Methodology

The Survey on the use of information and communication technologies and e-commerce in companies (EICTCE) is an annual sample based survey conducted by the INE for the whole of Spain. On the basis of a collaboration agreement with the INE, Idescat extends on the results offered by this operation for Catalonia.

The main objectives of the survey are:

• to show the implantation and use of ICT by companies with activity in the Spanish territory.
• to show the use of e-commerce made by companies.
• to obtain comparable information between autonomous communities, Spain and other countries.

The target population for this study was made up of companies whose main activity is described in sections C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, classes 6419, 6492, 6612 and 6619 and groups 651 and 652 of section K, section L, divisions from 69 to 74 of section M and section N of the CCAE-2009.

The survey has two time references; the variables on the use of ICT refer to January 2009 while the reference period for the variables on e-commerce, interaction with public administration and ICT training is 2008.

The employment data is an annual average for 2008 and the economic data in relation to purchasing and sales refer to the whole of 2008.

The Geographic scope of the research consists of the whole of the Spanish territory. However, the survey does offer some results for each of the autonomous communities.

The exploitation for Catalonia contains information on all of the statistical units located in Catalonia.

The statistical unit of analysis is the company with an economic activity that is included in the Population scope as described above. The company is also the informant unit.

A company is understood to be any legal entity that constitutes an organisational unit for the production of goods or services, and that enjoys certain autonomy in its decisions, mainly in terms of the assignation of the resources it possesses. A company can exercise one or more activities in one or more establishments.

The population framework for the survey is the Central Company Directory (DIRCE). This is an organised registry of information that contains data on the identities, locations, territorial distribution, classification by size and economic activities of companies. This data is obtained from administrative sources (Tax agency, Social Security, etc) and is complemented with information provided by different INE statistical operations. The DIRCE is updated on an annual basis by incorporating new information.

For each Autonomous community, the population of EICTCE target companies is stratified by cross-comparing variables:

• Size of company in terms of wage earning employees. The following intervals are considered:
  1. From 0 to 2
  2. From 3 to 9
  3. From 10 to 19
  4. From 20 to 49
  5. From 50 to 99
  6. From 100 to 199
  7. From 200 to 499
  8. From 500 or more
• Activity groups of the CCAE-2009. 14 activity groups are considered:
  1. Divisions 10 to 18
  2. Divisions 19 to 22
  3. Divisions 23 to 25
  4. Divisions 26 to 33
  5. Division 35
  6. Divisions 41 to 43
  7. Divisions 45 to 47
  8. Divisions 49 to 53
  9. Divisions 55 and 56
  10. Divisions 58 to 63
  11. Divisions 64 to 66
  12. Division 68
  13. Divisions 69 to 74
  14. Divisions 77 to 82

The strata constituted by companies with 200 or more wage earning employees are studied exhaustively.

The questionnaire is structured in different blocks. The first block contains general information on the company: identification, main activity, staff employed, turnover and net purchases.

Block B includes questions on the use of ICT: computers, Internet connection, Intranet, Extranet and mobile telephones. It also requests information on the computer equipment available for the company employees, employees that work in tele-operations, staff performing specific ICT functions for the company and the use of open code operating systems.

Block C contains questions on the use of Internet by companies. It requests information on the different types of Internet connection (modem, XDSI, broadband and mobile telephone) and on the use of the net to interact with Public administrations and the type of interactions made. It also asks about the availability of the website and the services offered on it and the use of electronic signatures and computer security services.

The next block refers to automated data exchange with external ICT systems. Information is requested on the type of message exchanged (orders, invoices, etc) and on the format for performing the automated exchange (EDIFACT, XML based systems, etc.).

Block E requests information in reference to the supply shared with clients and suppliers (inventory levels, production plans, demand forecasts and the state of despatches). Data is also requested on the methods used for information exchange (website and automated data exchange).

The following block measures the degree of integration and information exchange between the different areas of the company by means of ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) instruments and CRM (Customer Relation Management) applications.

Block G contains information in relation to e-commerce and differentiates between purchases and sales. In the case of purchases, the data requested is the percentage that they represent of the total amount of turnover. In both questions, companies are asked about distribution by channel used (website, automated data exchange via Internet and other telematic networks) and by geographic area (Spain, other EU countries, other countries). Also, in the case of sales, distribution by type of client (B2B, B2G, B2C) and use of any security protocol for the reception or orders (SSL or TSL) are researched.

Block H is new for this year and deals with the use of radiofrequency identification instruments (RFID) and the purposes for which they are used.

The final block measures whether companies provide training in ICT to their employees.

For companies with less than 10 wage earning employees, the aforementioned questionnaire is complemented with a module containing questions related with the implantation at a higher degree of new technologies and the advisory agents in terms of technology matters.

In the case of companies in the finance sector (section K of the CNAE-2009), the survey researches by means of an adapted questionnaire: the questions in relation to ICT are similar to those for the other sectors but the e-commerce questions were eliminated.

Data collection took place in two phases: the first in the first quarter of the year after the year of reference, mainly aimed at the companies with less than 10 wage earning employees; and a second phase in the second quarter aimed at the remaining companies.

The questionnaires are sent to companies by regular mail and are returned by the same means. If necessary, the company can be contacted by telephone.

Main economic activity of the company

Main economic activity is understood to mean that which generates the greatest value added. If the company does not have this data, the main activity is considered to be that which generates the greatest turnover, or if this information is also missing, that which employs the highest number of people.

Staff employed by the company

This is the number of people that work for the company, inside or outside of its buildings, and that are compensated for doing so. This includes both paid and unpaid workers

Paid employees

Those that are associated to the company by means of a permanent or temporary labour contract and that are paid by means of fixed or periodical amounts in the form of wages or salaries, payment in kind, etc. This includes paid owners, students with a formal commitment that contribute to the production process in return for payment and/or educational services, staff on strike or that are on short-term leave. Excluded from this category are workers associated to a temping agency and those that are on long-term leave.

Unpaid employees

Those that participate actively in the company without any kind of fixed payment or salary. This includes the owners, autonomous shareholders and family assistants. This does not include capital shareholders or the owners' relatives that do not play an active role in the company, or people that are on the payroll of another company that is the one where they perform their main activity.

Turnover

Income invoiced by the company during the year of reference for the provision of services and the sale of goods (not included VAT) that are the object of the company's activity. This is accounted for in net terms while deducting refunds and sales discounts and not deducting cash discounts nor sales discount for immediate payment. Turnover does not include the sale of fixed assets or subsidies for the production of good and services.

Net purchases of goods and services

Represent the goods and services acquired during the year of reference. This includes merchandise, prime materials, other supplies, work done by other companies or professionals and expenses in the outsourcing account. The purchases are valued at the price of acquisition (without deductible VAT) and are accounted for in net terms while discounting purchasing discounts and discounts or refunds to suppliers derived from quality defects.

Automated data exchange with external ICT systems

This is the exchange of messages by electronic means, using a duly formalised format that enables them to be automatically processed. This can be done via Internet or other telematic networks and does not include manually written e-mails.

Sharing information electronically with suppliers and clients in the supply chain

Exchange of information in the supply chain by electronic means, by Internet or any other type of telematic network. This does not include manually written e-mails.

Integration of information in the company

The information in the company is integrated by being electronically and automatically shared by different areas, using one or several program tools for sharing information originating from a common database.

E-commerce

The EICTCE used the broad definition of e-commerce as considered by the OCDE. An electronic transaction is the purchase or sale of products (goods or services), between companies, homes, individuals, administration or other public or private organisations, by means of telematic networks. Payment for the goods or services acquired by e-commerce can be made by means of these same networks or by other means. Orders made by telephone, fax or manually written e-mails are not considered e-commerce.

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)

System for automatic identification for storing and recovering data remotely by means of special devices called tags, transponders or RFID tags. An RFID tag is a small device, similar to a sticker, that can be attached to a product, animal or person.

Idescat undertakes a tabulation of the EICTCE survey that expands on the results offered by the INE for its autonomous community.

In order for the published data to be comparable with that which is offered by the INE and other official statistics bodies, the results are structured into 2 sections:

• Companies with 10 or more wage earning employees
• Companies with less than 10 wage earning employees

In the tables that present the results for companies with 10 or more wage earning employees, the information is presented disaggregated by the following characteristics:

• Number of wage earning employees
  1. From 10 to 49
  2. From 50 to 249
  3. From 250 or more
• Activity sector
  1. Industry
  2. Construction
  3. Services

The results for the companies with less than 10 wage earning employees are only disaggregated by activity sector.

In the 2008-2009 edition, Idescat did not have information in relation to finance companies.