Survey: COVID-19 continues to impact digital transformation plans

Image: Shutterstock/robert-kneschke

For galore years paper—albeit, eliminating paper—was a apical integer translation priority. However, successful the aftermath of the past year's planetary COVID-19 pandemic, enterprises began to reallocate fund dollars and resources distant from digitizing insubstantial and toward connection and collaboration tools needed for employees moving remotely. 

One twelvemonth later, COVID-19 is inactive here, and it's continuing to interaction businesses' integer translation initiatives. TechRepublic Premium wanted to find retired precisely however the pandemic has led businesses to modify oregon displacement their integer translation objectives. It polled 110 SMB decision-makers and compared the results to a akin survey conducted past year.

SEE: Research: Digital translation initiatives absorption connected collaboration (TechRepublic Premium)

Last year, 60% of respondents said that COVID-19 forced them to change their integer translation plans. That fig accrued to 62% this year. 

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Digital translation priorities besides changed twelvemonth implicit year. In 2020, the bulk of survey respondents (68%) focused connected implementing distant integer tech that could facilitate collaboration, integer and online grooming (56%) and IT and concern process automation (39%). 

In 2021, however, lone 32% of respondents were prioritizing collaboration exertion for distant workers. Further, focusing connected integer and online grooming decreased to 26% and IT concern process automation lone ranked precocious for 23% of respondents. Social media initiatives topped integer translation projects for 23% of respondents past year, but that fig decreased to 8% this year.

By far, integer capabilities centered astir collaboration tools brought the top payment for 42% respondents successful 2021. Cloud-based computing for systems specified arsenic HR, CRM, ERP and bureau systems benefited 17% of respondents, and 8% of respondents cited information analytics arsenic the integer tech delivering the astir benefit.

SEE: Research: Digital translation initiatives absorption connected collaboration (TechRepublic Premium)

Not each integer technologies delivered a win. According to respondents, integer technologies specified arsenic societal media (23%) and IoT devices (14%) failed to deliver. 

Overall, much than a 4th of  respondents had nary complaints astir their integer technologies.

Budgets proceed to bespeak the request for accrued digitalization projects. Thirty-eight percent of survey respondents reported they volition walk much connected integer translation successful 2022 than they did successful 2021, and 31% said that the level of integer spending would stay the aforesaid arsenic successful 2021. Only 7% said they volition walk little than successful 2021.

This infographic contains much details from the research. For each the findings, download the afloat study Research: Digital translation initiatives absorption connected collaboration (available escaped to TechRepublic Premium subscribers).