Digital transformation of marketing process management in SMEs: evidence from the restaurant sector

SMEs are key to economic development, fostering employment and entrepreneurship. Restaurant SMEs in Bulgaria and Ukraine face growing managerial challenges, while digital technologies reshape consumer behavior and business models, highlighting the need to integrate IT to optimize business processes and marketing management. Objective. The study aims to substantiate managerial approaches for implementing information technologies in the marketing processes of restaurant SMEs under budget constraints. Methods. The abstract-logical method was used to classify groups of information technologies applied in the restaurant sector and to identify approaches to implementing digital tools that support managerial decision-making. Methods of analysis and synthesis based on expert assessment made it possible to determine the structure of the marketing budget depending on the type of establishment and the number of digital tools used. Results. An assessment of widely used information technologies in the restaurant services market revealed their diversity and the need for a strategic selection of digital tools based on the specific characteristics of the establishment and the share of marketing expenditures. A conceptual three-level model for the implementation of IT in restaurant enterprises is proposed, demonstrating that the effectiveness of digitalization depends on the implementation algorithm and the alignment of tools with organizational needs. A model for automating key marketing functions was also developed. Based on a survey of 20 restaurant establishments in Chernivtsi (Ukraine), marketing budget profiles for different types of catering establishments were identified. Conclusions. The adoption of digitalization tools increases the competitiveness of restaurant enterprises, improves product and service quality, optimizes marketing costs, and enhances the effectiveness of marketing process management.