Six trends driving digital enterprise transformation for 2022 and beyond

In the previous part of the article series, we listed the challenges impeding digital transformation for enterprises. The statistics speak for themselves: 

While the whole innovation venture is costly and resource-demanding, there are still risk-worthy benefits. What exactly are the drivers behind the change?

This article is written in collaboration with our Chief Services Officer (and an expert on all things digital innovation) C.J. Montano.

1. Cloud adoption will accelerate

The pandemic will accelerate the ongoing cloud trend in the coming years. There are a few reasons to stay on-premise. The remote workforce, disrupted supply chains, and data need to be distributed naturally between various ERP systems. 

2. Cybersecurity will be critical (again)

Now that the list of access points to sensitive data grows along with the number of home-based workstations, cybersecurity threats are getting even more real. While away from the lulling sense of security in the office, employees are more prone to face cybersecurity breaches and less ready to manage them. 

3. Program management will overpower project management

2020 taught us that the future is unpredictable and that the survival of the fittest on the market will be defined through flexibility. There simply aren’t the resources to continue supporting ineffective and rigid legacy solutions. To terminate inflexible software and switch to a more technologically advanced operating model, the skill to manage such transformation will be in high demand.

4. System integration skills will be in demand

The demand for ERP and customer relationship management (CRM) system implementation has skyrocketed since industry players realized there is no way to avoid it if they want to stay competitive. With the demand comes many challenges, such as a shortage of consultants qualified to navigate a system integration. The difficulties mentioned above of matching with a suitable IT services provider opens up the possibility for a knowledge drain.

5. Organizations will want to be a part of their solution

Decisiveness is crucial in a rapidly changing environment like the post-pandemic economic fallout. This is why organizations that take charge of their digital transformation instead of mindlessly outsourcing it have more power over its course.

Many organizations come to us after failing to find success with an outsourcing company, often worse than when they began their initiative. By setting concrete goals and asking outcome-based questions at the outset, you’ll be in a better position to succeed with a transformation effort.

It has happened to our clients more than once. In particular, the largest global provider of integrated risk management software ramped up its platform with a custom-built tool for real-time data analysis and predictive analytics. This allowed the provider to arm its customers with less time-consuming means to identify hazards and guarantee visibility.

6. Remote work productivity will stay a priority 

While digital connectivity already allowed us to stay productive in the comfort of our homes long before the pandemic hit, lockdowns just accelerated the trend of going remote. Companies and technology providers will continue to develop new ways to boost productivity with various software and hardware while the workforce recalibrates its work-life balance and productivity levels.

Final thoughts

The pace of digital transformation of enterprises is only accelerating, and trends like AI, the shift to cloud solutions, and DevOps adoption are fast-tracking these changes. As a result, many enterprises rush into digitalization without clearly understanding their objectives, timelines, or organizational structure. Luckily, digital transformation trends like product ownership, cloud adoption, cybersecurity improvement, program management, and remote work will support organizations in becoming digital-first while maintaining relevance and steady revenue growth.