INNOVATIVE DIGITAL TOOLS FOR ENHANCING FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND COMPLIANCE IN SMES: THE ROLE OF AUTOMATION AND DIGITAL CERTIFICATION FOR MINORITY AND IMMIGRANT ENTERPRISES

Resumen

This article examines the transformative role of innovative digital tools in enhancing financial management and compliance within small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with a specific focus on minority- and immigrant-owned businesses. Drawing on empirical evidence and academic literature, it highlights how automation platforms, e-invoicing systems, robotic process automation, and digital certification reduce administrative costs, improve efficiency, and create verifiable information trails that strengthen compliance. By embedding regulatory logic into workflows and ensuring document integrity through digital identity frameworks, these tools streamline reporting obligations and facilitate access to finance. The analysis underscores that minority and immigrant SMEs, which often face resource constraints and regulatory frictions, can particularly benefit from such digital infrastructures by overcoming structural barriers in credit markets and compliance processes. The study concludes that adopting interoperable, inclusive, and trust-based digital systems can reallocate managerial attention from paperwork to growth strategies, enabling SMEs to thrive in competitive and regulated environments.