INSTITUTO DE VIVIENDA DE LA CIUDAD AUTONOMA DE BUENOS AIRES

8.14 The success of many business support programmes depends, in part, upon the knowledge and expertise of advisers, the confidence placed in them by companies and, also, the ease of applying/accessing support – the customer journey. Poor experience can deter companies from accessing support in future, which would be unfortunate as they may miss opportunities for growth and development.

8.15 In light of the above, the survey asked respondents a number of questions about their satisfaction with the Technology Grant Process, the Adviser, as well as with analysis of their training needs. In general, companies expressed a high level of satisfaction, although there are a small number of respondents whose experience seems to have been negative and they were more likely to express consistently their dissatisfaction.

The Grant Process

8.16 As shown in the graph below, the vast majority of respondents expressed satisfaction with the Adviser regarding different aspects of the support and advice they provided. Respondents were most likely to express satisfaction with Advisers’ understanding of their business (91% / 70), followed by their understanding of the sector in which they operate (88% / 66) and diagnosis of their technological needs (87% / 64).

8.17 The overall level of satisfaction expressed by respondents’ declines slightly with regards to Advisers’ identifying technology and equipment suited to company needs (81% / 60). This does not appear to have been a significant problem, but probably reflects the point raised by some Network Advisers that companies already have ideas about the equipment they want to purchase before the Adviser undertakes an analysis of the company.

8.18 This is also supported by consultations with several of the companies. For example, one construction company was already aware that it needed to invest in ICT before it applied for the Technology Grant. Consequently, it particularly valued the Adviser’s role in identifying and brokering relevant training opportunities (rather than identifying its technology needs).

Graph 8.4 Business Evaluation of Advice

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Identified technology / equipment most suited to

your needs Diagnosed your needs

correctly Understood the sector in

which you operate Understood your business

8.19 The survey results and the interviews indicate that there may have been a misconception in-built into the Programme, namely that SMEs require advice from Advisers about the latest technological developments within their sector. Although the Programme has imparted such knowledge, it is also evident that some SMEs are already aware of major developments (through attendance at trade shows, journals and so forth). Therefore, the lower level of satisfaction expressed with Advisers in this respect should not be seen as a weakness of the Programme or the ability of the Advisers; instead it should be seen as the strength of the region’s SME base and their tenacity in keeping abreast of sectoral trends and issues.

Training Needs Analysis

8.20 A condition that is placed on companies receiving a Technology Grant is that they must engage in workforce development, particularly at the higher-skills level. To ensure that this occurs, Advisers are required to undertake training needs analysis of companies submitting a Technology Grant application.

8.21 Again, as with the technology needs analysis, most respondents felt that the Adviser had diagnosed their training needs accurately (89% / 67). The level of satisfaction, however, declines somewhat with regards to the brokerage of training, particularly in terms of Advisers taking into account company capacity and resources (70% / 51). In all likelihood, this is not a comment or reflection on the ability of Advisers, all of whom seem to be fully aware of different types of provision and where it can be accessed. Instead, this is probably a reflection of the perennial barrier faced by many SMEs, which is releasing staff to access off- the-job training.

Graph 8.5 Business Evaluation of Advice

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Arranged skills training that took into account your capacity and resources Arranged skills training that

effectively addressed the needs of your enterprise Diagnosed your needs

correctly

Very well Quite well Not very well Not at all Don't know

Summary

8.22 The main points arising from the analysis are:

• Respondents reported that the main reasons for accessing the Technology Grant were to support product and process innovation, and improve productivity. They anticipated that this would lead to increased sales and profits.

• The vast majority of respondents expressed satisfaction with the Adviser regarding different aspects of the support and advice they provided.

• The overall level of satisfaction expressed by respondents’ declines slightly with regards to Advisers’ identifying technology and equipment suited to company needs. This should not be seen as a weakness of the Programme or the ability of the Advisers; instead for reasons explained above, it should be seen as the strength of the region’s SME base and their tenacity in keeping abreast of sectoral trends and issues.

• Most respondents felt that the Adviser diagnosed their training needs accurately. However, the results indicate that they can face difficulties in releasing staff to attend training courses.

9

The Business Perspective 2: Benefits and Outcomes

9.1 The previous Section identified respondents’ motivations for accessing the Technology Grant and their expectations of the way in which it would support their growth aspirations. This Section turns to the benefits and outcomes that have occurred as a result of the technology they purchased through the Grant.