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Revealed: the top eight barriers to digital transformation

Fears about integrating systems, interruption to business and even staff being able to cope with technology have made the top eight in a list of barriers to digital transformation.

The assumption that British businesses have all gone digital has been burst by a survey which says almost a third, 29%, have not.

Now, further results have revealed the concerns, real or perceived, that lie behind the stat.

The survey, undertaken by Crown Records Management, showed the top barriers to companies starting their digital transformation journey were:

  1. Too many systems to integrate into one 29%
  2. Worried about interruption to business while a system is installed 27%
  3. Worried how long it will take 23%
  4. Can’t afford it or worried about costs 22%
  5. It seems too big a job 21%
  6. Worried staff will not cope with technology 20%
  7. Don’t fully understand the benefits 17%
  8. Worried about who will take charge of the project 14%

Antony Biondi, Head of ECM at Crown Records Management, said: “Businesses across the UK are increasingly looking to accelerate their digital transformation projects because of the pandemic, but these results show there are still many who are hesitant.

“Some of these fears are unfounded, others can be easily mitigated by speaking to an expert.

“But perhaps the most important point is that businesses are asking the wrong question in the first place. Instead of thinking about barriers and reasons not to invest in an ECM system they should be asking: how will going digital benefit my business?

“Having control and visibility over all your content, a single source of the truth, provides so many business benefits – all the way from compliance to productivity and saving time to saving money.

“Companies have the flexibility to digitise all their back-room processes at once, or to focus on only the most business critical to begin with and take their digital transformation journey more slowly. But in the current climate it is vital they think seriously about how to take the leap.”

The Crown Records Management Survey also showed how far British business have still to go if they want to be considered as having ‘gone digital’.

Some of the most surprising stats included:

  • 51 per cent have not yet digitised contract management
  • 44 per cent have not digitised records management
  • 44 per cent have not yet digitised their HR department
  • 41 per cent have not yet digitised invoice management

Antony Biondi added: “These figures may surprise a lot of people because there’s a perception that we are ahead of the game in the UK. But a lot of businesses have delayed going digital and are missing out on the benefits of doing so.”