An E-Administration Strategy for Innovation Transfer

Transcription

1 5 th International Vilnius Conference EURO Mini Conference Knowledge-Based Technologies and OR Methodologies for Strategic Decisions of Sustainable Development (KORSD-2009) September 30 October 3, 2009, Vilnius, LITHUANIA ISBN M. Grasserbauer, L. Sakalauskas, E. K. Zavadskas (Eds.): KORSD-2009 Selected papers. Vilnius, 2009, pp Institute of Mathematics and Informatics, 2009 Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, 2009 An E-Administration Strategy for Innovation Transfer Irene Krebs 1, Justyna Patalas-Maliszewska 2 1 Chair of Industrial Information Systems Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus 2 Institute of Computer Science and Production Management, University of Zielona Góra, Poland 1 krebs@ iit.tu-cottbus.de; 2 j.patalas@iizp.uz.zgora.pl Abstract: At present a specialist discussion on the topic an e-administration is taking place in Germany even though still cautiously. Due to both long-term and current political and economic developments municipalities in Germany are facing enormous challenges. Then particularly development of innovation and process of innovations transfer is important question in Poland. The management of innovations by support of administration is promoted as an important and necessary factor for organizational survival and maintenance of competitive strength. By considering how innovation development is related with administration, especially with an e-administration, this paper proposes also a conceptual model, with special focus on the relationships between research and development institution and determinants of innovation transfer. The major model of an e-administration strategy for innovation transfer is presented and directions for future research are suggested according to the proposed model. 1 Introduction Innovation solutions are understood as the efficient information use. Growing international competition necessitates increased interest in scientific development in the field of management. Administration is a basis for accelerating structural changes in the regional economy, as well as it is a crucial factor determining competitiveness. In knowledge based economy, while trying to maintain their markets and access new ones, citizens should improve their skills to utilise innovative technological solutions available globally. Rapid changes require citizens to resort to lifelong learning. One of the most important civilisation challenges in the information society is to counteract knowledge outdate. This study discuss about the introduction of new forms of innovation transfer based on e-administration strategy. The public sector organisation has been restructuring according to the New Public Management Theory, in order to reduce costs, to increase efficiency and improve the relationship between citizens and government. This new way of work is called e-government and can be defined as the use of electronic processes by citizens, businesses, and the government to communicate, to disseminate and gather information, to facilitate payments, and to carry out permitting in an online environment (David C., 2004). A relevant framework to this issue is based on a database referring to: e-government strategy ascribed to fundamental relationship between government and citizen (clients) and considered to transform the way in which most public services are delivered. Allowing responding to the following question: Is there a model of an e-administration strategy for innovation transfer? 381

2 2 An e-administration strategy I. Krebs, J. Patalas-Maliszewska The implementation of e-government solutions and e-government strategies costs a lot of money (Krebs I., 2009). The E-Government Handbook defined three phases of e-government (1) Publish, (2) Interact, (3) Transact and related them with the application of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in each phase. CRM includes the methodologies, strategies, software, and web-based capabilities that help an organisation organise and manage customer relationship. The knowledge is treated as enterprise s resource, which generates profits in higher level than capital and land. In other words, knowledge management of customer means the same as using new technology intelligently and at the same time appreciating the value of its authors and trustees of knowledge (Handy Ch., 1998). The factor which determine taking up right decisions and successful economic actions is up to date, precise, quickly supply information. The development of new Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is very important to make the modernization of the Government possible and guarantee the security of the information, creating also a system to archive the information. So, an e-administration strategy is defined as a plan designed to achieve such goals: (1) One workflow system for all participants, (2) Lower costs of administration, (3) Security of correspondence for all participants. It can be observed that the main elements of the e-administration implementation are: (1) Workflow of documents, (2) Digital signature, (3) e-procurement platform, (4) Electronic archive, (5) complete hardware and software solutions, (6) training for project s participants, (7) guarantee and servicing of software and equipment. An e-administration strategy is very complex and not easy to implement due to the partnership size. It required a great skills form all the partners involved (managing, technical, etc.). It is obvious that the successful implementation of an e-administration strategy does depend on choosing good model of management of the project, especially establishing a network of local project coordinators by every project partner, procurement in the project, observing the projects schedule guarantees. The one of the most important indicators of competitive advantage in organization (kind of client e-administration) is innovation transfer (Patalas J., Kłos S., 2008). The analysis of the innovation transfer tools is based on the activity of the research and development s (R&D) institutions. There are two possible ways to create an innovation in organisation. First realization of EU project and second to profit from innovation database. There are also institutions that make organisation to implement the innovation in their structures: Centre for Innovation Promotion, Regional Contact Points, Technology Transfer Centre, Technological and Science Park, Incubator of Entrepreneurship and Technologies. Such institutions are the meeting place for representatives of science, modern industry and all aspects of entrepreneurship. The main purpose of the organizations is bringing research results (and research scientists) closer to the social and economic practice in all of the enterprises. It can be observed that the main sources of innovation transfer in organisation are: Innovation s project database websites, New technologies databases, Patents bases, Specialists training database. So, consequently in this way, authors accept that e-administration can create the database for innovation transfer. The application of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in the 382

3 AN E-ADMINISTRATION STRATEGY FOR INNOVATION TRANSFER e-administration is providing an integrated view on the relevant knowledge for various problems and tasks. Therefore an e-government strategy should be in the centre of the attention of the future administrative policy of innovation transfer. 3 Model of an e-administration strategy for innovation transfer Some many specific concepts have been transferred from the private sector to the public sector, such CRM. Governments realize that it is a tool that has significant potential to improve their relationship with their customers through re-organizing service delivery around costumer intention. In order to achieve the satisfaction of his customer, the government has been looking at their expectations like: The citizens demand more structured cities and easily access to their services, Improvement of the access to information and more transparency of government decision, More involvement in the process of the decision making and planning process, High quality of service-delivery, including e-services (Westholm H., Aichholzer G., 2003). So, on the basis of the e-administration strategy definition, the model of an e-administration strategy for innovation transfer has been developed (Fig. 1). Requirement of the organization of innovation transfer Research and Development institution: Regional Contact Points, Centre for Innovation Promotion, Technology Transfer Centre, Technological and Science Park, Incubator of Entrepreneurship and Technologies E- Administration based on the Customer Relationship Management Characteristic of e- administration based on CRM: Attend to the citizens needs Reduction of costs of the processes Reduction of the time required Virtual place for each client (Citizens, Enterprises, Public institution, Public organization) Database of innovation transfer in e-administration Process of innovation transfer in organization Innovation implementation in enterprises: Cost analyses Legal and financing aspects Training in enterprises Determinants of innovation transfer: Results of process analyze in enterprises Government area Business area: Clients, Competition Budget Results of innovation implementation in an organization Figure 1. Model of an e-administration strategy for innovation transfer Source: own elaboration 383

4 4 Case study I. Krebs, J. Patalas-Maliszewska Government in the Lubuskie province, Poland, has a strong motivation to build and put into operation regional innovation policy with tailored to regional or international needs concrete schemes. The overall objective is to create the database of innovation transfer in e-administration with clear communication networks and tools as well as to involve main innovation players of the region. For the implementation of such model (Fig. 1) it is to involve as many as possible regional actors in the database of innovation transfer in e-administration (f. e. to increase overall awareness in the region relating to innovation, to build regional consensus and future innovation policy in the region, to enhance networking among regional institution and companies, to communicate the model idea (Fig. 1) and its progress to the wide spectrum of regional or international players). In order to show the possibility of using the model (Fig. 1) let us consider the project Regional Network Technology Transfer, University of Zielona Gora, Poland. The paper s authors were preparing and realizing this project. The database of innovation transfer in the Lubuskie region was done during the realization of this project. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. It investigated opinions and professed behavior of separate groups of respondents small and medium sizes enterprises (SME) in Lubuskie region. The views and opinions held by entrepreneurs were examined on the basis of an interview questionnaire. The survey covered 100 Polish companies from the SME sector from Lubuskie region. Also entrepreneurs described the most effective, in their opinion, forms of innovation s promoting and transfer on the market. Those mentioned most often were: personal contact (30 %) and Internet (19%) [Patalas J., Kłos S., 2007]. As the result of project Regional Network Technology Transfer helping paper s author is created the innovation s database with innovative potential of University of Zielona Góra: So, the model (Fig 1) based on e-administration should improve the implementation of innovation in the company. The markets analyze shows that in a given company there is a need to implement only some of the innovation offered. So, it is essential to define a priority database as well as the control indicators which would determine the level of implementation success (cost analyses, return in investment analyze). In the case considered, it is assumed that the database for innovation transfer is defined adequately to the tasks that are preceded in the course of the innovation introduction process: (1) Requirement of the organization of innovations transfer, (2) Defining of innovation, (3) Project of innovations transfer: database of innovation transfer ( defining of budget, defining of time of process implementation, building of project s group, (4) Innovation implementation in company. Results of analyze for project Regional Network Technology Transfer indicate it, that the presented concept of an e- Administration Strategy for innovation transfer can be the most important tool to build and put into regional innovation policy. The main problem that involves concept of an e-administration strategy for innovation transfer, which is understood as a problem of such innovation selection that would guarantee the improvement of the indices previously determined by the user, involves the innovation implementation with the research method that would define the efficiency of a given implementation. The decision as far as innovations implementation is concerned is based on the decision support from government. So it can be observed that there is market vacuum for tools orientated towards innovations implementation support systems for company management. So, the question is: how we could get from innovations database the innovation to our company? The paper s authors propose to add the model of an e-administration strategy for innovation transfer (Fig. 1). In the further work will be created an algorithm, with will choose the right innovation from innovations database for enterprises. 384

5 AN E-ADMINISTRATION STRATEGY FOR INNOVATION TRANSFER 5 Conclusions An e-administration has become an everyday reality, but still needs to be shaped with vision and long-term planning. The spread of information and communications technology brings hope that government can transform. Innovation transfer is already been becoming a priority for the science society, governments and entrepreneurs. The paper mentions why e-administration for innovation transfer is necessary in a changed and enlarged EU which faces global competition. This activity would enable organization to catch up with more advanced economies, allowing it a more effective competition in European and the international scene. References David, C The 3 Ps: The Essential Elements of a Definition of E-Government, Journal of E-Government 1(1). Handy, Ch The age of surmounted intelligence. Business Press, Warsaw, Poland. Krebs, I Prague.. Patalas, J.; Kłos, S Knowledge management in SME in the Lubuskie province, in Information and Knowledge in Innovate Enterprise (Eds. J. Lewandowski, S. Kopera, J. Królikowski). Łódź, Patalas, J.; Kłos, S Knowledge management process based on innovation transfer in SMEs, Management 12(2). Westholm, H.; Aichholzer, G E-Administration, Prisma Strategic Guideline 1, April. 385