Digital Business Transformation Will Gain Critical Mass In 2015
In 2014 digital business hit the boardroom and the C-suite offices: At the beginning of 2014, 93% of executives told us that they believed that their industries would experience digital disruption in 2014. But our surveys and interviews also tell us that many executives don’t believe that their firm has the ability to execute on that plan, and many don’t have confidence in the plan itself.
As leaders race ahead with their digital business transformations in 2015, eBusiness professionals have to help pivot their firms from planning mode to doing mode or risk falling behind their more digitally savvy competitors.
In the report, "Predictions 2015: Digital Business Transformation Will Gain Critical Mass", I outline the key digital business trends that will impact eBusiness and channel strategy professionals in 2015, including:
- Organizational confusion and politics will hold back action. Thirty-nine percent of CEOs believe that they personally set digital strategy for their firms, but not everyone sees such clear leadership: Only 26% of other executives believe their CEO actually owns digital strategy. Many look to other executives, such as the CMO, CIO, or SVP of digital for digital leadership. As the media continues to bombard senior executives in all roles with the message that they must own digital transformation, an increasing scramble to be in charge will hinder the development of an actionable and cross-functional plan. And that’s not even touching the much-debated Chief Digital Officer topic (for the umpteenth time, please don’t hire one!).
- CIOs will play a larger role in driving the customer experience. Historically, eBusiness leaders have driven many of the most important customer-facing applications and digital experiences. However, traditional technology organizations, led by CIOs, are on the cusp of a significant pivot, shifting focus from maintaining operational systems to implementing the digital capabilities that win, serve, and retain customers. The autonomy that eBusiness leaders have enjoyed when sourcing technology will diminish as CIOs and their teams step up to help drive the customer experience.
Leadership issues are just the tip of the iceberg for what we’re expecting in 2015. We’re also predicting that innovation ecosystems will take off and that digital business talent will be harder and harder to find, forcing eBusiness professionals to adjust their recruiting practices. Check out the full report for more detail and visit our Predictions 2015 page for more information on other predictions reports.
