Bridging the Digital Divide

How SMEs can ALSO reap the rewards of the digital transformation by automating

POSTED ON
04-28-2021

The wide-ranging benefits of digitalisation to business has never been more obvious.  Recent McKinsey & Company research1 demonstrates the pandemic has had such a profound effect on digital transformation that seven years of progress was made in a matter of months.  No wonder this has thrust digital transformation to the forefront of business goals.  According to a survey by HCL Technologies2, 80% of organisations now see it as a priority.  

However, despite the obvious benefits, data3 also indicates that SMEs lag behind big business in the adoption of nearly all technologies.  The largest gaps are in the digitalisation of internal organisation processes where automation can save time and money. Why is this the case? Are SMEs unsure how to proceed to best benefit their business? What are the barriers to digital transformation? How can SMEs also ride the wave of this technology revolution?

Process automation and digitalisation could be the answer. Using simple, cost-efficient technologies, SMEs can transform manual operations into digital ones.  For SMEs, the benefits of embracing automation are huge:

  • Save time to focus on what matters
  • Reduce costs
  • Boost sales
  • Reduce human error

We acknowledge SMEs are a diverse group but some processes are common to us all.  Think how long the sales process can be. Quotes, approvals and sales contracts going back and forth in countless emails and phone calls.  Routine documents such as NDA’s, onboarding new clients (and staff), invoices and reports are also extremely time-consuming.  Overcomplicated communication, slow approvals, rerouting of documents, fixing errors and digging through piles of paperwork and emails.  Automation is the answer – it simplifies the systems, eliminates the tedious tasks and replaces staff time with tech, freeing up more time for them to do what they do best (which let’s face it, is what you employed them for).

So, what is holding SMEs back?  Why is there this digital divide? Is the perception that the cost of automation is too high for a small business?  Automation doesn’t have to be expensive just strategic.  Simple tools can be used to do repetitive tasks for you, saving time and money for the business.  But implementing automation must require specialist skills by IT programmers that we simply don’t have, right? Wrong! New low or no-code platforms like AUTTO puts the technology directly into the hands of people who run the everyday business without the need for specialist programming skills.  Valued staff are empowered to identify their own pain points and easily automate their day-to-day tasks with no-code automation. 

The McKinsey research concludes that although small business is less likely to automate than large corporates it is more likely to succeed.  We at AUTTO want to help you realise this. Get in touch today to discuss how we can help you bridge the digital divide:  https://www.autto.io/  or info@autto.io

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1. As reported on by ConsultancyUK  -  https://www.consultancy.uk/news/26372/covid-19-has-accelerated-digital-transformation-by-seven-years

2. https://www.hcltech.com/digital-analytics-services/campaign/digital-acceleration-report-2021

3. Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) 2020 data

 

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Topics in this article: Productivity Barriers to tech Startups SME Technology businessautomation

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