Forget digital culture companies need value realisation

While companies are building better digital habits and systems, a shift is needed from digital culture to value realisation, according to a new report from Cloudy Nutanix.

The recently commissioned IDC CXO Survey of leaders across EMEA, the IDC InfoBrief, showed that 84 percent of IT leads in EMEA are under pressure to deliver on digital transformation (DX) strategies, and 90 percent of organisations in EMEA want a digital-first approach.

Nutanix EMEA SVP Sammy Zoghlami said: “With the pandemic accelerating the rate at which companies have invested in and deployed digital solutions, IDC predicts that in 2022 more than half of the global economy will be based on or influenced by digital solutions.”

“Digital-first not only requires a system rethink, but it also requires a corporate mindset where all C-suite executives see their digital technologies as the catalyst for business growth. The survey clearly states that organisations must consider potential challenges and costs when running multiple cloud instances, highlighting the ongoing need for better multi-cloud management and streamlined deployment to avoid cloud sprawl.”

The survey shows that translating digital investments into new revenue streams is a top priority for EMEA organisations, as is data and innovation. Yet respondents believe the onus can no longer rest solely on the shoulders of the IT department and need to be embraced by the C-suite as globally we come to terms with what a digital culture, digital infrastructure and digital-first means to an organisation.

The survey revealed that more than 64 per cent of EMEA organisations say they have a digital strategy in place. Still, only three per cent say they have an enterprise-wide digital strategy that has led to new revenue streams. There is, however, a disconnect between business, of which 32 per cent state they are in a proof-of-concept pilot stage for their digital projects and IT, of whom only five per cent say their companies are developing digital strategies to support new revenue streams.

Respondents are clear that for a digital strategy to have an impact, it is essential to bid farewell to hierarchical structures and move to more fluid and orchestrated approaches between IT and leadership teams. Out of the respondents questioned, at least 47 percent say that the sign-off belongs to a CXO different from a tech lead for their DX initiatives.

When asked what measures DX leaders are considering to transform the organisation’s culture effectively, the following three were ranked the highest: promoting change in management awareness, redefining the missions and evaluations of existing businesses and new businesses, and promoting behavioural change in individuals by renewing the company’s purpose and action guidelines.