In recent years, digital maturity has evolved from being merely an indicator of technological advancement to becoming a structural foundation for strategic decision-making within organizations. What defines a digitally mature company is not just the adoption of technological tools but a comprehensive transformation of its processes, system integration, and data governance structure. This enables the company to operate efficiently, securely, and in a data-driven manner. Such a robust framework not only ensures a reliable operational base but also enables predictive analytics that inform strategic decisions based on historical market and consumer behavior.
Tool Adoption Is Not Maturity—It’s Part of the Journey
During and after the pandemic, the number of Brazilian companies advancing in digitalization increased significantly. According to a survey conducted by Opinion Box in partnership with Ploomes, 68% of B2B companies have become more digital since the start of the pandemic, with 61% considering themselves to have a high or very high level of digital maturity.
However, merely adopting tools does not guarantee that maturity has been achieved. These tools must be aligned with structured and integrated processes so that data can be used strategically to generate value and guide decisions.
The latest edition of the Brazil Digital Transformation Index, developed by PwC in partnership with Fundação Dom Cabral, reinforces this perspective. The average digital maturity score of Brazilian companies rose from 3.3 to 3.7 on a scale of 1 to 6. While progress is evident, the study highlights that many organizations still face structural challenges, particularly in data integration and establishing effective governance. A company’s most valuable asset today is its data legacy, and how this data is managed, organized, and transformed into actionable insights is critical.
The Role of Generative AI in This Equation
In this context, Generative AI emerges as a significant component of the digital journey. It is already being applied in areas such as customer service (SAC and technical support), human resources, training, data analysis, and predictive behavior modeling. AI can transform historical data into strategic insights.
A recent Bain & Company survey shows that 25% of Brazilian companies are already using Generative AI in some capacity, more than double the percentage from the previous year. Additionally, 67% of the surveyed organizations rank the technology among their top five strategic priorities for 2025. These figures demonstrate that Generative AI is becoming a core element of digital transformation in companies.
However, its use requires caution. Risks primarily stem from a lack of data governance, including inaccurate responses, discriminatory biases, and privacy issues as consequences of poorly structured implementations. Thus, integrating Generative AI into a company’s structure is part of the final stage of digital maturity, where systems not only automate but also understand contexts and interact with greater naturalness and precision. Generative AI represents a qualitative leap compared to early chatbot models due to its synthesis capabilities and cognitive interaction.
Structure, Culture, and Strategy Are the Pillars of Transformation
For a company to truly advance in its digital maturity journey, more than just technology investments are required. This process demands simultaneous efforts across four key fronts: a resilient and high-availability technological infrastructure to support digitized processes; the review and restructuring of internal processes, focusing on agility and operational flow integration; clear definition of objectives and a digital strategy aligned across all areas; and continuous team training, accompanied by a genuine shift in organizational culture.
As tools and solutions are incorporated, new possibilities for data extraction and analysis emerge, fueling further digital transformation. The result is a more agile, efficient, and strategic model.
The Growing Interdependence Between ESG and Data
Digitally mature companies also demonstrate a greater ability to comply with practices, particularly those related to the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) agenda. This is due to organized and readily available data. Carbon emissions monitoring, resource usage, social risks, and governance practices can be tracked and adjusted more accurately in a well-structured digital environment.
In this process, strategic partners like heimr play a crucial role. The company supports clients from initial stages, such as cloud migration, through to the data journey, offering technical expertise, tailored solutions, and infrastructure to support necessary changes. With an agnostic team and partnerships like the one with IBM, heimr develops Generative AI solutions, promotes data governance, and helps build a digital model tailored to each client’s specific needs.
Digital maturity is not a destination but an ongoing process of adaptation, restructuring, and learning. Generative AI, when integrated into this context, not only accelerates transformation but also expands the possibilities for business operations. The result is the ability to turn data into decisions and technology into value.
Share in the comments what your main challenge is regarding technological implementation and what level of digital maturity your company has achieved!
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