TRENDING
INCREASED ADOPTION OF BIMODAL IT PRACTICES IS OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE FOR BOOSTING DIGITAL PERFORMANCE . EMEA CIOS HAVE MADE PROGRESS IN THIS REGARD . IN 2015 , 39 % OF THOSE SURVEYED HAD BIMODAL IT , AND THIS FIGURE HAS RISEN TO 41 % THIS YEAR
become part of a digital ecosystem ,” said Rowsell-Jones . “ Many will need to move away from a linear , value-chainbased business model , in which they trade with well-known partners and add value in stages , to become part of a faster and more dynamic networked digital ecosystem .”
As digital business takes centre stage for EMEA CIOs , it ’ s not only their participation in a digital ecosystem that is growing . “ They are also increasing the number of digital partners they work with , from an average of 63 today to an expected 127 in 2018 ,” said Rowsell-Jones .
Ecosystems support business models that enable organisations to achieve performance superior to that of businesses that operate independently . “ EMEA CIOs have clearly understood that by increasing the number of partners in your ecosystem , you extend your company ’ s reach and deliver greater business value ,” he added .
Twenty-eight percent of EMEA CIO respondents identify digitalisation as their No . 1 business priority for 2017 . This percentage is higher than those of their counterparts in other regions ; it compares with 11 percent for North American respondents , 21 % for those in Latin America and 22 % for those in Asia / Pacific .
“ EMEA CIOs ’ interest in digitalisation focuses on initiatives such as ‘ Industry 4.0 ’, the European eGovernment Action Plan , the relative sophistication of financial technology in EMEA , and the extensive digitalisation of solutions and services in industries such as transportation , logistics and retail ,” said Rowsell-Jones .
From a technology perspective , business intelligence ( BI ) and analytics remain the top investment priorities of EMEA CIOs . This is in line with their main business priority for 2017 . “ Analytics are crucial to customer , citizen and user engagement . They also underpin the mediation and value exchange that occurs in a digital ecosystem ,” added Rowsell-Jones .
Adoption of bimodal IT is increasing Increased adoption of bimodal IT practices is of paramount importance for boosting digital performance . EMEA CIOs have made progress in this regard . In 2015 , 39 % of those surveyed had bimodal IT , and this figure has risen to 41 % this year . Bimodal IT offers great benefits : for 64 % of the respondents , it ’ s bringing business and IT groups closer together , and for 52 % it ’ s improving the perception of IT .
Talent shortage remains biggest problem for EMEA CIOs For CIOs whose organisations participate in a broad digital ecosystem , the most common challenge is to find the right talent . “ Twenty-six percent of the EMEA CIO respondents — a rise of nine percentage points from 2015 — consider finding the right skills and resources is the biggest barrier to successful execution of their job ,” said Rowsell-Jones .
The largest talent gaps remain in the areas of information / analytics and digital business . “ Some organisations have shifted the focus of their business to software engineering , and one challenge facing them in particular is that planning horizons for finding , acquiring and retaining talent tend to be too short . With 59 % of talent planning being for less than one year , companies that are feeling the effects of the talent shortage probably failed to plan far enough ahead ,” continued Rowsell-Jones .
CIOs should create a leadership action plan that ’ s ready for a digital ecosystem . “ It ’ s most important to form get a clear understanding of your current leadership situation , to devise a realistic plan for improving it , and to select a few areas of focus in which to progress ,” concluded Rowsell-Jones .
* A digital ecosystem is an interdependent group of actors ( people , things and organisations ) that share standardised digital platforms in order to interact with one another in pursuit of a commercial or social objective .
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