LEONARDO Vocational Training Action Programme
National Report on SMEs (SPAIN)
Report version:
Report preparation date:
Author:
Contract number:
Contract Start Date:
Duration:
Project Co-ordinator
Draft version
March 2005
José Luis Morales Ortega
2003-3448/001-001-LE2-51 OREF
1st October 2003
36 Months (01.10.2003 – 30.09.2006)
Csaba Makó, Institute of Sociology, Hungarian Academy
of Sciences (Hungary)
Participants
Partners:
Belgium: Europese Hogeschool Brussel;
France: Université Paris X Nanterre;
Germany: Hochschule Wismar-Fachhochschule für
Technik, Wirtschaft und Gestaltung;
Hungary:
Institute of Sociology Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Budapest Business School; Confederation of Hungarian
Employers and Industrialists;
Spain: Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia;
Slovakia: Sociologicky uslav Slovenskej akademie vied
Poland: Instytud Pracy I Spraw Socjalnych;
United Kingdom: University of Luton
Project funded by the European Community under the
“LEONARDO” Programme
UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE EDUCACIÓN A DISTANCIA
C/ Bravo Murillo, 38 – 4ª
28015 – Madrid (SPAIN)
Contents
1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………...4
2. Position of SMEs in the national economy………………………………….…..6
2.1
GDP/Export/Employment/Innovation generating capacity of SMEs……6
2.2
Distribution of SMEs by sectors…………………………………………6
2.3
Employment, working conditions, etc., in SMEs………………………..7
2.4
Social regulations (LRS) – social dialogue (consent)……………………7
3. Legal-financial and institutional framework…………………………………….8
3.1
Legal regulation (basic)………………………………………………….8
3.1.1 Stability vs. instability……………………………………………….8
3.1.2 Clear or complicated character of legal regulation (cognitive
dimension)…………………………………………………………...8
3.2
Financial regulation……………………………………………………...8
3.2.1 Degree of uncertainty and stability…………………………………..8
3.3
Institutional environment………………………………………………...9
3.3.1. SME – friendly vs. unfriendly gov. policy…………………………..9
3.3.2 “Bridging institutions”……………………………………………….9
4. Knowledge – skill supply and demand…………………………………………11
5. Lessons from the sector focused on case studies……………………………….16
Introduction…………………………………………………………………….16
5.1
Company SCALASTOURS (Activity: Tourism) ……………………...16
5.1.1 Location of the selected sector in the national, regional economies..16
5.1.2 Main characteristic of the firm investigated…………………….....16
5.1.3 Activity and markets of the firm.......................................................16
5.1.4 Work organisation, management......................................................19
5.1.5 Knowledge use, development practice..............................................20
5.1.6 Strengths and weaknesses of the firm...............................................20
5.1.7 Future perspectives...........................................................................21
5.2
Company RURAL SANT VICENT FERRER DE
BENAGUASIL, C.V. (Activity: Agricultural production)......................22
5.2.1 Location of the selected sector in the national, regional economies..22
5.2.2 Main characteristic of the firm investigated......................................23
5.2.3 Activity and markets of the firm........................................................23
5.2.4 Work organisation, management.......................................................23
5.2.5 Knowledge use, development practice...............................................24
5.2.6 Strengths and weaknesses of the firm................................................24
5.2.7 Future perspectives............................................................................24
5.3
Company DECOM (Activity: ICT)........................................................25
5.3.1 Location of the selected sector in the national, regional economies..25
5.3.2 Main characteristic of the firm investigated......................................26
5.3.3 Activity and markets of the firm........................................................28
5.3.4 Work organisation, management.......................................................28
5.3.5 Knowledge use, development practice...............................................29
5.3.6 Strengths and weaknesses of the firm................................................29
5.3.7 Future perspectives...........................................................................30
2
5.4
Company GRUAS GIL CADIZ
(Activity: Leasing service for large firms) ...................................................31
5.4.1 Location of the selected sector in the national, regional
economies……………………………………………………………..…31
5.4.2 Main characteristic of the firm investigated………………………..31
5.4.3 Activity and markets of the firm……………………………………31
5.4.4 Work organisation, management…………………………………...32
5.4.5 Knowledge use, development practice…………………...………...32
5.4.6 Strengths and weaknesses of the firm………………….…………...32
5.4.7 Future perspectives…………………………….…………………..32
6 Conclusions………………………………………………………………...…....33
Bibliography……………………………………………………………………..34
3
1.
Introduction
The aim of this study is to issue a report on the situation of small and medium
enterprises (SMEs) in Spain.
This report forms part of a broader study on the performance of SMEs in eight
specific countries of the European Union: Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary,
Slovakia, Poland, United Kingdom and Spain, within the Projects funded by the
European Community, coming under the “LEONARDO” Programme.
In order to produce this report, an analysis of statistical data was first of all
conducted, highlighting the most significant figures as are the macro-economic
indicators. Among them, data was used such as the Gross National Product,
Gross Domestic Product, imports and exports. Employment and unemployment
were also the object of study, along with their activity and productivity ratios,
plus direct foreign investment.
The number of SMEs was classified in terms of different criteria: their size,
geographical region where they are located, and the density of the companies.
From the analysis of the numbers and the enterprise indicators of Spain, we can
affirm that the Spanish enterprise weave has a very stable configuration around
the SMEs, although in the last year, the growth of formation force of production
has raised a 137% more than the growth of the SMEs, probably due to the policy
of prevailing fusions in the developed western economies; but be that as it may,
it is the healthful news for the Spanish enterprise framework, since the second
greater growth takes place in the means companies so large, which contributes to
a greater balance of the enterprise dimension in our country, in whose
distribution excessively the productive units of so large minor are weighed.
With regard to the economic sectors that stand out in Spain for their
competitiveness, we can state that these sectors are citrus fruit production and
tourist activities.
Another datum to emphasise in the inter-annual evolution of Spanish companies
is the strong growth in SMEs that have decided to adopt the legal form of a
limited company; their increase contrasts with the drop in joint-stock companies.
Commercial activity in Spain displays a clearly upward tendency, with exports
growing at a faster rate than imports.
Profits in Spain are holding up at an acceptable level, with figures that are at the
European average. Nevertheless, welfare charges represent a considerable
burden for SMEs.
With the exception of 1995, employment has been growing at an acceptable rate
since 1991.
As far as ongoing training activities in the workplace are concerned, given that
the size of most companies is small or medium, the possibilities of financing are
4
scarce, and they need the support of the Administration with programmes agreed
between the Government and the Trade Unions.
5
2.
Position of SMEs in the national economy
2.1 GDP/Export/Employment/Innovation generating
capacity of SMEs
Gross Domestic Product (GDP).The per capita GDP rose 9.5% in 2002 compared to 1991, with the
increase undergone for 1995 also being considerable, which rose by 6.1%; while
between 1991 and 1995 the GDP scarcely grew at all: just 0.5%.
In absolute terms, the GDP of SMEs for the year 2000 came to
526,371.6 million €.
Export/Import.In the Spanish commercial activity of SMEs, a clear upward tendency
can be seen. So, in 1995, exports managed to rise 26.61% compared to 1991, and
in imports there was a growth of 7.63% for 2000, with activity increasing by
more than 100%, and exports growing at a faster rate – these increased by 20%
for the following year in the period being analysed.
Employment.The increase in the number of people employed in industry and services
between 1996 and 2000 was 2,077,000. During this period, the unemployment
rate fell by 7.8% – 1,169,000 fewer unemployed – and the number of job
contracts rose by more than 5,200,000.
Employment for 2002 grew by 28.93% compared to the figure for 1991,
with growth for the year 2000 being 14.79%, and employment undergoing a
drop for 1995 by 0.77%.
The employment rate underwent an increase of 19.18% and 14.69% for
2002 and 2000 respectively, and a fall of 4.29% for 1995.
2.2 Distribution of SMEs by sectors
At the end of 2002, the Directorio Central de Empresas (DIRCE, the
Central Directory of Companies) calculated that there were 2,708,379 SMEs in
Spain, representing 99.84% of the total count of businesses (2,712,719
companies). Standing out within SMEs as a whole on account of their
importance were micro-enterprises, which grouped together 93.95% of the total
count, followed by small enterprises (5.20%) and medium ones (0.69%).
The net number of companies created between 1996 and 2000 is estimated at
210,681, which means that in 2000 there were 8.8% more active companies in
Spain than there were in 1996.
The distribution of this figure among the categories of company considered
according to the size variable showed that the number of medium firms
underwent the greatest growth (29.5%), followed by small (27.9%) and microenterprises which grew by 7.8%.
6
From the sector point of view, between 1996 and 2000, the largest number of
SMEs created were registered in Construction, Transport and Communications,
while their number fell in Manufacturing, Commerce and the sector of Hotels,
Restaurants and Catering. In the case of Financial Mediation, the tendency
towards structural concentration was accompanied by the appearance of new
SMEs, possibly as a result of market diversification and segmentation.
In the year 2000, the distribution of SMEs by sectors indicated that the largest
number of enterprises were concerned with Commerce and Hotels, Restaurants
and Catering (1,051,535), with Services for Companies coming second
(329,471) and third Construction.
2.3 Employment, working conditions, etc., in SMEs
In 2002, Spanish SMEs accounted for 79.80% of jobs and 62% of sales. The
creation of companies in Spain in the period 1996-2000 was accompanied by a
growth in their size, going from an average of 4.7 workers to 5.2, probably due
to the existence of concentration processes and the search for economies of scale
in order to meet growing competition.
2.4 Social regulations (LRS) – social dialogue (consent)
Labour relations are regulated in the Workers Statute and in the various
Collective Agreements entered into on a sector basis.
The powers for issuing regulations have been transferred to the Autonomous
Communities via their Boards of Labour and Social Affairs.
The Work Inspection Service is centralised and comes under the Ministry of
Labour and Social Affairs. The inspectors visit companies and check on the
different job contracts existing, on the health and safety rules, and they make
sure that the regulations on Prevention of Risks at Work have been carried out.
The Trade Unions play a very important role since they are the representatives of
the workers and they also supervise compliance with labour regulations on the
part of companies.
7
3 Legal-financial and institutional framework
3.1 Legal regulation (basic)
The legal norms regulating functioning in Spain are sufficiently developed,
basically by means of Laws and Regulations.
So, the establishment of SMEs is contained in the following legal norms:
- Revised Text of the Joint-Stock Companies Act (1989)
- Limited Liability Companies Act (1995)
- Personal Income Tax Act (1998)
- Cooperatives Act (1999)
- Code of Commerce
- Civil Code
The legal forms which SMEs adopt in Spain are, among the range of
possibilities, focused on the following:
- Individual businessman
- Limited Liability Company
- Cooperative Partnership
and, to a lesser degree, the Joint-Stock Company.
3.1.1
Stability vs. instability
The rules regulating the establishment, functioning and dissolution/liquidation of
a SME enjoy great stability. Nevertheless, the fiscal and social security aspects
have a certain fluctuation and are normally modified each year by means of the
State General Budgets Act.
3.1.2
Clear or complicated character of legal regulation (cognitive
dimension)
For a micro- or small enterprise, it can be difficult to understand the legal rules
regulating them so that they can apply those rules. For this reason, these
companies are in most cases obliged to recruit the services of various outside
professional advisors.
Medium size enterprises often create their own internal legal service which
keeps them informed of any modification.
3.2 Financial regulation
3.2.1
Degree of uncertainly and stability
Sources of public financing can basically be economic aid or subsidies or bank
credits from official banking institutions.
Micro- and small enterprises have a very limited knowledge regarding the
existence of these financing channels, which means that they do not use the
possibilities that are open to them. Nevertheless, since medium enterprises have
professionals in their departments who know about the functioning of these
8
mechanisms, they are therefore the main recipients of these important sources of
financing.
It might perhaps be advisable to make the existence of these channels more
widely known, which would undoubtedly imply a relief for the financial
resources of SMEs.
Commercial banks, who are obliged by the Bank of Spain to publish the
conditions for gaining access to credit, are the institutions that are used most.
The applicable interest rates, whether they be on the nominal sum or on the
different applicable commissions, have to be notified to the official banking
system.
3.3 Institutional environment
3.3.1
SME – friendly vs. unfriendly gov. policy
Owing to the very important weight which SMEs have in Spain compared to the
total existing companies, the Government finds itself obliged to protect the
interests of this group of economic units. So, within the Ministry of Industry,
Tourism and Trade there exists a Directorate General of Small and Medium
Enterprises, where these firms are provided with advice from the moment of
their establishment, through the process of investments, economic aid, etc. The
problem lies in the fact that information on the existence of this body is not
sufficiently publicised, which means that this important work which the
Government is carrying out in order to encourage SMEs sometimes goes
unnoticed.
There exist other bodies for helping SMEs, such as the Institutes of Promotion,
where they are informed about economic aid and subsidies existing at any
moment and which might apply to them. The Chambers of Commerce perform
their tasks, particularly in commercial matters, providing SMEs with distribution
and logistic channels, etc., so that they can place the products they produce on
the domestic and international markets.
3.3.2
“Bridging institutions”
Employers Organisations and Trade Unions basically carry out their work at the
social level, watching over the interests of businessmen and employers, and
workers, respectively. These are the bodies in charge of discussing and agreeing
on what are called Collective Agreements for each economic sector or subsector.
9
Collective Agreements are the binding rules for each sector, setting down the
working conditions, tables of wages and salaries, working hours, days’ annual
holiday, licences for whatever reason, retirement conditions and economic
compensations (bonuses) for arduous, toxic and/or unhealthy activities.
Sometimes they also include the internal ongoing training process of companies
for their workers.
10
4 Knowledge – skill supply and demand
Since 1993, vocational training and recycling courses for workers employed in Spain
have been regulated via the National Agreements for Ongoing Training, signed between
the most representative employers organisations and trade unions, and between these
and the Government. Up to the year 2003, three ongoing training agreements had been
signed: the Agreement of December 1992, the Agreement of December 1996 and the
Agreement of December 2000. These have given rise to a system of ongoing training
that has, on the one hand, allowed the system to be endowed with financial resources for
companies and their workers and, on the other, it has allowed a management model to
be developed based on social coordination and on the development of shared
institutions at the sector and territorial levels, which have contributed towards
improving the relations of social agents among themselves and between them and the
Government.
The management model established in those agreements has been characterised
by the prominent role played by social agents in the design and implementation of
ongoing training, and at the same time the participation of the State Administration has
been progressively increasing without detracting from that prominence – on the
contrary, they have joined forces in a framework of permanent social dialogue with a
common aim: to continually improve the system of training workers.
The good results obtained in the management of ongoing training can be seen in
a range of aspects: nowadays, around 1,700,000 people are being trained each year
compared to the low level that existed in 1993 when around 300,000 workers were
trained; important business segments consider that human capital is their greatest asset
and that they will not be able to compete successfully in globalised markets if their
workforce is not sufficiently trained with permanently updated professional skills.
These companies have already introduced permanent training into their business
strategy. The model of organisation for ongoing training in our country is considered
to be an example of the practical application of social dialogue in the implementation
of a policy which, in the interest of the workers and of the companies, has to be, and is,
coincident: the creation and maintenance of quality employment and the increase in
productivity.
The Government shares and supports these objectives, since they constitute solid
bases for promoting economic growth, real convergence with more advanced countries
and for improving collective well-being and social cohesion in our country.
Nevertheless, since the III National Agreements for Ongoing Training came into
force, events have occurred that were not taken into account when those agreements
were signed since they took place subsequent to that signing. Yet, they make it
necessary to review the agreements and, at the same time, introduce certain
improvements into the training system for occupied workers. These are:
- The Constitutional Court requires a review of the model of ongoing training
within the constitutional framework stated in legal grounds, which place the regulation
of this subject within the field of labour legislation, which is the exclusive competence
of the State, at the same time as delimiting the suppositions in which the management or
execution of training actions would correspond to the State or to the Autonomous
Communities.
11
-The passing of Organic Act 5/2002, of 19 June, on Qualifications and
Vocational Training, undoubtedly constitutes an important milestone in regulating the
entire vocational training system. The establishment of a national catalogue of
professional qualifications, associated with modular training, and of a system of
acknowledgement and evaluation of professional experience, makes it necessary to
provide mechanisms by which ongoing training is being progressively adapted. Also,
the sub-system of ongoing training has to be based on the integral concept of vocational
training and on the framework of the collaboration of social agents, of companies and of
other bodies.
-Positively valuing the joint effects and the results up to 2003 for extending
ongoing training, the experience accumulated during the years that have passed has
highlighted the need to introduce modifications into the present system.
Together with this, the Government is aware of the need to continue and
strengthen the efforts made so far in the field of ongoing training, as a factor of
undoubted importance with regard to the competitiveness of our economy and with a
view to the future and quality of employment. At the same time, it considers that the
new system needs to be simpler, less bureaucratic in its use by beneficiaries and it needs
to permit training to be planned, nevertheless maintaining and strengthening the systems
of control over public funds used for ongoing training. Less bureaucracy and greater
simplicity are going to be fundamental instruments so that aid for ongoing training can
spread to the largest number of companies, very particularly to small and medium
enterprises, which constitute the largest part of our productive fabric.
Having consulted the most representative employers organisations and trade
unions, and the General Council for Vocational Training, the Government approved
Royal Decree 1046/2003, of 1 August, by which the sub-system of ongoing vocational
training is regulated.
The initiatives of ongoing training are:
- Ongoing training actions in companies, which include individual training
permits.
- Contract programmes for training of workers.
- Complementary and accompanying actions to the training.
With the aim of guaranteeing non-discrimination and access to training of
workers having greatest difficulties in achieving this, the ongoing training actions in
companies and contract programmes consider access to training for workers belonging
to the priority groups of the European Social Fund. The percentage of their participation
is determined by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. These groups are: workers
from small and medium enterprises (especially those with less than 50 workers) and
disadvantaged groups (women, the handicapped, those aged over 45 and unqualified
workers).
Ongoing training actions in companies are regarded as being those actions that
are planned, organised and managed by companies for their workers, and which are
financed by the sums for ongoing training allocated to each of them in line with their
workforce.
This type of action will also include what are known as individual training
permits. The aim of these is to facilitate training, acknowledged by an official
12
qualification for workers who seek to improve their personal and professional skills,
free of cost for the companies where they provide their services.
The beneficiaries of ongoing training by means of training actions are the
following groups of workers:
- Salaried workers who provide their services in private companies or stateowned business and which contribute to Social Security in terms of vocational
training. Also able to participate will be permanent but non-continuous workers
during periods when they are not working, workers who are registered as
unemployed while they are in a period of training and workers who are subject
to job regulation during their periods of suspension of employment due to
authorised proceedings.
- Workers included in the Special Agrarian System, self-employed workers,
those who work at sea, and others in Social Security who do not contribute in
terms of vocational training will be able to participate in training actions that are
carried out by means of Contract Programmes.
Personnel at the service of Public Administrations will be able to
participate via specific plans that are promoted in accordance with the procedure
established by the ongoing training agreements in the Administrations.
In Spain, ongoing training is financed in accordance with the provisions
set down in the State General Budgets by means of credits approved by the
National Institute for Employment (INEM) and according to the percentage of
the contribution rate to Social Security in terms of vocational training that is
determined in each financial year, following a report from the State Commission
for Ongoing Training, and also according to the corresponding sums of the
European Social Fund and specific credits for the training of occupied workers
who are not obliged to contribute to the contingency for vocational training.
Each year, the INEM determines the budget for each of the ongoing
training initiatives stated below, for their inclusion in the State General Budgets,
bearing in mind the needs attended to via each of them. The Ministry of Labour
and Social Affairs determines the maximum economic ceilings for the financing
of training actions depending on whether the training is done by means of
attendance, by correspondence course, or a mixed system.
Companies which contribute to the contingency for vocational training
will be provided with a credit for ongoing training, which will result from
applying a bonus percentage to the amount deposited by the company by way of
vocational training during the previous year. This percentage bonus is
established each year in the State General Budgets in line with the size of
companies, in such a way that the smaller the size of the company the greater
will be the percentage of the bonus.
Companies will be able to use all the credit for the training of part of the
workers in their workforce, providing the maximum economic ceilings are
respected (cost per participant and hours of training) established by the Ministry
for each training category (attendance, correspondence course, or mixed).
In any case, for enterprises consisting of 1 to 5 workers, a bonus credit is
guaranteed for them rather than a percentage, and is determined by the Ministry
of Labour and Social Affairs.
13
The credit allocated to companies acts as a limit on the bonuses which
the companies can make in their contribution forms to Social Security.
Companies make the bonuses on payments as appropriate in the
Contribution Forms corresponding to the month in which the appropriate
training actions forming the object of the bonus reaches an end, and also during
the following months until the training credit to which it is entitled is completed.
Companies participate with their own resources in the financing of the
ongoing training they conduct for the benefit of their workers, according to the
minimum percentages which are established by the Ministry on the total cost of
the training. Nevertheless, enterprises with five workers or less will be exempt
from contributing to that financing.
In order to determine the co-financing, a calculation will be made of the
salary costs of the workers trained during working hours.
14
The system of bonuses for training actions established in the model treats
SMEs better than large companies, and micro-enterprises are especially wellfavoured with bonus rates on the sum paid the previous year by way of
vocational training that reach 100% for firms with less than 6 workers.
Annual Credit for Ongoing Training
Amount deposited in 2003 for Vocational Training and % Bonus
Size
% Bonus
From 6 to 9 workers
From 10 to 49 workers
From 50 to 249 workers
More than 250 workers
90%
65%
52.5%
42.5%
In companies of 1 to 5 workers: 350 euros/company
Period for Companies of 1 and 2 workers: 3 and 2 years
15
5 Lessons from the sector focused on case studies
Introduction
The case studies have focused on the analysis of four specific sub-sectors which
are:
-
Tourism
Production
ICT
Services (enterprises which work for large firms)
5.1 Company SCALASTOURS (Activity: Tourism)
5.1.1
Location of the selected sector in the national, regional
economies
The large number of companies devoted to the marketing of tourist
products or services and organised travel in Spain, with sustained
growth in recent years, makes this activity one of the most
competitive, in both the tourist field and in the services sector.
Taken altogether, retail and wholesale/retail travel agents in Spain
amount to around 4,000 companies with over 9,000 outlets. Of
these, 48% consist of joint-stock companies, while 38% are limited
companies and the remaining 13% correspond to agencies
registered as being private individuals or other business category,
according to data from the sector. Only eight Spanish agencies
have a staff of more than 500 employees. On the other hand, the
large majority, more than 40% of the total, do not have any salaried
employees while 30% employ less than two people. 87% of
Spanish agencies do not reach a total of ten salaried staff.
The distribution by Autonomous Communities shows that close to
60% of agencies are concentrated in Madrid (23.6%), Catalonia
(20.5%) and Andalusia (12%). With an appreciably lower
percentage come Valencia (10.1%), Balearic Islands (6.5%) and the
Canary Islands (5.8%), according to data from the employers
organisations in the sector. Turning to sales outlets, Catalonia
accounts for 19.6%, Madrid 16% and Andalusia 12.4%
5.1.2
Main characteristic of the firm investigated
SCALASTOURS is a small tour operator company based in the
city of Valencia. On account of its characteristics, it is housed in
the first floor of a building close to the city’s financial centre.
Working together in the large and diaphanous office are the
employees and the boss (all women).
5.1.3
Activity and markets of the firm
16
This company deals exclusively with the domestic market, offering the
following:
- Inland Tourism (above all Rural: Mountain and Beach)
- Health Spas
- Theme Parks
Rural tourism is a growing field in Spain with an increase in demand
that is very much higher than the growth in the traditional range of hotels
and tourist apartments, in spite of its lower quantitative weight.
Between January and September 2003, the number of travellers reserving
their holidays in Spanish rural houses came to over 1.10 million, with a
6.9% increase compared to the same period of 2002. 89% were Spanish,
more than 980,000, a figure that is 7.8% up on numbers registered up to
September 2002, while the number of foreigners remained practically
unchanged in the inter-annual figures.
As far as the number of overnight stays is concerned, its growth was also
notable. A total of 3.57 million nights in rural accommodation were
counted during the first nine months of the year (8.8% more than in the
same period of the previous year), of which 2.95 million were by Spanish
tourists, with a 9.3% growth over the same period of 2002; and a little
more than 618,000 corresponded to foreigners, a figure that was 6.6% up
on the previous year. The average stay during the same period rose by
1.8% with regard to 2002, standing at 3.24 days; while the occupancy
index fell by 6.9%, to stand at 21.8%, due fundamentally to the large
increase in places made available.
The analysis up to the month of September in terms of destinations
shows major growths in the number of overnight stays counted, above all
in the Canary Islands (+45%), Valencia Community (+25%), Andalusia
(+17%), Catalonia (+5.5%) and the Balearic Islands (+2.5%). Stays in
rural houses in the Madrid Community exceeded 95,000 between January
and September 2003, with an increase of 3.3% over the same period the
previous year.
In January 2002 there existed 5,996 rural houses or lodgings in Spain,
with room for 50,872 guests. Unlike other types of accommodation, the
places available in rural tourism are very evenly distributed among the
different Autonomous Communities. 16.1% of beds are to be found in
Castilla y León, 11.6% in Catalonia and 9.8% in Aragón.
According to the Survey on Occupancy in Rural Tourism
Accommodation (EOTR), in the year 2002, a total of 1.37 million
tourists stayed in this type of accommodation, with a 13.3% increase over
the previous year. These travellers stayed a total of 4.1 million nights,
12.2% more than in 2001. 89.8% of rural tourists were Spanish and they
accounted for 83.4% of overnight stays. 15.6% of stays were made in
Castilla y León and 12% in Catalonia. The average stay was 3 nights per
tourist, this figure being 2.8 for Spaniards and 4.8 for foreigners.
17
Spanish health spas continued their upwards trend during the year so far.
Although a certain delay in making reservations has been detected, the
occupancy indexes are satisfactory, according to data gathered by the
National Association of Health Spas (ANET).
During 2002, these establishments recorded a growth of 10% in the
number of customers, with a total figure that came to 737,000 users. For
the year in progress, this activity estimates a growth of similar
proportions to last year. Spanish spas expect to end 2003 with almost
825,000 stays in the 128 spas currently open in Spain. Revenues for the
sector will, according to the same forecasts, come to 170 million euros.
The boom in this segment has for some years been marked by a widening
of the customer profile, with a considerable presence of children and an
average age among users of 40. The diversification of complementary
services that are offered, a successful promotion highlighting the leisure
aspects of these centres (compared to their purely medicinal role) and the
reforms that have been made, have permitted sustained growth to be
achieved which is going to hold up in the coming years. According to the
ANET, between 2001 and 2002, investments in improving the quality of
spas and thermal bath centres came to over 48 million euros.
The marketing of the product through travel agencies has also meant a
renewed impulse for this option, which represents a specific alternative
for one’s holiday compared to going to the coast, or cruises, or theme
parks. This growing incursion of health spas into the range of holidays on
offer led to the employers association for this sector being awarded the
gold plaque for Tourist Merit at the end of last year.
Although a large part of Spanish spas are in the hands of small and
medium enterprises with a strong family tradition, large hotel chains are
looking to provide an ever more varied range of therapeutic, relaxation
and beauty treatments in their facilities. Some of these companies already
obtain 10% o their total income from what is known as health tourism.
During 2002, the billing of theme parks and leisure parks operating in
Spain came to the figure of 488 million euros, 14.5% up on the amount
obtained in 2001, which was 426 million euros. The number of visitors
counted during last year was 28.6 million, with an 8% growth compared
to the previous year, according to DBK. The overall outlook for 2003
points to a continuation of this expanding phenomenon with new
openings and offers coming available, among which is one that was
commenced in the Valencia Community at the end of last year, though
the park in Isla de la Cartuja, in Seville, has gone into suspension of
payments.
As an example of this forecast. one of the main business groups in the
sector in terms of volume of billing, quoted on the stock market, recently
informed the Spanish Securities and Exchange Commission – the
Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV) – that it expects to
18
record a 40% growth in the number of visitors during the present
financial year, along with a 20% rise in revenues and 200% in profits.
For its part, the leisure park in Benidorm expects that it will be able to
record profits starting from the year 2005, after reaching a financial
agreement to reduce its debt level.
In the breakdown by type of park, the four precincts that are clearly
thematic in their nature existing in our country concentrated a volume of
activity of 243 million euros in 2002, virtually half the sector’s billing,
showing a 29% increase on 2001. This sharp growth is primarily due to
the opening of the new park from an American multinational
cinematographic group in the Madrid Community.
Zoos and aquatic parks, for their part, recorded a growth rate of 13%,
with a combined level of revenues of 112 million euros and a share of
23% on the total. These results are due to the high acceptance which
nature and adventure parks are having, standing out among which is a
park that was opened in 2001, also in the Madrid Community. Aquatic
parks noticed the effects of adverse weather and their growth stood at
5%, with a billing of 94 million, representing 19% of the global billing
for the sector. Funfairs stayed at levels very similar to those of 2001, with
declared revenues of 38 million euros and 8% of the sector total.
At the end of last year, there were four major theme parks in Spain, 39
zoos and aquariums, 41 aquatic or oceanographic parks and 4 funfairs; a
total of 88 leisure facilities providing direct employment for 11,500
people. The five big operators in the sector, some of them with American
capital, accounted for 70% of the market share.
The future of these groups entails a process of costs rationalisation in
order to compensate for the huge economic investments required for
starting up leisure outlets of these characteristics, in addition to the
continual maintenance and modernisation of their facilities. The risk of
this business activity is very high, on account of the considerable
overheads taken on by the owners and the instability of the income,
which fluctuates in line with factors as unforeseeable as the weather. For
this reason, strategies for attracting customers of these companies are
changing in order to focus their priority target on the creation of a loyal
customer base by means of annual flat-rate pass-cards or similar offers.
In the case of theme parks, the greatest percentage of their revenues
corresponds to complementary restaurant services, which means that the
margin in the entrance price is a variable that admits greater flexibility.
5.1.4
Work organisation, management
SCALASTOURS is a company consisting of three people. Its manager has
not introduced a policy of targets nor variable salaries. Her incentive is
19
based on a good working environment and involvement in the business,
which the staff try to pass on to their customers.
So, there is the figure of the Manager who is at the front and takes the
decisions, though her duties cover the entire range of activities of the
company: Personnel, Administration and Production in a service company.
Another two people carry out the productive work, providing the service:
they make searches, they provide contracts, and they make reservations,
though all the duties are well mixed together for the company to function.
5.1.5
Knowledge use, development practice
Among the strategic objectives of the Secretariat General of Tourism (SGT),
it has always sought to improve the competitiveness of the tourist sector in
Spain and tourist excellence. In an environment in which Information
Technologies were already having a notable impact on the development of
activities by sector companies (above all in the case of Travel Agents), the
SGT opted to support and promote research projects that could be used to
help companies in the sector adapt themselves to their technological needs.
The Spanish Federation of Associations of Travel Agents (FEAAV), being
aware of the situation of changes and uncertainties which its members have
been passing through recently as a consequence of the constant advance in
Information Technologies (IT), asked the SGT to conduct a study which,
among other matters, would allow it to learn of the availability of specific
software products for the Tourist Sector, the level of technological
equipping of Travel Agents in our country, to define the profile of workers
in the sub-sector of Travel Agents that would be most appropriate for coexisting with the technology and also how to detect the main opportunities
and threats which the appearance of the new technologies is causing in this
sector.
Apart from the education which the girls working in ScalasTours received at
university, they have not received any training other than what they learn on
a day to day basis, and the manager or colleague is in charge of teaching
them the computing tools for their daily work.
5.1.6
Strengths and weaknesses of the firm
The main strength of this company lies in the fact that it acts as a family
firm, with a good working environment and involvement in the business.
There are two types of weakness that are perhaps perceived. On the one
hand, there is no system of objectives for achieving better goals, with
incentives for the staff.
On the other hand, training in this company is not a strong point. On
account of the activity it is involved in, it might perhaps be advisable for its
20
three members to receive instruction courses, which would include courses
on ICT.
5.1.7
Future perspectives
From everything that has been stated above, it can be affirmed that this
company displays good future perspectives for growth, perhaps covering
other accessory activities to the main one, but taking care to weigh up the
foreseeable income against the costs inherent to a possible expansion of the
business.
21
5.2 Company RURAL SANT VICENT FERRER DE
BENAGUASIL, C.V. (Activity: Agricultural production)
5.2.1
Location of the selected sector in the national, regional
economies
The agroalimentary sector is of great importance in the European economy as
a whole. The production industry for food and drink is one of the most
outstanding industrial sectors in the EU with an annual production valued at
almost 600,000 million euros, in other words, close to 15% of total industrial
production. An international comparison shows that the EU is the world’s
biggest producer of food and drink products. This industry is the third largest
employer in the industrial sector and occupies over 2.6 million employees,
30% of whom work in small and medium enterprises. On the other hand, the
agricultural sector has an annual production of almost 220,000 million euros
and provides the equivalent of 7.5 million full-time jobs. Exports of food and
drink products come to 50,000 million euros a year.
The food and drink sector is the leading industrial activity in six countries of
the EU, among them Spain. This sector represents 10.3% of all industrial
added value in the EU (figures from the year 2000) and generates 131,300
million euros – tobacco included (1998 figures) (Commission of the European
Communities, 2002)
Surface area
The surface area given over to the cultivation of sweet oranges in our country is
135,584 Ha. In terms of Autonomous Communities, most of this area is
concentrated in Valencia with 83,828 Ha, 62 % of the total, followed by the
Community of Andalusia with 35,438 Ha, 26 %, Murcia with 9,400 Ha, 7% of
the national area, Catalonia with 3,168 (2.3 %) and the Balearic Islands with
2,753 Ha, 2 % of the area.
By provinces, Valencia possesses 55,371 Ha, 41 % of the total surface, Alicante
17,620 Ha (13%), Castellón 10,837 Ha (8%), and they are then followed by the
provinces of Andalusia: Seville with 9,211 Ha (6,7%), Huelva with 9,133 (6.6
%) and Almería 6,275 Ha (6.5%), along with Tarragona, which accounts for the
entire surface area of oranges grown in Catalonia with 3,159 Ha, 2.3% of the
national area.
The estimated production of oranges stands at 2, 865,600 t, 1.5 % up on the
previous season which was 2,822,200 t. The Autonomous Community that
produces most sweet oranges is Valencia with 1,649,200 tons and 57 % of the
total, following by the Autonomous Communities of Andalusia with 970,600 t
(34 %), Murcia with 160,800 t (5,6 %), Catalonia with 46,800 t (1.6 %) and the
Balearic Islands with 20,500 t (0.7 %).
By provinces, the most productive is Valencia with 1,210,000 t, 42 % of the total
national production, followed by Alicante with 349,400 t, Seville with 321,000 t,
Huelva with 205,000 t, Almería 157,700 t, Málaga with 104,300 t and Castellón
89,000 t.
22
5.2.2
Main characteristic of the firm investigated
The RURAL SANT VICENT FERRER DE BENAGUASIL CV is a cooperative
of farmers located in the area of El camp del Túria, in the locality of Benaguacil,
to the north between the areas of L’Horta Oest and L’Horta Nord of Valencia.
It is made up of 968 partners, and its scope of action is distributed among almost
all the municipalities in the region.
All the partners are owners of the cooperative. Each partner has one vote,
independently of the number of acres or the production they have.
This cooperative consists of three areas: one is the marketing of the agricultural
produce, another is the credit section, for financing farmers; and the other is the
supply shops through which it sells fertiliser or whatever the farmer needs for
carrying out his activity.
The principal activity is marketing of fruit, since in the other two activities the
farmer has the freedom to turn to other alternatives.
5.2.3
Activity and markets of the firm
The marketing of the organisation’s produce is done seeking at all times to
obtain the best result for the farmer, choosing the most appropriate distribution
channels. We can divide these channels into four major groups:

Domestic market: Warehouse sales to supermarkets throughout the country.

Exports: Sales to the organisation’s own clients outside of the country.

Exporter Agents: Export sales via the Anecoop 2nd Degree Cooperative,
mostly, and also to other commercial agents.

Industry: Sales to industry.
5.2.4
Work organisation, management
The RURAL SANT VICENT DE BENAGUACIL considers itself to be a
different cooperative from the others due to possessing a horizontal
hierarchy. The organisational structure of a cooperative is the same as that
of a private company. It consists of the same departments as any company
in the sector.
Among all the partners, twelve members are chosen to make up the
governing board. From among these, a Chairman is elected who holds the
highest post in the cooperative, with powers such as that of representation
and of decision taking.
There do not exist any fixed working hours in the cooperative since all the
partners are subject to the conditions set by the gathering of the harvest,
which is in turn determined by the weather conditions at the moment.
Nevertheless, the administrative processes are indeed subjected to certain
specific working hours.
23
The work in this field is hard, and in fact there exists a scarcity of Spanish
labour which has to be made up for with immigrants. The standard of living
in Spain means that this type of work is rejected due to its toughness in
conditions that are exposed to changes in the weather during the season
when the fruit is gathered.
5.2.5
Knowledge use, development practice
Training is not a characteristic that stands out in this company.
Nevertheless, it would be very convenient to receive courses on updating
and improvements in the running of the cooperative.
5.2.6
Strengths and weaknesses of the firm
As the strong point and as this concerns a cooperative, it is very important to
maintain the working climate of its partners, which avoids tensions among
the many members forming part of it.
As weaknesses, we could highlight the lack of mechanisation of its
agricultural processes. The managers ought to expand their investments in
the coming years with the aim of studying improvements in automatisation.
5.2.7
Future perspectives
The agricultural sector, and especially citrus, is a market with a lot of
tradition in Spain and is highly competitive. The gathering together of
farmers into associations can only produce individual improvements and
make it easier to achieve economies of scale. It is therefore foreseeable that,
once the investment process which the company is in the middle of has
ended, its perspectives for the future will be good.
24
5.3 Company DECOM (Activity: ICT)
5.3.1
Location of the selected sector in the national, regional
economies
The telecommunications sector billed 28,216 million euros in 2001, which
represents 13.86% more than in the previous year. The sector grew at above the
national average and accounts for 4.34% of the total GDP.
The biggest contribution to turnover in the sector corresponds to fixed telephone
operators (47.9%), followed by mobile (35.5%). The highest growths
corresponded to cable operators (184%) and telematic services operators
(103%), while audiovisual operators are the only ones who billed less (13.2%) in
2001 than in 2000 (Ganar.com, 2002).

In Spain, there currently exists a population of 6.8 million Internet users.

This implies a rate of growth of 10% for the last four months.

Growth is slowing down, given that the previous figure exceeded 12%.

The profile reflects too great a weight of males, young and “young adults”,
and of people in work or studying.

There continue to exist serious social barriers to the expansion of the Internet
to other groups.

Domestic use of the Internet continues to be the majority, though around
40% of total use takes place outside the home.

Just 33% of Internet users can be regarded as heavy user (exceeding an
average of 10 hours connected a week).

Of course, the www resource is practically universal, followed by the use of
e-mail, but the expansion must be noted of sending messages to mobiles
from the Internet.

The search for the latest news is the most frequent reason for explaining the
use of the Internet. This is followed by information on products and services,
downloading of programs, the search for information on computing and the
Internet, consulting of billboards and any information related to tourism and
travel.

Access to general portals and search engines is virtually universal. In second
place come information and news sites. The expansion of everything to do
with tourism and leisure can also be highlighted, whether this be via travel
portals or city guides and similar.

Almost 15% of Internet users have made purchases on-line in the last
three months.
25
Important objectives have been achieved in the development of the
Information Society in our country, among which the following can be
highlighted (Ministry of Science and Technology 2001-2003):
5.3.2

7 million citizens familiar with the use of the Internet, 5.5 million
habitual users (+94% in the last year), 16% of homes connected.

600,000 flat rate users, 680,000 cable users, 425.000 lines for ADSL.

7 million computers, with 50% in homes.

24 million users of mobile telephony.

92 fixed telephony operators.
Main characteristic of the firm investigated
DECOM has its central office in the Paterna technology park, a centre for
leading-edge companies in Valencia. It also has a branch office in the
NODUS business centre, an important Catalan business park located in the
Barberá del Vallés industrial estate, Barcelona.
The outside of the Paterna building has a modern design with smoked glass
for the windows and main door. Inside, there are large and luminous spaces
where certain departments such as finance and general management are to
be found housed in different offices with identical characteristics.
DECOM is involved in four areas of activity in the technology field. We
could indeed say that these are its product lines:

Virtual reality, Simulation and Visualisation.

Design and Engineering (CAD; CAM; CAE and PDM).

Computing Infrastructure and Equipping.

Company Management Solutions.
Virtual Reality permits companies to produce virtual prototypes of their
projects, which can be visualised and animated three-dimensionally, and
allows designers to make the necessary modifications before they develop
the final physical prototypes. It permits checks to be made of the final
appearance of a product by changing textures, colours, etc. The applications
offered by DECOM in the area of Virtual Reality, Simulation and
Visualisation enable its customers to enjoy new ways of communicating
information, visualising products and expressing ideas, thanks to this
innovative and constantly evolving technology.
In the field of Simulation DECOM offers a wide range of specialised
hardware and software elements for carrying out Simulation tasks. Systems
(computers, graphic cards, etc.) capable of generating images with high
definition and quality enabling situations to be simulated that come close to
reality.
26
As far as Visualisation is concerned, the company is seeking to develop
specialised computers and peripherals offering numerous alternatives for the
stereoscopic visualisation of the images generated. A range of elements,
projectors, screens, active and passive glasses, polarisers, etc., permit us to
compose different solutions matching the needs of each problem, such as
gloves, headgear¸ active and passive 3D glasses and so on; specific software
as well as those with high graphic and processing capacity.
In this activity area, DECOM is the distributor of the most specialised
hardware for carrying out necessary tasks in the activity of Virtual Reality,
Simulation and Visualisation. One of the most important characteristics is
that its systems have high processing capacity and in turn provide graphic
power very much greater than other computers, workstations and graphic
cards. It also offers the most advanced software for being able to compose
virtual scenarios.
The most outstanding computers for this activity are Quantum 3D,
Silicon grafics SGI, etc., and the company has become the sole Spanish
distributor for these systems.
As well as all this, DECOM also offers to provide its services in the
integration of systems, training, generation of contents or leasing of
infrastructures (CAVE, StereoWall, Workbench, etc.).
In Design and Engineering DECOM distributes the leading CAD/ CAM/
CAE and PDM tools on the market covering the entire development cycle of
a product. These are hybrid modellers and they combine the parametric
design with traditional design, complemented with powerful and reliable
modules for mechanisation and thermal and structural analysis. The basic
principle is the use of the three-dimensional model as the starting point,
facilitating the creation of section views, details and projections
automatically; the drawing thus created is fully associated with the starting
piece. A wide range of services are offered in this section: software
installation and implementation services; consultancy; training; technical
backup; translation of files (importing and exporting of files); technical
office services such as the design of pieces. DECOM is also the partner of
UGS PLM Solutions (previously EDS PLM Solutions) and it markets and
implements its products. The company also has other specific solutions for
finite element calculation, as in the case of Design Space from ANSYS. We
can group the range of products it offers as follows:

UNIGRAPHICS (UGS PLM Solutions)

SOLID EDGE (UGS PLM Solutions)

TEAMCENTER (UGS PLM Solutions)

e-VIS and e-FACTORY (UGS PLM Solutions)

DESIGN SPACE (ANSYS)
Technology is not an end in itself, but it does allow DECOM to provide
people with all the information on the company and to make its
management processes easier. Nowadays, the choice of technology platform
is no longer a technical decision and has without any doubt become a
27
strategic decision since the technology platform can compromise the normal
development of the company. The key is to choose systems that guarantee
the future development of the company by means of systems of proven
reliability and acceptance, which provide progress options which are above
all profitable, reliable and efficient. This is why the activity area of
Computing Infrastructure and Equipping has arisen in the company.
DECOM’s experience with different hardware and software architectures
and its specialisation in topics concerning networks and communications,
provide evidence of the range of installation, integration and start-up
services it offers for systems.
In order to tackle a specific project, the technical staff of DECOM
analyse the computing and communications situation of the customer, they
identify the requirements and needs, and they draw up a plan of action
adapted to its needs. This plan considers all the technical and operating
requirements that are necessary: Physical, Logistic, Operating, Retrieval and
Contingencies, Training, etc.
The products that are marketed in this area are: Servers, Workstations
and Processing Equipment; Printers, screens and other peripherals; Storage
on tape; Base Software. In Services: Systems Integration; Infrastructure;
Storage; Security and Maintenance.
As a response to the change that has taken place in the way of managing
companies, on account of the new conditions of an ever more globalised
market, DECOM has prepared itself for offering solutions permitting it to
operate efficiently in this new environment. For this reason there exists the
area of Company Management Solutions. This globalised market has meant
that business models are going from being simple linear processes to
becoming complex and collaborative processes. In this field it offers
products such as: Integral Management Systems (iOne); ERP (billing,
warehouse, accounting, etc.); vertical solutions (for sectors such as real
estate, hotel, restaurant and catering, works, commerce, clinics); or the
CRM tactic.
5.3.3
Activity and markets of the firm
For each one of the areas, DECOM possesses its particular line of customers
and competitors.
There are currently many fields where Virtual Reality technology is being
applied, among which we can highlight: medicine, industry, military,
leisure, culture and entertainment, finance, architecture, marketing and
research. For this company, its clientele par excellence are the Universities.
In the area of Design and Engineering, its customers are mostly industrial
firms.
In the business world, it is necessary to have the presence of a professional
which can combine the different Hardware and Software on the market
adapted to the needs of the company. This is what DECOM does, among
other activities.
5.3.4
Work organisation, management
The company is organised into the same activity areas of the company, in
which it has a commercial part and a technical part. “The technical part
28
functions as a pull apart from those involved in Virtual Reality, who form a
separate unit, though there are a lot of relations among them. There are a
lot of CAD projects which are now starting to use virtual reality.”
So there is the Management, the Administration department, and the
four specialities with their commercial and technical sides. “There are
sales staff involved with CAD, others concerned with virtual reality and
yet others for infrastructure.”
As far as the Human Resources department is concerned, in
DECOM the general manager himself takes charge of this together with
the financial manager.
5.3.5
Knowledge use, development practice
DECOM requires all its sales staff to have been trained as engineers or to
have experience qualifying them to carry out their work.
The company is continually training its employees.
The technical staff receive ongoing training because the products are
constantly evolving, they pass through the training more than once a year,
they have a very wide range of products which they have to know very well;
they work on this, they receive courses, documentation, a lot of information;
as with the sales staff, they have a meeting at least once a year where they
are informed of new developments, new products incorporated into the
company, new functionalities. The cost of this training process is borne by
the company.
The managers on the other hand receive no training. They can gain access to
a lot of training by different means and for the time being no need is seen
for resorting to specialised training for the managers. They aim to do things
as well as they can within their capabilities and they aim to improve via
access to other types of training, though they do not have to go to any
classroom to receive it.
5.3.6
Strengths and weaknesses of the firm
As the strong point of this company we can highlight the teamwork
environment, with a lot of dialogue, with their own experiences being
transferred among them. They aim to achieve a cohesion among the
personnel without fostering any competitiveness. Even though there is
always someone who stands out above the rest, no incentive is provided for
this superiority.
A clear sign of the favourable conditions in the work of the personnel is the
absence of membership of any trade union.
As weaknesses this could be considered as being the actual absence of any
training of the managers in top management techniques. This company
could probably grow if its leaders had a different vision, based on new
techniques of company management.
29
5.3.7
Future perspectives
DECOM has opted to specialise in very specific fields within ICT where
there are not so many competitors. This company foreseeably has good
future perspectives at least until the market becomes saturated with these
professionals.
30
5.4 Company GIL CADIZ
(Activity: Service for large firms)
5.4.1 Location of the selected sector in the national, regional
economies
In Spain there exist 257 companies concerned with the leasing of mobile
cranes, notably in the regions of Andalusia (16%), Catalonia (15%) and the
Valencia Community (13%). The other companies to a lesser percentage are
very much scattered throughout the whole of the country.
5.4.2
Main characteristic of the firm investigated
GRUAS GIL CADIZ SA is a business concern, founded in 1974. Its
founder is a person who worked in the construction sector, he had two
companies and he saw that the account “Leasing of Cranes” was fairly high.
So he came to the conclusion that it was profitable to start up a company
and provide himself with the crane services he needed.
The company, located in the province of Cádiz (Andalusia), has been
evolving from the moment of its foundation up to the present day, becoming
adapted to the new technologies in order to offer the best service for its
customers, and it has become a leader company in its sector.
5.4.3
Activity and markets of the firm
The company’s activities range from Loading/Unloading of ships in
construction, by means of a combination of several mobile cranes, up to the
positioning of jackets (structures placed on the sea-bed for oil drilling
operations).
The company is also involved in other activities, such as collaboration in the
construction of buildings.
The geographical scope of action of this company lies mainly in the
province of Cádiz, though it can also offer its services to the rest of Spain
and even to neighbouring countries such as Portugal and occasionally also
to other countries such as Algeria and Morocco.
31
5.4.4
Work organisation, management
The staff of this company has a low level of mobility. The company spends
approximately one month on internal training for new arrivals. Once trained,
the company has no interest in losing these workers, and they, in turn, have
little desire to change companies.
Most of this company’s stock of machinery consists of mobile cranes of
various tonnages (from 500 MT downwards), though very much heavier
weights can be lifted by combining several of those cranes. The radius of
action is a very important factor.
GRUAS GIL CADIZ has a team of technical personnel who conduct studies
of each specific case and its needs.
There are customers who request a specific machine due to the fact that its
own internal team has already studied its needs. Nevertheless, others state
the problem and a technical study has to be conducted, involving a visit to
the site in order to take a look at accesses, needs and their possibilities.
5.4.5
Knowledge use, development practice
GRUAS GIL CADIZ possesses the most sophisticated machines on the
market. Even so, the company is in the middle of a process of
computerisation of its mobile cranes, using ICT tools that are available
today.
5.4.6
Strengths and weaknesses of the firm
As a strong point, we can emphasise the excellent working environment
with staff salaries above the levels contained in the collective agreement.
As weak points, the territorial limitation of its market could be highlighted;
new geographical regions could be tackled, with the entire country being
served either directly or by means of association or merger with other
competitors.
5.4.7
Future perspectives
The type of activity carried out by this company is indispensable in a
modern economy, which means that, following the process of
computerisation that has already commenced and a good reorganisation, the
perspectives are excellent.
32
6. Conclusions
- Little research has yet been made into the quantitative reality of SMEs with
regard to:
- Their economic performance
- Their social implications
- More than 99% of companies come under the category of SMEs, and together
they form the aspect of our economy that contributes most towards the
generation of jobs and wealth.
- In terms of the main economic and financial aggregates of Spanish SMEs
between 1996 and 2000, the favourable repercussions which the boom in the
economic cycle had on them can be seen. The sustained growth in demand, the
fall in inflation and in interest rates meant a lessening of the net financial burden
on SMEs, which has allowed them to renew their productive assets and to
finance new business projects.
- Between 1996 and 2000, the gross result of SMEs increased by an annual 10%.
- The legal form adopted by SMEs in Spain (year 2003) is, among the range of
possibilities, as follows:
- Individual Businessman:........61.4 %.
- Limited Companies:...............26.5 %
- Joint-stock Companies.............4.7 %
- The legal norms concerning SMEs are sufficiently developed by means of Acts
and Regulations.
- The Government is aware of the need to strengthen efforts that have been made
so far in the field of ongoing training, as a factor of undoubted importance when
it comes to the competitiveness of our economy and with regard to the future
and the quality of employment.
- As far as innovation and R&D are concerned, statistical indicators point out
that, in Spain, the percentage of SMEs with internal innovation stands at half the
European average (21.6% Spain, 44% Europe), that our SMEs cooperate to
innovate by 4.2% less, and that they make 35% less innovation effort than their
European counterparts.
- Having culminated the final phase of Economic and Monetary Union, our
SMEs have placed themselves in a position to compete fully not just in the Euro
Zone but also with the capacity to tackle the challenges created by their presence
in new geographical areas.
33
Bibliography.
-
Eurostat Yearbook 1991; 1995; 2000; 2002
-
Eurostatistics - Eurostat; December 1992; December 1996
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34
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39
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42