Digital transformation: behind the serenity of businesses, persistent vulnerabilities

Based on a survey of 500 French companies, the study stands out as a benchmark due to the scope of its methodology. It offers a systemic framework for analyzing the relationship between companies and digital technology, including SMEs and mid-sized companies, as well as key functions such as CEOs, CFOs, and CIOs, while also covering various sectors, including Services, Commerce, Industry, and Construction, with the addition of the Healthcare sector for this edition.

In a context of accelerating technological, regulatory, and geopolitical change, companies' digital trajectories are shaped by various dynamics: resource management, supplier choices, and environmental imperatives all impact organizational decisions. Artificial intelligence opens new horizons, while governance issues, data sovereignty, and dependence on technological infrastructure influence these decisions. The rise of paperless processes, driven by the e-invoicing reform applicable from September 2026, compels companies to continue their transformation, while cybersecurity risks and security are a structural reality. How are companies positioning themselves in the face of these changes?

• 85% of companies are confident about digital technology
• 70% report not having a digital strategy
• 75% are aware of the electronic invoicing reform
• Only 2,4 out of 5 declare themselves prepared for the reform
• 65% see AI as an opportunity
• 82% do not have AI usage rules
• 46% already use AI tools
• 63% use the Cloud
• 51% fear dependence on cloud providers
• 69% have a cybersecurity strategy - Gap between SMEs and mid-sized companies in cybersecurity: 31 points

The Barometer summary is available: here

The study offers two complementary levels of interpretation of the 10 crucial challenges of digitalization as perceived by respondents:

• 5 strategic lessons dedicated to the major transformations underway: Strategy, challenges, priorities, resources, and support.
• 5 operational zooms to explore the major structuring pillars of digital technology: dematerialization, reform of electronic invoicing, artificial intelligence, cloud, cybersecurity and Green IT.

A paradoxical digital serenity

85% of companies report feeling confident about digital transformation, even though 70% lack a formalized digital strategy. This apparent confidence may mask a lack of understanding of certain challenges, or even a form of structural vulnerability. This paradox calls for caution. It is particularly pronounced in SMEs, where four out of ten companies still do not have a digital roadmap. Digital transformation often seems to be taken for granted, even though, in the majority of companies, it is neither structured, nor managed, nor formally governed.

The SME-mid-sized company gap: a digital and cyber divide

Structural gaps between SMEs and mid-sized companies persist across all indicators: formalized strategy (26% of SMEs vs. 47% of mid-sized companies), cybersecurity strategy (63% of SMEs vs. 94% of mid-sized companies), and AI adoption (41% of SMEs vs. 62% of mid-sized companies). Four out of ten SMEs have neither a strategy nor any ongoing projects.

Electronic invoicing law: a reform that was still poorly anticipated.

The law on electronic invoicing has emerged as the top priority, according to 56% of respondents. Awareness of it has reached a record high of 75%, a 23-point increase year-on-year. Despite this growing awareness, the level of preparedness remains modest, with only 2,4 out of 5 companies reporting compliance just months before the September 2026 deadline. Businesses know they must act, but are still struggling to translate the regulatory urgency into structured operational projects.

AI: massive enthusiasm… without a framework

65% of companies see AI as an opportunity, a 15-point increase. However, 82% of organizations have not established specific usage guidelines to govern its deployment. Furthermore, the level of stress related to AI is extremely low, at 1,3 out of 5, reflecting rapid and confident adoption, but still largely unregulated. The risk is no longer rejection, but rather deployment without governance. In this context, the phenomenon of shadow IT is taking root, operating outside the radar of IT departments. Companies have thus entered the AI ​​era before even defining its rules, exposing their data, compliance, and liability.

Cloud: emerging sovereignty

Cloud adoption remains stable at 63%. Stress related to data outsourcing has plummeted to 1,5 out of 5, compared to 3,5 in 2022. However, dependence on the cloud provider has become the primary perceived drawback, up 14 points to 51%. Sovereignty criteria are also gaining significant traction: storage in France (38%) and digital sovereignty (31%). This finding is set against a sensitive geopolitical and regulatory backdrop. It reflects a shift from technical convenience to strategic dependence and strongly resonates with the ongoing debates surrounding data sovereignty. Companies are not rejecting the cloud, but are now seeking to regain control over it by prioritizing trusted partners and sovereign infrastructures.

Cybersecurity: Revealing and Amplifying Digital Vulnerabilities

The study highlights the still uneven maturity of companies in cybersecurity, which reinforces the key findings of the study.

Cybersecurity and false digital serenity: a confidence that exceeds operational reality

While 70% of companies report having implemented a cybersecurity strategy, up 10 points, this progress masks significant imbalances: Mid-sized companies: 94% have a cybersecurity strategy, SMEs: only 63% → a gap of 31 points, one of the highest in the barometer.

Cybersecurity & AI: New and Emerging Blind Spots

The 2026 edition highlights a striking contrast between cybersecurity and AI. On the one hand, 65% of companies see AI as an opportunity. On the other hand, 82% of companies have not implemented any specific AI usage rules. This proportion reaches 90% for SMEs.

Conclusion

Digital transformation is no longer a purely technological issue; it is becoming a matter of governance, sovereignty, and strategic responsibility. The 2026 edition does not simply reveal a technological lag. It highlights a more fundamental phenomenon: a professed sense of calm that coexists with major strategic vulnerabilities, within a context of accelerating technological, regulatory, and geopolitical change.

According to Jonathan Leyva, President and CEO of Konica Minolta Business Solutions France: “The 2026 Konica Minolta Digital Serenity Barometer reveals a mixed picture. While the rise of AI, the approaching e-invoicing deadline, and increasingly stringent cybersecurity requirements are reshaping digital priorities, companies continue to display a high level of confidence. This confidence, however, contrasts sharply with persistent vulnerabilities, with a growing gap between companies' perception of their digital maturity and the reality, which is often still insufficiently structured, managed, and governed. Underlying this is cybersecurity, which both reveals and amplifies these digital vulnerabilities. Companies are making progress, but unevenly. The persistent disparities between SMEs and mid-sized companies, as well as between executives and CIOs, serve as a reminder that digital security can no longer be treated as a purely technical issue. It is now inextricably linked to governance, business continuity, and sovereignty. In light of the findings of our fourth study, our support role is more crucial than ever.” Trust remains the primary criterion for selecting an IT service provider. This requirement compels us to help companies move beyond a sometimes deceptive sense of security, to build a truly controlled, responsible, and sustainable digital transformation. Because digital security doesn't stem from ignorance of risks, but from a proper understanding of them and their informed management.

Konica Minolta Digital Serenity Barometer 2026

[1] Methodology: Sample of 500 French companies (400 SMEs + 100 mid-sized companies) - Data collection: telephone - Period: July 25 to September 15, 2025 - Questionnaire: 77 questions - Functions: Executives (30,2%), CIOs (33,8%), CFOs (27,6%) - Sectors: Services (33,2%), Commerce (19,8%), Healthcare (18,2%), Industry (15,4%), Construction (13,4%)