On the edge of Big Data: Drivers and barriers to data analytics adoption in SMEs

Adoption of technological innovations such as data analytics represents a major organizational transformation for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Literature shows that data analytics can improve the performance of SMEs. However, SMEs face many barriers in adopting this technological innovation. Unfortunately, the literature on data analytics adoption in SMEs is limited. Our goal is to identify the drivers and barriers to data analytics adoption in SMEs. With 35 semi-structured interviews with SMEs in the manufacturing and agricultural industries from France, we establish two comprehensive typologies of drivers and barriers. Our results show that exogenous drivers such as market, competition and the Covid-19 crisis have a stronger influence on data analytics adoption in SMEs than endogenous drivers. Endogenous barriers like lack of strategy, skills and organizational culture have a more negative influence on data analytics adoption in SMEs than exogenous barriers. This article contributes to better understanding of data analytics adoption process in SMEs. Our research helps SMEs manage organizational transformation and develop a strategy supporting technology adoption.