The small and average Entreprise S (SME) indicate the companies of modest size, by report/ratio in particular with their number of paid or their turnover. SME also name hypofirmes.

SME do not function like " Very Small entreprises".

The Pact SME which is a French initiative, aims at developing the size of SME.

Definitions

The concept of “SME”: " small and average entreprises"

In Canada

In Canada, SME should not generally employ more than 500 people, not to have a credit higher than 25 million dollars and does not have to be held with more than 25% of its capital by a company of greatter importance. According to the General confederation of the small and medium-size companies, SME are distributed in the following way: the small companies are those which gather from 5 to 50 paid; the medium businesses are defined in a variable way according to the country and the branch of industry, with a maximum generally fixed at 500 salariés.
Source: Canada, Quebec, Office of the French language, 2001

In Europe

May 6th, 2003, the European commission adopted a new recommendation 2003/361/CE concerning the definition of SME which since January 1st, 2005 replaced the Recommendation 96/280/CE. This new definition makes it possible to prevent that the companies belonging to a great group benefit from the modes from support for SME whereas they could profit from an economic protection more important than true SME. Here European definitions:

  • a medium business is defined as a company whose manpower is lower than 250 people and of which the turnover does not exceed 50 million euros or of which the total of the annual statement of account does not exceed 43 million euros.

  • a small company is defined as a company whose manpower is lower than 50 people and of which the turnover or the total of the annual statement of account does not exceed 10 million euros.
  • a small company is defined as a company whose manpower is lower than 10 people and of which the turnover or the total of the annual statement of account does not exceed 2 million euros.

The Recommendation 2003/361/CE distinguishes 3 pennies categories of companies:

  • autonomous companies,
  • the companies partners,
  • dependant companies.

Specificities of SME

Characteristics

SME have specific characteristics:

  • Small size;
  • Centralization and personalization of management around the owner-leader;
  • Weak specialization of work;
  • intuitive or little formalized Strategy;
  • Strong proximity of the actors in a regional network;
  • Information system simple intern and little formalized;
  • simple external Information system based on the direct contacts;
  • Capacity To innovate quickly to adapt to the Gone.

One can also add:

  • Proximity between owner and Employed S;
  • Weak formalization;
  • the recourse to the writing is not paramount, because of importance of the mutual adjustment;
  • Structure punt;
  • No hierarchical levels, or very little;
  • Organization in networks: SME structure with other SME. An allocation of the functions takes place (research, production, marketing,…).

SME play a central role in job creation in many countries (99% of the French companies are SME: 92% of the TPE and 7% for the EP. They will represent more of two thirds of employment in France).

In the same way the Innovation S are often the fact of SME.

Reasons of existence

Economic logic tends to preach the big size which makes it possible to benefit from three characteristics:

  • economies of scale (production capacity);
  • saving in field (notoriety and diversification);
  • effects of experiment (productive effectiveness).

SME will exist because:

  • It will exist a need for being close to its market;
  • Certaines activities requires the hyperspecialisation because of technologies used or of the size of the markets (strategic niches). Moreover, it can exist interstitial monopolies (all small monopolies);
  • the evolution of the environment requires important a flexibility which the large company can obtain with difficulty;
  • Will of the leader to limit the growth of its company in order not to lose the capacity;
  • a large company will support the existence of a low-size corporate network which will be sub-contracting (example of the organization of Toyota or Benetton);
  • feared to face the official constraints;
  • lack of innovation on behalf of the leaders.

SME and economic intelligence

Problems

SME are often little sensitized with the economic Intelligence. The reasons are that the Culture of company specific to SME does not prepare them with a anticipatory Usage of the Technologies the information, and in particular of the Web. In addition, context of I European economic ntegration armature of very strong lawful constraints coming from the Community legislation, especially in the fields of the right of the environment, the Safety, the Health. The personnel of these companies often does not perceive rather early the change of environment.

He results from it that these companies are often let surprise by the and context switches Réglementation, which have an impact on their markets. This situation is particularly detrimental, because the Innovation very often comes from fabric of the small and medium-size companies.

Actions in progress

In France, the economic public policy of Intelligence stressed the small and medium-size companies, which are generally supported by the network of the Chambers of commerce and industry, with ACFCI and CCIP (in Paris). The network of the CCI set up a gate on lawful information (Enviroveille).

Always in France, of the case studies were carried out recently. They showed that several functions are particularly concerned:

  • the Memory of company,
  • the networks,
  • analysis of the weak Signals (day before).

It appears that the coordination of these three functions is necessary for the control of strategic information. It is important to take into account the legal Veille, competing and strategic.

In addition, within the framework of plan TIC-PME 2010, a case study was carried out for the Pole of competitiveness Cosmetic Valley on the possibilities of Exportation generated by better a Usage of the Technologies information and communication. This study was carried out by using the specifications of the UN/CEFACT (namely EbXML).

The experts in EDI think that the tendency is with the use of the Langage XML with versions reduced of EDI. This type of language is sometimes called XML-EDI.

Methodology of approach

Maryse Salles distinguishes three models from economic Intelligence for SME:

  • the model of the company (model E),
  • the model for the strategy (model S),
  • the model of the environment (model V).

For example, the model for the strategy describes the structural strategic choices:

  • the Stake X and missions essential,
  • the internal growth and/or external,
  • integration,
  • the opening, the Partnership S, the externalisation,
  • vertical growth,
  • differentiation, Diversification,
  • the identidification of the heart of Competence S,
  • renewal of the heart of Competence S,
  • the production of advantages costs and advantages price,
  • production of advantages except cost and advantages except price,
  • production of advantages cost and except cost as well as advantages price and except price,
  • production of well S with strong Technological Added-value ,
  • change of space of the Gone S,
  • the management of the cycles of activity.

The model of the environment describes the space geometry of the Marché S, the request, the Technologie, the Concurrence, the regulation framework (Norme S public and deprived) ,…

Methodology distinguishes three dimensions:

  • the level piloting,
  • the decision-making process,
  • informational contents of the need.

The three models condition the dimension of the informational contents which, with two other dimensions, make it possible to code the unit of requirement in economic Intelligence expressed.

Three dimensions can be close to the three layers of the specification ebXML.

Pact SME

See also: Pact SME

Stakes: regrouping in poles of competitiveness

The constitution of Poles of competitiveness and the signature of a Pact SME by the Large companies and these poles make SME which belong to the poles of the privileged targets of international Investisseur S. Indeed, being innovating, they are very well placed on the segments of development with a future, either Technologique S, or gone.

The stakes are thus very important, because SME innovating of today will be the large companies of tomorrow. It is thus a question up to what point of seeing a Cadre of architecture makes it possible to catalyze the development of SME, so that, by the play of the Stratégies of growth by adjacency (often defined by the great groups), they draw a competitive Avantage Durable while remaining in the European economic sphere.

Protection of SME

In the United States, SME are the subject of particular protections in the government contracts since the Small Business Act of 1953.

There does not exist similar measure in the European Union.

References

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