Top Trends Shaping Enterprise Transformation in 2021 and Beyond
Jan 20, 2021
In 2020, businesses leaped five years forward in digital adoption in a matter of eight weeks due to the pandemic.i The accelerated migration to digital capabilities on customer interaction and internal operations is likely to continue in the next few years, as 65% of global GDP will be digitalised by 2022, driving $6.8 trillion of IT spending from 2020 to 2023.ii Strategic adoption of digital technologies will help organisations become more resilient and adaptive, enabling them to meet challenges and demands in the new business landscape.
Cloud-centric Digital Infrastructure
Business transformation through cloud platforms will accelerate following the disrupted business and economic environment in 2020. By the end of 2021, 80% of enterprises will shift to cloud-centric infrastructure and applications twice as fast as before the pandemic.iii The cloud-centric IT model will accelerate the organisation’s responsiveness, scalability, and resiliency of its infrastructure, applications, and data resources to support business growth. In addition, cloud-based applications will allow businesses to access, deliver and enable data anywhere to ensure optimum productivity.
Modern Enterprise Applications
Application modernisation will play a significant role in contributing to an organisation's business agility. Through 2021, all enterprises will struggle with app modernisation and data integration across cloud silos, with 20% adopting connected cloud architectures to overcome challenges. By 2022, organisations will modernise over half of existing enterprise applications for business agility, through turnkey cloud-native development and deployment services that will allow for flexible capabilities and efficient customer and supply-chain interaction.iv
Digital-first Operations
Organisations are rapidly pushed over remote, digital-first operations to respond to customers’ move towards online services. By 2021, 65% of organisations will shift to digital-first through automated operations,v aggressively integrating new emerging technologies such as AI, machine learning, robotic process automation, and other intelligent process and task automation tools within their business and IT systems. In the same manner, 60% of enterprises will invest heavily in digitalising employee experience, transforming the relationship between employers and employees.vi
Accelerated Digital Experiences
Rapidly changing digital consumer behaviours have driven many businesses to accelerate the ability to deliver digital products and services in real-time. Transforming existing business processes to drive customer engagements, 70% of all organisations will accelerate the use of digital technologies by 2022, with 80% implementing intelligent capabilities to sense, learn, and predict changing customer behaviours, enabling exclusive customer experiences for engagement and loyalty by 2025.vii
Resilient Business is Digital in the Next Normal
Leading enterprises are focusing on digital resilience to not only adapt and adjust to disruptions, but also to respond to new business opportunities. Organisations that continue to drive digital innovations for new levels of resilience, agility, and scalability will maintain their competitive edge and sustainability. Partnering with experienced service providers with strong digital capabilities will be able to accelerate your digital path to business and IT resilience.
i The COVID-19 recovery will be digital: A plan for the first 90 days, McKinsey
ii IDC FutureScape: Worldwide IT Industry 2021 Predictions, IDC
iii IDC FutureScape: Worldwide IT Industry 2021 Predictions, IDC
iv IDC FutureScape Worldwide Cloud 2021 Predictions, IDC
v IDC FutureScape 2021: The Future Enterprises: Building Resiliency to Thrive in The Next Normal, 2021
vi IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Digital Transformation (DX) 2021 Predictions, IDC
vii IDC FutureScape: Worldwide CIO Agenda 2021 Predictions, IDC
