Cloud software player Unit4 said that professional services specialists across Europe are experiencing lower growth due to a skills gap and dealing with legacy systems.
The Professional report services in Europe: a benchmark for 2022, commissioned by Unit4 and undertaken by PAC, examined a range of professional service markets, including those delivering IT support, and found optimism thanks to increased customer demand.
The report said that things could be even better if talent was easier to find and if dealing with legacy IT systems, often a consequence of consolidation, was not holding back more innovation.
That skills problem will only worsen, with the research revealing that 81 percent of professional services firms plan to increase their head counts to support growth.
The survey findings indicate that those delivering IT services have reasons to be upbeat. It reminds the channel that those trying to provide consultancy in fields ranging from architecture, engineering, and management consulting to financial services could be targets for sales.
PAC research director Nick Mayes said: “It could be tempting, as optimism returns to the professional services sector, that business leaders choose to avoid addressing the key issues raised in this study. It is more important than ever to have the right strategies in place to sustain growth and operate with the flexibility to adjust to what are still quite volatile market conditions.”
Professional service firms in the UK were among the most bullish about their prospects, and many expect to see revenues increase in the coming year.
Customers continue to drive digital transformation projects, but with those supporting them hampered by skill gaps and legacy systems, the idea that future growth is a given is far from certain.
