Digital Queensland builds business capability

EXTRA >> DIGITAL Queensland, the prototype for a series of business and economic development platforms to serve regions and industries Australia wide, has been widely viewed and well received in its showcase version.

The platform, which uses the knowledge transfer and networking power of the digital revolution to help Australian business leaders develop their businesses, has been created by Queensland digital development company Digital Business insights (DBi) with Business Acumen magazine as its collaborative partner. 

DBi chief executive John Sheridan said hundreds of viewers from economic development organisations, industry associations, government and private industry had pored over the site since a display version opened to public view just two months ago. There had been visitors from every state in Australia and more than 60 other countries.

Mr Sheridan said the Magazine section and ICT Directory – both of which feature video interviews conducted by Business Acumen editor Mike Sullivan, along with links to articles and case studies – had drawn the majority of the interest. There has also been growing downloads of comment blogs about the digital economy and links through to more detailed stories on the Business Acumen website.

“Even though the Digital Queensland site is, in effect, a shop window for the platforms we are developing – and there are some key elements and tool boxes that have not been turned on yet – the response has been amazing as people start to understand what it is we are doing,” Mr Sheridan said. “People tell us they are astonished by the depth of information we have on the site already – and how timely and useful it is.

“This is the starting point for showcasing how we can use this disruptive digital technology to positively guide and connect business, create new opportunities, help business leaders to develop their companies and create jobs, develop export capability, provide a comprehensive toolset for start-ups … and more. As more people become engaged with us and collaborate with us, we are finding new ways these platforms can be adapted to help.”

Underpinning DBi’s platforms are more than 14 years of deep research into business Australia-wide, with over 50,000 businesses surveyed and 300-plus case studies. Business Acumen’s archive of articles from 2004 are also being incorporated as the platforms’ resources develop. This research resource underpins the structure of the platforms and the toolsets developed.

Two key tools that DBi director and international web learning platform developer Geoff Grantham has created – Scorecard and Signpost – are not yet turned on in the Digital Queensland prototype environment.

These tools use the huge Australia-wide business research base of DBi to allow businesses to genuinely benchmark themselves and their adoption of ICT (Scorecard) and then receive an evidence-based range of suggestions on what may be the next sensible steps for their businesses (Signpost).

Signpost’s power is that it also proposes pathways to make those next steps, including suggested contacts with peer-rated best-of-breed service providers to pursue those avenues. Signpost is also to be used to help create business events and networks that are also fit-for-purpose.

“This is only the beginning,” Mr Sheridan said. “Because we are also able to help develop real-world and social media connections to place business leaders in touch with organisations and individuals who are proven to be best-of-breed.

“All our research tells us that business leaders want relevant information delivered to them by e-mail – and they eventually want to deal with real people,” Mr Sheridan said. “We are using the power of digital to achieve this – it’s never been done before, anywhere in the world. We know this, because we have been searching for others to collaborate with for 14 years.”

Mr Sheridan said the first industry sector version of the platform is currently being configured for the manufacturing sector, with the assistance of Regional Development Australia (RDA) Brisbane, QMI Solutions and the Queensland Government. There are also discussions with several RDAs and councils to establish region-specific platforms.

The knowledge is re-distributed and re-purposed throughout the platforms on an ongoing basis.

“We have only just scratched the surface so far, with the launch of our Magazine, Resource Centre and ICT Directory sections, and already we are hearing of businesses using their new-found knowledge to build capability in ways they had not thought of previously,” Mr Sheridan said.

www.digitalQLD.com.au

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