Digital Transformation Readiness in Six SMS From Cuenca, Ecuador: An Analysis Using the MIT Digital Maturity Model

Digital transformation (DT) has become a strategic tool for companies across all sectors, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which face greater challenges in adopting technologies in their productivity processes. This article presents the results of applying the MIT Digital Transformation Model (MIT DTMM) to six SMEs in the city of Cuenca, Ecuador, allowing us to assess their level of digital maturity and provide specific recommendations based on the results. The study shows that the evaluated SMEs are at the Stalling level, with scores ranging from 17.40 to 18.31. The Principal Component Analysis identified that improving digital maturity requires a dual approach, focusing on both operational technologies and cultural transformation. Furthermore, the cluster analysis confirmed the heterogeneity of digital maturity profiles, even within the same maturity level. The findings provide a contextualized perspective on the factors influencing DT and offer concrete strategies for advancing to the next levels of DT.