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Five - Five reasons why SMEs should embrace digital transformation

Italian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can no longer afford to stay analogue. Here are five reasons, supported by statistics from authoritative sources including the EU, OECD, ITIF, Salesforce and Global Data Alliance, showing why digital transformation is essential for growth.


The European Commission has made digital transformation one of its policy priorities. The Digital Decade programme sets concrete targets for 2030: at least 90% of SMEs with basic digital intensity, 80% of adults with basic digital skills, and an ecosystem of secure digital infrastructure and services. Yet in 2024 only 56% of EU citizens had basic digital skills. Europe therefore supports digital transformation through funding and programmes, such as Italy's National Recovery and Resilience Plan, because it sees digital technology as a driver of competitiveness and strategic autonomy.

  • Revenue growth and customer acquisition

    8x growth for digitally advanced businesses. A 2020 international study on small business digital transformation, cited by Salesforce, found that more digitally mature businesses recorded revenue growth eight times higher than companies without digital initiatives. Adopting digital solutions goes beyond following a trend: it generates revenue.

    Lower export costs and higher sales. According to a study cited by the Global Data Alliance, digital tools can reduce export costs by 82% and transaction times by 29%. SMEs with a strong digital presence grow twice as fast and are 50% more likely to sell outside their region than businesses with little online presence.

    Customers reward innovation. A 2022 Salesforce survey found that 57% of consumers consider business innovation absolutely critical or very important; 70% also say digital technologies make it easier to find businesses that better meet their needs. Falling behind digitally therefore means losing customers to competitors.

  • Productivity and efficiency

    Productivity gains of up to 50%. The ITIF think tank reports that adopting smart manufacturing technologies, including 3D printing, cloud, data analytics and robotics, can increase manufacturing SME productivity by 7% to 26%, and in some cases up to 50%. Investment in digital technologies pays off through faster production and fewer errors.

    Lower operating costs. Cloud computing services provide access to computing power without purchasing infrastructure. In 2023, however, only 39% of EU businesses used sophisticated or intermediate cloud services, such as ERP, CRM, security and hosted databases. Businesses that do not use the cloud face higher costs and less flexibility.

  • Resilience and adaptability

    Withstanding crises. The OECD highlights that digital technologies, including cloud, remote working software and supply chain management, help SMEs absorb economic shocks and adapt to market changes. Without digital tools, a business risks coming to a standstill when the rules change.

    Reacting quickly. An analysis reported by the Global Data Alliance indicates that 70% of SMEs accelerated their digital efforts during the pandemic, and that more progressive businesses grow eight times faster than less digitalised ones. Agility is a necessity.

    The EU resilience plan. Europe's Digital Decade strategy aims for more than 90% of SMEs to reach at least a basic level of digital intensity by 2030. In 2024, 73% had reached that level, still 17 percentage points below the target. This underlines the urgency of accelerating to keep pace with European competitors.

  • Competitive advantage and innovation

    Digital intensity among European businesses. In 2024, 74% of European businesses had at least a basic level of digital intensity; that figure rises to 98% for large companies but falls to 70% for small businesses. Only 6% of SMEs reached a very high level. Most SMEs therefore use relatively few digital tools and have considerable room to innovate.

    Adopting Artificial Intelligence. In 2024, only 13% of EU businesses used at least one AI technology; AI was more common among large businesses (41%) than SMEs (11%). Investing in AI today offers a competitive advantage because most competitors have not yet adopted it.

  • Avoiding losses and decline

    Standing still means losing customers. If 70% of consumers use technology to look for alternatives, staying analogue means giving up market share to digital competitors.

    Slow progress among European SMEs. In 2024, 27% of European SMEs had a very low level of digital intensity and 40% a low level. Businesses that do not move beyond this stage risk remaining trapped in low margins and local markets.