Most companies have been following through with the work from home system since the start of the pandemic. As such, software has ensured that digital transformation becomes a success for the businesses who have had to adapt to digital transformation as a result of the pandemic.
GetApp has surveyed 600 SMEs in South Africa and found that while businesses were positively satisfied with the performance of software, there are still more changes to come as businesses grow. The survey was to understand the experiences of business leaders regarding the usage of digital tools.
In response to the social distancing requirements and remote work policies, the study found that online tools were bought by 48% of businesses in South Africa. Local businesses have been highly vulnerable to cybercrime ever since the urgency of digital transformation, leaving South Africa at the third highest number of cybercrime victims worldwide, losing about R2,2-billion a year to cyber-attacks.
Furthermore, 40% of business leader have invested in e-commerce software 58% in Virtual Private Network as a calculated measure to curb vulnerability of systems against cyberattacks. website software and endpoint protection software were bought by 37% of respondents, while 38% bought project management software, possibly as a strategy to operate efficiently.
The study revealed that 53% of respondents are very satisfied with the software they have purchased and 46% of leaders indicated that software tools they have purchases have had a positive impact in helping their business survive the pandemic. 42% of business leaders have also indicated that purchases have had a very positive impact while 40% is somewhat satisfied.
GetApp also discovered the top three positive impacts of newly purchased software for businesses were as follows:
* 49% reported that it allowed them to operate remotely;
* 46% said that it improved engagement with customers; and
* And 45% said it increased productivity.
Thirty-seven percent of respondents indicated that they may need to replace or get rid of at least one software in the following year, as it might no longer be suitable for the developing business model in that period; although it has played a critical role in the digital transformation of businesses since the start of the pandemic.
Furthermore, 16% of respondents indicated that financial constraints would be the reason for them to get rid of the minimum one software programme, whereas 28% indicated that they are dependent on all the software programmes they are using and as a result, a replacement or elimination would not be a viable option for them.
The study reveals sales and promotions (73%), production/service delivery (63%) and collaboration and communication (45%) are the top three areas of business where SMEs plan to invest the most in digitisation in 2021. logistics and supply chain support (44%), data mining and analytics (37%), backend administration(33%) and other areas of business(0.77%) were not part of the top three areas of future investments, but were however in part of the areas that business leaders are looking to invest in the future.
Additionally, business leaders reported that Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) have also become important in permitting people to work remotely with the capability to make people feel closer to each other when they are at a distance and as such, they add value in the business. There’s a great number of VR companies betting that virtual reality office environments, remote collaboration, and working from home in VR are going to be the future of work.