Tech ‘advice gap’ creating productivity problems for firms

A new report has highlighted a growing tech ‘advice gap’ for SMEs, which is creating a slower adoption of tech and AI.

This is having an impact on productivity levels, and while business and IT leaders agree that this is an area in need of improvement, they are divided on how to achieve this.

Businesses divided

According to the report by Thinc, businesses are either trying to solve the right problems with the wrong tools, or they’re stuck debating whether tech or people are the answer.

The findings show:

• Chief Executive Officers and Chief Financial Officers of mid-market organisations cite budget constraints and limited resources to fund external IT help (39%) as the primary concern slowing down IT decision making.
• CTOs and IT leaders (56%) are pushing for smarter systems and automation, revealing a growing tension between people-led and tech-led strategies for unlocking productivity.

Many smaller sized businesses are finding that they don’t know where to turn for advice.

Thinc believes that this is likely due to CEOs getting most of their advice from trade shows and industry events (62%), while MDs are the least likely to rely on those sources (36%).

Look for clear, unbiased advice

Commenting on the findings, Dominic Ball, Managing Director and Co-owner at Thinc, said, “Mid-market businesses stand at a crossroads – in a testing climate, they understand that they need to find more efficient ways to work. But it’s hard to decide on, let alone commit to, the technology investments that will make this a reality.

“There’s never been more information out there about the power of technology. What businesses need is unbiased, practical advice that cuts through the hype.”

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