People-led strategies

While common barriers remain, application strategies have been accelerated, with a focus on enhancing people experience.

The pandemic has accelerated application strategies

The overwhelming majority decision-makers agree that the experience during COVID-19 has accelerated their organization’s enterprise application strategy. A similar proportion say it has forced meaningful discussion at board and leadership level about modernization.

Decision makers drivers to plans to undertake change – develop internet projects, develop with existing suppier or develop with a new vendor

Cloud set to replace on-premise

More than three quarters of global decision makers believe traditional on-premise IT systems and enterprise applications are not capable of reacting to rapid change, with 86% saying the cloud offers more flexibility. More than two-thirds expect to be fully cloud-based in the next two years.

But only 18% will be working with a new vendor

Yet, two thirds say the pandemic has made them reluctant to make decisions about IT investments, and almost half will develop their own enterprise applications environment internally or work with their existing vendor.

Top three drivers: innovation, security and productivity

The top three drivers among two fifths of decision-makers include the ability to innovate faster, improve privacy and security, and boost productivity. What’s notable is that decision-makers using a new vendor to make changes scored considerably higher in almost every single driver.

Common barriers and requirements hold many back

Top four biggest barriers preventing organizations from developing or investing in an enterprise application strategy.

34% have silos of information split out across the business

31% of users are reluctant/
resistant to change

31% mistrust cloud-based applications

31% of IT teams are resistant to change

Key requirements:

Budget, skills and buy-in

The top three key requirements to help achieve their enterprise application strategy on money are more budget, investment in cloud skills and the need to convince their workforce of the value of change. Others include investment in AI skills and getting buy-in from the board and leadership.

More support from vendors

Many decision-makers also say they need more support from vendors around education, upskilling, cloud migration roadmap, developing a business case for investment, and establishing a partnership with a vendor “who understands their business.”

Key requirements that will help achieve the enterprise application strategy

Enhance the people experience

Looking past the barriers and requirements decision-makers are clear about what new tools must deliver. It’s no surprise that a simple and intuitive user experience tops this list.

But what you might not have noticed is that all of the top five requirements here are reiterations of the importance of user experience. Automation makes two appearances – both times in reference to outcomes that make work simpler and faster for users. Communications with other preferred tools and enhanced mobile functionality are likewise features of an advanced user experience.

Considerations for the enterprise application strategy moving forwards