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Are you working IT well?

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Small businesses can now rate their use of technology and communications so that they can achieve the maximum value from their investment by using a formula developed by leading psychologist and Cardiff and Birmingham University lecturer, Dr Cliff Arnall.

The formula, commissioned by BT Business, identifies the key factors that enable a small business and its employees to thrive. It is available online so that companies can calculate their own score.

The BT Work IT Well formula

K + T + F + (P x C) + L

K - Knowledge
P - Planning
T - Technology
C - Confidence
F - Flexible approach to working
L - Location of business

Planning and confidence, combined with knowledge and an understanding of technology are key factors that can affect the extent to which SMEs make the right investments in technology.

The formula can determine whether an organisation will benefit from the increased efficiency and productivity possibilities of flexible working, as well as taking into account individual business’ location.

To find out how your company rates, score the following factors 1 – 5, 1 being the lowest:

K - How good is your knowledge of your current ICT solution, its capabilities and how to utilise them?

T - Do you have all the technology and communications tools available to you that you need?

F - Are you able to work flexibly, on the move, at home, whilst away from the office?

P - Did you build a business case and plan before implementing your current ICT solution so that you can accommodate growth and measure the return on investment?

C - Are you confident that your ICT solution is safe, secure and supported if you have a problem?

L - Location of business

Urban: 5
Suburban: 4
Semi rural: 3
Rural: 2

Now check your score against the categories below. The maximum score is 45, the minimum is 6.

How to interpret the results

  • 6 – 16 - You are probably struggling with your current ICT arrangements and it is advisable to review them and consider implementing a converged solution, which would mean you have one technology to support for all your applications.
  • 17 – 26 - You clearly have some knowledge of ICT, but need to get a better understanding of what is the right solution for your business through proper pre-planning and post implementation support to ensure you realise the benefits.
  • 27 – 36 - Your knowledge is good and you are generally satisfied with the running and support of your systems. You may still be struggling to realise a true return on investment and benefits such as flexible working, which all SMEs should be looking to capitalise on for efficiency and productivity.
  • 37 – 45 - An IT savvy organisation, you probably took time to plan things and have resisted the temptation to bolt on “extras”. This means your systems have remained manageable and flexible enough to accommodate the demands of your business.

    NB The lower your location score the more seriously you might want to consider flexible working solutions, particularly where it has made you borderline between two types.

    • Posted August 31, 2006
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