UK SMEs lack IT knowledge to make critical business decisions finds Sharp research

Despite an increase in investment in IT post-pandemic, a majority of IT professionals in UK SMEs admit they aren’t familiar enough with key IT areas such as cloud or IT security to make the right decisions for their business, according to a Europe-wide survey by Sharp.

The provider of business technology products and services asked 5,770 professionals in SMEs, responsible for purchasing IT, on confidence in capabilities and barriers to investment over the next 12 months. Less than half of those surveyed felt knowledgeable enough on the benefits of cloud (40%) and IT security (44%). Findings showed a clear and concerning knowledge gap amongst smaller firms in the UK.

Beyond cloud and IT security, businesses also admitted to lacking the right knowledge in critical areas such as network limitations (66%), specifications of IT hardware (64%), software licenses (63%) and Office 356 opportunities (63%).

When it comes to making the most of investments already made, IT professionals admit a lack of integration with other systems (25%) and overly complicated software and systems (25%) are barriers to getting the best return. Managers’ lack of knowledge (23%) was also cited as a critical factor in preventing businesses leveraging investments effectively. 

Colin Blumenthal, Vice President, IT Services at Sharp Europe, commented:

“In a challenging economic climate, smaller businesses are focusing on efficiency, productivity, profitability, and getting the right value from investments they are about to or have already made. But with technology continuously evolving and becoming more complex, sometimes that isn’t as easy as it might sound. Given this, expert advice should always be sought to ensure the right decisions are being made, particularly as SMEs across different industries have specific needs.”

Unfortunately, expert advice on IT investments is found lacking by UK businesses. Almost half (42%) believe they were poorly advised from the beginning and didn’t have good enough ongoing advice and support. In addition, just over a quarter of businesses believe that a lack of employee understanding (26%) holds them back. Less than a quarter (23%) currently have a person responsible for IT internally.

Across Europe, making the most of investments in IT over the last few years is ranked as highly by European small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as finding new talent, however the challenges for those in the UK focused more on the rising costs of doing business.