In a recent study undertaken by Dell Technologies, New Zealand has been ranked as the 8th most digitally mature country in Asia-Pacific, Japan and China (APJC), and 33rd globally. In collaboration with Intel and Vanson Bourne, Dell Technologies surveyed 4600 business leaders from mid- to large-sized companies across the globe to score their organisations’ transformation efforts.
The study revealed that emerging markets are the most digitally mature, with India, Brazil and Thailand topping the global ranking. On the contrary, international trends show developed market slipping behind—Japan, Denmark and France received the lowest digital maturity scores.
Jocelyn Macedo, Vice President of Human Resources, Asia Pacific and Japan, Dell Technologies said; “Developing a positive and supportive company culture is essential for a successful digital transformation journey. Developing in-house digital skills and talent—teaching more employees how to code, for example—will help transform the workforce. Almost half of New Zealand businesses are sharing knowledge about their digital transformation across their organisation, equipping IT leaders with business skills and business leaders with IT skills. It’s encouraging that leaders are integrating digital foals into departmental and staff objectives—setting the right mindset now will set businesses on track to success.”
Digital security and progressive digital transformation are becoming increasingly important for businesses to plan around. Being digital in this day and age is a must. There are, however, inhibitors that prevent companies from becoming more digital. The main concerns are; data privacy and security concerns, lack of budget and resources, lack of the right in-house skill sets and expertise, regulation and legislative changes, and immature digital culture. Businesses continue to look for ways to safely develop their technological capability. For example, Mike Crones, CIO of Draper said, “Technology enables us to keep solving the world’s toughest problems; from the infrastructure and services that underpin our innovation, to the experimental technologies that we wield to prevent disease for instance. We couldn’t push boundaries, and call ourselves an engineering and research firm, without being a fully transformed and modern company from the inside out.”
Looking towards the future, the top investments that companies look towards are: cybersecurity, Internet of Things technology, multi-cloud environments, artificial intelligence, and the compute-centric approach.
By sharing knowledge and creating a positive culture, business leaders will be better placed to overcome barriers to digital transformation.
