State of the art of the NTIC and their determinants in the companies:

Case of the Tunisian companies

Article written by:

Jameleddine Ziadi (j.ziedi@planet.tn)

Lecturer in management, person in change of UR e-Masig

FSEGT of the University of Tunis El Manar1

Campus University Bd 7 November-Tunis (Tunisia)

 

 

 

Summary:

Today, new communication and information technologies (NTIC) know a fulgurating development because they stick perfectly to major socio-economic tendencies to which firms must face.

However, the opinions in their connections remain mixed. For the ones the NTIC represent a strategic stake. For the others, it is only one technological investment among so much of others.

Our research interest with the factors which influence the level of use the TIC in the enterprises. To this effect, the empirical study, near 1 49 Tunisian enterprises, make it possible to highlight the importance of the extrovert character of the company like explanatory factor of a strategic use of the TIC.

Lastly, the literature let identify five contexts: the company, management, the organisation, culture and environment. These contexts will be developed in this article.

 

Key words:

Tunisian companies – NTIC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summary

 

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………3

I. The concept  NTIC………………………………………………………………………….4

    I.1. Definition of the concept of the new technologies……………………………………..4

        I.1.1.Technology Internet in the company……………………………………………….4

        I.1.2.Trade electronic…………………………………………………………………….5

    I.2.Old technologies from now accessible …………………………………………………7

        I.2.1. Decisional data processing…………………………………………………………7

        I..2.2.Collaboratif work…………………………………………………………………..7

        I.2.3.The ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)…………………………………………..9

        I.2.4.The SCM (Supply Chain Management)…………………………………………….9

        I.2.5.Thecnologies resulting from the data processing convergence/ Telephony………...9

        I.2.6.The CRM (Customer Relationship Management)…………………………………..9

   

II. The determinants of the level of use of the NTIC in the companies………………………10

    II.1.The level of use of  NTIC……………………………………………………………...10

    II.2. The determinants of the level of use of the NTIC…………………………………….11

    II.2.1.Context of the company……………………………………………………………..11

    II.2.2.Organisationnel context……………………………………………………………...12

    II.2.3.Cultural context……………………………………………………………………...12

    II.2.4.Environmental context………………………………………………………………13

 

III. Empirical research………………………………………………………………………...13

    III.1. Results………………………………………………………………………………..14

        III.1.1.Equipment in NTIC ……………………………………………………………...14

        III.1.2. The level of use of the NTIC……………………………………………………16

        III.1.3. The determinants of the level of use of the NTIC………………………………17

    III.2.Summary of the results of empirical research………………………………………..19

Bibliographical References…………………………………………………………………...19

 

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

The digital, Internet, Intranet and more generally the NTIC are notions in which we are drained. These notions seem to have overspread. Mass media especially that are concerned with firms.

            Thanks to possibilities which come to be more economic, the performances of acquisition, of stocking, treatment and restoring the information that the NTIC respond to the new exigencies to which the companies must stand in front of.

            Moreover the opinions towards all that remain mixed. For some people, these notions are simply a package of tools having the function of a technical or operational support. For the others, these opinions constitute a major strategic stake.

            The contemporary technologies as every major technical innovation, leaving in investigation of new possibilities. They systematically don’t make unanimity for users. Such a case leads us to identify the problems which are:

-         What are the factors that have an effect on the level of use of the NTIC in the companies?

The aims of the studies made throughout 49 Tunisian firms are double.

-         Find out how the companies use the NTIC such a strategic stake or a simple project in technology.

-         Identify and analyze the relations which may exist between certain variable explanatory and strategic use of NTIC.

This research is based on an exploratory study of the NTIC situation in Tunisian firms.

This theme constitute one of the major axis in the next international colloque which takes place on the 24 and 25 of June 2005 in Tunis by the U.R e Masing (The Unity of research e-management, the management and information system). In the university of El Manar (Tunis), The ATUCOM (Tunisian association of communication, Maghreb technologies).

The intellectual meeting is manifested thought various levels of questions these questions suggest the points of the following study:

-         The degree of distribution of the electronical tools along Tunisian firms.

-         The level of use of NTIC in Tunisian companies. Are they considered as a strategic stake or aren’t they a normal and simple new field in technology.

-         The determinants of the level of use of NTIC in the enterprises. The adopted methodology has got two parts:

-         A theorical part: Which consist of literature and the identification of theorical model and which concern the determinants level of use of NTIC.

-         An empirical part: which is relative to the validity of theorical model, throughout the technique investigation in sample of some Tunisian firms.

In this case, we have looked for an apprehension oh the degree of distribution of NTIC in the inquired firms, their standards of use and the determinants of strategic use of NTIC.

I- The NTIC concept:

The last wave of technological innovations is known as “the new technologies of information and communication”: the innovation which knocks on the spirits is focalized on the Internet explosion, as the appearance and generalisation of a universal support of data communication.

I-1- Definition of the concept of new technologies

The term NTIC seems to be extremely difficult to use in the way that each one has a private representation, that’s why we must precise what we understand by “new” technologies. These information and communication technologies are not new item to deal with, contrary to what suggest the expression. Where is them the innovation? The main innovation in this field is undoubtedly the irruption of the Internet technologies. But some writers such Henri Isaac think that this deals with the clarets Innovation Many technologies of information have witnessed these last years considerable evolutions. “Many technologies of information have known these years considerable progression linking with electronical progress (data, memories, stocking). Finally, the telecommunication technologies especially, these of mobile are the last launched items of new technologies”.

I-1-1- The Internet technologies in the companies

They are, undoubtedly, the essential part in technology. The manipulation of network based on the protocol TCP/IP, have permitted to unfold the Internet of enterprise and make the some think with commercial partners.

Internet: The ISOC suggest three definitions of Internet.

-         A general definition: “Internet is a network information’s open and general”.

-         Large information: “Internet is the interconnection of network in IP Protocol, then all the connected network are capable of heading for Traffic (this one which unify protocol to those which use another protocol rather than IP and the systems with an applicatory level”.

-         A narrow definition: “Internet is a group of inter-networks which is capable of dispatching between them packets following the IP (Internet Protocol).

Intranet: The Intranet is: the application of technologies of the Internet inside the firm. The Intranet represents architecture of a network of a company with existent systems of information.

Extranet: The Extranet is an external network reposing on the TCP/IP protocol and interconnected with the information systems of a firm which relate (opening of internal network for customers, supplies and privileged partners. When opening the data of the enterprise to its strategic partners, the Extranet technology realise the concept of extensive firm, that, means, the extensive firm outside, based on the networks of partners in order of build its offer system.

I-1-2- The electronic trade

The electronic trade (E.T) is defined by Lombard, Roussel, Dumartin, Heitzmann and Aufrant as: “every automatic buying (or selling) concluded on a terminal interactive of electronic network.

It is a selling form which provides the customer to affect the global process of buying (visualisation of the offer, buying, paying, and information about the delivery). On the Internet site, the C.E recovers two dimensions: the trade between firms (business to business) or (B to B) and the trade towards particular or big public (Business to Consumer) (B to C).

The B to C trade:

The trade B to C (or B2C), is a site of sale. It provides the internaut with a complete service of orders and delivery at home couple with a paying. According to “Badot”, the trade B to C is linked with needs, either of a principal/urgent necessity, or of accomplishment (rare products or outside products) and just occupies a reduced state in the panoply of sale firs.

The B to B trade:

The B to B (or B2B) is the vector of principal development of CE. According to IDC (International Data Corporation), the sales on the Internet and will be elevated to 2200 milliards with 88% for the trade B to B. Technically, a relation of the kind B2B apply on an extranet. Actually, we can distinguish four big firms of trade B to B.

-         The e-distribution: The sites of sales with certain great suppliers, the famous are Cisco and Dell (suppliers of informatics equipment), facing numerous customers. Some firms can equally complete the sale with means of reality “brick and click”, earning generally more than those who want to count on the only store or Internet.

-         The places pf electronic market: “A whole of solution customer/supplier reposing on an interface wets permitting the contact between customers and suppliers and offering possibilities of purchases and sales with or without the providence of a whole service (catalogues, gestion of offer service, evaluation of suppliers, facturation, orders, personalization. The market locals have three major problems to guarantee their viability, compared to:

The sellers: it is essential that the site refers to the greatest number.

The buyers: It must be/is essential that the site is sufficiently flexible and ergonomic for that these buyers can present their appeals in the most explicit way.

The Concurrence: These locations must grow rapidly. In fact, they are put under the effect of important network. Thus whenever market site present referenced suppliers, this site will be more and more attractive.

-         The e-procurement (professional purchases on line): The processes of purchase or of stocks automated dealing with applicative of information system specially dedicated to this process. This process may be included in one or in many places of market. The e-procurement is practiced for strategic purchases (an exclusive platform thought an Extranet) or in collaboration of the great firms which are in a concurrence in the same sector. (Plat forms which are collective thought a unified site in the market).

-         The web EDI (Exchange of informatised Data): The EDI makes easy the relations between industrial buyers and suppliers. In fact, “the computers of different companies use the data’s networks to send to each other formal information’s about the command, the delivery and the invoice, more generally, information about all the commercial transactions”. But the applying of the EDI is a costly operation “only reserved to enterprises with a certain financial basis together with the possibility to realise scale economies”. To day, the EDI has been directed to wards Internet Solutions. The increase of B2B trade let the PME together with the big firms to have an access to cheaper technologies and to exchange informatised data. “As soon as many commercial transactions enter the firms thought Internet, it is not absurd to take out firm procedures recently placed under the EDI system, in order to provide these enterprises with material means to realise electrical transactions. While using Internet for EDI, the whole of exchange chain and of its protocols are maintained, but the communication is established thought Internet network. The thing that permits a sensible decrease of transmission costs is then a potential use by a big number of firms with PME. Internet permit also “the application of EDI lights”, which means reduced and cheaper functionals, accessible by graphic interfaces and navigators rather than pre-formatised screens. These elements which permit to familiar and artizanal enterprises to have an access to EDI.

 

I-2- “Old” technologies firm now on accessible:

Hence, applications traditionally inaccessible for the user. Finally become disponible on the work level and the evolution of power and of operation of machines and progress in network. Some technologies lake the data “ware house” and decisive application, “the groupware”, the progicials of integrated gestion (ERP) constitute new technologies in the measure that the progression in terms of server and logiciel on the user post permit in the future to let then accessible on different posts of work and in different unities.

I-2-1- The decisive data:

The saturation of data is a significatif gesture in the contemporary enterprises “it suffers a lot firm this material rather than currency”. “Herbert Simon” pointed out that the access to richness in information creates the poverty in attention”. The computer (data) more precisely, the decisive computer (data) is created firm the last notion. It is based one the idea of the concentration of data of enterprise in the data house to facilitate analysis (data mining) and the decision.

The applicators of decisive data:                       

-         The warehouse data: Which design at the time the basis in which the whole of information’s stocked together with the decisive system of information.

-          The mining data: Which literally signify “search data”. Lake in every excavation, its aim is to extract one element: The information. The data mining suits with the whole of techniques and methods permitting to obtain exploiting cognisance”. The data mining has got two principal functions: the extraction and the treatment of data in view of stocked mass.

I-2-2- The collaborator work:

The groupware, is defined in 1981 by Peter and Trudy Johnson Lentzas “a concept which aims at the same time the human process and organisational one in the collective work and the technological tools necessary to accomplish this task”, the groupware is a concept which is presented in different ways and use many applications. When, people work at the same time, we talk then, about groupware synchronic comprising mainly:

-         The Visio conference system: is destined to equipy a conference room for virtual meetings.

-         The visiophonie system: is composed of a camera (or every kind of video) linked to the computer by a numeric and compressive card, of a modem linked to the phone. It permits the computer to transmit to the receiver who is far but has got the same equipment, a real video image synchronised with the voice. The two applications which are Visio play and visio conference respond to different using. The first one is an integrated mean to the Microsoft ware. But, the second one is desired to equipy a conference room. In the opposite way, when individuals are not simultaneously connected, we talk them about an asynchrony groupware which aims to share the document and promote the communication.

-         The electronic mail: it is a bilateral and non collective means of communication.

-         The form or electronic conference: it is an electronic site (location) which gather the virtual communities. The forum permit to a group of actors to structure their exchange of informations and messages according to thematic files or groups of work.

-         The shared agenda: it is a tool which permits to have more visionnality of the planning of different person in view of the firm. It permits also to reserve slot time eatables and meeting dates. The agenda is dealt with everyday by phone persons, the secretary too.

-         The annuals: are the lists of address of correspondents, formalised according to their relations between each others.

 

For a long time, and remaining marginal, the applications of collaborative work have witnessed important development as soon as the Internet was born and the Intranet was developed too. Some applications groupware are fortunately offered by Internet. Without using specific logicials. “The aim of specific logicial is to structure the done task when it is repetitive. We are close then to work flow”. 

The work flow or flux of work in French, means an application of groupware which resolve one of the major difficult problems in the enterprise and which has got a concern in the documentation an information which accompany the process.

The work flow is then an application permitting to “manage, control and automate the administrative and edition al process of the enterprise”. In this definition, the important word is process because; it reduces the work flow role in view of other technologies such as the electronic management of file document.

“The work flow is mainly interested of flux orders and documentary process rather than their content”. Behind the groupware vocabulary a new way of work is concealed the used techniques are based on new technologies of informatique networks, but the organisational and human dimensions of work in group are important too.

 

 

 

I-2-3- The ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning):

“An ERP is a whole of applications reposing on data. The applications may be put in a isolated location, linking the ones to the others or by the assistance pf outside solutions. This modules group of management permits to rely all the fields of management in an enterprise”.

The ERP is a piloting mean/tool which integrates the whole functioning in the enterprise, starting from a single reference of data disserving the whole of modules: management of production GRH finance, administration, sale, purchase, logicials, etc. The all applications are relied the are to the others following an architecture of customer/provider. If a market application is in need to comptable data, it makes an appeal close to the computer of department of comptability. The opposite is just too. Thanks to commun and shared data, every modification of information’s repered in real time of the whole of applications. The input is unique and the diffusion is instantaneous.

I-2-4- The SCM (Supply Chain Management):

The SCM is a whole of applicative of information system which coordinates of flux of informations which are either internal or external permitting to optimise the management of logistic flux (levels of different stocks, purchase, reapprovisionning, delivery, orders traceability) between customer/supplier based on the reciprocal doubt to got wards collaboration between actors”.

I-2-5- Technologies issued of the informatised/telephonic convergence:

There is years ago, telephonic technologies have permitted to develop the networks of telephony every where with it known success. The introduction of mobile phone in enterprise has accroited the nobility of salaried and accessibility of ones and others. The evolutions in the domain clearly push to consider original applications linked to the Internet applications.

I-2-6- The CRM (Customer Relationship Management):

“It is a collection of applications of information system which permit to reassembly the informations dispersed in other applications and to manage the customer relation along the customer process (demarking, pre-sale, sale, invoice, after-sale, customer value). The principal of CRM is the personalisation of the relation with the customer, in the prospective to keep him faithful in order, after that to increase the enterprise profitability. The management of customer relation has nothing of innovation. It is an approach of the enterprise centralised on its customers and its potential customers too”. The innovation today, is concerned with technologies in the service of customer relation rather than to the fundamentals. Thanks to the integration of Internet technologies the management of customer relation can fortunately be applied thought multiple canals to traditional maintenance fax and telephone together with e-mail, Internet and the TV Web.

“The fundamental stake for the enterprise is to centralise data in order to offer the same information to the customer whatever is selected front door/gate and to keep with this customer a relation which exceed the simple transaction. This signifies that the informations about transactions that are effected by the customer must be accessible by all the enterprise functions (commercials, financials, service after-sale, logistic, marketing, judicial, etc.)” 

By the conjunction of data capacities and telephonique facilities, the solutions of CRM permit/allow the link appeal centres, the web centres and the transactional informatics/data systems (commercials, financials …) and decisive (data ware house and data mining).

After presenting the NTIC, the functionalities which they recover as well as their advantage and respective limits, it is high time then that we resumed their interaction.

 

SCHEMA  

           

Figure 1.Interaction des NTIC                                     

The private networks of the enterprise (intra-extranet) are spirited from Internet by barriers called. Its aim is to protect the enterprise networks from the incursion of external elements. But the barrier works in the two senses and serves to limit the access to Internet from the enterprise interior.

The dialogue customer post with the central server upon on the functions of electronic-mail, of groupware, the electronic management of documents (EED), the edition and electronic publication of multimedia documents (picture, text, sound) is the collection of unified data’s of the enterprise allowing to synchronise operational applications (CRM, ERP, SCM) starting from downstream, that means from a customer order.

II- The determinants of the level of use of the NTIC in the enterprise:

II-1- The level of use of NTIC:

For a long time “the conception is the applying of systems of information has been considered as an essentially technique problem where the principal difficulty was the manipulation of informatics toll”. The enterprises looked for, them, a technical validity. This one is defined as relative to “technical characters of information system of management which many intervene while its application, as the answer time and the conception of the system.

The traditional vision of technologies information is the communication as tools having the function of technical or operational support and which remain, according to “Rallet” simple intermedial consummations, having a marginal function persisting with a good number of managers.

The directions of information systems are perceived as responsible of an element of logistic support or of the techno structure and they one not integrated into the global strategic reflexion of the enterprise. But, the technical apply of information technologies and communication is not sufficient for their success in the organisation. Two factors may be introduced:

-         The technologies of information may not be pertinent for the activity of the enterprise “Its interest may not be evaluated uniquely in terms of efficiency, whatever is its goal”.

-         Krovi think that neglecting of organisational factors or human ones may bring difficulties at the time of applying information technologies.

For making up for this, purely technical vision, we assist to a proliferation of articles, as well as academic rather than patricians offering a multitude of models of strategic alignment strategic of technologies and of information together with the activities of the enterprise.

If the NTIC are perceived as a strategic advantage of the enterprise in its struggle for competitively, the technologies of information must be coherent with the large aims of the enterprise. Furthermore, their becoming must go hand in hand with the become of the enterprise.

II-2- The determinants of level of use of NTIC:

In the following content, we expose an overview of factors having done the object of empirical researches, anterior and considered as susceptible to have an impact on the perception by the users of strategic character of NTIC.

Five factors groups are identified:

-         The context of the enterprise (sector, weight and dispersion).

-         The managerial context (leadership and information).

-         The organisational context (structure and strategy).

-         The cultural context (culture of enterprise).

-         The environmental context (level of concurrence and incertitude of the environment).

II-2-1- The Context of enterprise:

The sector of the activity of the enterprise:

The activity sector seems to have an influence on the level of use of the NTIC. It had put in evidence differences in the use of technologies between industrial and department sector. The studies concerning the adoption of innovation in NTIC have proved that the weight factor affect the adoption of NTIC. Many arguments fight in favour of a relation between the enterprises. Weight and the level of use of NTIC. In fact, when the effective of the enterprise increase, the questions of coordination are dealt with important knowledge and the NTIC are susceptible to play an important role. In the same chain of ideas, Kalika has put in evidence “that the strategic character of NTIC is linked to the organisation of the enterprise and to the dispersion of their activities”. Two factors of managerial context seem to have an impact on the level use of the NTIC.

The leadership:

The empirical anterior researches have shown a correlation between the use of NTIC and the encouragement and engaging of the direction. The level of use of NTIC depends on the policy adopted by the management and on the role of hierarical superiors in the promotion and the use of NTIC. According to the classic theory and the diffusion of innovations, certain personnel characters of decides explain the proportion to apport such innovation.

The formation:

The anterior researches have show that the information in tool and the experience of use is positively correlated with the frequent use. The researches of “L’observatoire e-management” have put in evidence a relation between the formation of NTIC and the level of conscience of the strategic importance which accord them. “The technical formation in tools is certainly essential, but cannot be sufficient. Indeed, the technical formation in NTIC must be accompanied with formation for e-management which considers individual and collective disruption which are permitted by changements of technologies”.

II-2-2- The organisational context:

“The actual structure may influence the conception of the systems of information, the success of their implantation and their use”. The researches of the observatories e-management have show that the level of use of NTIC differ according to the organigram that the enterprises are endowed wick. There existed a virtual circle in the enterprises. In fact, the manipulation of organisation for composed project of members who are frequently fare geographically and requiring means of communication and of work in groups who induce investments in NTIC. We suggest then to test the sixth hypothesis.

II-2-3- The cultural context:

The relative factor to cultural context is reported to the culture of enterprise which is in great part influenced by national culture.

The culture of enterprise:

The empirical studies have proved the delay of certain countries in adopting the NTIC in regard to others (El Louadi, 2002). They put in evidence the impact of the national culture on the level of use of NTIC. “The general culture may be a factor of explication or a facilitator or inhibitor of the acceptance of NTIC”. In fact, a hierarical culture of country generates an attitude which assimilates the power to possess informations. The information perceives then its protected and reserved access for some selected persons. This attitude is in complete contradiction with principes that govern the NTIC to know the transparency. The researches of the observatories e-management have proved that NTIC constitutent a strategic slate and are necessary to replace old and traditional croyances and professional values by new models of thought. We talk then about enterprise culture this one is based on the rapidity and immediacy of information. The transparencies in exchanges, the responsabilisation of collaborators less formality, more election of ideas and courage in innovation we suggest then to test hypothesis.

II-2-4- The environment context:

The studies about the adoption of NTIC have proved that the proportion of an organisation to innovate is conditioned by occasions of affairs and the threatening of its environment.

The incertitude of the environment:

Having the fact of fighting in order to gain over dynamic markets and instable and competitive, the enterprises perceive their environment as uncertain the pression of customers and suppliers determine the adoption of NTIC, the instability of the environment, push the enterprises to access to a nuanced and complete information. Within a real time about the markets and the technologies and to access to old strategy in order to deal with this incertitude of environment. The works of the “observatory e-management” have established a positive correlation between the perception of strategic character of the NTIC and the record of precedent tools linked to Internet it is the nineth hypothesis

The concurrence standard:

It is generally admitted that the more the intensity of the concurrence is strong, the more the interest brought to NTIC is susceptible is important. The results issued of the empirical tests are contradictory to this subject. Some studies have permitted to show that the enterprises using their resources NTIC in order to respond to competitors influences. At the some times, the researches of the “observatory e-management” did not put in evidence a significant relation between the strategic characters attributed to NTIC and the concurrential intensity.

III- The empirical research:

In order to know what are the used NTIC hypothesis enterprises and to what level of e-management these enterprises are posed, an empirical study was done. The research consist of an inquiry administrated by a direct voice thought 49 enterprises disposing wells sites we have done an exploratory analysis to apprehend (in the level of questioned enterprises), the degree of diffusion of NTIC and the level of use of NTIC.

III-1- Results:

III-1-1- NTIC equipment:

The use of the Internet:

The results of the inquiry show that the questioned enterprises perceive in the internet essentially a modern mean and a performant mean to exchange informations, but still not a tool of commercial transaction.

The site web functions:

We deduce that the majority of enterprises create a site web which serves as uniquely glasses. This site presents their offers of products (95.9%), their activities, their cleaves numbers and gives the cordoned for a direct contact with principal operational responsible. It is generally, for the inquired enterprises; to make institutional, communication. There is no real volonty to make transaction throughout this site because only 32.7% of enterprises which were interrogated have a site which permits to consumers to pass their orders. Finally, the paying in line concerns only 6,1% of enterprisers interrogated which site spontaneously problems of security of transactions.

Moreover, the inquiry is revealed only the cost of the apply of a site of web does not present a major handicap (55.1%). On the basis of supports which were followed, we could explain that by the fact that the enterprises have record to internal competitions to develop their web site. When the enterprise makes an appeal to extremes competences, it inquiry generally functions reduced with a cheaper developing costs.

Intranet and its functions:

Out of 149 interrogated enterprises, 43 ones have got an Intranet. This thing permit to access to Internet for 95.34% between them, to communicate for electronic e-mailed to access to a general information about the enterprise for 97.7% to have an agenda shared for 72.1% to work in group of distance (groupware) for 65.1% to be formed in line for 46.5% and to have an electronic management of documents for 86% of inquired enterprises disposing of an Intranet.

To the question: “Is it the establishing of your Intranet costly? We remark that our question has no sense, because the only measurable elements are the informatised costs, neglected in relation to the whole of investments rather than such implicate evolution. For 51% of equipped enterprises, the establishing of the Intranet was costly because joined by developed functions with an elevated cost. The presence of Intranet is disparate according to the weight of enterprises. The paying is not transible by this type of canal, besides 36.8% of enterprises declare a recovery. Our revealed inquiry, that the required enterprise are characterised by a certain attention.

The ERP diffusion and the data warehouse:

From the constatations which resort from the inquiry, the enterprises required adapt little by little (55.1%) progiciels of integrated management. The most responded modules were treasury (92.6%) the production management (85.2%) (The management control (77.8%, only 62% of enterprises having ERP have deployed human resources. Moreover, the revealed inquiry that the application of ERP is a costly operation for 89% of enquired enterprises reserved to those who has got a solid financial basis.

It appears according to descriptive statistics that the ERP is relatively more installed in than one called “the industry big size” especially collecting the industrial companies and of distribution. On the other hand, it is to be stressed that the data house is highly used (73% of the companies questioned there have recourse)

The management of the logistic chain (SCM) and EDI:      

The investigation highlights a very week penetration of SCM the questioned companies (8.2%).Many people questioned are even unaware of the existence and the significance of the SCM. For the people who know that their company uses SCM, 75% of them estimate that its installation is very expensive. In addition, it should be noted that the connections of informatized data exchange (EDI) are used enough. In fact, 51% of the questioned companies affirm to resort to there.

The management of the client relationship (CRM):

The management of the client relationship is in phase of emergence (close to 39% of the questioned companies) but the companies which have recourse are aware of its contribution in particular for the personalisation.89% state to use information on waiting of the customers to personalize the relation. Other aspect of the CRM, the hierachisation of the customers by their value of which 84% of the companies equipped with CRM structure their wallet customer by profitability.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Electric tools

Average

Internet

Data warehouse

ERP

EDI

Extranet

CRM

SCM

 

2.75

2.47

2

2.02

1.77

1.77

1.18

Table1: position of the electric tools in the studied companies.

 

What comes out from this analysis is that the questioned companies invest rather largely out of equipment NTIC. L’Intranet appears in the first position with 87.3%. L’ERP appears in the medium but the electronic trade remains in phase of emergency, since the payment on line relates to only 6.1% of the questioned companies. On the other hand, the way to be traversed is still long for the CRM and especially the development of true integrated logistic chains (SCM). It should be announced that many companies would like to increase their investment as regards equipment in NTIC.

Budget

%

Decreasing

Constant

Growing

2.0

32.7

65.2

Table 2: Evolution of the budget allocated with the NTIC

III-1-2- Level of use of the NTIC

Although the NTIC are widely diffused in the questioned companies, one can wonder about their level of use. This analysis enables us to understand how the questioned companies use the NTIC, like a strategic stake or a banal investment in technology.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NTIC are

average

Standard deviation

A competing advantage

A strategic stake

Technical tools

A momentary fashion

5.33

4.96

3.84

2.37

1.64

1.90

1.64

1.70

Table3: statistics concerning the perception of the NTIC by the studied companies

 

The observation which arises from the descriptive statistics is that the questioned companies have a tendency to consider the NTIC as a competing advantage and a strategic stake rather than technical tools or momentary fashion.

 

The NTIC are a strategic stake

%

Disagreement

Fairly of agreement

Agreement

 18.4

20.4

61.2

Table 4: Strategic character of the NTIC

 

These results testify to the strategic character of the NTIC in more half of the companies and show the place which from now on is granted to them in the Tunisian companies.

According to the typology of company that we retained in the theoretical part, we can say that our sample is consisted of:

-         A majority of innovative companies having a strategic vision which enables them to position the NTIC like an essential investment, source of competing advantages.

-         Waiting companies account for 20.4% and testify to an interest for the NTIC. However, they do not accompagnent them yet of a strategic reflexion in the log run.

-          Traditional companies, for which the NTIC are only one effect of fashion, constitute 18.4% of the sample.

III-1-3- The determinants of the level of use of the NTIC:

To test advanced assumptions and to apprehend the determinants of the level of use of the NTIC, we have used the method of the linear regression which makes it possible to inform if the explanatory are correlated positively with a level of use of the NTIC and also with so strategic character which theirs is allotted. The extraversion of the company gathers the engagement of the general direction towards the NTIC, the culture of the Net and the strategies of partnerships.

The sector the structure of the company:

The results of the multivariate analysis confirming that the sector of the services and the structure by project are positively correlated with the strategic character allotted to the NTIC.

Size of the company:

The examination of the results of the multivariate analysis shows that the size directly influences the strategic character allotted to the NTIC on the basis of the significant relation positive. In fact, more the size of the company in creases, more the importance attached to the NTIC is high. This could be explained by the complexity of the organisation. In fact, more important manpower are translated in a company by a vertical organisational differentiation and horizontal and by a need for exchange and larger coordination.

Checking of the assumption relating to the dispersion of the company:

As well under the geographical angle as organisational, the strategic character allotted to the NTIC.

The result also show that the companies which work with the international one, that means, having contacts by their occupations with people located in a foreign countries, perceive much more strategic character of the NTIC than their counterparts whose activity is national. Two explanations can be advanced:

-         The NTIC limit displacements.

-         The NTIC make it possible to free from constraints synchrony.

In addition, it is interesting to note that it is the geographical dispersion which contributes to more explain the strategic dimension granted to the NTIC.

The extraverti character of company:

At the resulting of the results we note that strategic dimension is explained by character extraverti of enterprise. In fact, it appears that, more the company is turned towards outside on partners upstream and down stream and gives a detailed attention to the transparence and with the division of information as well interns as external borders is called into question and more the NTIC have a paramount role in the enterprise. On the other hand, more the general direction adopts an attitude of opening concerning NTIC and encourages the initiatives in this field; more the strategic dimension of the NTIC is marked in.

The strategy of externalisation:

Contrary with what could be supposed, the strategic dimension allotted to the NTIC is not associated the externalisation of activities by the company.

The formation with the NTIC:

Contrary to the predictions, the results of the multivariate analysis show that the formation with the NTIC doesn’t explain the strategic character allotted to the NTIC. This situation can be explained be several considerations. The formation with the NTIC is often synonymous with facility of use, there is seldom a strategic going beyond behind. It is not obvious that the companies which have a strategic vision have the means of invest in a formation with the NTIC which implies heavy costs.

The environment of the company:          

The results of the multivariate analysis confirm the assumption according to which the environment of the company is positively correlated with the character strategic allotted to the NTIC. It seems that the environment of the company is significantly connected to this strategic dimension. Indeed, more the environment of the turbulent and competing, more the character strategic of the NTIC is perceived by the company.

III-2- Summary of the results of empirical research:

At the end of this research, we could highlight that the NTIC are rather widely diffused in the questioned companies but to differing degrees we noticed that the majority of the questioned companies creates a web site which is used only as window. It is not real will to make transactions there. We are still far from the electronic trade. The Intranet, the data warehouse and the ERP appears in average position but the Extranet, the CRM and SCM still remain in phase of emergence. The results testify to a medium level of utilisation of the NTIC and show the place which from now on is granted to them in the companies. Indeed, more half of the questioned enterprises have a strategic vision which enables them to position the NTIC as a true competing advantage, which vision is very ambitious compared to the current practice.

The results obtained showed that this strategic dimension allotted to the NTIC depends mainly on the extraverti character of the company having been disengaged from the factorial analysis, the factor extraversion gathers the engagement of the general direction towards the NTIC, the culture of the Internet, we could check that more the company is open and round towards outside, more it considers the NTIC as strategic as well the size as the geographical dispersion of the company positively are correlated with the strategic character allotted to the NTIC what confirms the formers results of research.

In addition, we could establish that the strategic character of the NTIC depends on the environment of the company and with less degree of the company contrary to the results establish by former research, our research did not find a bond direct between the formation with the NTIC and the strategic dimension which is granted to them. However there is necessary to remain careful as for these conclusions insofar at the coefficients of regression obtained do not have very high values of other factors thus remain with identifier. This acts can be object of research of later analyses.

 

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