What are the top priorities for tech leaders in 2022?
The high penetration of cloud-based applications and the Great Resignation that shows no sign of slowing down makes technology the differentiator for organizations, stressing the need for uninterrupted IT now more than ever.
As Christopher Key from the Hackett Group rightly pointed out in a session at the Be Unstoppable virtual summit, delivering a great employee experience at the workplace is the linchpin for organizations to fight the battle against the Great Resignation.
2022 will be a year of experimentation and tech adoption for IT leaders and their technology organizations, driven by the pandemic-induced “work from anywhere” models and high penetration of cloud-based applications.
To gain visibility into the growing shift in the tech landscape, IT leaders need foresight into which technologies will pay off and which will disband in 2022.
In this article, we’ll go over the top priorities for tech leaders in 2022 to help plan their goals and tech investments for an accelerated digital transformation.
2022 technology function priorities
Riding on the insights from The Hackett Group’s 2022 Key Issues Study here are technology’s top priority objectives for 2022.
1. Secured data and systems
The risk to data and system availability remains high as most workers continue to be remote. The work-from-home environment must be protected and employees educated on risky behaviors.
2. Maximized value from data
No corporate asset is more potentially valuable and also less optimized than data. Most companies realize this, and it is incumbent on the technology function to manage data for maximum utility. To avoid data breach risks and secure your data, ensure all devices that you use are secured and you have a regular backup of data.
3. Technology skills and talent aligned to business needs
The talent profile is rapidly shifting to brokered infrastructure management, iterative development, relationship-based partnering, and digital strategy. Skills and roles must be refreshed accordingly. Technology organizations must meet this challenge during a period of accelerated voluntary staff turnover (also known as the Great Resignation).
4. Technology adoption and outcomes
Cloud-based applications show the highest penetration, surpassing legacy systems for the first time, and the expected growth rate for cloud is also the highest. 40% of technology infrastructure is now in the cloud, and technology leaders expect that to be 70% within three years. Tools for the remote/hybrid workforce have been deployed at scale for most companies and have performed exceedingly well.
5. Enterprise digital transformation is a key focus
Enterprise digital transformation remains the most prevalent major enterprise initiative in 2022. 61% of companies have a major enterprise digital transformation program on the agenda, closely followed by diversity and inclusion programs at 58%.
6. Engage-from-anywhere customer experience model
Customers are not going back to traditional commerce models. Technology must enable an engagement model that delivers seamless, customizable experiences across every platform.
The digital workforce of the future arrived prematurely in 2020, and now its enabling tools, services, and processes must be industrialized to become the new workforce operating model.
Recommendations to tackle key IT issues in 2022
- Spend Strategically: Technology organizations must allocate increased resources strategically and manage demand and capacity prudently. The short-term threats of inflation, cost fluctuation, and supply-chain disruption require technology leaders to prepare for cost pressures and act strategically with budgets.
- Put the customer at the center of service design: IT leaders must continue the shift to streamline and automate business processes end-to-end, enabling user self-service and AI-based autonomous robotics and intelligent assistants.
- Anticipate and mitigate the impact of structural talent shortages. In 2022, the unprecedented increase in voluntary turnover in response to the COVID-19 pandemic (the Great Resignation), upward pressure on wages, and an intensifying war for talent will only exacerbate current talent constraints. Technology organizations must develop both offensive (acquisition) and defensive (talent retention) strategies to mitigate the impact.
Final Thoughts
The Hackett Group’s 2022 Key Issues Study reveals a slate of IT priorities that add to an aggressive and accelerated transformation agenda for 2022. If you’re looking for more insights into the top technology objectives, download the report today or watch the on-demand session from our virtual series to plan your strategic priorities and respond to disruptive technology challenges.
