Manual processes, duplicated effort and the cost of repeated verification checks continue to slow down operations. In some cases, this even prevents smaller firms from accessing larger supply chains.

According to Cindy van Niekerk, CEO of Umazi, a leading provider of digital corporate identity and automated due diligence technology, the solution lies in making due diligence digital, dynamic and continuous rather than static, manual and repetitive. Research from Umazi shows that 44 % of UK businesses report that verification processes are still highly manual, time-consuming and inefficient, while 88 % want a‘ trust-stamp’ that proves a company is genuine before they work together.

THIS ISN’ T JUST A TECHNOLOGICAL UPGRADE; IT’ S A FUNDAMENTAL REDESIGN OF HOW TRUST IS ESTABLISHED BETWEEN ORGANISATIONS.

is increasing, expectations are rising across global supply chains and manual verification simply cannot keep up. Digital identity, AI-powered monitoring and distributed ledger technology are reshaping due diligence into an alwayson process, one that finally gives SMEs a level playing field.

“ Whether it’ s verifying suppliers, assessing ESG risk or maintaining auditready records, organisations are being asked to do more with less. By using reusable, verified digital credentials and secure data-sharing, businesses can eliminate duplication, reduce human error and dramatically increase the speed of onboarding and verification. This isn’ t just a technological upgrade; it’ s a fundamental redesign of how trust is established between organisations.”

In the eyes of many compliance specialists, the only path to effective reform is for organisations of all sizes to embrace digital workflows. Traditional methods are not only slow but often fragmented, with finance, procurement, legal and compliance teams each conducting their own checks. Corporate digital identity platforms consolidate these processes into a single enterprise due diligence framework, enabling consistent, governed and transparent verification across entire organisations.

Digital identity technology is particularly important as regulations tighten. Verified digital credentials allow organisations to securely share key data once and reuse it across multiple partners and jurisdictions. Distributed ledger technology provides immutable audit trails, ensuring due diligence records cannot be tampered with and remain easily accessible for regulators or auditors. �

New regulatory frameworks such as the EU’ s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive( CSDDD) are raising expectations across entire supply chains. Even when these rules do not apply directly to SMEs, they are indirectly required to meet higher standards to continue working with corporate partners. Without modern systems, many risk being excluded from key markets or contract opportunities.

“ We’ re reaching a turning point”, van Niekerk said.“ The compliance burden

30 Intelligent SME. tech