Digital Transformation Trends for 2022
Business leaders continue to navigate the digital transformation journey for their organisations as they work to align technology with business objectives and goals. In this article, we explore some of the top digital transformation trends for 2022.
A buzzword that has been widely used among business leaders over recent years, digital transformation is expected to still play a major role for enterprises in 2022. After all, technology is constantly evolving meaning that digital transformation is something that organisations often approach as a journey, working to keep the technology aligned with business objectives, market and customer expectations.
Digital transformation is about expanding the possibilities of what technology can achieve for both the business and its people. Using digital technology to enable businesses is known to deliver a range of benefits. While these differ depending on the organisation type and objectives, overall digital transformation works to boost productivity and efficiency as well as reduce operating costs across the board. Below we explore some of the top digital transformation trends that are expected as we move into 2022.
Agility as a Priority
Between economic uncertainty in light of the ongoing pandemic and the rise of cyber-attacks, many business leaders have come to learn that business agility is key to survival. It is no longer a matter of wondering how likely your business is to be impacted by these situations, it is about being prepared if they do. Ensuring you have the correct infrastructure in place, trusted technology partners on board and multiple routes in place to ensure business continuity is a key focus for businesses in 2022.
Increased Usage of Low-Code
2022 should see a steady increase in the adoption of low-code/no-code software solutions. Low-code platforms have been rising in popularity due to their ability to allow citizen developers to create business applications through an easy-to-use interface. It can also be an asset to professional developers in terms of allowing them to create more complex solutions more easily. Low-code platforms allow IT departments to prioritise innovation and focus more on strategic business initiatives while spending less time on day-to-day manual and repetitive tasks.
Accelerating Cloud Adoption for Sustainability
The time for business leaders to debate the role of the cloud within their organisation has passed, the conversation has now shifted to focus on leveraging cloud adoption to boost business growth and productivity. Over the past 18 months, there has been an increase in cloud services consumption. As we move into 2022 this focus on cloud and in particular the role of the cloud in building a more sustainable digital fabric is set to remain.
Using Data to Accelerate Customer Experience
The rise of remote working in recent years has increased the focus on data-driven customer experience. Due to the pandemic, remote workers began to rely more on technology to connect to colleagues while businesses began looking for new ways of connecting with their customers. Customers sought to have the same personalised experiences they had in person in an online channel. To tackle this, businesses have had to adopt omnichannel and high personalised customer interactions, relying on data-driven insights to create positive customer experiences across all touchpoints. This is a trend that is expected to remain as we move into 2022.
Hybrid Working Continues to Dominate
Recent research by Accenture noted that 83% of employees prefer a hybrid approach, thanks to the flexibility of being able to work both on and off-site. The report further highlighted that 63% of high-growth companies have adopted a ‘productivity anywhere’ working model where the business must ensure that employees are equipped with the correct resources to be successful and productive. Over the past two years, employees have become accustomed to such flexibility within their work. So it is no surprise that this hybrid model is expected to form a big part of the working landscape in 2022 and beyond.
The Talent Retention War
The challenge of hiring and retaining good technical talent is something that has been impacting businesses greatly in recent years. With the pace of digital transformation accelerating over the past few years, the demand for technical talent is on the rise. While organisations try to accelerate their digital-first approach, they are not only up against competitors to obtain new business but also for attracting technical talent. Due to this, companies are now placing a lot of emphasis on employee retention alongside hiring in 2022.
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