Determinants of digitization in SMEs

Abstract

The aim of the study is to present the conditions for introducing digitization in enterprises of the Polish SME sector, with particular emphasis on the changes brought about by the pandemic. The study analyses the degree of digitization which has taken place in the Polish economy in comparison with the EU average, with particular emphasis on SMEs, by making recourse to the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI).This study presents the results of my own research on the determinants of digitization in enterprises. The subject of the research was a group of enterprises classified as SMEs in Poland. The survey was conducted in March 2021 using electronic tools in the form of an online survey. After substantive and logical verification, 120 questionnaires were selected for further analysis.The analysis of enterprises from the SME sector showed that over 44% of enterprises operate on the basis of action plans not exceeding one year. This type of planning was particularly common in micro-enterprises employing up to 10 people and running a service activity. Digitization acted as an important process in the activities of the analysed enterprises. Every fifth surveyed enterprise had plans to invest in software and digital solutions for enterprises; and wanted to implement these plans within the next year. The most common area of activity and implementation of digital solutions was sales and distribution. This was due to the need during the pandemic to build new distribution channels for products or services through the increasingly important e-commerce market. Research has shown that the Covid situation has led to significant changes taking place in the economy of enterprises. More than half of the analysed enterprises indicated a lack of financial resources as a barrier when introducing cloud solutions.