Is it odd to leverage data analytics in SMEs? A study on marketing and innovation practices
Résumé
Digitalization and Big Data are major trends in today’s worlds. These phenomena are transforming the approach by which individuals consume goods and services, and by which firms manage their operations. These transformations are particularly affecting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), especially since the Covid-19 crisis. SMEs are turning to data analytics to support business management and strengthen resilience. Yet the literature fails to describe the practices by which SMEs leverage digital data and create business value. This gap hinders SMEs' ability to achieve successful data analytics adoption and perceive the benefits of their use. In this book chapter, we draw on an exploratory study to describe the practices of data analytics in SMEs in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors. We show how data analytics improve business, marketing and innovation operations. Finally, we discuss the implications of these practices for theory and practice.