Survey Reveals 89.6% of SMEs Have Not 'Systemized' Their Sales Operations

## Detailed Survey Results

In our third report, we highlighted that labor shortages impede performance and that 76.4% of SME executives who feel the impact of such shortages recognize that 'fundamental resolution is impossible without changing business structures.' This report addresses the importance of 'systemization,' which lies at the root of this issue.

### 1. IT Tools Backfire Without Proper Processes

Many companies attempt to introduce IT tools as a means to improve operational efficiency. However, in this survey, when asked if the introduction of IT tools resulted in 'increased administrative workload' or 'increased complexity in tasks,' 5.2% replied 'feel very strongly' and 44.3% replied 'feel somewhat,' meaning 49.5% experienced a negative impact where IT tools hindered rather than helped operational efficiency.

Among companies where labor shortages have a 'very significant impact' on operations, this figure reaches 57.4%, suggesting that the more severe the labor shortage, the greater the likelihood of counterproductive results.

Why does this happen despite the aim of improving efficiency? The survey findings suggest that one of the critical turning points is the presence or absence of 'systemization.'

When asked, 'Do you believe your current management operates on a system that produces consistent results without relying on specific individuals or their experience?' 48.0% of companies responded that they have not yet built such a system (35.3% 'don't think so,' 12.7% 'not at all/dependent on individuals').

Furthermore, when looking at the status of management systemization by the level of IT tool utilization, 92.3% of companies that 'cannot utilize IT tools at all' lack an operational system, compared to 39.1% of companies that 'utilize them very well.' IT tools are meant to 'automate and improve existing processes,' not to 'create the processes themselves.' Therefore, introducing tools without a system leads to them not functioning as intended and often increases administrative burden.

### 2. The Impact of Systemization on Results

This survey also asked, 'Have you built a reproducible system for sales activities that eliminates reliance on individuals?' Only 10.3% answered 'yes.' With 54.3% saying 'partially built but still dependent on individuals' and 35.3% saying 'not built at all,' 89.6% of companies do not have a sufficiently systemized state.

The presence or absence of systemization significantly affects business outcomes. Among companies that implemented improvement initiatives to increase revenue, 90.0% of those with 'built-in' sales systems achieved results that met or exceeded expectations. In contrast, among companies with 'no system at all,' only 15.4% achieved such results—a sixfold difference.

The same applies to overall management. For the question about management systems, companies that answered 'strongly agree (systemized)' saw a 55.6% success rate for improvement initiatives, and those who answered 'somewhat agree' saw 60.4%. Conversely, companies that were 'not sure' saw 23.9%, and those that were 'not at all (dependent on individuals)' saw 0.0%.

These results clearly illustrate that the more advanced the systemization, the easier it is to achieve results from implemented initiatives, while higher reliance on individuals causes outcomes to trend toward zero.