The European e-Business Report The European e ... - empirica

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The European E-Business Report 2005 but the correlation coefficients show even higher values for the aeronautics industry compared to the joint transport equipment sector. This suggests firstly that there are market- and sector-specific differences in the relationship between innovation and performance variables, emphasising the importance of a sector-specific analysis. Secondly, it could be that firms in the aeronautics industry have more trouble in appropriating profits from innovation in general. Integration of the supply chain The aeronautics industry is characterised by a unique structure shaped by complex relationships between firms in the value chain and the small number of system integrators, i.e. primes. The industry supply chain has been further evolving in recent years and the transformation of the aeronautics industry closely resembles the changes that have taken place in other manufacturing industries, for example, in the automotive sector. The process of industry transformation has some important implications to the development of e-business in the aeronautics sector. Searching for a greater flexibility and leaner organisational structures, prime contractors and system integrators perceive outsourcing as an attractive alternative to producing inputs in-house. However, smooth data exchange between separate enterprises has not been achieved. Different companies use different ICT systems and data stemming from one firm could be used only within that entity and its system. Sending data to another company that uses a different ICT system requires a translation of the input into the language used by the latter’s applications. In practice, this means that a company’s employee has to manually insert the data into the system. Such a method is very costly and errorprone. Industry-wide standards have been perceived as the best way to overcome the problems related to the use of heterogeneous data exchange formats and protocols. SMEs in the aeronautics sector face an increasing pressure from their customers to implement ICT applications that support the integration of inter-firm processes. However, as different companies use different systems, smooth data exchange between separate companies has not yet been achieved. Thus, in order to comply with customers’ technical requirements, SMEs face the dilemma of adopting several systems and bear the costs and workload or risk losing a customer. A possible solution to this problem is, again, the development of industry-wide standards. The development of such standards is, however, still in progress. 28% of companies said that they utilise proprietary standards and only 12% that they have XML-based applications. This therefore justifies such industry initiatives as the Boost Aero project. The project aims at creating industry-wide web-based standards for supply chain data exchange formats and technological architecture. The underlying intention behind this initiative is to address the problem of multiple and heterogeneous applications deployed in the aeronautics industry. The case studies on Mecahers (France), the Polish aeronautics industry, and on e-PME, a project by AFNeT (French Association of Internet Users), highlight some of the issues relevant to the integration of the supply chain in the aeronautics industry. Case studies and business examples The sector report on the aeronautics industry (July 2005) contains short case studies and examples of e-business activity in companies from the sector. These 'activity views' support the analysis of findings both from the survey and from desk research, and provide further insight in current e-business trends and developments. Exhibit 2.7-3 summarises the 'activity views' which are featured in more detail in the report. 129
The European E-Business Report 2005 Exhibit 2.7-3: E-Business Activity Views featured in the sector study E-Business Activity Views Country Topics Case Study: Aerostar - Information integration at a large aeronautics company Case Study: E-business at MTU Aero Engines Case Study: Dassault Aviation – product development revolution Case Study: MECAHERS – implementation of an ERP system Case Study: The Polish Aeronautics Industry – e-business initiatives Case Study: e-PMS / Boost Aero: SME projects by AFNeT (French Association of Internet Users) Romania Germany France France Poland France Implementation of an ERP system by a large aeronautics company Description of e-business activities and benefits in one of the major global aero engine producers An ambitious e-business project that brought together a number of companies to work simultaneously in a digital environment. Insights into the potential benefits of inter-firm integration and cooperation facilitated by ICT Motivation and lessons learned from the implementation of an ERP system in a mediumsized aeronautics company Field research on e-business attitudes and practices. Insights into the barriers to e-business development An SME-support initiative; description of a standardisation project 2.7.4 Anticipated implications of e-business for the industry Based on survey results, case studies and desk research, e-Business W@tch has drawn conclusions on key implications of e-business for the aeronautics industry. A distinction was made between opportunities and risks that seem to hold for all companies in the sector independent of their size, and risks that are particularly relevant for SMEs from the industry. General opportunities and risks related to e-business Opportunities • Strategic importance of ICT prevails: ICT remains an important enabler of innovations. • ICT positively affects firm’s performance: ICTrelated process innovations are positively associated with increasing turnover. • Lack of legacy technologies: The development of e-business is not impeded by the presence of legacy applications. Risks • Problems with realising benefits form innovation: Due to industry-specific factors, firms might not be able to appropriate benefits from innovation. • Overinvestment in ICT may threaten a firm’s stability: Attracted by potential benefits of ICT, companies might tend to over-invest. • Exclusion of ICT-laggards: As the process of supply chain integration progresses, firms failing to adopt required e-business standards might be forced to abandon the business. Strategic importance of ICT prevails. The results of the empirical analysis clearly indicate that ICT still remains an important enabler of innovation in the aeronautics industry. The survey results on motives for engaging in e-business activities also indicate that companies in the aeronautics sectors are motivated by the strategic potential of ICT. 130
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