A substantial 39pc of SME decision makers would consider leaving their role if they didn’t have the right tools to do their job properly.

What’s more, almost a third say that their leadership team isn’t moving fast enough to keep up with the evolving technology requirements of their staff.

These figures come from the 2019 Digital Business Report from Advanced, investigating whether employees are being given the right tools to improve their productivity. The firm concluded that leaders need to work with their staff to find out which issues could be resolved with updated technology.

It’s not that easy, though. In a separate survey from Advanced, one in five SME leaders said they felt under pressure all the time – 48pc of these respondents said that a lack of time caused much of this work pressure.

Technology is one of the best ways to boost productivity

“The fact that just 31pc of respondents say productivity is triggering the purchase of new technology in their organisation will raise alarm bells,” says Gordon Wilson, CEO of Advanced.

“Surely this should be a critical factor? Technology is one of the best ways to boost productivity and treat a work-life imbalance. It can improve processes and eradicate time spent on tedious tasks, freeing up time for more valuable activities, increasing job satisfaction at the same time.”

He adds that employees must be able to see the value in using these digital tools to increase productivity. For this, leaders will need a digital strategy which encompasses change management and takes different workers’ backgrounds and abilities into account.

The good news is that smaller businesses are nimbler, free from the hefty weight of legacy systems and old processes. “SME leaders should see this as an opportunity to give large organisations a run for their money and take the lead in driving new technologies to boost productivity,” says Gordon.

For more on how to perk up efficiency in your small business, check out our Productivity Zone.