76% of SMEs are not yet digital, which puts them at risk of perishing

The study Three ways leaders hinder their company’s digital transformationcarried out by EPAM, states that 76% of SMEs in the country have not yet integrated into the digital economy.

For example, Capgemini’s Global Payments Report 2025 notes that more than 80% of companies still rely on manual processes for account reconciliation. This lag – he points out – immobilizes up to 7% of its income, affecting cash flow and limiting the ability to respond to market demands.

The Report of Digital Maturity of Mexico, prepared by Needed Education in strategic alliance with KIO, EY and the American Chamber/Mexico reinforces this idea because one of its main results is that corporations operating in Mexico act with caution and experiment with their applications of Generative Artificial Intelligence and, although they have Aware of the potential of the tool in the future of their businesses, the majority of Mexican leaders do not plan to invest in generative AI in 2024.

“To adapt and thrive, leaders – especially executives – need to develop technical, professional and individual capabilities in areas ranging from cloud and machine learning, to human-centered design and integrated talent ecosystems, to resilience and growth mindset,” says EPAM.

The firm’s EPAM study found that 51% of business owners and executives continue to perceive Information Technology (IT) as merely a general support function.

Only 37% of technology executives and 10% of business executives received information on critical digital transformation topics.

EPAM ensures that as you move up the hierarchy, training in the business field stagnates.

“Technology middle managers received training almost twice as much (59%) as middle managers in business companies (25%). “This gap increases at the senior and executive levels,” the report notes. The group most trained in digital transformation was senior IT management, with 51%.

Closing the gap between strategy and corporate culture implies having human talent, including digital, within the organization, as well as an ethical framework that provides security, transparency and trust,” said Gustavo Barcia, CEO of Needed.

Gartner has warned that companies that fail to digitalize effectively face a significant risk of becoming irrelevant or even disappearing in the coming years. According to their analysis, digital transformation is no longer just a competitive advantage, but a necessity for survival