UK SMEs prioritise data & AI over compliance digitisation

Be Certified has published research showing that 28% of UK SMEs see data and AI as their top digitalisation priority for 2026, while compliance and certification rank lowest for future digital investment.

The consultancy platform surveyed 700 UK SME owners and managers to examine how smaller businesses are approaching digital change and where they are directing spending. More than half, 55%, said digitalisation is a key growth priority this year. Meanwhile, 60% reported improved efficiency from digital tools and 43% said those tools had increased profitability.

Current investment patterns suggest many businesses have focused on functions closest to day-to-day operations. Accounting and finance was the most commonly digitised area, with 63% of SMEs saying they had introduced digital systems there. Security followed at 55%, then workforce platforms at 52% and sales systems at 51%.

Compliance and certification ranked lowest. Only 34% of respondents said they had digitised that function, making it the least adopted area in the findings.

This lower level of adoption is also reflected in future priorities. Just 3% of SMEs said compliance and certification would be their highest digitalisation priority, although 30% plan to digitise the function in 2026.

AI Focus

Interest in AI was strongest in a small group of sectors. Among construction businesses, 26% identified AI as a focus, compared with 33% in healthcare and 53% in IT.

Across the wider SME market, 28% named data and AI as their main digitalisation focus for the year. A larger share, 43%, said they expect to digitise data and AI tools in some form.

Other planned areas for digitalisation included workforce and collaboration tools at 37%, sales and marketing tools at 34%, operations and supply chain tools at 33%, security software at 32%, and accountancy and finance at 30%. Compliance and certification matched finance at 30% for planned digitalisation, despite ranking far lower as a top single priority.

The figures suggest a split between what SMEs see as strategically important and what they still expect to modernise over time. Sales and marketing was the top future priority for 19% of respondents, while 12% pointed to security as a key investment area.

Operational Gap

The findings suggest businesses are still more likely to digitise front-office, financial and operational systems before turning to governance processes. Respondents also reported practical benefits when compliance work was moved into digital systems.

Almost a quarter, 24%, said digitalisation had reduced their compliance burden. Elsewhere in the research, 36% said digitalisation had helped them meet customer expectations more effectively.

The study comes as smaller businesses face pressure to improve record-keeping, security oversight and operational efficiency while managing costs. The release accompanying the data cited annual cyberattack and data privacy costs of £14.7 billion for businesses, even though relatively few SMEs place compliance and certification at the top of their digital agenda.

Agnes Sopel, Lead Auditor and ISO Consultant at Be Certified, said: “It’s encouraging to see that some SMEs have embraced digital tools in their finance and operations. However, compliance and certification processes are often still handled manually, leading to delays and inefficiencies. We believe that bringing these areas into the digital fold will be a game-changer for SMEs.

“By adopting digital platforms, businesses can automate and streamline their compliance and certification processes, drastically reducing the time spent on paperwork and audit preparation. SMEs have proven that digitalisation saves time and boosts profits. The next step is the ‘last mile’: making compliance and certification just as digital as finance or security. That means simple workflows, clear evidence, and confidence that you’re meeting recognised standards.”