Case Study: Providing Benefits of E-learning to Smes

This case study illustrates how professional associations may contribute to the use of e-learning technologies by SMEs. It also shows that – besides significant cost savings – there are further advantages that make the use of e-learning technologies attractive, in particular for tax consulting companies. Case characteristics • Sector focus Business Services • Business focus Small companies • Geographical focus Germany Case objectives • E-learning • Knowledge Management = some relevance for case; = high relevance Background and objectives Tax advisers seem to be well-suited for the use of e-learning technologies: they already use computers for their daily work and there is a high need for advanced training in this sector. However, the high costs for implementing and running e-learning solutions often make the use of e-learning technologies uneconomical – particularly for small and medium-sized tax consulting companies. This was the background for the idea of providing e-learning services by the Bundessteuerberaterkammer, a syndicate with about 50,000 associated tax consultancy companies, which employ about 500,000 people. The Bundessteuerberatungskammer offers, among other services, a large range of training programmes for members. They are typically provided as full-day programmes on a regional basis. In 2001 the organisation agreed on the formation of the DWS Steuerberatung-Online GmbH as a subsidiary of the Bundessteuerberaterkammer with the objective of offering e-learning programmes for members. The first e-learning programme by DWS-Online was launched in February 2002. 1 This case study was conducted by Berlecon Research GmbH, Oranienburgerstr. 32, 10117 Berlin, Germany.