E-COMMERCE IN ITALY: SOME PRELIMINARY FINDINGS. From Case Studies To Statistical Surveys

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E-COMMERCE IN ITALY SOME PRELIMINARY FINDINGS.
From Case Studies To Statistical Surveys
ELECTRONIC COMMERCE BUSINESS IMPACTS PROJECT
WORKSHOP Rome, 29-30 October 2001

• Fabiola Riccardini
• ISTAT-National Statistical Institute

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Introduction

• Aims of the presentation
• finding a way to go from case-studies to
  statistical surveys for supporting generalisation
  of behaviours and motivations of the case studies
  to the sector as a whole
• supporting further researches

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Outline

• The National project
• The statistical surveys
• Future research

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The National Project

• The EBIP team the National Statistical
  Institute, Business Association (ABI, TELECOM
  ITALIA LAB, ASSINFORM), Ministries, and Experts
• 3 sectors analysed Textile-clothing, Banking
  sector, IT Distribution with EBIP methodology
• Findings from case-studies other presentations
  in the workshop
• Statistical surveys an overview on all economic
  sectors
• Output A National Report (still in progress)

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The ISTAT Statistical Surveys on E-Commerce on
Businesses

• Annual survey on SMEs (less then 100 employed)
  with a module on ICT usage and e-commerce.
  First time year 2000
• Ad hoc survey on businesses (from 10 and over
  employed) on ICT usage and e-commerce. First
  time year 2001

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Annual survey on SMEs (less then 100 employed)

• definitions harmonised with others European
  countries and in the context of the Structural
  Business Statistics Regulation.
• in year 2000 the survey covered beside other
  economic variables a specific module for
• level of diffusion of
• IT equipment
• electronic mail
• businesses presence on the Web with their own
  web-sites
• information on
• on-line purchases
• on-line sales

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Empirical evidences size does matter

• 48,7 of businesses on average have IT equipment
  (personal computer)
• class 1-4 employed 44,1
• class 5-9 employed 77,1
• class 10-19 employed 89,5
• class 20-49 employed 94,8
• class 50-99 employed 98,2
• 39,9 of businesses provided with IT equipment
  have an e-mail
• class 1-4 employed 36,6
• class 5-9 employed 43,7
• class 10-19 employed 59,2
• class 20-49 employed 73,5
• class 50-99 employed 84,4
• 13,9 of businesses provided with IT equipment
  have a web site
• class 1-4 employed 10,8
• class 5-9 employed 19,6
• class 10-19 employed 27,7
• class 20-49 employed 43,8
• class 50-99 employed 56,9

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Empirical evidences size/sector does matter

• 8,7 of businesses on average provided with PC
  have made at least one on-line purchases (BtoB)
  in the last two years
• class 1-4 employed 8,3
• class 50-99 employed 16,9
• 9,5 of businesses on average provided with PC
  have made at least one on-line sales (BtoB and
  BtoC) in the last two years
• class 1-4 employed 8,5
• class 50-99 employed 27,9
• in manufacturing sector there is on average a
  higher inclination towards on-line sales
  transactions
• in services sector there is on average a wide
  intense use activity on-line purchasing
• high intensity RD sectors of manufacturing
  sector are those with higher inclination for
  on-line purchases
• services to enterprises show also high
  probability of purchasing through the net,follow
  hotel and restaurants sector
• traditional sectors of the manufacturing industry
  present an inclination towards sales on the net
  higher than that for purchasing
• high intensity RD sectors of manufacturing
  sector and hotel and restaurant sectors present
  higher inclination than traditional manufacturing
• geographical locations does not influence so much
  the attitude towards the use of the net for
  purchases and sales

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Ad Hoc Survey on Businesses (From 10 and Over
Employed) on ICT Usage and E-Commerce. (1)

• Variables and definitions harmonised with others
  European countries plus others adaptations to
  national needs (also from EBIP project)
• in year 2001 the survey covered
• module on use and degree of diffusion of ICT (IT,
  Intranet, EDI, internet, Web, type of internet
  connection mobile, modem, ISDN,XDSL,other
  broadband..
• module on use of e-commerce for purchases (BtoB)
• make on-line purchases by type of protocols
  (internet, other protocols)
• barriers type of goods and services needed, too
  few suppliers,delivery costs,logistics,
  uncertainty in making payments, skills
• perceived benefits cost savings, speed of
  processing,simplification of processes,large
  offer available
• channels for purchases on lines (marketplaces,
  portals)
• estimation of e-purchases on total purchases
• module on use of e-commerce for sales
• make on-line sales by type of protocols
  (internet, other protocols)
• barriers
• perceived benefits
• channels
• estimation of e-sales on total purchases

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Ad hoc survey on businesses (from 10 and over
employed) on ICT usage and e-commerce. (2)

• module on use of intermediaries and general
  appraisals on internet use and e-commerce (use
  of specialised intermediaries for purchases and
  for sales)
• first empirical evidences (preliminary results)
• size e-commerce direct intermediaries
• class gt10 16,76 9,58 10,76
• class 10-49 15,28 8,74 9,82
• class 50-99 24,76 14,71 15,09
• class 100-249 27,55 14,99 19,34
• class gt250 39,48 21,83 24,53
• sector
• manufacturing 15,33 7,70 10,07
• trade 14,26 7,95 9,37
• hotel and restaurant 22,16 17,06 11,60
• transport 13,99 8,07 10,08
• financial services 30,06 17,65 18,76
• services to enterprises 27,54 20,05 16,88

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Ad hoc survey on businesses (from 10 and over
employed) on ICT usage and e-commerce. (3)

• 0,59 of total turnover derives from on-line
  sales
• 12.371.185 millions of liras are e-turnover
• 0,75 of total purchases derives from on-line
  purchases
• 15.720.214 millions of liras are e-purchases
• we are in an embryonic stage

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Future Research

• Verifying over the time the impacts seen in early
  stage
• Enlarge number of case studies on different
  sectors for value-chain analysis
• Unit of analysis from enterprises versus group
  of enterprises
• Evolution of statistical surveys monitoring of
  type of impacts