The overwhelming driver for digital transformation is the need to meet customer expectations. 80% of the 250 senior UK business decision makers surveyed said this was why their organisation needs to undertake a digital transformation strategy. This year’s survey also highlighted a new desire to ‘reinvent’ business models and 47% cited this as a key reason, up from 6% last year. Reducing cost is no longer a factor; only 18% stated this as a reason.
While new technologies are felt to be fundamentally changing revenue models and operational structures, the report also found 43% view keeping pace with technology change as their most significant business challenge for the year ahead. This is reflected in the spending priorities for 2017, which focused on infrastructure and processes to support the implementation of new applications. Spend on cloud (44%), infrastructure (43%) and agile transformation (35%) were in the top five priorities, helping companies to establish a more agile technology foundation so their businesses can implement new services and enable customer-focussed teams to better respond to customer needs.
Simon Ratcliffe, Principal Consultant, Ensono commented: “Companies that address their technology infrastructure – be it cloud, legacy or the connections between the various elements – can adopt new disruptive technologies and build momentum. As this research demonstrates, companies now understand the business value of improving customer experience. The next step on the journey is to execute these new business models, and for companies to find ways to find the skills needed to do this.”
The report also highlighted this need for new skills in digital transformation. While 39% rely on in-house skills for the broader set needed for transformation, only 35% believe their organisation has the right skills in place. 41% said they are working with a solutions vendor and more than a third are working with a consultancy or design agency to help plug gaps in skills.