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Design is a value-creating process that encourages innovation in companies. Despite the obvious, many SMEs have difficulty integrating such practices into their businesses. Indeed, design is a concept with multiple facets, whose implementation remains abstract. This article addresses the following question: How might one characterize design management practices in SMEs and how might opportunities for improvement be identified? In answer to this, we have developed a tool that allows for the identification of the level of design integration in a firm according to different levers. The research was carried out in three SMEs and one start-up firm. The mapping allowed for the identification of five levers of design management, which enable one to see what the current practices are, as well as paving the way for dialogue with the parties involved. Following on from this analysis, the creation of tools that correspond to the different levels of integration will favor the successful implementation of design management practices in the company concerned.