Accelerating modernization to meet customer demands

Consumer and business services executives cite technology and digital acceleration as their most important macro trend this year as they strive to improve the customer experience by accelerating IT modernization. Changing social demographics, including a challenging IT talent shortage, comes in second, with executives focused on finding new ways of attracting the right IT talent to transform their businesses. With increasing pressure to become more sustainable, executives cite climate change as their third most important macro trend.

Improving the customer experience is the top business and IT priority. To achieve this, executives are focused on becoming digital organizations and investing in IT modernization. Optimizing operations also is important to executives. Cybersecurity becomes increasingly impactful to their businesses as they become more digital. 

View key findings from our conversations with consumer and business services executives in 2022 below, or download the report.

For more insights on macro trends, including social demographics, climate change, deglobalization, technology acceleration and supply chain reconfiguration, read our summary.

Top trends and priorities

Top macro trends
  1. Technology and digital acceleration, notably rising customer digital expectations
  2. Changing social demographics, including aging populations and talent shortages
  3. Climate change, including the energy transition and the acceleration toward de-carbonization
Top industry trends
  1. Becoming digital organizations
  2. Optimizing operations
  3. Protecting through cybersecurity
Top business priorities
  1. Improve the customer experience
  2. Optimize today’s operations
  3. Continue to develop apps, services, and third-party partnerships
Top IT priorities
  1. Improve the customer experience
  2. Drive IT modernization
  3. Embrace new IT delivery models

 

Results from digital strategies progress; legacy systems continue to pose a challenge

29%
say they are producing results from their digital strategies (vs. 15% in 2021)
56%
say their legacy systems pose a significant challenge in implementing digital strategies
43%
of digital leaders say their business models are highly agile to address their digitization needs (vs. 15% of digital entrants)

What digital leaders do to accelerate results

Among the 29% of consumer and business services executives who report achieving expected results from their digital strategies, some common attributes emerge. The table below compares responses to questions from these digital leaders to those from executives whose organizations are still building or launching digital strategies (digital entrants).

Learn more about the attributes of digital leaders.

Common attributes of digital leaders

Digital leaders

Digital entrants
At the stage where enhanced automation is "done" or "in progress" 82% 43%
Producing results from their cybersecurity strategy 65% 24%
Implementing or fully operational with IT priorities to improve the customer experience 76% 28%
Implementing or fully operational with IT priorities to drive IT modernization 58% 17%
Implementing or fully operational with IT priorities to embrace new IT delivery models 75% 37%

Download our 2022 Consumer & Business Services report

 

View past reports