Digitalisation in an SME: where to start?
Short answer: not with the technology, but with the wasted time. For one week, note where manual work, double entry and searching eat time — then digitalise the one process that costs the most first. The pragmatic roadmap in five steps.
The roadmap in five steps
1. Take stock: where does time get lost?
Take honest notes for one week (paper is fine): what gets entered twice? What gets retyped? What do people search for? Which enquiries sit unanswered? At the end you have a list — and usually two or three items stand out.
2. Pick one process — not ten
The most common mistake is trying to do everything at once. Pick the process with the biggest time loss and a clear flow. Typical candidates: creating quotes, getting receipts into the accounting system, appointment scheduling, answering enquiries.
3. Quick wins before big projects
Online appointment booking, a contact form that lands in the right inbox, receipts flowing automatically into the accounting system: improvements like these take days to a few weeks and pay off immediately. Big projects come later — on a solid foundation.
4. Tools that work together
Less is more: better three tools that talk to each other (e.g. your industry solution, accounting such as bexio, calendar) than ten silos. Before every new subscription, check: does it have an API? Who maintains it? What does it replace?
5. Plan for operations and your team from day one
Digitalisation rarely fails because of technology, often because of everyday life: nobody is responsible, nobody was trained, nothing gets maintained. Assign one responsible person per tool and plan a short training session — an hour is usually enough.
The three most common mistakes
First: buying software before the process is clear — a tool does not fix an unclear approach. Second: tackling everything at once and giving up after three months. Third: skimping on training — the team then works around the new system, and the old Excel list lives on.
Where to start — quick answers
How much budget does an SME need to get started?
Less than you would think: first quick wins often come in under CHF 5'000. More important than the amount is the order — first the process with the biggest time loss, then the next. That way the first saving funds the second step.
Do I have to replace my existing software?
Usually not. Often only the connection between existing tools is missing — data gets transferred by hand. An integration is almost always cheaper than switching systems and faster to introduce.
How do I bring my team along?
Involve people early: those who run the process daily know best where it jams. Start small, show success, then expand — nothing convinces better than an hour a week that is suddenly free.
What does a digitalisation check deliver?
A neutral assessment in half a day: where you stand, which three measures bring the most, what they cost. With us, the check costs CHF 890 and is fully credited against a follow-up project.
Rather start together?
The digitalisation check gives you the roadmap in half a day — honest, concrete, no jargon.