Nutanix has revealed the findings of the recently commissioned IDC CXO Survey, which shows that while businesses are improving their digital practises and systems, a change from digital culture to value realisation is required.
The IDC InfoBrief, sponsored by Nutanix, From Digital Culture to Value Realisation, which surveyed leaders across EMEA, found that 84 percent of IT leaders in EMEA are under pressure to deliver on digital transformation (DX) strategies, and 90 percent of organisations in EMEA recognise that having a digital-first approach is now a must-have.
“With the pandemic accelerating the rate at which companies have invested in and deployed digital solutions, IDC predicts that in 2022 more than half of the global economy will be based on or influenced by digital solutions,” said Sammy Zoghlami, SVP EMEA at Nutanix. “Digital-first not only requires a system rethink, but it also requires a corporate mindset where all C-suite executives see their digital technologies as the catalyst for business growth. The survey clearly states that organisations must consider potential challenges and costs when running multiple cloud instances, highlighting the ongoing need for better multi-cloud management and streamlined deployment to avoid cloud sprawl.”
According to the survey, translating digital investments into new income streams, as well as data and innovation, is a top goal for EMEA organisations. However, respondents feel that the onus cannot be placed simply on the IT department and must be accepted by the C-suite as the world comes to grips with what a digital culture, digital infrastructure, and digital-first means to an organisation.
The survey’s key findings revealed:
Turning investments into revenue – Over 64% of EMEA organisations say they have a digital strategy in place. Still, only 3% say they have an enterprise-wide digital strategy that has led to new revenue streams. There is, however, a disconnect between business, of which 32% state they are in a proof-of-concept pilot stage for their digital projects and IT, of whom only 5% say their companies are developing digital strategies to support new revenue streams.
From IT to C-suite – Respondents are clear that for a digital strategy to have an impact, it is essential to bid farewell to hierarchical structures and move to more fluid and orchestrated approaches between IT and leadership teams. Out of the respondents questioned, at least 47% say that the sign-off belongs to a CXO different from a tech lead for their DX initiatives.
Shaping digital culture – When asked what measures DX leaders are considering to transform the organisation’s culture effectively, the following three were ranked the highest: promoting change in management awareness, redefining the missions and evaluations of existing businesses and new businesses, and promoting behavioural change in individuals by renewing the company’s purpose and action guidelines.
Key pillars for shaping digital culture – According to the survey, three key pillars stand out in how C-suites must cooperate to create the digital culture, using the cloud as the enabler for all three digital culture streams. These are value economics, data-driven innovation and the future workplace. The numbers to support this show that 50% of EMEA organisations think that additional investments in managed infrastructure will help deliver better digital value, and 30% say they are co-creating new products with customers and partners. In terms of the workplace, 35% of organisations think that ensuring equal access to information and digital tools to all staff regardless of location will challenge the future workplace.
Managing cloud sprawl is still a significant barrier for firms just starting out on their digital journey. As a result, finance departments are moving up to implement methods to reduce spending and monitor cloud usage. To that aim, 77% have changed buying procedures to accommodate pay-as-you-go and consumption models, 58 percent have rationalised business and developer expenditure on external cloud resources, and more than 55 percent have actively lowered expenses on old on-premises systems.
“Customers no longer just want infrastructure solutions that help them reduce costs today. They want solutions that offer them the flexibility to traverse multiple hybrid cloud environments while cutting operating costs in the long term. As much as embracing digital-first systems requires a culture shift, it still requires a technology makeover so that a business can innovate, partner and explore new revenue streams,” commented Andrea Siviero, Associate Research Director, IDC. “Looking ahead, those that invest in people, innovate on data and automate processes, will have built the business resilience needed by the modern enterprise.”
