Modelling Digital Maturity for SMEs

Abstract

SMEs still suffer from a significant delay in digitalization compared to their larger counterparts. In order to develop effective public policies and digitization strategies, it is necessary to have tools that make it possible to assess the state of digitization of SMEs: digital maturity models. Literature review reveals a preponderance of tools developed for large firms or manufacturing SMEs. Applying multiple case study research, the present study models the behavior of the SMEs into a comprehensive maturity model. The contribution of this work is twofold. On one hand it confirms dimensions already considered as the subject of analysis by other researchers, strengthening their positions and completing them with some additional details. On the other hand, keeping in mind SMEs' inherent variety, the originality of this study lies in the quest for a tailor-made assessment of the digitalization of SMEs.