Digital transformation is the path to the future of companies. SMEs, the economic engine of the Spanish business fabric, do not hesitate to adapt to this new digital age. Despite all the negativities that the epidemic has expressed for our country, it has also been a turning point and has shown that digitalization is a key factor in ensuring possible progress in the economies and social models that enable the recovery.
Digitization is a major challenge for small and medium-sized companies in Spain. The digitalization of companies is a pending issue in Spain, which ranks 16th out of 27 EU countries and is slightly below average, according to the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), audited by the European Commission. For this reason, measures such as the 3.067 million Euro Digital Kit program provided by ‘Next Generation’ funds contribute greatly to such companies. This package, published by the executive branch, has the definitive aim of promoting economic transformation.
Offering a better and more personalized service, gaining customers and ultimately being more competitive are some of the many reasons to start digitizing a small business. In addition, the demands of the market and consumers are changing the rules of the game. Therefore, digital innovation is a necessity, not a possibility as in past courses. Adapt, renew and update; they are no longer an option, but a requirement to be valid and compete with all possible means.
In the first months, the project attracts a lot of attention. As confirmed by Red.es, around 60% of all SMEs with 10 to 49 employees in Spain have requested this Digital Kit by 60,000 companies so far. This means that more than half of small and medium-sized companies want to get on the innovation train and take full advantage of an increasingly competitive market. Likewise, the manager also published that first aid has been given to 8,000 companies since the project started a month ago.
And this is not just a national measure, because there is a movement on this issue at the level of autonomies as well. In Catalonia, for example, the Ministry of Business and Labor, through the Acció agency, and the Generalitat’s Vice Presidency and the Department of Digital and Regional Policy have created the ‘Digital Innovation Center of Catalonia’ (DIH4CAT), which aims to promote digitization. 100 SMEs with assistance up to 10,000 euros
It is a decision that clearly demonstrates the profound need for small and medium-sized companies to step forward with the protection and assistance of public institutions in order to compete on the new game board we are now on. A new scenario where the ability to best manage resources is demanded so that the company can focus solely and exclusively on its business model. Automating tedious and repetitive tasks, managing remote teams or expanding the target audience are some of the main competitive advantages that come with digitalization.
A complete change in the structures for which SMEs need to be comprehensively prepared. To do this, they need to undergo a cultural transformation, as everything needs to be aligned with these new systems and automations to get the most out of them. In fact, this change in the structure and values of any company should come from the Human Resources area as the backbone. Contrary to appearances, all of this must be done from and for people, so digitizing this department to maximize resources is essential in a good digitization strategy for SMEs.