Running Multiple Digital Initiatives at Scale is What Sets Visionary Businesses Apart, Finds Infosys Digital Radar 2019 - Seite 2

The 22 digital initiative were also categorized under four big buckets: foundation initiatives - implemented to modernize legacy systems; mainstay initiatives - focused on core digital transformation elements such as automation and AI; customer initiatives - focused on improving the customer experience; and forefront initiatives - focused on harnessing cutting edge technologies, such as augmented and virtual reality, drones and blockchain.

This research found that as companies advance along the digital transformation journey, they tend to focus on different buckets. Watchers concentrate on scaling up foundation initiatives. Explorers focus on a broader range of initiatives including mainstay and customer - yet are sometimes held back by a lack of progress in scaling up foundation initiatives. And visionaries bring many initiatives to scale alongside the foundation, mainstay and customer categories. Visionaries are also the only businesses making substantial progress on scaling up forefront initiatives.

What might hold businesses back in 2019?  

When asked about what the biggest barriers to digital transformation will be in 2019, the percentage of respondents citing the 'inability to experiment quickly' was 22 percent and 'insufficient budget' was 30 percent. However, 'legacy systems' was at 41 percent - making it the single biggest barrier predicted for 2019. Lack of change management capabilities and relevant skills are also seen as key hurdles in 2019. As companies navigate their digital journey, the need to digitize their core and manage change at scale will grow in importance.

Comparing different industry sectors  

The survey revealed significant differences in digital maturity by industry. The highest maturity levels were found in technology, manufacturing, telco and financial services sectors. While industries such as consumer goods, logistics and healthcare ranked near the bottom regarding their digital transformation progress. Compared to other industries, retail is in the middle of the pack, with many legacy retailers not having made much headway. Perhaps surprisingly, the automotive sector lags other sectors in terms of its digital maturity. While autonomous and connected vehicles grab headlines, much work is needed to modernize legacy systems and integrate the automotive ecosystem.