Innovative Digital Transformation Strategies of Large Suppliers for Mexican Corner Stores During a Pandemic: Challenges and Opportunities

Background

It is important to mention that, recent studies show that 40% of all technology spending at a global level has been invested in DT, with enterprises spending over $2 trillion in 2019. Moreover, 52% of companies plan to cut or delay investments because of COVID-19, whereas only 9% make those cuts in DT projects (Appio et al., 2021). Accordingly, most business-to-business (B2B) companies have started their DT projects to ensure their competitiveness in the market. The sales team is making its own effort in contributing to the productivity gains of the company: since the 1980s, sales researchers have been particularly concerned with the implementation of digital technologies in the form of customer relationship management systems or sales force automation (Wengler et al., 2021).

Providing a comprehensive definition of DT is complex because it is a multifaceted and multidimensional phenomenon that affects organizations at different levels and forms (Appio et al., 2021). DT is defined as transformation “concerned with the changes digital technologies can bring about in company’s business model, products, or organizational structures” (Nadkarni & Prügl, 2021); it is perhaps the most pervasive managerial challenge for incumbent firms of the last and coming decades. The term “digital transformation” is primarily discussed in the research domain of information systems and increasingly in sales; it encompasses profound organizational and societal changes (Wengler et al., 2021).