Analyzing Performance in Wholesale Trade Romanian SMEs: Framing Circular Economy Business Scenarios

Abstract

The study analyzes the performance levels achieved by Romanian wholesaler SMEs from Hunedoara County and to advance some practical courses of action designed to support local entrepreneurs in improving efficiency and in embracing circular economy (CE) practices. We employed cluster and discriminant analyses with a focus on providing an accurate classification of trade SMEs, according to their performance. Three distinct classifications of SMEs resulted in: (i) a class of enterprises displaying high levels of the rates of return, whose business owners exhibited an increased risk appetite and applied investment policies focusing on future development by means of incorporating digital instruments; (ii) a class of SMEs displaying average levels of rates of return, which manage to survive in situations of crisis through maintaining the position previously gained on the market; and (iii) a class of SMEs exhibiting a precarious financial position and employing defensive strategies, with managers who are reluctant to take risks in the innovation processes. Furthermore, we present a cloud computing solution which was tailored for one of the companies from our sample that appeared to be the most likely to carry out the transition from the average SME performance class to the higher class. The main advantages that are brought about by the IT solution in terms of environmental sustainability consist of: improvements in energy efficiency, the decrease in carbon footprints, the lowering of operational costs and the diminishing of the amount of e-waste.

The Use of Digital Channels in Omni-Channel Retail—An Empirical Study

“…The research was implemented in an emerging market, Romania, which is developing from the omni-channel retail perspective, with a high potential for future growth. Romania has experienced an impressive evolution of retail in general and omni-channel retail in particular, facilitated by the recent COVID-19 pandemic that caused consumers to migrate from physical stores to online stores to protect themselves against the new virus [86]. Compared to developed countries with a rich retail tradition, modern forms of commerce appeared relatively late, and are pinpointed to 2000 [87].…”

Determinasi Adopsi Ekonomi Sirkular, Model Bisnis Inovatif Dan Dukungan Anggaran Negara: Investigasi Umkm Indonesia Berbasis PLS-Sem

“…Problematik ilmiah muncul dimana hampir seluruh bukti riset global yang dikaji diatas kurang menyoroti peran pemerintah terutama alokasi anggaran dalam dorongan UMKM yang mengadopsi peran berkelanjutan melalui inovasi ekonomi sirkular yang terintegrasi dalam model bisnis (Cavicchi et al, 2022;Dura et al, 2022;Muafi & Sugarindra, 2023;Sarfraz et al, 2021) (Radyanto & Prihastono, 2020;Trimulato et al, 2021;Yuliawati et al, 2017).…”

Software-as-a-Service Programs and Project management: A Case Study on Odoo ERP

“…The main objective of the research presented with the help of the Odoo Project module is to emphasize the techniques of automatic classification by using neural networks as a decision support and to develop classification models of different types of organizations, taking into account the economic context, their financial indicators and their performance on the capital market [18]. The work involved in the research project was performed into several successive stages, with the final results consisting from: i) two articles published in prestigious peer-review scientific journals; ii) one paper disseminated in national and/or international conferences; iii) one book released on the specified topic.…”