustrates this. We are preparing a single important product, we are developing an important topic for small and medium businesses," said Mr. Platonov.
"I am happy about our joint initiative, dedicated to digitalisation issues, as this is where our joint and promising future is" said “Schneider Grouer”s Ceo, Mr. Ulf Schneider. Together with the Head of “SCHNEIDER GROUER” CADO project, Ms. Anna Streltsova, he presented the results of the survey, in which 150 small and medium-sized companies participated (services, retail, logistics, engineering, etc.). 70% of them rated their level of digitalisation as initial and only 30% - as high. "This means that a lot of work still lies ahead,”Mr. Schneider noted. He explained to the audience how digitalization differs from automation, and said that the ongoing projects of most of the respondents still belong to the area of "advanced" automation or the initial level of digitalization.
The CEO or one of the members of the board of directors was named by 30% of respondents as the internal customer of technology implementation in a company; the second most popular answer - the management of the IT-department. "Meanwhile, it is important that all employees take the 'digital' initiative in one way or another," says Mr. Schneider.
Only about 40% of those surveyed showed the willingness to implement "boxed" (that is, off-the-shelf) digital products, while more than 60% tended to look for more customised solutions, which are actually "too expensive for small businesses."
Ms. Anna Streltsova presented the example of digitalization of the HR sphere implemented by the company, mentioning that electronic document management (EDMS) saves up to 40% of working time.
Mr. Artem Dalevich, the Vice-President of the MCCI, in his speech, thanked his colleagues for participation in the study and told the audience about the preparation for it. He noted that the study showed a low awareness of SME managers of the difference between automation and digitalization - "this needs to be taught in a comprehensive way". The speaker also pointed out the identified mistakes of CEOs - in particular, too broad a formulation of terms of reference or "twisting the arms" of executors. He reminded that this year the Chamber of Commerce and Industry launched a new product "Expertise", designed to confirm or deny the compliance of the work done with the terms of reference.