For IT teams, there is a clear task: not to introduce more tools, but to better understand where organizations are getting stuck and why.
Digital foundation
According to the report, 84.5 percent of the surveyed companies have a website, often built and managed in-house. Websites mainly serve as digital identification: they build trust, support marketing, and confirm professionalism. Only a minority uses the site as an active sales or data-driven channel.
We see this pattern with other digital resources as well. Social media (74%) and cloud storage (73%) are widely used, but more advanced systems such as CRMs, analytics tools, and booking platforms remain significantly underrepresented. About three-quarters of companies do not use these tools or are not familiar with them.
The conclusion is clear: digital readiness still means for many organizations 'staying operationally afloat', not 'driving digitally'.
AI
AI is on the rise, but it is uneven. One-fifth of companies use AI intensively, while a quarter indicates they have no plans for it at all. Especially marketing applications, such as content creation or website building, prove to be accessible and popular.
At the same time, 88 percent of respondents are concerned about trust, reliability, and data privacy. Almost half trust AI less than human-driven solutions. This explains why larger organizations, despite having more resources and knowledge, are more cautious in implementation.
For IT teams, this means that AI issues are rarely purely technical. Governance, transparency, and risk assessment play at least as significant a role.
The structural pain points
The report shows that stagnation rarely comes from unwillingness. The main barriers are remarkably consistent:
- Uncertainty about where to start (19%)
- Lack of knowledge or skills (17%)
- Time and capacity shortages (13%)
Additionally, it appears that many companies hardly measure the impact of digital tools. More than a third do not know how much time or value digitization generates. Without measurability, there is also a lack of internal urgency to invest further.
How IT teams can find pain points in the organization faster
Improving digital maturity does not start with tooling, but with insight. These approaches help IT teams to uncover structural bottlenecks:
1. Visually map the digital landscape
Create an overview of all tools used, linked to processes and owners. Not only what is being used, but also for what purpose, by whom, and how often. This quickly makes overlaps, blind spots, and unused licenses visible.
2. Ask not about tools, but about frustration
Employees often do not know which system could be 'better', but they do know where they lose time. Ask where manual work arises, where data is retyped, or where processes slow down. These are natural entry points for digitization.
3. Measure adoption before effect
Many tools fail not technically, but organizationally. Look at usage frequency, active users, and feature adoption before trying to calculate ROI. Low adoption is a signal, not a reason to discontinue.
4. Segment by team size and maturity
The report shows that small teams work reactively, while larger organizations maintain more systematically. One digital strategy for the entire organization rarely works. Differentiate by context.
5. Make maintenance an explicit part of IT policy
Almost half of companies only update tools 'when necessary'. By formally allocating maintenance, evaluation, and phasing out, you can prevent technological debt and apparent complexity.
Are we becoming digitally mature?
What the report mainly reveals is a trust issue. Companies want to move forward, but only if technology feels understandable, manageable, and safe. Becoming digitally mature thus remains a constant journey, without a final destination.
For IT teams, the role shifts: less supplier of systems, more architect of coherence and clarity. Those who can translate pain points into concrete improvements lay the foundation for true digital maturity, and thus for a more competitive European business landscape.
