Three mistakes that hinder digitization (even if you have good tools)

1. Confusing adoption with transformation. Mistakes that hinder digitalization

In recent years, thousands of SMEs have invested in digital tools, training, and consulting services. They've launched new websites, CRMs, management platforms, and automation systems. And yet, many haven't seen real results: processes aren't more agile, decisions aren't faster, and teams are more overwhelmed than before.

The promise of digitalization has remained just that: a promise. The first mistake that explains why this is happening is confusing adoption with transformation.

The first mistake is believing that installing a tool transforms a business. Many SMEs digitize their operations thanks to public programs like the Digital Kit, adopting CRMs, task managers, or billing software. But if internal processes, work culture, or decision-making don't change, the result is the same… with more licenses to pay for.

A CRM won't fix a confusing business strategy. A marketing automation tool won't convert if the messaging isn't aligned. And an ERP won't improve management if the data it receives is inaccurate or incomplete.

In too many companies, tools become "new obligations" instead of solutions.

Why does it happen?

Because digitization is usually approached from the perspective of "what" (what software to use) and not from the perspective of "why" (what we want to improve). Decisions are made based on urgency or subsidies, not on strategy.

How to avoid it

• Define the business objectives before choosing the tool.
• Assign a internal manager of the adoption process.
• Review whether the current process makes sense before digitizing it.
• Align technology with key indicators (sales, productivity, satisfaction).

2. Multiplying tools without integration

The second mistake is the proliferation of tools.Each department chooses its own platform: marketing uses one, sales another, administration yet another. The result is a tangled web of systems that don't communicate with each other.

We see it daily in companies that, after implementing the Digital Kit, work with five or six disconnected systems: a website with its own manager, a CRM without integration, a separate ERP, and spreadsheets that still control everything. The result is the opposite of what was intended: more data, less control.

According to a study by Harvard Business Review,43% of employees spend more time managing digital tools than performing productive tasks.

Why does it happen?

Because decisions are made tactically (“we need an app for this”) without a digital architecture The information is duplicated and nobody knows which version is correct.

How to avoid it

• Take a real inventory of your tools: which ones are actually used and for what?
• Evaluate redundancies: if two platforms do the same thing, one is redundant.
• Use simple integrations (Zapier, Make, Native API) before changing systems.
• Centralize business indicators in one single dashboard.
• Measure digitization by information flow, not by number of licenses.

Visual comparison

Conclusion: You don't need more software, but less, better connected and at the service of your objectives.

3. Do not form or accompany the team

The third mistake—and the most underestimated—is thinking that digitalization is just a technical change. Tools don't transform if people don't adopt them.

Many companies implement a new CRM or ERP system and, three months later, discover that no one is using it correctly. Staff are still managing tasks with Excel or WhatsApp. Management gets frustrated; the team does too.

Why does it happen?

Because technical implementation is prioritized over human support. The teams don't understand the purpose of the change, only the extra workload. And without involvement, there is no adoption.

How to avoid it

• Train the team in the purpose, not only in the tool.
• Create digital ambassadors that support and resolve internal doubts.
• Support with follow-up, not with imposition.
• Measure success by real use and process improvement, not through technical deployment.

This is the area where structured external support adds the most value. Direction & Results, the service of Team alignment and training It starts right there: uniting people and technology under the same direction.

4. Case study – From Digital Kit to real change

An industrial company with 80 employees requested the Digital Kit to revamp its website, CRM, and project management system. The following year, it had 12 different SaaS tools, three dashboards, and a team that no longer knew where to find the right information.

In this situation, the company decides to commission an operational diagnostic and reorganize its digital ecosystem. All tools are audited, processes are unified, and key metrics are defined for each area.

In less than six months:

• The number of active tools is reduced from 12 to 5.
• 10 hours per week are saved in coordination.
• All indicators are centralized in a single panel.
• An internal guide to digital best practices is created.

The difference wasn't made by the technology, but by the method. Digitization ceased to be an end in itself and became a tool at the service of the business.

5. Digital Maturity Checklist

Before investing more time or money, ask yourself these five questions:

• Do you know what tools are actually used and what they're for?
• Is your data being cross-referenced or duplicated?
• Is there a person responsible for integration and follow-up?
• Does your team understand why the way of working is changing?
• Is your digital ecosystem becoming simpler or growing uncontrollably?

6. Our conclusions

Most companies don't fail due to a lack of tools, but rather a lack of structure. The problem isn't the software, but how change is managed.

When digital decisions stem from a clear strategy, the tools become allies. Otherwise, they end up directing the company instead of serving it.