How a professional code of conduct can bolster the competitiveness of regional ICT businesses
How a professional code of conduct can bolster the competitiveness of regional ICT businesses
The ‘eTIC’ Code – 16 / 05/ 2011 - London
eITC Code
No admission to the profession
There is a lack of confidence between ICT suppliers
and their SME customers (BtoB market).
• Who has not heard of businesses:
complaining of being insufficiently informed by their ITC
service provider of the terms governing the transfer of
intellectual property rights or the amounts of recurrent costs,
that have been hogtied to a solution and a supplier who fails
to meet their needs and requirements,
or that are even left completely abandoned in cases where
their service provider goes bankrupt.
eTIC Code
‘eTIC’: a ‘bottom-up’ approach
The main victims of this climate of mistrust:
• Small businesses that only have their own reputation or that
of the brands they represent, are having to compete with
multinational corporations or large Brussels-based companies
Regional competitivity challenge
Initiative:
A number of these small businesses operating as part of a
cluster in Liège got together in 2004 and decided to take
action in response:
• Pledging confidence-building measures to customers
eITC Code
Professional code of conduct to distinguish ourselves!
• Setting out from the main reasons why potential legal
disputes arise between ICT suppliers and SME customers,
they sought to improve the level of professionalism in this
sector of industry by jointly compiling a Code of Conduct
that was unheard of in the profession in Belgium.
• The Economic Development Agency of the Province of
Liège (SPI+) got involved to assist this SME cluster in
writing up this Code 5 years ago.
Aim: to enable local businesses to show that they too are
every bit as reliable – if not more so – than the major
corporations operating in the ICT industry.
eTIC Code
What does the eTIC Code involve?
• The 7 clauses contained in the Code relate to the commercial and contractual relations between customers and ICT suppliers:1. service adapted to the customer
2. the joint definition of the scope of the project (content, limits and exclusions)
3. cost control and lead time management
4. responsibilities
5. available resources and qualifications brought to bear to accomplish the project
6. sustainability/transferability of the solution or the service
7. intellectual property rights
The full text of the Code of Conduct is available to be consulted at http://www.Charte-etic.be/publications/etic-code.pdf
eTIC Code
What does the eTIC Code involve?
• The Code requires the supplier, from the time the offer
is made, to address a number of key issues together
with his customer that might prove to be sources of
legal dispute in due course unless they are properly
clarified.
Aim:
• Through its emphasis on dialogue, this Code of Conduct
sees more balanced contracts being drawn up that are
better equipped to stand up over time and, above all, the
scope of which has been properly defined by the 2 parties.
eTIC Code
What does the eTIC Code involve?
• The Code sets out a series of rules on what is
professionally ethical conduct, relating to the
commercial practices involved in the ICT industry
• It is not a quality label in the usual sense: it does not
provide the customer with guarantees that the service
delivered will be of an impeccable technical quality.
• The ‘eTIC’ Code stands in complement to the current ISO
standards and is more of a moral undertaking on the part
of the Code signatories relating to what are strictly
commercial aspects.
eTIC Code
Who supervises compliance with the professional code of conduct?
To lend added weight to this commitment, a system has been put in place to examine customer complaints relating to alleged non-compliance with the Code, which may see the authorisation for the supplier to refer to the eTIC Code withdrawn.
• This system rests on the arbitration efforts of the ‘eTIC Committee’ The Committee is a joint committee, made up of representatives from
specialist companies, representatives from the professional users, several public institutions
The Committee manages any incoming complaints on the basis of a procedure aimed at mediation
• The customer has a serious pressure tactic in cases where the supplier’s conduct is seen to evade compliance with the Code (26
complaints out of 30 have been settled through conciliation).
eTIC Code
Who can sign the eTIC Code?
• The right to use the ‘eTIC’ trademark is awarded to businesses specialising in the delivery of ITC products and services, that are signatories to the Code of Conduct The service providers unreservedly undertake in writing to act in
compliance with the clauses of the Code and its requirements
They are to carry the ’eTIC’ trademark logo on all of their commercial documents
• This undertaking has become important as many SMEs, as well as public authorities (local councils,…), are now asking their ICT suppliers whether they have signed up to the ‘eTIC’ Code of Conduct before signing any kind of contract!
eTIC Code
A successful approach
• Currently, 560 ICT suppliers have signed the Code, representing a significant number on the Belgian and Luxembourg market Supported by the ‘Agoria’ industry association
Supported by many regional economic development institutions (Chambers of commerce, …), centres of excellence (Technopôles) and the Agence Wallonne des Télécommunications
• Developments: Specific supplementary undertakings from ICT businesses offering e-
commerce and Search Engine Optimisation services
The scheme has been adopted in France by the Club ‘e-entreprises’ Club of the CCI in Valenciennes. It is up and running in the Nord Pas-de-Calais and Bourgogne Regions and was launched in Alsace and PACA in spring 2011.
eTIC Code
eTIC Code secretariatDamien JACOB,
Agence Wallonne des TélécommunicationsTel.: +32 81 77 80 [email protected]
Answers to your questions:
http://www.Charte-etic.be
http://www.Charte-etic.fr
