Innovation and culture shift are needed to reach a 'new digital normal'

Over the last two years the pandemic has accelerated a trend towards businesses looking for better digital habits and systems.

But a new survey of business leaders across the EMEA region, commissioned by Nutanix from IDC, suggests that a shift in culture as well as technical innovation is required in order to realize value from investments and create a new digital normal.

"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," says Sammy Zoghlami, SVP EMEA at Nutanix. "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 organizations 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 study shows that 84 percent of IT leads in EMEA are under pressure to deliver on digital transformation (DX) strategies, and 90 percent of organizations recognize that having a digital-first approach is now a must-have.

Over 64 percent say they have a digital strategy in place. However, only three percent say they have an enterprise-wide digital strategy that has led to new revenue streams. There is though a disconnect between business leaders -- 32 percent state of whom say they are in a proof-of-concept pilot stage for their digital projects -- and IT, where only five percent say their companies are developing digital strategies to support new revenue streams.

According to the survey, C-suites must cooperate to create a digital culture, using the cloud as the enabler for three digital culture streams -- promoting change in management awareness, redefining the missions and evaluations of existing businesses and new businesses, and promoting behavioral change in individuals.

In order to achieve this they need to focus on value economics, data-driven innovation and the future workplace. The study shows that 50 percent of EMEA organizations think that additional investments in managed infrastructure will help deliver better digital value, and 30 percent say they are co-creating new products with customers and partners. In terms of the workplace, 35 percent of organizations think that ensuring equal access to information and digital tools to all staff regardless of location will challenge the future workplace.

You can get the full report on the Nutanix site.

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