Big IT for small companies

Quick-scan method makes up for lack of resources

By Alejandro J. Cataldo, Robert J. McQueen and Marcos Sepulveda

Although small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are a key factor in the economies of all countries and regions, they sometimes face big gaps in production and performance when compared to large companies. One important gap is the fact that most SMEs do not use and implement information technologies to their full potential. This entails a significant loss of resources and consequently disappoints managers about how such technology can benefit the company. For example, several studies show that acquiring hardware and software licenses can be one of the most important investments a small or medium business can make. But evidence abounds that these companies have problems in fully exploiting the functionality of their new purchases.