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EADA is one of the training entities involved in Generación Digital Pymes (SME Digital Generation). This programme is organised by the business school EOI (Escuela de Organización Industrial) and forms part of the Digital Generation initiative which was set up by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation and is financed by the EU’s Next Generation fund. This digital management programme is fully subsidised and aims to train management teams and SME area managers to acquire the knowledge and skills they need to improve the digital transformation of their companies.

The 150-hour programme offers both online and in-person training formats for a maximum of 2 people from a SME or company of between 10 and 249 employees in Catalonia. Upon completion of the training, the participants will receive a Postgraduate degree in Digital Transformation for SME managers from EADA (Postgrado en Transformación Digital para Directivos de Pymes).

It offers participants the opportunity to design and implement a guided digital transformation plan, detect business opportunities, learn about digital transformation in various sectors and create networking opportunities from Day 1. The training content is structured around 6 different modules:

• The company in the digital economy: the digital context, new business models and digital transformation plans.
• Transforming the customer experience: mapping the customer experience, purchasing process and ownership/ privacy.
• Transformation technology: Digital Analytics and Big Data, automation and robotisation, Machine Learning and AI.
• Managing change: People and organisation, cultural transformation, Agile innovation methodologies.
• Case studies in different sectors: digitalisation case studies in industry, agri-food sector, service, ICT and consumer sectors.
• Digital transformation plan and action plan for the company: guided project and action plan.

New organisational paradigm

EADA has extensive experience in the design and offer of training programmes in digital transformation. According to Oriol Ripoll, Director of Custom programmes at EADA, “when we were contacted about participating in this programme, there was no doubt in our minds; it is a unique opportunity to help Catalan companies become more competitive”. In his opinion, “as a result of EADA’s commitment to respond to the needs of companies, the school has taken another step forward to support the business community to digitally transform their organisations, which is currently one of the main challenges they face in order to improve productivity and customer relations”.

According to Ripoll, “digital transformation is a process of redirecting a company towards the application and use of emerging technologies to be able to face the challenges of today’s world with new solutions. He adds that, “nowadays it is impossible for a company to improve productivity, growth, efficiency and internationalisation without the implementation of digitalisation or digital automation. Companies therefore need to learn about the business opportunities that digitalisation can offer regardless of the sector or size of the company”.

But digital transformation goes beyond the implementation of technology. Ripoll points out that, “it involves a strategic change for the company, a transformation at an organisational and cultural level that affects all areas of the company”. In his opinion, “this means changes in personnel and in the business which will lead to new types of leadership and professional profiles, new areas and new ways of working and relating to customers, which is why it is essential that this transformation is led by management teams”.

Practical methodology

One of the main characteristics of this programme is its practical approach based on EADA’s pedagogical model of active learning. The school applies this methodology to all its programmes in which participants learn by doing. During the Postgraduate programme in Digital Transformation for SME managers, a combination of methodologies is used, each with a fully practical and active approach, based on the study and discussion of real cases, teamwork, analysis of real problems and the development of specific proposals.

During the programme, participants will also design a guided digital transformation plan for their company and an action plan to be implemented upon completion. The postgraduate course also includes real cases of digital transformation of companies in different sectors.