Pandemic accelerated digital transformation of companies in Poland

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According to research conducted by EY Polska, 57% of Polish companies accelerated the digital transformation during the pandemic, of which nearly a third admit that it was the pandemic that forced their organization to take such measures. The purchase of equipment and infrastructure is the basic process of digital transformation of companies in Poland.

How do companies understand digital transformation?

The process of implementing digital transformation is a transition that covers all aspects of the organization, including technology, strategy and internal culture. EY research shows that regardless of how the digital transformation process develops, the vast majority of respondents (91%) see the potential associated with it. First of all, enterprises in Poland believe that this is an opportunity to improve efficiency (77%), a response to customer needs (61%) and a way to reduce costs (60%). For every fourth surveyed company, digital transformation is also an investment and an opportunity for employee development. Interestingly, every fifth surveyed enterprise in Poland also believes that investments in new technologies in the previous year are catching up with technology in relation to other, competitive enterprises.

Purchasing equipment and infrastructure is a fundamental process of digital transformation

The most frequently indicated elements of the digital transformation carried out last year were the purchase of infrastructure equipment (81%), the implementation of databases (70%) and network security (66%). On the other hand, analytical tools for big data and prediction systems, as well as solutions in the field of marketing automation, turned out to be the least popular.

In the study, companies were also asked to indicate planned implementations related to digital transformation in the next 12-18 months. As in the case of investments in the previous year, companies in Poland still intend to invest in new equipment or infrastructure (54%). Training for employees was second in the planned activities with a result of 40%, and cybersecurity (33%) completes the podium.

The main factor in not investing in digital transformation tools is concerns about high costs. This is the opinion of 35% of the surveyed companies in Poland. Another 28% refer to employees’ fears of new technology, and every fourth think that I do not have the appropriate competences. Only 13% of respondents did not identify any barriers in implementing digital transformation solutions.

The “Digital transformation of companies 2020” study was carried out by CubeResearch using the CATI and CAWI method at the end of October 2020 on a sample of 989 respondents. Half of the respondents occupy the position of a manager or head of a department, most often: IT, finance, HR and sales. 24% hold the position of a management board member or director, and one fifth is the owner or co-owner of the surveyed company. Only 6% of the respondents work in a lower position.