Many organisations are lagging behind when it comes to digital transformation. In fact, it could even be said that a good proportion are in 'digital denial'.

This was a key finding of a recent report by global software firm Progress, which surveyed more than 700 corporate decision-makers from around the world, 15 per cent of whom were based in Australia. Respondents included heads of digital, IT and marketing, digital and IT, developers, IT architects, directors, engineers and business line managers.

Mark Troester, vice-president of Digital Solutions at Progress, said that digital technologies are radically transforming business to accommodate the customer experience, but many companies continue to resist change.

"There needs to be a rapid awakening and acceptance that organisations must digitally transform to survive – and do it now," said Mr Troester.

"This survey brings to light the reality of today's digital transformation challenges, helping to educate and equip businesses with the information they need to succeed. Broad 'digital' concern has been palpable, but now we have data to prove it."

In the Progress survey, 86 per cent of the respondents indicated their company might need two years to make sufficient progress on digital transformation before they begin to experience adverse competitive or financial disruption.

Many firms in limbo

While there was widespread acceptance that the required transformation would involve more than just technology alone, there were mixed opinions on whether initiatives to drive it should come from the top.

Only 49 per cent of respondents said an organisation's CEO should take the lead in advocating for digital transformation. Most (72 per cent) said it was the IT department who should be making the decisions and handling the budget for such initiatives.

The report highlighted the problem of blurred lines between the job scopes of various C-level roles (eg. CDO, CIO and CMO), especially when it comes to who is responsible for new projects. This situation is exacerbated by apparent inconsistencies in what potential decision-makers think they should do and what they actually do – 96 per cent of survey respondents said they considered digital transformation as critical or important, but then half (48 per cent) of them said it was not a top priority.   

Digital maturity is key

Commenting on his company's recent surveys, Svetovar Georgiev, senior vice-president of Application Platforms at Progress, noted how evolving digital technologies and processes are transforming marketing practices and customer experiences.   

"Whether this transformation is effective depends a great deal on digital maturity," said Mr Georgiev.

"Based on our findings, it's clear that organisations need to optimise, integrate and automate systems, and they need a true analytics platform to take advantage of big data to drive conversions. Implementing these changes will also enable them to truly support digital business transformation initiatives."

Let ANATAS guide you

Digital technologies are transforming every aspect of business as we have known it. However, many companies that have resisted change are now finding that their lack of action is only postponing the inevitable. To continue on in the same manner is to risk not surviving, and they must therefore act, and act fast.

Such a challenge is not easy to overcome, but organisations are finding success through seeking expert advice.

ANATAS is a leading provider of service integration, services and products that provide complete end-to-end solutions to help maximise business success. Our IT consultants are also highly experienced in digital transformation initiatives. If your organisation is looking to transform, please get in touch with us today.