Interview with Alberto Pérez, CEO and Founder at SUMMA Digital Transformation

1. How would you define the importance of new technologies for SMEs? At Summa Digital Transformation we understand that new technologies are essential for the development of commercial activity at this time. The habits that today's society has acquired incorporate social networks, Internet and other media through which SMEs have to be present in these media, and if they are not, they lose a large number of customers and great access to the information that customers demand. Therefore, we believe it is essential for all SMEs to have this kind of presence.

2. What are the main new technologies that add value to the daily activity of SMEs? It is very important to have an image on the Internet that really represents the company's values and activity. It is therefore essential to have a website, an online shop adapted to the needs of the company and, above all, a communicative and personalised presence on the Internet and social networks. A presence that provides value and that really is a boost for the customer to get to know us better and to know in advance everything we can offer and the areas in which we can help them, being as effective and communicative as possible.

3. What aspects should be assessed to know which technology is suitable for the activity of an SME and to select it over others? Before implementing any technological implementation, it is essential to know the SME, know its processes, know its customers and know the market in which it operates. Once this has been done, Summa Digital Transformation will offer all the necessary tools to reduce process times and improve customer relations.

4. How should the implementation process be carried out? The first thing is to define which area of the company needs technology, make a study of which area of the company we can improve and implement the technology that the market is demanding. The ideal would be to make a technology budget, to have it detailed and defined, to evaluate between platforms that can be free that can help us or to complement them with some that will be paid for, which will be much more efficient. In addition, it is important to look, above all, for personalisation, ease and service.

5. Is it necessary to have a large budget to be able to implement new technologies? It will depend on the SME. Right now technology is a value that is very economical, unlike years ago, when implementation processes were very costly, technology was much more expensive and now it is much cheaper. We have the possibility to access a very diverse market. There are many options, in which, regardless of the sector, the technology fits much better in some companies than in others, and not because they are in the same sector, the same technology can fit, so it can vary. Above all, we need to look for the part of the reiterative work and control work that avoids us doing. That is the part that customers do not usually value, although it has to be done, but the important thing is to find a way to do it in an automatic way, as simple as possible. For us, time saving equals profitability.