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Procedia Computer Science 91 (2016) 47 – 56

Information Technology and Quantitative Management (ITQM 2016)

The effects of ICTs as innovation facilitators for a greater

business performance. Evidence from Mexico.
Héctor Cuevas-Vargasa,c,*, Salvador Estradab, Emigdio Larios-Gómezb
a
Autonomous University of Aguascalientes, Av. Universidad 940, Aguascalientes, Ags. 20131, México.
b
University of Guanajuato, Av. Ing. Barros Sierra 201, Celaya, Gto. 38140, México.
c
Universidad Tecnológica del Suroeste de Guanajuato, Carr. Valle-Huanimaro Km 1.2, Valle de Stgo., Gto. 38400, México

Abstract

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) influence growth of economies and businesses´ efficiency and
facilitate innovation through diffusion processes, usage practices and commercial success. Innovation, as well, has a direct
impact on growth and competitiveness. The present empirical study has the objective to determine the effects of the ICTs as
facilitators of innovation for a greater business performance of the industrial Micro, Small and Medium Sized Enterprises
(MSMEs) on a developing country. In this sense, the measuring scales utilized were summited to a Confirmatory Factor
Analysis (CFA) under the Maximum Likelihood Method, counting with reliability and validity. The results obtained
through the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), since a sample of 288 MSMEs established in Guanajuato (Mexico), is
allowed to infer that there exists enough empirical evidence the ICTs are a facilitator of innovation by influencing in this
positive and significant manner; similarly, it was found that innovation and the use of ICTs substantially impact in the
performance of the businesses studied. Therefore, the decision makers should pay special attention on the way they manage
these key variables for business success.

© 2016
© 2016 The
TheAuthors. Published
Authors. by Elsevier
Published B.V.B.V.
by Elsevier This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of the organizers of ITQM 2016
Peer-review under responsibility of the Organizing Committee of ITQM 2016
Keywords: ICTs; Innovation; Business performance; Industrial MSMEs; Structural Equation Modeling.

1. Introduction

Since the new millennium Mexican businesses are concerned with improving business performance in order
to cope with the turbulent conditions of markets and fickle demands of their clients. For this reason, the
businesses that have higher levels of innovation in comparison with their competitors as, Barnett and Hansen [1]
note, will have crucial advantages, which will allow them to compete in national and global markets [2]. In this
sense, small businesses are the ones that face greater obstacles and each time struggle more to keep up with the

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +52-456-643-7180; fax: +52-456-643-7180 Ext. 101.

E-mail address: hcuevas@utsoe.edu.mx.

1877-0509 © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of the Organizing Committee of ITQM 2016
doi:10.1016/j.procs.2016.07.040
48 Héctor Cuevas-Vargas et al. / Procedia Computer Science 91 (2016) 47 – 56

time. For this reason, it is fundamental for these types of businesses to rethink their business strategies, and for
this, the strategy to use information and communication technologies (ICTs) will allow them to improve their
innovation levels, whenever ICTs have been considered an innovation facilitator for products and processes [3-
4], and in this way improve their competitiveness and performance levels, allowing them to face the many
challenges of the environment and remain in the global markets, highly competitive and changing that they face
today [5]. For this reason, it is important that the MSMEs achieve to incorporate the ICTs as an essential
business strategy, which will allow them to propel their efficiency and improve their competitiveness [6], raise
productivity [7] and gain client, employee and supplier satisfaction [8].
On the other hand, Gretton et al. [9] have suggested that the use of ICTs makes innovation development
relatively more easy and cost-effective and that the effects derived from the use of ICTs can be a source of
greater productivity. According to the literature review we have found that the majority of the empirical studies
about the use of ICTs have been centered on large companies in developed countries [5], therefore, according
to Apulu and Latham [10], Cuevas-Vargas et al. [8] and Piget and Kossaï [11], little research exists about the
use of ICTs in developing countries. Furthermore, there are relatively few theoretical studies and published
surveys that correlate the ICTs, the innovation and business performance [12], but there are even fewer studies
that correlate these three variables in the context of SMEs [13-14]. Hence, the need for more research about
ICTs, innovation and business performance exists [15]. In this sense, this investigation has the objective to
determine the effects of ICTs as innovation facilitators for greater business performance of the industrial
MSMEs of the state of Guanajuato, Mexico.
Accordingly, this study considers three important contributions. The first consists on providing empirical
evidence of the direct relationship between ICTs, innovation and business performance, direct between
innovation and business performance, and indirectly between ICTs through innovation with business
performance. The second contribution lies in the study of the three variables with MSMEs of a developing
country, as is Mexico. A third contribution consists on the application of a methodology that is different to that
used in previous studies and consists in trying the theoretical model through a validation of the constructs
through the CFA method in second order and the proof of the hypotheses through SEM.

2. Literature review

2.1 Relationship of the use of ICTs with innovation

The incorporation of new systems and information technologies facilitate business planning and encourage
development and execution of production programs, while stimulating the process and product control [16]
cited in [8]. Henceforth, the adequate use of ICTs allows organizations, primarily in small businesses, to
improve administrative activities in substantial ways [17]. This is especially so for dynamic companies with a
highly competitive environment that requires the use of advanced ICTs to improve their efficiency and cost
effectiveness, and to offer high quality products and services to their clients [18], from the feedback given
quickly by the users. For these reasons, the ICTs are a valuable source of business innovation.
Moreover, the ICTs can also influence directly with the innovations based on ICTs in the business products,
processes, and services, also in the business models [19]. Additionally, they can transform business processes
and facilitate new products and services, as well as products and services variety and personalization
requirements that were not operational and economically feasible before without the use of ICTs [20]. In this
sense, the literature shows that there is enough theoretical and empirical evidence about the important role ICTs
play in facilitating innovation in companies [20-22].
Foremost, Arvanitis and Loukis [20] in their analysis of 743 hospitals in 18 European countries found that
the electronic applications on behalf of the hospital has a positive impact in the product and process innovation.
Similarly, they found that ICTs have a positive effect on innovation in the hospitals and that the innovations
 Héctor Cuevas-Vargas et al. / Procedia Computer Science 91 (2016) 47 – 56 49

seem to reinforce the impact of the ICTs in the performance, and the ICTs show not only direct positive effects
but also indirect effects in the performance of the hospitals, through innovation. In another study completed by
Arvanitis et al. [21] with 271 American businesses, they found that the different types of ICTs, the internal
information systems have a strong positive impact in product and process innovation; the electronic sales had
an impact in the process innovation, while the electronic recruitment turned out not to be an engine of
innovation. Yet, the ICTs give a strong drive towards innovation, even in opposite national contexts, in which
the determinant traditional factors of innovation do not boost innovation in process, product or service.
Likewise, Fernández-Mesa et al. [23] in their study of 186 ceramic tile producers from Italy and Spain, found a
direct positive and significant relationship between ICTs and the commercial success of the innovation. In the
same sense, Spiezia [22] in his research with service and manufacturing companies belonging to countries in
the OECD, he found that the ICTs are an innovation facilitator, particularly in product and marketing
innovations, both in service companies and manufacturing plants, so the results suggest that the ICTs facilitate
a company to incorporate innovation, while not increasing their invention capabilities. Thereby, under these
perspectives arises the first hypothesis:
H1: Greater use of ICTs, results in greater levels of innovation of the industrial MSMEs of Guanajuato.

2.2 Relationship of innovation with business performance

Innovation is a critical determinant of company performance [24] consequently, it is essential for companies
to rethink their strategies to place greater importance on innovation strategies, allowing them to reach superior
competitive advantages and performance [24-26]. In the sense, in literature we find that innovation has a
considerable impact on corporate performance to produce an improved market position that reflects the
competitive advantages and superior performance [27].
Empirical evidence that demonstrates a positive relationship between innovation and business performance
includes the following studies. Firstly, Rhee et al. [28] researched a sample of 333 small technologically
innovative companies from South Korea, found that innovation has a significant impact on business
performance. Similarly, Gunday et al. [29] in their study with a sample of 184 manufacturing firms in Turkey,
concluded that there are positive effects of product, organizational and marketing innovations in the studied
business performance in the manufacturing industries. Concurrently, Atalay et al. [30] having analyzed 113
companies that operate as automotive industry suppliers in Turkey, found empirical evidence that demonstrates
that technological innovation (product and process innovation) has a positive and significant impact in business
performance. Meanwhile, Hedfi-Khayati and Zouaoui [31] in their study with 284 SMEs from the food and
beverage, textile and wood sub sector industries in Malaysia, showed in their findings that product and process
innovation have a significant impact on business performance, where the impact on product innovation was
stronger than process innovation. Similarly, Estrada et al. [32] found that innovation and business performance
are positively correlated, and that the innovation of products, process and management systems have a positive
and significant effect on business performance, and that the size of the company influences the impact of
performance of these three types of innovation. Thereby, under these arguments arises the second hypothesis:
H2: At higher levels of innovation, greater business performance of industrial MSMEs of Guanajuato.

2.3 Relationship of the use of ICTs with business performance

Today, ICTs are considered as a principle engine of growth in the knowledge economy, for that reason, ICTs
as a determinant of technological change have led to a digital revolution in developed countries and have
quickly spread to other emerging countries, as in the case of Mexico [11]. According to Bardhan et al. [33] the
use of ICTs is a strategy that allows companies to improve their competitiveness in their particular interest of
improving their work systems.
50 Héctor Cuevas-Vargas et al. / Procedia Computer Science 91 (2016) 47 – 56

Literature from the following authors, Kumar [34], Sambamurthy et al. [12] and Santhanam and Hartono
[35], includes finding that suggests that the infrastructure in information technologies and digital platforms are
critical enablers of the organizational competencies and the business performance. Similar investigations have
demonstrated that investments in information technology and the capabilities through ICTs are associated with
greater productivity, client satisfaction, organizational skills and company performance [3, 36-37]. But above
all, these are investigations that suggest the use of ICTs is positively related with business performance of
SMEs in developing countries [11, 38-41].
In terms of the empirical evidence, we found different studies that demonstrate a positive relationship
between ICTs and business performance, such as the case study of 74 Spanish MSMEs, in which Pérez et al.
[42] found that using information technology has a positive influence in the rational goal model indicators of
business performance such as profitability and financial performance, but that was not reflected in the impact of
productivity. In the research of MSMEs in Aguascalientes, México, Maldonado et al. [41], found that MSMEs
with a greater use of ICTs obtain higher performance. In the same order of ideas, in the study made with a
sample of 162 SMEs of Zimbabwe, Chinomona [38] found that ICTs have a positive influence on the strategic
purchases of the MSMEs, in the logistics integration and very significantly in the overall performance of
companies. Meanwhile, Piget and Kossaï [11], in the research with 50 SMEs in Tunisia, whose objective
consisted in providing an empirical vision on the use of ICTs and performance in emerging countries, found
that there was a statistically significant relationship between the level of use of ICTs and economic
performance of the SMEs of Tunisia that operate in the electrical and electronic industries. Thus, under these
perspectives arises the third hypothesis:
H3: At greater use of ICTs, greater business performance of industrial MSMEs of Guanajuato.

3. Methodology

3.1 Sample design and data collection

Empirical research was performed using a quantitative approach of explanatory and cross sectional type
through the statistical technique of SEM. For the development of this research it was taken as a reference the
database offered by the Business Information System of Mexico [43], considering a sample of 288 MSMEs in
the manufacturing industrial sector in Guanajuato, with a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error of 5%.
The survey was applied randomly and answered by the managers or owners of these kind of businesses.

3.2 Measurement of variables

To measure the use of ICTs, the scale used by Gonzálvez-Gallego et al. [44] was adapted by adding 2 items,
to make a 16 items scale which was measured with a Likert-type scale of a 1 to 5 point range, which refer from
low importance to high importance, and tested in other studies by Aguilera et al. [5] and Cuevas-Vargas et al.
[8]. Regarding to the measurement of innovation, an adapted scale proposed by Madrid-Guijarro et al. [45] was
considered, which is composed of 7 items, and it is measured through three latent variables, being these:
product innovation, process innovation and management systems innovation, all of them were measured with a
Likert-type scale of a 1 to 5 point range, which refer from low importance to high importance. This scale has
been tested in previous studies by Cuevas et al. [46] and Cuevas-Vargas et al. [25]. With regard to the
measurement of business performance, we took into account the four dimensions proposed by Quinn and
Rohrbaugh in an overall indicator [48] and tested in other studies by Estrada et al. [32], having these
constituencies: the internal process model, the open systems model, the rational goal model, and the human
relations model; all of them were measured with a Likert-type scale of a 1 to 5 point range, which refer from
total disagreement to total agreement.
 Héctor Cuevas-Vargas et al. / Procedia Computer Science 91 (2016) 47 – 56 51

3.3 Reliability and validity

To evaluate the reliability and validity of the scales, a second order Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA)
using the maximum likelihood method through the use of EQS 6.1 statistical software was performed. From the
obtained results, all values of the scales exceeded the recommended value of 0.7 for Cronbach's Alpha which
provides evidence of reliability and justifies the internal reliability of the scales [49-50]. The Composite
Reliability (CRI) is greater than 0.60 [51], the Average Variance Extracted index (AVE) was greater than 0.50
[52] in each and every one of the factors. Also robust statistical testing was used [53] in order to provide better
evidence of statistical adjustments, as it can be seen in Table 1.

Table 1. Internal consistence and convergent validity of the theoretical model

Robust Cronbach’s
Construct Indicator-Variable Factor Loading CRI AVE
t-value Alpha
IT1- To exchange documents with suppliers 0.757*** 1.000ᵅ
IT2- To exchange documents with customers 0.799*** 17.782
IT3- For customers’ orders 0.836*** 16.561
IT4- To place orders to suppliers 0.857*** 18.871
IT5- To inventory management 0.887*** 18.274
IT6- To control working hours 0.823*** 17.910
IT7- In production control 0.874*** 16.724
Use of ICTs IT8- To human resource management 0.805*** 14.221 0.974 0.972 0.699
IT9- Integrated to customers for orders 0.841*** 15.632
IT10- Integrated to suppliers to place orders 0.840*** 16.175
IT11- Impact on quality of customer service 0.810*** 17.483
IT13- Impact on quality control 0.885*** 17.529
IT14- Impact on relations with suppliers 0.885*** 17.768
IT15- Trained staff for handling ICTs 0.835*** 15.335
IT16- For decision-making 0.819*** 16.983
Product PI1- Changes or improvements in products 0.671*** 1.000ᵅ
Innovation
(F1) PI2- New products commercialization 0.745*** 8.574 0.673 0.674 0.509

Process PRI1- Changes or improvements in processes 0.873*** 1.000ᵅ

Innovation
(F2) PRI2- Acquisition of new capital equipment 0.737*** 12.069 0.782 0.789 0.653

Management MSI1- Management and administration 0.770*** 1.000ᵅ

Systems MSI2- Purchasing and supplies 0.789*** 13.473 0.830 0.830 0.620
Innovation
(F3) MSI3- Commercial/sales 0.803*** 12.035
F1- Product innovation 0.999*** 10.298
Innovation F2- Process innovation 0.997*** 21.271 0.861 0.968 0.911
F3- Management systems innovation 0.860*** 12.665
IPM1- Improving quality of product/service 0.735*** 1.000ᵅ
Internal
Process Model IPM2- Increasing efficiency in business 0.877*** 14.010 0.855 0.854 0.663
52 Héctor Cuevas-Vargas et al. / Procedia Computer Science 91 (2016) 47 – 56

(F4) IPM3- Improving organization of staff 0.824*** 14.145

Open System OSM2- Quick adaptation to market needs 0.794*** 1.000ᵅ

Model (F5) OSM3- Improving image of the firm 0.853*** 14.532 0.831 0.809 0.679
RGM1- Increasing market share 0.786*** 1.000ᵅ

Rational Goal RGM2- Increasing profitability 0.910*** 16.105 0.912 0.904 0.760
Model (F6) RGM3- Increasing productivity 0.913*** 15.001
HRM1- Improving employees’ motivation 0.682*** 1.000ᵅ
Human
Relations HRM2- Reducing staff turnover 0.881*** 10.063 0.854 0.850 0.656
Model (F7)
HRM3- Reducing work absenteeism 0.853*** 10.186
F4- Internal process model 0.951*** 10.706
Business F5- Open system model 0.932*** 11.542 0.890 0.912 0.727
Performance F6- Rational goal model 0.852*** 9.723
F7- Human relations model 0.639*** 7.036
S-B X²= 1016.695 on 483df; (S-B X²/df)= 2.1; p= 0.000; RMSEA= 0.068; NFI= 0.862; NNFI= 0.915; CFI= 0.922
ᵅ = Parameters constrained to this value in the identification process; Significance level= *** = p < 0.001; ** = p < 0.05
CRI= Composite Reliability Index; AVE= Average Variance Extracted Index

Therefore, it was found that the original model showed level adjustment problems, so it was necessary to
eliminate two observable variables to the whole theoretical model, being these IT12 (from the use of ICTs
construct) and OSM1 (from the open system model construct), due to the fact that their factor loadings were
under the value of 0.6 suggested by Bagozzi and Yi [51], so that the model got a very good adjustment of the
data taking into reference robust statistics, since the value of NFI is between 0.80 and 0.89; values of NNFI and
CFI are higher than 0.90; S-B X²/df is lower than 3.0; and RMSEA is less than 0.08, which are acceptable [49,
54], which can be seen in Table 1. Hence, as evidence of convergent validity, the results of CFA indicate that
all the items of the related factors are significant (p < 0.001), the size of all the standardized factor loadings are
greater than 0.60 [51].
With regard to the evidence of discriminant validity, the results are presented in Table 2, where the
measurement is provided in two forms, the first one with a 95% interval of reliability, below the diagonal
numbers (in bold), none of the individual elements of the latent factors of the correlation matrix contains the
value 1.0 [55]. Second, above the diagonal the extracted variance between the pair of constructs is lower than
its corresponding AVE [52]. Therefore, based on these criteria, it can be concluded that the different
measurements in this study demonstrate sufficient evidence of reliability and convergent and discriminant
validity of the adjusted theoretical model.

Table 2. Discriminant validity measuring of the theoretical model

Variables Use of ICTs Innovation Business Performance

Use of ICTs 0.699 0.277 0.228
Innovation 0.392 , 0.660 0.911 0.183
Business Performance 0.362 , 0.594 0.334 , 0.522 0.727

4. Results

For the statistical results of the research hypotheses, SEM was performed using the statistical software EQS
 Héctor Cuevas-Vargas et al. / Procedia Computer Science 91 (2016) 47 – 56 53

6.1, from second order application of CFA [56-57], with the same variables to check the model structure and
get the results that allow us to contrast the raised hypotheses presented in Table 3.

Table 3. Structural Equation Modeling results from the theoretical model

Standardized Path
Hypotheses Path Robust t-value R Square
Coefficients
H1: Greater use of ICTs, results in greater
Use of ICTs → Innovation 0.488*** 5.941 0.238
levels of innovation
H2: At higher levels of innovation, greater Innovation → Business
0.334*** 3.903
business performance Performance
H3: At greater use of ICTs, greater business Use of ICTs → Business 0.426
0.421*** 4.821
performance Performance
Significance level: *** = p < 0.001; ** = p < 0.05; * = p < 0.1

With regard to the first hypothesis H1, the results presented in Table 3 (β = 0.488, p < 0.001), indicate that
the use of ICTs has positive and significant effects on innovation, therefore, H1 is accepted; regarding the
second hypothesis H2, the obtained results (β = 0.334, p < 0.001), indicate that innovation has positive and
significant effects on business performance, therefore, H2 is accepted; as for the third hypothesis H3, the
obtained results (β = 0.421, p < 0.001), indicate that the use of ICTs has positive and significant effects on
business performance, therefore, H3 is accepted.
Then, to know the direct and indirect effects of the use of ICTs and innovation on business performance,
Table 4 shows the total effects of the constructs use of ICTs and innovation on the target construct business
performance, where it can be seen that the use of ICTs has a direct effect of 0.421 and an indirect effect of
0.163 on business performance, therefore the use of ICTs has a total effect of 0.584 on business performance;
and with regard to innovation, this construct has a total effect of 0.334 on business performance.

Table 4. Path Model and total effects

Direct effects on Indirect effects on Total effects on

Variable
Business Performance Business Performance Business Performance
Use of ICTs 0.421 0.163ᵅ 0.584
Innovation 0.334 0.000 0.334

ᵅ = Value obtained from the direct effects of ICTs on innovation, and the effects of innovation on business performance (0.488*0.334)

5. Discussion

The results obtained through the SEM confirm that the use of ICTs, innovation and business performance
are positively correlated. Now, with regard to the influence of the use of ICTs on innovation, the results allow
us to infer that there is sufficient empirical evidence demonstrating the positive and significant influence of the
use of ICTs on innovation of industrial MSMEs of Guanajuato, agreeing fully with the results of Arvanitis et al.
[21] in Greece since that ICTs provide a strong impetus to innovation. Moreover, there is agreement with the
results of Spiezia [22], Fernández-Mesa et al. [23] in Italy and Spain; likewise, confirmed the findings in
Europe by Arvanitis and Loukis [20] where ICTs showed positive effects on innovation in hospitals. It has also
been found sufficient empirical evidence demonstrating the influence of innovation on business performance of
industrial MSMEs of Guanajuato. These results are consistent with those found in South Korea by Rhee et al.
[28], by Günday et al. [29] and Atalay et al. [30] in Turkey; by Hedfi-Khayati and Zouaoui [31] in Malasya,
54 Héctor Cuevas-Vargas et al. / Procedia Computer Science 91 (2016) 47 – 56

and finally, match and confirm the results obtained in Mexico by Estrada et al. [32].
As for the relationship of the use of ICTs with business performance, it has been found that the use of ICTs
has a positive and significant impact on business performance of industrial MSMEs of Guanajuato. Similar
results have been found in Spain by Perez et al. [42]; Maldonado et al. [41] in Mexico; Chinomona [38] in
Zimbabwe; Piget and Kossaï [11] in Tunisia. Therefore, the appropriate use of ICTs and the alignment with
business strategy will enable MSMEs of Guanajuato cope with the globalization of markets and thereby
improve their business performance, as noted by Piscitello and Sgobbi [58] in their study in Italy.

6. Conclusions

According to the aim of our research it is concluded that the use of ICTs is a critical facilitator of innovation,
since the positive and significant effects that were obtained allow us to infer that this technology can help
MSMEs to improve their level of innovation, which can be reflected in the three types of innovation (products,
processes and management systems) and thus shore-up their overall business performance expressed in the
organizational, financial, commercial and human resources dimensions. It was also found that the efficient use
of ICTs is reflected in the level of overall performance of these businesses, so it is essential for companies to
consider these variables within their business strategies to streamline their processes and administrative
activities substantially, which will be reflected in their efficiency, market orientation, profitability and
organizational climate.
Thus, the results of this study show sufficient empirical evidence that the use of ICTs and innovation are
critical factors that improve the performance level of companies and thus support their growth and
competitiveness in the market. In conclusion, there are two main implications of the results obtained in this
empirical study. First, managers and owners of MSMEs in developing countries should not only incorporate
ICTs as a key element in their business strategies, but as part of their daily operation activities. In this regard,
depending on the level of implementation and use of ICTs (from inventory, production and quality control to
relational management), this effect will be reflected in increasing overall performance. In reference to ICTs as
an important facilitator of innovation enable companies to substantially improve all administrative activity,
providing significant improvements in efficiency, helping companies to keep up with the trends of customers,
to monitor the actions of competitors and thereby obtain feedback from users quickly, helping them seize
opportunities for all different types of innovation, but mostly because the efficient use of ICTs accelerates
performance improvement. Importantly for companies that have already incorporated this type of technological
tools is not enough to renew or upgrade them, it is essential to implement a system of continuous training for
personnel who operate this type of technology, in order to use them effectively and efficiently within the
company, which will be reflected not only in the level of overall performance but on the competitiveness of
these businesses.
Second, managers and owners of MSMES in developing countries must take special attention in innovation
due to the fact that it impacts significantly on business performance, so it is essential to incorporate innovation
in their products, processes and management systems, and not only as a key element in their business strategies,
but also as part of their culture, since innovation allows the enterprises to improve economic, organizational
and financial performance. Therefore, companies that perform all three types of innovation will be in a better
position to exploit a virtuous circle between the development of valuable resources, encouraged staff, projects
oriented to stakeholders and superior performance.

Acknowledgements

This research was translated by the support of Fulbright Scholar, Nancy Aguillón Díaz.
 Héctor Cuevas-Vargas et al. / Procedia Computer Science 91 (2016) 47 – 56 55

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