The study found that WhatsApp is the main technological tool used among Brazil’s smallest businesses, ahead of platforms such as management software and e-commerce systems.
The study, conducted by Italian management software company Zucchetti and Brazilian trade union organization Fecomércio Santa Catarina, aims to understand the impact of technology tools on the daily operations of Brazilian small and medium-sized enterprises. We collected responses from 323 retailers across Brazil, of which 56% were micro-enterprises and 22.5% were small and medium-sized enterprises.
Approximately 82% of those surveyed use WhatsApp as their primary communication tool, followed by 74% using social media. When it comes to communicating with customers, 96% use his WhatsApp and 76% still use their phones, with social media ranking his third at 59%. However, the study notes that physical points of sale account for 82% of actual sales, followed by social media at 57%.
Brazil is WhatsApp’s third largest market after India and Indonesia. A separate survey of 2,075 respondents by consumer insights firm Opinion Box found that 79% of respondents said they communicate with businesses through WhatsApp. Approximately 77% of respondents said their primary purpose for communicating with businesses via WhatsApp is to answer questions or request information, followed by technical support (69%) and to make offers via WhatsApp. followed by receiving (51%).
Other tools frequently used in the day-to-day operations of Brazilian businesses include inventory management systems, cited by 41% of respondents in the Zucchetti survey, followed by POS systems (41%) and accounts receivable and payables. followed by systems (38%). Complete enterprise resource planning (ERP) platforms accounted for 33% of all responses, while e-commerce systems were cited by only 10% of those surveyed.
“Digital presence, previously considered a competitive advantage. [for businesses], has become a unique option for survival. And, of course, it was the small retailers who suffered the most from all this, and in most cases such systems did not even exist,” said Wagner Müller, head of retail at Zucchetti. To tell.
“This struggle for survival has posed many challenges for these entrepreneurs: operational, technical and, primarily, cultural hurdles,” Muller added.
In relation to the challenges associated with the adoption of technology tools, the main issues identified in this study include the high cost of tools (27%), lack of skilled labor (19%), and difficulty in developing technology utilization strategies. (15%). %).
In addition to the tools used most often by small businesses in Brazil, the study also took a closer look at the types of technology used in different sectors. In administration and finance, 43% say they use simple tools such as spreadsheets and documents, 39% use management systems, and 6% say they don’t use systems for that aspect of their business. I answered.
When it comes to talent management, 19% use no technology at all, while 33% use basic tools and 14% have management software in place. Approximately 44% of logistics and inventory departments report using management software, with 30% relying on spreadsheets. According to the study, marketing and sales departments had the lowest rate of technology usage, with 36% using basic tools and 22% choosing to use software.
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