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.

1. Population scope

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, section L, the divisions of 69 to 74 of section M, i section N and group 95.1 in accordance with the CCAE-2009.

2. Temporal scope

The survey has two time references; the variables on the use of ICT refer to January 2011 while the reference period for the variables on e-commerce, interaction with public administration and ICT training is 2010.

The employment data is an annual average for 2010 and the economic data in relation to purchasing and sales refer to the whole of 2010.

3. Geographic scope

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.

4. Statistical units

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 data contained in the questionnaire refers to the whole company, i.e. it includes all establishments that the company has in different places to its head offices.

5. Sample design

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
• CCAE-2009 activity groups listed in the table in the Population scope section.

6. Data collection

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, Intranet, Extranet and mobile telephones. It also requests information on the computer equipment available for the company employees (personnel that regularly use a PC, i.e. at least once a week), 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 access to and use of Internet by companies. It requests information on the different types of Internet connection (modem, XDSI, broadband and mobile telephone) and the maximum download speed contacted. It also asks about the availability of email, of the website and the services offered on the same and the use of electronic signatures and computer security services. It includes questions in relation to the use of the web for interacting with public administrations and the type of interactions made. It additionally investigates whether the company uses Internet to electronically process any administrative procedures or for any e-procurement or e-tendering in Spain or other countries of the European Union.

The next block refers electronic data exchange between companies which consists of the processing and/or reception of information (orders, invoices, etc.) by electronic means (Internet or other telematic networks), in a standard format or that can be processed automatically (SML, EDIFACT, ODETTE, etc).

Block E asks about the use of electronic invoicing.

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. The purchases are broken down by into geographical areas (Spain, other countries of the EU and other countries) and sales are structured into two blocks (sales made via the website and through electronic data exchange). In each of the blocks, sales are broken down by geographical destination and type of buyer (in other companies (B2B), in public administration (B2G) and in households (B2C)) and the use of any security protocol when receiving orders (SSL or TSL).

Block H investigates the use of radiofrequency identification technologies (RFID).

The penultimate block El bloc H és novetat aquest any and aims to measure whether companies take into account environmental impact by implementing policies such as reductions in paper consumption or the energy used by ICTs, among others. It also quantifies whether the company provides its employees with remote access to documents and applications used at work.

The final block contains the companies that provide ICT training 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.

Data collection is done by Internet and regular mail. Informants from companies are recommended to fill in the questionnaire using the Internet. However, those informants that prefer to receive a printed copy of the questionnaire can request this.

7. Concepts

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.

Online Payment

Financial transaction made using a telematic network (e.g. Internet), with incorporated order form.

E-procurement

Use of ICTs in public contracting for the acquisition of goods or services for the development of investment projects.

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.

CRM (Customer Relationship Management)

IT tools used for the intergrated management of customer information. These applications enable the storage and organisation of this information until it is integrated, processed and analysed. There are two generic types:

• Operational CRM: Enables processing and integration of information on transactions performed by customers.
• Analytic CRM: Enables analysis (generally using data mining techniques) of information on customers in order to provide in-depth details of customers and their needs.

ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)

Set of IT tools used for the integrated management of the processes and information corresponding to the different areas of business of a company. An ERP system generally integrates the management of such areas as planning, supplies, logistics, sales, marketing, customer relations, finance and human resources.

Digital signature

Coded information that identifies the author of an electronic document and that authenticates their identity. Like manual signatures, it is unique and specific to a user or computer.

Free/Open Source Code systems

Program developed using an open source code licence. These licences enable the code to be modified or redistributed under certain conditions without having to pay the original author.

8. Tabulation and publication of results

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 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 R&D, innovation and ICT section of the Idescat website the information on these statistics can be consulted for other years.