The primary motivators for digital transformation are still more reactive than proactive, says a new report from enterprise database company Couchbase.
Digital transformation is the process of integrating new and emerging digital technologies into all aspects of a business. One example is the ongoing move to the cloud where data and business processes are managed online by third-party providers.Â
As such, digital transformation is seen as a way to take advantage of technology to streamline operations and remain competitive. But the road to digital transformation has been a bumpy one for many organizations with a number of challenges stifling the process, according to a report released Wednesday by Couchbase.
Surveying 450 IT decision makers in the US, UK, France and Germany, Couchbase found that the vast majority are still hitting failures, delays, or diminished expectations in their digital transformation projects. Among the respondents, 81% said they've seen a digital transformation project fail, suffer a major delay, or get scaled back over the past 12 months. Some 42% said they were behind schedule or at risk of falling behind with their most significant digital transformation project.
Further, 73% said they often talk about the great potential of digital projects, but most of the time such projects fall short of being truly transformational or revolutionary. However, this percentage has steadily dropped over time from 80% in 2018 and 90% in 2017, suggesting that more companies are realizing the potential of their digital projects. Also, a full 73% of respondents said that digital innovation made a significant improvement to their end-user experience, a percentage that rose from 64% in 2018 and 52% in 2017.
In the survey, organizations pointed to specific benefits as a result of digital transformation. The top benefit reported was more efficient working processes, lauded by 58% of respondents. Improved customer experience and increased worker productivity were each cited by 50%.
There are also risks involved in not moving forward with digital transformation projects.
