A customer invoice sent by mail, an Excel file shared via USB drive, a schedule displayed on the wall: these methods remain common in many SMEs. The digital transition of a company often begins with the realization that certain processes deserve to be digitized. Digitizing does not mean replacing everything at once, but identifying the workflows that benefit from going digital, and then progressing in measurable steps.
Mandatory electronic invoicing: the first concrete digitalization project
Rather than listing definitions, let’s start with a case that all French companies will encounter. Electronic invoicing is gradually becoming mandatory in France. This regulatory change may seem technical, but it impacts much more than the format of a document.
Field experts confirm: the reform reveals pre-existing data quality issues. Even before choosing invoicing software, one must map out their workflows, check the consistency between the ERP information and what is transmitted to clients, and correct duplicates. This preparatory work is digitalization in action.
Have you ever noticed that a simple change in format requires a complete review of an entire validation chain? That’s exactly what is happening here. The company preparing for electronic invoicing takes the opportunity to clean up its databases, streamline its accounting processes, and train its teams on new tools. The regulatory framework then becomes a driver of digital transformation, not a constraint to be endured.
To identify solutions for digitizing a business beyond invoicing, one must think in functional blocks: customer management, internal collaboration, financial management.
Artificial intelligence in SMEs: beyond the buzz, specific uses
AI is part of the digital transition, but not as a gadget. SMEs that adopt it use it for targeted tasks. In Belgium, the proportion of SMEs using AI has significantly increased in recent years, moving from marginal adoption to more widespread use, particularly in financial management, process optimization, and sales activities.
AI works when it addresses an identified business problem. Let’s take a concrete example: an industrial SME that receives hundreds of quote requests per month. An AI tool can pre-fill responses by analyzing order history, product margins, and delivery times. The salesperson saves time, and the client receives a faster response.
Conversely, installing a chatbot on a website that receives twenty visitors a day adds no value. The choice of technology depends on the volume of available data and the repetitiveness of the targeted task.
Three criteria to evaluate the relevance of an AI tool
- The volume: does the task involve enough data or cases for automation to be cost-effective compared to manual processing?
- The repetitiveness: is it a standardized operation (document sorting, follow-ups, classification) or a decision that requires human judgment each time?
- Integration with existing tools: does the AI software connect to the existing ERP, CRM, or messaging system without requiring a complete overhaul?
Cybersecurity and digital transition: the risk that SMEs underestimate
Digitizing processes also exposes data. This point deserves special attention because it conditions the success of everything else. A company migrating its documents to the cloud without a security policy is taking a real risk.
Data security must be integrated from the start of the digitalization project, not added afterward. Specifically, this means choosing hosting providers that comply with European standards, implementing two-factor authentication for sensitive access, and defining who can view or modify each type of document.
The European Digital Decade 2030 program, adopted in 2023, sets ambitious goals: over 90% of European SMEs should reach a basic level of digital intensity by 2030. This framework explicitly includes security as a component of digital maturity.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using the same password for multiple professional services, which multiplies the impact of a data breach
- Storing sensitive files (contracts, customer data) on public platforms that do not comply with GDPR
- Not training teams on phishing risks, which remains the most common attack vector against SMEs
- Neglecting regular backups, relying solely on cloud storage without local redundancy
Digitalization strategy: starting from processes, not tools
Why do some companies buy a CRM that remains empty after six months? Because they chose the tool before clarifying the process it was supposed to improve. Digitalization succeeds when it starts from a specific business pain point.
A SME leader benefits from proceeding in short steps. Identify the most time-consuming or error-prone process. Document how it works today. Then look for the appropriate digital solution, ensuring it integrates with the existing organization.
This gradual approach avoids two common pitfalls: the pharaonic project that bogs down and the proliferation of disconnected tools. One well-adopted tool is better than five underused software solutions. Team training plays a crucial role in this adoption. A high-performing software becomes useless if employees circumvent its use due to lack of training or understanding of its benefits.
The Digital Decade 2030 program also aims for more than 75% of European companies to adopt at least one technology related to AI, big data, or cloud. This goal confirms a clear direction, but each company must achieve it at its own pace, depending on its resources and business priorities.
The digital transition has no fixed finish line. A company that digitizes its invoicing this year may automate its customer follow-ups next year, and then analyze its business data with AI later. The gains achieved at each step justify moving on to the next one.