TechVision 2016 points to a change in the way companies apply innovations
Leading companies that develop a people-first approach will be the big winners in today's digital economy, according to Accenture's latest Global Technology Trends Report (NYSE: ACN). As technological advances accelerate at an unprecedented rate – dramatically revolutionizing the workforce – companies that enable employees, partners and consumers to gain new skills can fully capitalize on innovations. Those that do will have unrivaled abilities to create new ideas, develop cutting-edge products and services, revolutionizing the status quo.
"At the Accenture TechnologyVision 2016, we've identified five technology trends that are critical to digital success," says Paul Daugherty, CTO at Accenture. "Digital means people too, and one of the pillars of Tech Vision 2016 is 'people first'. Companies that go digital can empower their workforce to learn new skills on an ongoing basis, which will allow them to do more with technology and drive bigger and better business results."
In this survey, which involved more than 3,100 companies and IT executives worldwide, Accenture found that 33% of the global economy is already being impacted by digital. In addition, 86% of respondents predict that the pace of technological change will increase very rapidly, unprecedentedly, over the next three years.
The Accenture report highlights how companies can often feel overwhelmed by the pace of technological change, experiencing a "digital culture shock" as they keep up with the competition. However, companies can take a people-first approach, which will allow them to create new business models that drive the digital revolution.
One example is GE, which established a new approach called FastWorks, bringing employees much closer to customers. This resulted in a rapid development of innovative solutions that sold well as they met and exceeded customer expectations. Another case is that of Virgin America, the only airline based in Silicon Valley and with the highest rating, which went so far as to collaborate with its frequent flyers, repaying their loyalty with stock options, before the company went public. .
In the report, Accenture identifies five technology trends driven by the "people first" principle that are critical to business success in the digital economy. Trends include:
1. smart automation. Leaders are embracing automation – powered by artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and augmented reality – to fundamentally change the way their business operates and fuel a new, more productive relationship between people and machines. Significant investments are well underway, with 70% of respondents acknowledging that there are more AI-related technology investments compared to two years ago, and 55% revealing that they plan to extensively use machine and AI solutions such as the IPsoft Amelia digital platform. .
2. net workforce. By exploiting technology to enable workforce transformation, leading companies will create highly adaptable, change-ready environments that are capable of meeting today's dynamic digital demands. The competitive advantage offered by a "net workforce" becomes apparent when respondents indicate that the "availability of a deep knowledge of specialized tasks" was the fifth most important characteristic considered necessary for employees to perform well in a work environment. digital. Other qualities such as "the ability to learn quickly" or "the ability to change paces" ranked higher.
3. platform economy. Industry leaders are discovering the power of technology by developing platform-based business models to capture new growth opportunities, driving the most profound change in the global macroeconomic environment since the Industrial Revolution. This is reinforced by 81% respondents who agree that platform-based business models will become part of their organization's core growth strategy within three years.
4. predictable revolution. Rapidly emerging digital ecosystems are laying the groundwork for the next wave of revolution spanning markets and erasing industry boundaries; Forward-thinking leaders can proactively predict these ecosystem trajectories to gain a competitive edge. Companies are already significantly or moderately experiencing an ecosystem revolution, with 81% of respondents indicating they are seeing this in their industry.
5. Digital Trust. Eighty-three percent of respondents said trust is one of the pillars of the digital economy. To earn the trust of people, ecosystems and regulators in this new landscape, companies must focus on digital ethics as a core strategy. Greater security alone will not be enough.
For 16 years, Accenture has been publishing systematic annual publications on the business landscape to identify new technology trends that have the greatest potential to revolutionize corporations and industries. For more information about this year's report, visit www.accenture.com/technologyvision or follow conversation on Twitter with # TechVision2016.
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