Gartner to CIOs: ‘Get ready for the digital ecosystem surge’
‘While many are actively participating now in digital ecosystems, CIOs need to take a more assertive and ambitious outlook to avoid falling behind in 2018’
CIOs in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) place a higher priority on customer focus and digitalisation than their global peers, with more investing in digital initiatives and fewer in core systems such as ERP, according to Gartner.
The analyst firm says its annual CIO survey shows ANZ CIOs are intensifying their efforts to strengthen digital leadership, organisation and technology capabilities this year.
The 2017 Gartner CIO Agenda Survey gathered data from 2,598 CIO respondents in 93 countries and all major industries, representing approximately US$9.4 trillion in revenue/public-sector budgets and US$292 billion in IT spending.
Of these, 173 respondents were from ANZ, with 150 from Australia and 23 from New Zealand, according to Gartner.
The survey data shows that 49 per cent of ANZ CIOs are participating in digital ecosystems as platforms to exchange information and interact electronically with competitors, customers, regulators, stakeholders and other enterprises.
Gartner defines a digital ecosystem as an interdependent group of actors (enterprises, people, things) sharing standardised digital platforms to achieve a mutually benecial purpose.
The report author, Jenny Beresford, research director at Gartner, points out: “Digitalisation in most enterprises is maturing, and as it does it becomes much more likely that these enterprises will become part of a digital ecosystem where competitors, customers, regulators, other stakeholders and other enterprises exchange information and interact electronically in converged physical and virtual scenarios.”
“The implications of digital ecosystems for ANZ CIOs are profound,” she adds.
“Many will need to shift their enterprise from a linear value chain business, trading with well-known partners and adding value in steps, to being part of a faster and more dynamic networked digital ecosystem.
“While many are actively participating now, ANZ CIOs need to take a more assertive and ambitious outlook to avoid falling behind in 2018.”
The 2017 Gartner CIO Survey shows clearly as enterprises — globally and in the ANZ region — embark on the digital journey, the role of the digital ecosystem and the role the enterprise takes in a given ecosystem become increasingly important.
Based on analysis of responses to the 2017 survey, plus case study interviews with leading enterprises, it is clear that top-performing organisations participate more in digital ecosystems, the report states.
These top performing organisations also differ from typical and trailing performers in three areas: their technology infrastructure prioritises interoperability, their IT organisations have a more external mindset, and their business leadership is more focused on mastering interdependence.
Overall, the 2017 CIO Survey responses on the involvement and role in digital ecosystems point to ANZ CIOs being well-aware of the power of digital ecosystems, participating actively now, and expecting continued growth in activity, reach and impact in the next two years.
However, ANZ may fall well behind by 2018 without taking a more assertive, ambitious outlook.
