It is more important than ever to have a digital and IT strategy that aligns to the business strategy. SME businesses also need to be able to execute change effectively and to manage digital and IT risks proactively, but often lack dedicated project delivery resources.

Competitive SMEs can look to solve resourcing issues by partnering with a consultancy that offers a mix of capabilities, from fractional IT Directors to hands-on delivery help from project managers, business analysts, technical architects, and software developers. SME businesses that have a digital and IT strategy aligned to business outcomes, supported by a multidisciplinary digital transformation partner, are able to execute change faster and with better results, powering them ahead of the competition.

Responsibility for digital and IT strategy often falls to a busy director who has limited capacity and little or no technical experience. In many cases, the digital strategy is a distraction from their core responsibilities. There may not be a digital and IT plan for delivery, and there may only be an informal understanding of priorities at senior level.

51% of SMEs indicated at least one issue relating to planning or initiating their digital transformation, such as defining their requirements, selecting the right products or technologies,
or choosing suppliers*.

While the director(s) may have support from senior managers, there are often no dedicated project delivery resources. This means that change delivery tends to be ad-hoc and slow and the business lacks governance such as a formal change management or IT steering forum. As a result, technology risks, issues and opportunities aren’t being tracked or managed.