Author: Sandro Vrbanus, .debug
Everyone is talking about business digitalization and the application of artificial intelligence in business processes. We touched on them in a conversation with Berislav Tomašić, Business Segment Director for BPM solutions at ASEE Croatia. Since he comes from a company deeply involved in this field, we asked him about the challenges and opportunities related to digitalization, from entrenched habits and regulations that hinder progress to concrete examples of AI technology implementation that deliver real savings and increased efficiency.
We also discussed the readiness of Croatian companies to switch to digital signatures, compared our market to European ones, and talked about the future of physical documents and stamps in the context of ongoing digital transformation.
Business digitalization is not a novelty — it’s been talked about for at least fifteen years — but many organizations still rely on paper. What are the most common reasons for this, and how can they be overcome?
That’s right. You could say that entrenched habits and a sense of security with physical documents are prevalent here, and on the other hand, regulation often lags behind technology, which becomes available and functional long before it’s formally adopted into law. Many companies hesitate due to perceived costs or fear of the complexity of digitalization, while some individuals are concerned about organizational changes. The solution lies in clear benefits and gradual implementation — digitalization doesn’t have to be “all at once” — and in education. When users see concrete value (faster processes, lower costs, simpler interface), resistance decreases.
It is especially important that we, as partners who understand business, play a role here because digitalization is not just a technical task — it’s an organizational change in how work is done. Our approach reflects this: we build trust through a consulting method and take small but effective steps tailored to the client’s processes and needs, while clearly demonstrating to employees the benefits of digitalization, such as less manual data entry, fewer errors, and higher quality in their daily work.
Is there an industry or sector where this process is particularly slow? Are traditionally sluggish state institutions the biggest laggards, or is it small companies and sole proprietors for whom this process represents an additional cost?
Digitalization progresses most slowly in state institutions and among small entrepreneurs. Public administration has long been a bottleneck due to bureaucracy and traditional paperwork, but in recent years they’ve rapidly introduced e-services, thanks to EU funding and initiatives like the e-Citizens platform. For example, the introduction of mandatory e-invoices in public procurement forced even the smallest suppliers to go digital, as it was the only way to collaborate with state institutions.
Small entrepreneurs and tradespeople often perceive digitalization as an added cost or complication, so they delay transformation until it becomes mandatory. However, the situation is changing because targeted support is now available — for instance, through the Integrated Territorial Program (ITP), €30 million was recently secured for digitalization of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises outside of Zagreb. These initiatives make financing more accessible and reduce entry barriers to digitalization, encouraging transformation among the slowest-moving groups. What’s needed is enough education and information so that companies know how to best take advantage of these opportunities.
ASEE was among the first to recognize the potential of digital signatures. How ready are companies in Croatia to transition to digital signatures and thus almost entirely eliminate paper documentation?
Yes, ASEE was one of the pioneers of digital signatures in Croatia about ten years ago, and today the market is much more mature. Most organizations have at least some experience with e-signatures, whether they implemented them independently or participated as co-signers on platforms used by their partners. Our experience shows that once companies try digital signing in practice and see the concrete benefits, they quickly want to expand this functionality to additional processes.
Readiness is continuously growing because the technological prerequisites are in place, the legal framework (eIDAS) is clear, and perceptions are changing with new generations of employees who take digital operations for granted. Besides speeding up processes and increasing security, digital signatures offer measurable savings. According to our estimates, if processing one sheet of paper costs a Croatian organization around 5 cents, digital processing and storage of the same page costs less than half a cent per year. This means that in most cases, digital is many times cheaper — depending on organizational setup and document volume — but the greatest value lies in the speed and automation of processes. All of this further confirms that transitioning to digital signatures is a long-term profitable and sustainable decision.
How do we compare with other European markets in that regard? Are we among the leaders or still lagging behind?
In recent years, Croatia has made significant progress in digital signatures, coming closer to the EU average, but we can’t yet say we are among the frontrunners. Eurostat states that the availability of digital public services for citizens in Croatia is around 67%, compared to the EU average of almost 80%, and for businesses it’s around 66%, which is below the European average of 85%.
Technology is not the issue — we have access to all necessary standards and infrastructure. The main challenge is organizational and cultural — changing business habits and the mindset towards digital as the standard. Although we’re not yet leading the digital transition, I believe we’re on the right path and are continuously narrowing the gap with the most advanced European countries.
In this area (document digitalization), AI is surely being used more and more. Can you give a concrete example of how it has been implemented in your solutions?
Absolutely — at ASEE, we don’t view artificial intelligence as a separate layer of technology, but as a natural upgrade of existing digital processes. In our solutions, AI is applied very concretely — from automated document classification and search to Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and content summarization. For example, in invoice processing, the system automatically recognizes the supplier, date, amount, and items, compares them with databases, and flags discrepancies.
Additionally, AI chatbots and agents are increasingly used to provide real-time support to users, understand context, and automatically retrieve or interpret documents. We also apply AI in decision-making suggestions — for example, in internal approvals, the system can propose an outcome based on historical situations.
There are also translations, where AI automatically translates accompanying documentation into the desired language. Another concrete example from the financial sector is onboarding new clients. When a user submits documentation (e.g., a court registry excerpt), the AI model automatically recognizes the document content, compares the data with public registries, and validates its accuracy.
It’s important to emphasize that AI in this context is not a replacement for humans, but an assistant that speeds up and ensures process quality, while the final decision still rests with an employee. In this way, we combine the reliability of technology with human judgment — which is key for trust and stability in sensitive sectors such as finance.
Is AI already delivering real savings and efficiency gains in business digitalization, or are the true benefits of current investments still to come?
Thanks to AI in business processes, we are already seeing very tangible savings and efficiency leaps. In the context of document digitalization, AI that automatically processes documents significantly speeds up workflows: Organizations with AI assistants can process several times more requests daily with the same number of people because AI takes on part of the load.
As for savings, they come from various sources: less employee time spent, fewer errors, and faster processes mean faster revenue generation. For example, Microsoft’s internal data shows that smart automation and AI assistants can save employees several hours per week, which they can then dedicate to more productive work.
Forrester calculated that companies that heavily use AI-driven automation can reduce process durations by up to 50%, which is a massive efficiency leap. So, the benefits are not just hype—they’re real and already happening.
It’s true that many of these implementations are still limited to certain functions (companies don’t become “smart” overnight), so the truly transformative effect will grow as AI penetrates all parts of the business.
Are there fears or resistance among users toward AI solutions, for example due to regulation or concerns over data control?
There is fear and resistance toward artificial intelligence, mostly due to concerns about privacy, regulation, and data control. Many companies approach AI cautiously due to regulations like GDPR and the upcoming EU AI Act, which will further define how AI systems may be used.
Employees also sometimes express discomfort because AI takes on tasks that were previously their responsibility, which can trigger fears of job loss or distrust in automated decisions. The solution lies in transparency and education: clearly communicating to users how their data is used, involving them in decision-making, and presenting AI as an assistant, not a replacement for people. This builds trust and significantly reduces resistance to AI technology.
What should companies know about secure digital document storage? Are current practices and regulations good enough, or do you see a need for improvement?
Secure storage of digital documents is the foundation of digitalization. Companies must ensure access confidentiality, data integrity, and long-term availability. Quality document management systems (DMS) are essential, where access rights are precisely defined, the immutability of documents over time is ensured, and documents are available when needed.
They must also use formats suitable for long-term archiving that ensure lasting unchangeability. Additionally, companies must continuously adapt to growing cyber threats, such as ransomware, through regular employee training and security system assessments.
Documents are not automatically secure just because they’re digital — clear procedures and ongoing attention to security are required. With the rising volume of data and increasing sophistication of attackers, ongoing investment in security measures is crucial for the sustainability of digital archives and the safety of business processes.
How do you see the future of document digitalization? Will physical documents, stamps, and the like even exist ten years from now?
The future of document digitalization is moving toward a world where “paper becomes the exception, not the rule.” Even now, we need to imagine what the office of 2035 will look like: without filing cabinets, without stamps, without the need to be physically present just to sign a document.
In my opinion, physical documents will survive for some time to come, as we still have generations that require paper, and some business segments still require paper today—e.g., notary certifications. But in everyday business, the tendency is for almost everything to go into electronic form.
The EU is generally pushing towards a fully digital economy – the goal is for all essential administration to be available online by 2030, and our legislation is also adapting to this wave. Of course, the challenge of the future will be to ensure that digital documents remain equally credible and accessible for decades, but Croatia will certainly not lag behind, as we already have initiatives that clearly lead towards this.
This interview was originally published in Croatian on .debug
