Aitana Group – Opentix, a technology consulting company for large companies, SMEs, freelancers and professional offices, has released the results of the study “The digitalization of SMEs in Spain”. Conducted during the months of March and April 2024, it has included the participation of 130 professionals from Spanish SMEs from various sectors of activity, with up to 250 employees and local, national or multinational geographic presence. The surveyed workers carry out their activity in the functional areas of general management, sales, services, finance or technology.
When asked what degree of digitalisation does your company have?, the answer is overwhelming: 47% say that their company has a low (22%) or minimum (25%) level of digital adoption, with considerable room for improvement. While 34% of respondents say that their company has a medium degree of digitalisation, only 19% of the responses indicate a high level of technological use, which represents a strategic priority to boost the business.
However, the level of technological investment expected by professionals in the coming years shows an intention to reduce this digital gap. 45% say they expect a high or very high investment in technology, as it is a critical element for competitiveness. 53% have planned a medium expenditure, in line with other strategic priorities of the company, and only 2% foresee a low level of investment.
Technology: opportunity or threat?
Technology is perceived by the SME professionals surveyed as both an opportunity and a threat.
47% of respondents say their company has a low (22%) or minimal (25%) level of digitalization
On the one hand, 40% say that technology helps them to be more competitive professionally, and 58% of those surveyed point to a lack of competitiveness as one of the main risks for their company, due to not having the appropriate technology.
In another sense, 55% of professionals believe that technologies such as Artificial Intelligence can directly affect their work and put it at risk, and 37% believe that, to the extent that they are not sufficiently technologically trained, they will be less employable.
Finally, regarding the main drawbacks to taking advantage of the benefits of technology in their companies, 67% of the participants point to the high cost of technology as the main barrier. To a lesser extent, a third of the professionals mention the complexity of training employees and the difficulty of connecting the different existing applications.
