Measuring Digital Maturity: Broadband Utilization

How do your local businesses’ online presence compare to their competition? Are your local businesses relevant in an increasingly online economy? What are the new revenues and cost savings from online practices that local businesses should be leveraging?

SNG’s Digital Economy Index (DEi) measures utilization, or digital maturity of a business to show them how competitive they are against their peers in an online economy and to personalize the ROI of online practices so they can make better decisions on where to spend their time and money in new technologies.

How does SNG Measure Utilization?Example DEi

As part of our data collection process, SNG asks businesses and organization how they are using a range of 17 online business practices (eSolutions), from which we can calculate the SNG Digital Economy index (DEi) for each business or organization. It’s a simple score from 0 to 10 (with 10 the highest) that shows a business where it stands against its peers and how they could benefit further from the digital economy and online practices.

How does SNG Produce DEi Scorecards?

SNG’s DEi Scorecard is an assessment tool that is targeted at end-users, drawing on information from their own self-assessment and then comparing it against our Digital Economy Database of more than 35,000 businesses. Business owners and managers can see where they stand by taking an online assessment and comparing where they are, versus where they need to be in order to be competitive. The scorecard becomes a starting point to support individual businesses take the action the need to be more effective online.

How do Businesses Use DEi Scorecards?

DEi Scorecards provide a roadmap of practices and e-solutions for businesses to develop their personalized technology adoption plan based on actionable insights into how utilization of online practices can increase efficiencies, innovation, and profitability.

Each business will see their Digital Economy index score based on their current use of broadband and online practices compared to organizations of the same size and industry sector. Each DEi Scorecard provides the top three suggested online practices that have the greatest financial impact for that business. These impacts are based on industry averages calculated by SNG and are quantified in terms of revenues and cost savings these online practices would have if they were implemented.

Finally, the contact information from a local stakeholder organization (e.g. economic development) is included to help support with questions on how to implement new online practices. By showing benefits that will increase productivity and service quality, as well as providing insights, documentation, and ongoing support, DEi Scorecards mobilize businesses and organizations to economic growth and vitality.

Why Use the Digital Economy index (DEi)?

Economic success for business depends on staying competitive and relevant in an increasingly digital economy. Working smarter, not harder is the key to economic success in the 21st century. SNG’s Digital Economy index (DEi) Scorecard gives end-users the power and insights of years of SNG’s broadband research.

Users can quickly identify ways to be more effective, productive, and competitive by leveraging broadband by comparing themselves against the tens of thousands of their peers in SNG’s Digital Economy Database. They see, very plainly, the impacts that maximizing their use of online business applications will have.

The DEi Scorecard is an excellent tool to help drive utilization of online business practices, of utmost interest to:

  • Broadband providers looking for new subscribers or current subscribers to understand the returns from upgrading to higher value services
  • Economic development agencies looking to maintain and grow their local businesses using broadband
  • Broadband project managers looking to drive uptake and use of their ultra-fast broadband network