Barometer on the digital transformation of VSEs and SMEs, France Num publishes its 2024 edition

Every year, the France Num barometer, run by the French General Business Directorate (DGE), surveys French VSEs and SMEs in all sectors and regions facing the challenges of digital transformation. This year, France Num surveyed 10,125 companies, including 6,425 VSEs. Here are the key figures from the 2024 barometer...

Always on the lookout for trends, Global Industrie 2025 focuses on the digital transformation of workshops and industries in general. With its barometer on the digital transformation of VSEs and SMEs, France Num provides an insight into the zeitgeist... 
 
What does the study say? Confidence among VSE and SME managers is on the rise again, with 79% (+3 points) believing that digital technology brings real benefits. The larger the company, the stronger this belief: the figure rises to 85% for SMEs. These managers see digital technology as a valuable tool for increasing sales, optimizing operations and improving profitability. In fact, 42% see digital technology as a means of generating profit, compared to 39% in 2023. The effects of online visibility reinforce this conviction, with more than one in two companies declaring that at least 5% of their customers come from the internet (+5 points since 2023).

Piracy worries!

Fear of data piracy continues to grow, despite the development of protection measures. In 2024, almost one in two managers (49%) expressed concern on this subject, and this proportion has been rising since 2020. Faced with this growing concern, 81% have a cyber security solution in place, including 96% antivirus protection, 81% external data backup (including the cloud) and 57% measures and solutions to protect premises and equipment.

Since 2023, the barometer has included two new major issues in the development of public policies in favor of business digitization: consideration of the environmental impact of digital uses, and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and data. 13% of companies surveyed use artificial intelligence tools, in particular to generate text, voice or images. This proportion varies greatly from sector to sector: in the digital sector, 40% use AI, while in the agricultural sector, only 4% use AI. At the same time, the importance attached by companies to issues of digital sobriety seems to be increasing significantly. Recycling digital equipment (53%) and purchasing reconditioned equipment (28%) are the most frequently cited measures in the drive for sobriety.