Incorporating sustainability into business operations is likely to become one of the
most significant priorities and challenges for companies in the near future. SMEs
operating within conventional frameworks often experience constraints when adjusting
to evolving circumstances. They frequently lack resources, qualified experts, skills,
and capabilities to enable the efficient implementation of DT within the organization.
In this paper, Eurostat datasets were analyzed to uncover trends in SME digitalization
and sustainability, focusing on patterns in data utilization, employee training, and
environmental considerations. These insights were integrated into an altered Ecocanvas
sustainability modeling tool to develop a framework supporting their strategic planning
and decision-making. It has proven to be a useful tool for this purpose by mapping
business processes against sustainability and strategic goals while indicating where
digital or alternative solutions can be introduced. SMEs analyze data and consider
environmental impacts at different levels based on their size categories. To determine
whether these differences are statistically significant, we have performed one-way
ANOVA tests. This paper aims to provide a data-driven situational analysis and tool,
which outlines the benefits of data analytics from several aspects while offering
practical recommendations for company leaders to consider and implement.
