IT Investments Matter, but Cloud, Analytics Face Resistance

IT investments

But customers in North America are more likely to be “followers” than “pioneers.” About a third of the respondents identified themselves as technology pioneers.

A full 64% of the “pioneers” say they are ahead of their competitors. Among the “pioneers,” 20% are growing at 30% or more.

Nearly two-thirds (65%) cite changing customer behaviors and expectations as the primary driver and ranked costs second, at 45%.

Only 3% view IT as a drain on resources. More than half (57%) of the respondents view IT as an investment to spur innovation.

29% of the “followers” also report significant change, as well. 54% of the “pioneers” said technology significantly changed their business model.

Higher customer satisfaction leads to recurring sales. Nearly three-fourths (72%) said technology investments have made organizations more responsive to customers.

Human resources came in last place. IT operations led at 56%, followed closely by marketing and customer service.

Machine-to-machine came in last place. Mobile computing has been adopted extensively by 61%.

IT operations surprisingly came in third. Marketing and sales, followed by customer service, are the top two use cases.

Analytics adoption needs additional attention. Cultural resistance to change was cited most, followed by either not appropriate or too risky.

Cost was the least significant issue. Cultural resistance to change led the list, followed by too much risk.

It’s always a challenge to integrate with existing IT investments: 34% cited legacy technologies as the biggest issue.

But 25% also admit to having trouble prioritizing IT investments. 42% of senior executives are heavily involved in IT decisions.