Assessment of Information Technology Use in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Empirical Investigation in Five Cases

Small or Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) constitute a significant portion with in the world economy, especially for developing countries. In this context, the use of information technologies (IT) brought a leverage to gain competitive advantage in the market. In that regard, effective use of IT is vital to maintain successful business operations. Since assessment bring the improvement with it, assessment of IT use in SMEs would enhance business operations as well as organizational processes. This chapter presents an exploratory study with the practice of a new model for assessment of IT use in SMEs, which is called ITMEM: Information Technology Management Enhancement Model. This model aims to enhance IT management and processes within 5 domains (Identification, Selection, Acquisition, Exploitation and Protection) which brings together the organizational use of IT in a coherent whole. The model was developed upon a three-folded structure including (1) academic studies in technology management, (2) best practices which are developed for control over IT operations and processes including COBIT, CMMI and ITIL, and (3) standards about IT management and IT security. Data was collected by survey method including quantitative and qualitative approaches. Results were statistically tested for reliability and consistency. The findings were presented as strengths and weakness of cases in terms of IT use. In addition to that, implications about IT awareness, its utilization and protection, importance of assessment and relationship between organizational processes and IT use were reported. Interviews have been conducted with senior level personnel of IT departments in companies. The results presented that practicing assessment in companies is encouraging in terms of IT use by employees and increasing quality of business processes. The reported findings would be valuable asset for researchers who are developing a model, and for practitioners who are developing managerial implications about IT management and IT use in SMEs. In addition to that, it is believed that the research will contribute to literature in terms of implementing IT assessment on cases of SMEs.