Spanish leadership in Europe: SMEs save more time than anyone else thanks to automation

 

The Qonto report, prepared in collaboration with Appinio and based on a survey of 1.600 European decision-makers, highlights how the automation has become a key differentiator of the productivity in the business ecosystem.

 

Spanish SMEs emerge as the big winners of the digital efficiency. More than half of them (55 %) reports a saving of at least 10 hours per week thanks to automation, a figure that leads the European table. In addition, a notable 13 % These companies achieve "transformative" savings of more than 20 hours long., the highest rate of substantial productivity gains across all markets, freeing up the equivalent of half a workweek for strategic tasks.

 

At the European Union level, the impact of the digitalization It is also clear: the 53 % of SMEs save at least 10 hours a week, demonstrating a collective increase in productivity on a large scale.

 

Greater conviction and practical application in Spain

 

The study also reveals a digital divide between ambition and reality. Although the 92 % of European SMEs recognize the relevance of digitalization and AI, only the 62 % She considers it "absolutely crucial" or "very important" for her future.

 

Spain, however, breaks away from this trend with a digital trust superior. The 88 % of its SMEs consider these areas important, compared to 77% in France and Italy. This high assessment translates into practical application: 26 % use the payment processing online (higher than 22% on average) and the 24 % digitally manage your inventories (vs. 21%), demonstrating a commitment to the operational transformation beyond mere technological fascination.

 

 

Only 28% of Spanish companies point to security and privacy as a barrier to digital transformation, the lowest rate among the countries surveyed.

 

 

Security does not hold back Spanish SMEs

 

La digital trust of Spanish companies is also reflected in their lower concern for security and privacy, barriers that often hinder technological adoption in other countries. Only the 28 % of Spanish SMEs indicates the security and privacy as the main obstacles to digitalization, the lowest rate among the countries surveyed. This digital audacity positions them as the most risk-tolerant European market.

 

However, this ambition comes up against a major challenge: the shortage of qualified personnel, which affects the 33 % of Spanish SMEs, a figure higher than the European average.

 

In this context, Alexander Prot, co-founder and CEO of Qonto, reflects on the need to build solid foundations before implementing advanced technologies:

 

“Our latest survey reveals a trend in the way European SMEs approach digitalization that should be taken into account: although 92% consider digitalization and AI to be important for their business, only 19% currently have a clear digitalization strategy and sufficient resources.”, says Prot. The executive highlights the difference in adoption between tools such as generative AI (almost 50% daily use) and the digitalization of accounting (24%), concluding: “While AI offers exciting opportunities, we believe that European companies will have to build solid digital foundations that can support your goals growth and innovation “in the long term”.