ISTAT - Istituto Nazionale di Statistica
Euro-SDMX Metadata Structure Definition (ESMS_MSD 3.0 ESTAT)
Turnover in industry
2017 - A0
1. Contact
1.1 Contact organisation

Istat - Italian National Statistical Institute

1.2 Contact organisation unit

SED - Division for short-term business statistics

1.3 Contact name
1.4 Contact person function
1.5 Contact mail address

Via Tuscolana, 1788 00173 Rome Italy

1.6 Contact email address
1.7 Contact phone number
1.8 Contact fax number
2. Metadata update
2.1 Metadata last certified

26/04/2018

2.2 Metadata last posted

26/04/2018

2.3 Metadata last update
26/04/2018
3. Statistical presentation
3.1 Data description

Industrial turnover index

The main topics observed are: Industrial enterprise turnover, New orders received in industry
3.2 Classification system

NACE Rev. 2.

3.3 Coverage - sector
NACE Rev. 2 Sections B and C. Indices for Division 05 and for  Groups 07.1 and 09.9 are not compiled due to their economic irrilevance. Generally, enterprises with more than 20 employees are included. 
3.4 Statistical concepts and definitions

Turnover includes the total invoiced by the observation unit during
the reference period, this value corresponds to market sales of goods or
services supplied to third parties. Turnover also includes all other charges
(transport, packaging, etc.) applied to the customer, even if these charges are
listed separately in the invoice. Turnover includes VAT and other similar
deductible taxes directly linked to turnover as well as all duties and taxes on
the goods or services invoiced by the unit.  Reduction in prices,
rebates  and discounts as well as values of returned packing must be
deducted. Price reduction, rebates and later bonus allowed to customers,
for example at the end of the year, are not taken into account. 

The data are collected for domestic, external markets and Eurozone.

3.5 Statistical unit
The report unit is the Enterprise
The Observation unit(s) are Enterprises and, in some special cases, kind-of-activity units.
3.6 Statistical population

Target population, generally, corresponds to enterprises with 20 or more employees in 2015 for sections covered by this survey. Total number is about 30.000 enterprises.

3.7 Reference area

The turnover refers to all the invoices issued by Italian companies in the country even if the enterprise is located outside the geographical coverage.

3.8 Coverage - Time

Series of indices with base 2015=100 start from January 2000.

The data are available from 1981


3.9 Base period

Base year is 2015 starting from January 2018.

4. Unit of measure

Index

5. Reference Period

Month

6. Institutional Mandate
6.1 Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements

Surveys are mandatory. Penalties are foreseen for non-response only for large enterprises (100 employees and more)

6.2 Institutional Mandate - data sharing

Data are not sent to OECD, UN, IMF or other international organizations

7. Confidentiality
7.1 Confidentiality - policy

Several national legal acts guarantee the confidentiality of data requested for statistical purposes. According to art. 9, paragraph 1 of the Legislative Decree n. 322 of 1989, personal data cannot be disseminated but in aggregated form, in order to make it impossible to make any reference to identifiable individuals. They can only be used for statistical purposes. Legislative Decree n. 322 of 1989, art. 6 bis and Legislative Decree n. 196 of 2003 Annex A3 (Code of conduct and professional practice applying to the processing of personal data for statistical and scientific research purposes within the framework of the national statistical system), art. 8, provide that the exchange of personal data within the National Statistical System (Sistan) is possible if it is necessary to fulfil requirements provided by the National Statistical Programme or to allow the pursuit of institutional purposes. The supply of the identification data of statistical units is allowed within the framework of entities included in the National Statistical System if the requesting party declares that no identical statistical result can be obtained otherwise. Regarding subjects who do not belong to Sistan, Article. 7 of the Code of conduct (Decree n. 196/2003, Annex A3) states that it is possible to transmit individual data files without direct identifiers within the framework of specific laboratories set up by entities included in the National Statistical System, under certain conditions and only if that the data are protected by the application of different statistical methods that make it highly unlikely the identification of statistical units.

7.2 Confidentiality - data treatment
8 of 101 elementary series are confidential according to three digit NACE Rev. 2, for domestic, non-domestic and euro area turnover. Non confidential data are available at http://dati.istat.it/?lang=en
According to the article n. 9 of the Legislative Decree n. 322 of 6 September 1989 data collected by statistical offices within the statistical surveys included in the National Statistical Programme may not be disclosed other than in aggregated form such that no reference to identifiable people can be extracted. Furthermore, they may be used only for statistical purposes. Data may not be communicated or disseminated neither to any external subject, public or private, nor to any department of the public administration other than in aggregate form and using modalities which prevent the identification of the people involved. In any case, data cannot be used to identify again the people involved. The Code of Conduct annexed to the Legislative Decree no. 196 of 30 June 2003 (Personal Data Protection Code) provides special rules concerning the processing of personal data for statistical purposes within Sistan. In order to make statistical secrecy and protection of personal data effective, Istat is currently taking appropriate organisational, logistical, methodological and statistical measures in accordance with internationally established standards.
In accordance with the Legislative Decree no. 196 of 30 June 2003 (Personal Data Protection Code) and subsequent modifications and additions, respondents are informed of their rights and obligations with regard to the provision of information, and they are assured that the information they provide will be used for statistical purposes only.
All euro area/non euro area time series are regarded as confidential (but the confidentiality is planned to be removed).
8. Release policy
8.1 Release calendar

Every year in December ISTAT publishes a release calendar providing the precise release dates for the coming year. The calendar is distributed to the press and is available free of charge to interested parties.

8.2 Release calendar access
8.3 Release policy - user access

Data are released simultaneously to all interested parties by issuing the press release "Indice del fatturato e degli ordinativi dell'industria" posted on the Italian National Institute of Statistics website http://www.istat.it . The media have access to an embargoed copy of the release up to 30 minutes prior to the actual release.

9. Frequency of dissemination

Monthly. In August data regarding June are provided only to Eurostat. Usual dissemination  is not carried out in August and data referring to June and July are published together in September.

Data are disseminated at national level Monthly
Data are provided to Eurostat Monthly

10. Accessibility and clarity
10.1 Dissemination format - News release

Current data is presented in the monthly press release Fatturato e ordinativi dell'industria. There, figures and tables are disseminated with data to facilitate the analysis. Analysis of current-period developments is included with dissemination. Data are disseminated in unadjusted form, adjusted for working days and in a seasonally-adjusted form. The Italian version of the Industrial turnover and new orders press release includes also a data file, the weighting structure and a methodological note.
Concerning data file, indices in unadjusted form are compiled down to 3-digit level.  Indices for the MIGS (Main Industrial Groupings) are published in seasonally-adjusted form and WDA form (total index, domestic and non domestic). WDA series are published also for sub-sections (sub classification in two letters of Nace Rev. 2) for total turnover.

Press releases: http://www.istat.it/en/archive/turnover

10.2 Dissemination format - Publications

 Data are made available also through yearly publications: Annual Report and Annuario Statistico Italiano (Italian version)

Annual Report: http://www.istat.it/en/archive/annual+report

Annuario Statistico Italiano: https://www.istat.it/it/archivio/213021

10.3 Dissemination format - online database

Series are included in I.Stat, the Istat's datawarehouse (http://dati.istat.it/?lang=en). Access is open and free of charge.

I.Stat(gennaio/2000 ad oggi): index numbers base 2015=100

10.4 Dissemination format - microdata access

Before data dissemination, validated microdata are stored in the repository of the Institute, ARMIDA.

The repository ARMIDA (Archive of validated microdata) was established with the main objective of preserving and documenting the data produced by Istat surveys, and has subsequently supported the objective of disseminating data. The data archived in ARMIDA supplies, in fact, the different channels for the dissemination of microdata (for internal use at the Institute through the "Memorandum of access to microdata of ARMIDA" internal users ", for authorities in Sistan, for research files, for standard files, etc.).

10.5 Dissemination format - other

Data are disseminated as national data in the Eurostat's database (theme Industry, trade and services, sub-theme Short-term business statistics).

10.6 Documentation on methodology

A short description of the methodology and characteristics of the survey is contained in the technical explanatory note attached to the  10.2. Dissemination format - Publications monthly press release regularly updated. Concerning indices on base 2015=100, a summary of the main methodological items named “Nota informativa cambio base” is available monthly (https://www.istat.it/it/archivio/210754).

10.7 Quality management - documentation

The Istat Information system on quality of statistical production processes SIQual http://siqual.istat.it/SIQual/lang.do?language=UK) contains information on the execution on Istat statistical production processes and on activities developed to guarantee quality of the produced statistical information. For Details: http//siqual.istat.it/SIQUAL/visualizza.do?id=5000157&refresh=true&language=EN

11. Quality management
11.1 Quality assurance

Since the 90s Istat adopted a systematic approach to ensure quality in both statistical information and service to the community. For this purpose the Institute has defined a quality policy providing itself with appropriate tools as well as management changes to carry it out. Istat quality policy is coherent with the European framework developed by Eurostat, taking up its main principles and definitions. In 2005, the European Statistics Code of Practice (revised in 2011) established the principles to follow in order to ensure and strengthen both accountability and governance of the European Statistical System and the National Statistical Systems inside it. Essential points of Istat quality policy are: Process quality: consisting in the production of accurate statistical information efficiently and effectively; Product quality: consisting in the dissemination of high-quality timely statistical data which are relevant for the users, also the potential ones; Documentation: consisting in the storage and availability of information necessary not only for a proper use of data but also to ensure transparency in all the production activities of statistical data; Respect for respondents: consisting in the reduction of response burden and in the respect of respondent's privacy; Strengthening of statistical literacy: consisting in promoting a proper use of statistical information in policy-making to better support decisions and policies; Users' orientation: consisting in making statistical information easily accessible and understandable and in satisfying user needs as much as possible. For details:http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/quality/european-statistics-code-of-practice.

11.2 Quality management - assessment

 In 2011 this survey was submitted to an audit on quality in a testing phase https://www.istat.it/en/methods-and-tools/tools-for-data-quality/audit

As regards main issues of quality, index is compliant with a good standard. Eurostat's requirements in terms of time series are fulfilled, timeliness is respected, cross-domain checks are used for monitoring a good level of coherence.

The process was submitted to Quality statistical auditing for the 2010 edition

12. Relevance
12.1 Relevance - User Needs

 Main users of industrial turnover index are:

- Institutions: government departments, ECB, national central bank, international organisations, etc.
- Social actors: employers' organisations, trade unions, lobby groups, etc.
- Media
- Researchers & students
- Enterprises/businesses
- Internal users
- Eurostat

12.2 Relevance - User Satisfaction

Not available.

12.3 Completeness

Eurostat's requirements in terms of time series are fulfilled.

13. Accuracy
13.1 Accuracy - overall

The samples are designed with the cut-off method and therefore sampling errors cannot be measured. Non-sampling errors are reduced or eliminated in the collection phase both using an electronic questionnaire that helps debugging and aiming at an increase of the response rate of enterprises.

13.2 Sampling error

It is not possible to compute sampling errors because a non-probability sampling method (cut-off) is used.

13.3 Non-sampling error

When the first estimates were released, the response rate reaches 90% in terms of firms. This represents 95% of the turnover value.
Reminders and intensive follow ups by phone are addressed to the MIB (Main Industrial Business) units.

14. Timeliness and punctuality
14.1 Timeliness
The publication of the provisional  index takes place about 45 days after the end of the reference month.
14.2 Punctuality

Releases on time, within 60 days as required by Eurostat.

15. Coherence and comparability
15.1 Comparability - geographical

European definitions are used and they apply in the whole national territory.

15.2 Comparability - over time

Consistent time series data are available for a long period of time (since January 2000). When changes in source data, methodology and statistical techniques are introduced, historical series are reconstructed as far back as possible. 

15.3 Coherence - cross domain

Comparisons are made with the evolution of Industrial Production indices. Results for these comparisons show good level of coherence for main aggregates.    

15.4 Coherence - internal

Aggregates are always consistent with their sub-aggregates.

16. Cost and Burden

The cost estimate is compiled in terms of total number of hours worked (THW). It is equal to the product of three terms: (total) Annual Working Days (AWD), (total) Hours Worked per Day (HWD), Number of Persons involved in the Survey (NPS).

AWD

HWD

NPS

Cost estimate (THW)

220

7.2

11

17,424


The burden is applied to respondent, i.e. the person who fills in the questionnaire on behalf of the enterprise. The burden has been estimated  in terms of total number of minutes taken to fill in a single monthly questionnaire and it is less than 30 minutes, according to the familiarity with this activity and the complexity (amount and type) of data for the single enterprise.

17. Data revision
17.1 Data revision - policy

Generally, major changes in methodology, sources and statistical techniques are announced in ad hoc publications.

Advance notification of methodological changes is also provided through seminars and papers disseminated throughout the scientific community.

Raw data are revised in order to take into account revisions coming from enterprises, late respondents and other sources.

The survey adopts a data review policy available here http://siqual.istat.it/SIQual/dettaglioIndagine.do?dispatch=docGenerali&id=5000157&refresh=true&language=IT

 When revisions are due to finding errors a note is showed to the public.

No vintage database is available.

17.2 Data revision - practice
A paragraph called 'Revisione' is included in the press release. 
It contains the total amount of the revisions related to the previous month.
18. Statistical processing
18.1 Source data

The data are collected through statistical survey. The sample is based on business register managed and yearly updated by Istat (Archivio Statistica delle Imprese Attive - ASIA).

The sample is non probabilistic.

The reference population is given approximately 37,000 enterprises. Around 8,000 enterprises are surveyed each month.

The sample is updated every year.

18.2 Frequency of data collection

Frequency of data collection is Monthly

18.3 Data collection

To collect the data two questionnaires are used. One is for enterprises surveyed for turnover and new orders and the other is for enterprises surveyed only for turnover. The questionnaire is available on a web page in the Business Statistical Portal of Istat. The deadline for responses is fixed at the 20th day after the reference month. However, because of some delays in the response process, data collection is closed around 35 days after the reference month. Data are collected by web.

18.4 Data validation

Time series checks are used for plausibility of data validated.
Integrity of files structure and used codes is ensured by extractions made from a database respecting integrity constraints.
To validate the data there are coherence control actions with previous data of the same survey.

18.5 Data compilation

Data for non-respondents are estimated using the year on year growth rate of the respondent enterprises.

The index is calculated using the Laspeyres formula with a fixed base.

The weighting system is based on the enterprises' turnover from Structural Business Statistics data and from Foreign Trade Statistics.

18.6 Adjustment

Seasonally adjusted data refer to MIGS classification, while working day adjusted data are calculated also for sub sections and sections of NACE.

19. Comment