Digital is everywhere these days, new internet models pop up, the strong growth of e-commerce leads to big winners but even bigger losers, and working paperless is the new normal. So, digital is now on top of every organisation’s agenda, no? This evening VBO hosts a Tournée Digitale event, and Belgium  ranks only number 12 out of 17 countries that have been tested for “digital density”. Alexander De Croo points out that large corporates, federation organisations etc. are happy to promote the “Digital Agenda”, but traditional small SME’s are often hesitant to jump on the digital train.

However, E-commerce in small SME’s generates only 2.4% of their total revenues in Belgium. Compared to EU levels (on average 8.5%), this means we’re a little bit behind. Compared to best in class students like Irish SME’s, which obtain +30% of their revenues from e-commerce, this means that we are FAR behind in this respect.

With mobile internet, many customers first visit the website of a retailer on their smartphone, and if this doesn’t work properly, or worse, if it does not exist, there might not even be a visit to the retailer.

Before building your fancy mobile website, “Digital” is first and foremost an invitation to re-think our current business models. The advise is to start small (e.g. advertising can be started smallscale on social media, etc.), and to think big.  Two interesting cases are discussed, Le Haricot Magique is a tearoom meets boutique, also organizing workshops, writing / publishing blogs, and of course, also running an E-shop. Denis Geers dives into the development & growth of his printing business and the role of digital in his paper business!

Jorik Rombouts and his company Rombit work on “IoT” (Internet of Things), Big Data, hence “continuously creating the interfaces of tomorrow“. Jorik doesn’t like Excel sheets, their passion is connecting the different, separated islands in many organisations, linking objects and hardware to (mobile) software, and to sync all the data.

Apart from industry projects, Rombit also has a holding with all kind of start up ideas & projects. E.g. Badgecontrol is meant to automate the check-in / check-out process on construction sites for workers, subcontrontactors, etc. A simple yellow pole with badge-reader connects to the monitoring / admin software, but it also connects to the RSZ-portal, etc.

Thierry Geerts from Google Belgium claims that “It’s early morning for the the internet”. Today many people buy products with 1 click, but billions of people will be able to do so, tomorrow. Video disrupts the way consumers explore information about new products, hence Video for every business. Unfortunately, the way we work, often lags far behind the fancy tools & apps we use at home, hence the adagio “Stop networking computers, start connecting people”.  Now is the moment, so Thierry Geerts offers 6 free courses on g.co/groeimotor :

For me, this was the statement that catches my attention: it’s early morning for the internet … I’m curious to figure out what are the Next Big Things that are out there …

Any thoughts on the Digital Agenda in your organisation ?

Have a great evening !

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Earlier reading on this topic:

https://peterdegroof.wordpress.com/2015/10/27/digital-transformation-in-belgium/

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