The pandemic has made digital transformation necessary, and now remote work is gaining ground. According to an investigation by the Politecnico di Milano, smart workers have grown over the past two years, increasing by 3.6% in large enterprises and by 6.3% in public administrations. Fiorella Crespi, director of the Smart Work Observatory, notes that 'working from home has been granted to less than half of the six-point-five million workers who believe they can perform their tasks just as effectively outside the office.'

However, this choice is not without costs, since many employees take into account flexibility when choosing where they work and opt for companies that guarantee the same. PA has seen a rise of 16 points in terms of smart working, while PMI have registered a decline of 15.1%. Smart working initiatives are present in 56% of medium-sized enterprises and in 27% of small enterprises. These statistics show that SMEs are losing ground but should not be considered as a catastrophe. Instead, it can be interpreted as an opportunity for SMEs to strengthen their digital tools and improve their competitiveness. Working from home two days a week saves about €450 per year on fuel prices at current levels.

Moreover, only one out of four workers thoroughly checks the results produced by artificial intelligence. This indicates that PMIs are trying to integrate more effectively with digital technologies but cannot achieve it completely.

According to Crespi, "the choice of agile work is associated with the ability to organize and manage responsibilities". However, this choice should not be considered as a backward step. Instead, it should be viewed as an opportunity for PMIs to strengthen their digital skills and improve competitiveness.

Finally, according to Crespi, "working from home has been granted to less than half of the six-point-five million workers who believe they can perform their tasks just as efficiently outside the office."

This indicator suggests that PMIs are trying to integrate more effectively with digital technologies within their organization, but they cannot fully achieve it.