Polish business is investing more and more boldly in technology, but is still not ready for unexpected disruptions – this is the conclusion of the SAP report ‘Digitallydriven business. Development in the face of Industry 5.0‘. The data from the survey of almost 500 managers confirms that digitalisation has become the standard and artificial intelligence and ESG are strategic topics. The problem is that underneath the layer of declarations are competence gaps, lack of operational readiness and fears of teams.
Technologies are there, preparedness is lacking
Companies say they are using digital solutions in an average of 10 business areas – from customer service to data management to payments. The cloud has become a staple of modernisation: already 63% of organisations are using it in customer relations, and the scale of deployments in CRM, e-commerce and HR is set to increase further within two years. Despite this, only 49% of managers say their organisations are able to react quickly to sudden changes, such as in supply chains. This signals that infrastructure is growing faster than adaptability.
AI – from hype to reality
Artificial intelligence is no longer regarded as a futuristic trend. It is used by 45% of companies in marketing, 42% in customer service and 38% in e-commerce. Significantly, as many as 42% of managers report using AI to support strategic decisions. Despite this, human concerns remain the biggest barrier, with 39% of respondents citing employee resistance. So the market is at a point where the tools are available, but organisational culture is only just learning to adopt them.
ESG – awareness is growing, data is silent
More than half of companies (58%) recognise the need to develop an ESG strategy. At the same time, less than half have the data in their systems to realistically measure their carbon footprint or report on progress. This could become one of the biggest surprises for business – not a lack of technology, but a lack of information and processes. ESG will not pass without digital maturity.
Industry 5.0: man is coming back to the centre
The era of Industry 4.0 was dominated by automation. Industry 5.0 – as the authors of the report stress – redefines this perspective, emphasising the need for man and technology to work together. 60 per cent of managers believe that further digitalisation requires an increase in employee competence. It is no longer a transformation of systems, but a transformation of organisations.
Digital maturity as an advantage
61% of IT leaders agree that the long-term value of implementations is key, not just the cost. Companies are beginning to understand that technology without a strategy is just a cost. The paradox of the Polish market today is that the tools are available, but the advantage will be built by those who can embed them in culture, decisions and processes.
Transformation is no longer about buying solutions. It is about whether an organisation can act faster than its competitors in a moment of crisis. And here, as the SAP report shows, Polish business is still catching up.
