Release Date:
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
DARRA published in The Voice of Europe's Regions by eris@
DARRA project in Västernorrland: Major savings with e-commerce for businesses and municipalities
Increased e-commerce can make economic administration more efficient, increase security and provide cost savings for our municipalities. Since e-commerce can make:
- It easier to follow signed agreements
- Increase price consciousness
- Shorten invoice handling time (no late fees)
- Better financial control
- Better follow-up through reliable statistics
‘The advantages of e-commerce are many’ says Charlie Wallin, Project Leader at the Association of Local Authorities in Västernorrland, Sweden. In a project called DARRA, Digital Age for Rural and Remote Areas, within the Northern Periphery programme, we in the county of Västernorrland are working to increase e-commerce among the region’s municipalities. At the same time we are increasing IT-use among small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) that provides products and services for the municipalities.
1. Activities to enhance knowledge
Our municipalities have made varying degrees of progress in adopting the necessary tools and acquiring the right expertise. Therefore, the project offers guidance and activities designed to enhance knowledge for all who are interested. We arrange conferences and seminars for business owners and have established a regional network for ecommerce with employees from all of the county’s municipalities and the County Council.
2. Calculations to be downloaded One of the objectives for the project is that all seven municipalities in the region should before the end of 2010 be able to handle electronic invoices. Today the municipality scoring
best receives 40% of its invoices electronically, one of the best in Sweden. The project will produce a guideline for local authorities on how to introduce ecommerce and especially then the use of electronic invoices. We have already developed a calculation tool for the web that enables small businesses to easily make a cost analysis to see if there is money to be made by making a transition to electronic invoices. The simple calculation tool can be downloaded at:
http://www.y.komforb.se/Filer/Charlie/FakturakalkylatorEnglish.swf.
During the spring of 2009, work is beginning on a corresponding cost-benefit analysis for public organisations.
‘An important part of the project is to demonstrate the economic benefits for both municipalities and businesses.
Through it we expect to also substantially increase awareness of IT’s significance for growth in a sparsely
populated region’, says Charlie Wallin.
In addition to the Västernorrland partners (Association of Local Authorities in Västernorrland, Mid Sweden University and the Federation of Enterprises in Västernorrland), the DARRA Project also has partners in Finland, Norway and Ireland. Kemi-Tornio University of Applied Sciences in Finland is the lead partner for the project.
For more information contact Charlie Wallin, Västernorrland Project Leader at:
Email: Charlie.wallin@y.komforb.se
URL: http://www.y.komforb.se/ourinternationalprojects_2121.html
|