A recent study from the Business Software Education Center asked executives what are technology priorities in 2019 and beyond?
The C-Suite Software and Technology Sentiment Study featured a variety of takeaways, opinions, and expectations from leaders across the United States, exploring how these individuals expect to use technology today and in the future. Surveying over 500 C-Suite respondents and other leaders, this study explored everything from software investment to technology priorities, asking everyone from the CEO to the procurement department what they expect from their software investment.
Four Technological Focuses for Strategic Success
While the study asked a variety of questions, one of the most important and informative of these discussed what technology and strategic initiatives executives are planning or implementing. While the implementation of certain technologies was expected, others were less prioritized—sometimes surprisingly so.
Cloud Adoption and Migration—Top Priority for More Than One-Fifth of Businesses
The cloud has controlled the conversation for the better part of the last decade—and rightfully so. Whether it’s the push to free up capital investments and replace them with operating expenses, the expectation that products integrate to provide a complete picture of the business, or the easy access expected by today’s employees, companies have turned to the cloud for a variety of reasons.
Knowing this, even if many have already made the move to implement some cloud products, the push toward cloud computing continues to be a top priority—more than 20 percent of leaders cited this as their top priority for the coming years.
Mobile Solutions Driving Change
We live in a war for talent. Pair this with the continued globalization of business, and companies face a challenge: Go mobile or fail. Whether it’s in the form of a salesperson sick of coming back to the office to submit an expense report, a warehouse leader annoyed with waiting on an email to see available inventory, or an executive who needs a report in real time during a business meeting, mobility matters.
Knowing this, the study found that mobility is driving decisions at today’s businesses, with nearly as many respondents (20%) listing it as their top priority as those who prioritized the cloud. Luckily, these two are nearly synonymous, as today’s true cloud solutions are accessible by mobile devices, delivered through an app or web browser.
Digital Transformation
“Digital Transformation (DX) is the novel use of digital technology to solve traditional problems.” Sound simple? Because for many businesses, this strategic priority is nowhere near it. Unique to each industry and to each business, the process of digital transformation is never-ending because there are always new ways to use digital technology.
Knowing this, the process of digital transformation is still prioritized by leaders—13 percent of respondents believe this is the most important to the future of their business (with good reason). No question, digital transformation is driven by a variety of factors: increasing automation, standardization, re-use and productivity.
Luckily, the right technology can push you in the right direction. Empowered by the cloud, many businesses have pushed toward the automation and visibility expected by today’s leaders, allowing businesses to become smarter and more agile.
Analytics and Business Intelligence
It’s impossible to look forward if you’re wasting time trying to look back. Today’s businesses need to see the big picture and use the information provided to make decisions. However, few can waste away analyzing the data, hoping there are no errors.
That’s why more and more businesses are relying on business intelligence and analytics solutions to give them a clear picture of where they stand in real time, allowing for better forecasting and faster decisions. According to the report, many consider BI and analytics to be a top priority, 13 percent of respondents listed it as their number one strategic initiative. Paired with the rise of the “citizen data scientist,” BI tools make it easier for everyone to use this powerful software.
The Future of Business is Technologically Driven: Get the Report
Whether it’s an emphasis on cloud computing, a focus on mobile technology, or an affinity for analytics, today’s business leaders in need of technological advice need to know where the market is and where it is heading. The 2019 C-Suite Software and Technology Sentiment Study by the Business Software Education Center offers this necessary benchmarking data and will continue to be updated in the coming years with semi-annual updates.