This survey is about recognizing patterns in the way Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) organize their procurement activities. The scope of the survey is limited to the key commodities of the SME.A key commodity is defined as the purchased product or service group which is essential for realizing the value proposition for the customers of the SME.Prior outcome of our research indicated the existence of four procurement oriented patterns in SMEs. 4 Procurement Oriented Patterns where part of the study: Pattern 1 Focal company: ICT turn-key designerValue proposition of the focal company: ICT Design and assembly of offices on a high quality level at a reasonable price. Operational excellence: standardization in commodities, low transaction costs internally and externallyPurchased key commodity: Standard ICT software and hardwarePattern 2 Focal company: Horse shoes manufacturerValue proposition of the focal company: Standard horse shoes assortment at reasonable prices in a competitive environmentPurchased key commodity: Standard quality iron, reliable deliveryPattern 3 Focal company: IT innovation driven companyValue proposition of the focal company: Developing innovative software made applicable for practical usage in devices at a reasonable pricePurchased key commodity: Delivering applicable solutions on the bases of regular soft- and hardware, to enable the companies’ innovative software function in practicePattern 4 Focal company: designer and manufacturer of trailersValue proposition of the focal company: Designing and manufacturing trailers tailor made for specific requirements of customersPurchased key commodity: Designing and manufacturing axles which align to the specific trailer wishes of the customer of the focal companyFINDINGS Pattern recognitionAbout 50 % of the respondents recognized the four presented patterns from own experience and/or read literature. Respondents also suggested pattern variants. It is concluded that this Delphi study strengthens the view that these patterns exist in SMEs. Further research may include further empirical testing of these patterns and their variants. Perceived strengths or weaknesses. Respondents mentioned a wide variety of strengths and weaknesses of the patterns. No clear conclusions can be drawn from this data. Adequacy of the pattern descriptions. One of the outcomes of this Delphi study is an improved conceptual framework for describing procurement activity patterns. This framework can be used for collecting SME data in future research, for example by modifying the existing survey questions which are used in the WIM research program to describe SME procurement activities. The improved model includes more variables and values than the initial model. Thus future research may lead to more detailed patterns descriptions. Missing patterns and pattern variantsApart from the suggested pattern variants, respondents do not miss patterns which are quite different from the four patterns suggested by the research team. Methodological remarksThe Delphi study method did not allow for fast feedback on panel member contributions and fast group think processes. For the future it is advised to consider other methods in similar cases, for example the World Cafe method.
Purpose: Small and medium-sized entities (SMEs) operating in the alternative financing sector are typically heterogenous in nature making them differ greatly from traditional banks. Where traditional banks must comply with strict banking regulations, developing uniform regulations for the alternative financing sector remains a challenge. This paper examines the current challenges and solutions from a sociological and institutional perspective in developing standards for SMEs operating in the alternative financing sector in the Netherlands. Adopting minimum quality standards should lead to increased transparency and public trust in the non-banking sector.
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With increasing penetration rates of driver assistance systems in road vehicles, powerful sensing and processing solutions enable further automation of on-road as well as off-road vehicles. In this maturing environment, SMEs are stepping in and education needs to align with this trend. By the input of student teams, HAN developed a first prototype robot platform to test automated vehicle technology in dynamic road scenarios that include VRUs (Vulnerable Road Users). These robot platforms can make complex manoeuvres while carrying dummies of typical VRUs, such as pedestrians and bicyclists. This is used to test the ability of automated vehicles to detect VRUs in realistic traffic scenarios and exhibit safe behaviour in environments that include VRUs, on public roads as well as in restricted areas. Commercially available VRU-robot platforms are conforming to standards, making them inflexible with respect to VRU-dummy design, and pricewise they are far out of reach for SMEs, education and research. CORDS-VTS aims to create a first, open version of an integrated solution to physically emulate traffic scenarios including VRUs. While analysing desired applications and scenarios, the consortium partners will define prioritized requirements (e.g. robot platform performance, dummy types and behaviour, desired software functionality, etc.). Multiple robots and dummies will be created and practically integrated and demonstrated in a multi-VRU scenario. The aim is to create a flexible, upgradeable solution, published fully in open source: The hardware (robot platform and dummies) will be published as well-documented DIY (do-it-yourself) projects and the accompanying software will be published as open-source projects. With the CORDS-VTS solution, SME companies, researchers and educators can test vehicle automation technology at a reachable price point and with the necessary flexibility, enabling higher innovation rates.
