BARRIERS TO DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF UKRAINIAN ENTERPRISES: SYSTEMIC CIRCUIT OF DIGITAL INERTIA

Abstract

The article examines the content, dynamics, and structural asymmetries of the digital transformation of Ukrainian enterprises during 2019–2024 under conditions of pandemic and wartime shocks. Based on the synthesis of analytical data from Forbes Ukraine, KPMG, Finbalance, OECD, and sectoral studies, the research assesses the level of digital maturity of Ukrainian businesses, identifies sectoral and size-based disparities in digital adoption, and evaluates the role of the IT sector in exports and GDP formation. The study demonstrates that digitalization in Ukraine exhibits a pronounced asymmetric pattern: service industries and large enterprises have achieved relatively high levels of digital integration, while industrial enterprises and SMEs remain at the stage of fragmented implementation of basic IT solutions. The transition from “digital presence” (corporate websites, social media, e-commerce) to operational digital integration (ERP/CRM, BPM systems, cloud services, electronic document management) is uneven and constrained by financial, organizational, and human capital limitations. It is well established that the COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed mass digital adoption, whereas the full-scale war transformed digital technologies into a core instrument of business resilience and operational continuity. Digital solutions evolved from efficiency-enhancing tools into a prerequisite for enterprise survival. The article proposes an interpretation of digital transformation barriers as a dynamic, systemic loop in which financial, human, infrastructural, and institutional-regulatory constraints reinforce one another, generating a persistent effect of digital inertia. The theoretical contribution lies in refining the concept of enterprise digital stratification and its impact on structural economic inequality. The practical relevance of the findings lies in their applicability to public policy design aimed at supporting SME and industrial digitalization, as well as to corporate strategies prioritizing investments in digital infrastructure, process automation, and business intelligence to enhance long-term economic resilience.