According to Ricoh research , a worrying picture emerges for European SMEs ; if they fail to adequately respond to market demands on the digital front , they risk bankruptcy, specifically by 2020.
In this historical moment, the digital revolution is changing the relationships between companies and above all between companies and consumers, and this scenario increasingly reinforces the awareness that innovation is no longer a choice but a necessity, so neglecting this factor means falling behind and risking extinction.
The Ricoh report shows that consumers, as well as companies' customers, are primarily determining the direction of this transformation; and this is precisely where most of the observations are concentrated, because "innovative input" comes from customers themselves. In short, it is they—and above all their needs—that are pushing companies to rapidly change direction.
Therefore, customer expectations are the ones that decisively influence the need for innovation, and the numbers support this thesis: in fact, 51% of small and medium-sized enterprises will implement new technologies to support their customers' needs, to keep up with competitors and avoid the shadow of bankruptcy.
