IT execs say pandemic has accelerated business transformation priorities

A survey of more than 400 IT decision makers in North America found that organizations are making progress on their IT goals despite an increasingly challenging business environment marked by IT supply chain disruptions and talent shortages that are expected to last into 2022.

The Insight Intelligent Technology report from IT consulting firm Insight Enterprises also found that business leaders are using technology to adapt to a changing marketplace: Two-thirds of executives surveyed said their organizations have succeeded in adapting to marketplace changes caused by the Covid-19 pandemic by incorporating new technologies and IT processes. Upgrading their cloud environment and focusing on intelligent use of data—via artificial intelligence and machine learning as well as business analytics, for example—are some of the prime routes to growth, according to the survey.

“The question now becomes how companies can sustain and build on their progress. This comes down to being ambitious in their pursuit of new business transformation strategies while investing in the underlying IT infrastructure that powers everything—from collaboration tools enabling remote work to automation and edge computing,” Stan Lequin, senior vice president and general manager of solutions at Insight, said in a press statement Monday. “But IT executives are grappling with real challenges. Talent shortages and global supply chain issues impede progress as IT is being tasked with more responsibility than ever before to power the business, and our new report also identifies several internal roadblocks, too.”

More than 60% of respondents cited internal challenges such as security/data privacy deficiencies, competing priorities, upfront costs, and cloud complexity as top challenges within their companies.

Other study findings include: 91% of respondents said their organizations have been affected to at least some extent by IT supply chain disruption; 95% say they are relying on outside help to shape their digital and business transformation strategies; and most agree that their department’s responsibilities have increased since the start of the pandemic. Since February 2020, IT has taken on new responsibilities in several areas, including cybersecurity (78%), cloud architecture (72%) and IT procurement (68%), according to the report.