Gartner shared three pieces of advice for IT decision-makers and CIOs struggling with economic uncertainty during the opening keynote of its annual IT Symposium. According to the organization, companies can survive the coming months and years by investing in the right technology.
The annual Gartner IT Symposium takes place from November 7 through November 10 in Barcelona. Over the course of the event, Gartner organizes several presentations on the state and future of the IT industry.
In a recent Gartner survey, only 31 percent of the employees said they have access to the technology needed to do their jobs. There’s room for improvement. Gartner believes that companies can survive economic uncertainty by facilitating personnel.
According to the organization, the right investments make the difference. Gartner shared three pieces of advice for IT decision-makers and CIOs during the opening keynote of the IT Symposium.
Friction, AI and innovation
First, Gartner recommends a focus on reducing friction. The organization considers friction to be work that’s unnecessarily difficult. One of the most common causes is insufficient employee training. “By removing friction and investing in digital skills, organisations can create a more engaged workforce that is better equipped to sustain future performance”, Gartner said.
Second, Gartner recommends investments in artificial intelligence. According to the organization, companies focus on productivity rather than impact too often. Gartner recommends looking at an employee’s results rather than actions and behaviour. According to the organization, investments in artificial intelligence can increase employee impact across the board.
Third, Gartner recommends continuing to innovate during periods of economic uncertainty. Caution makes sense when revenues are down, but according to Gartner, that shouldn’t come at the expense of innovation. The organization maintains an annual Hype Cycle of emerging technologies. “Organisations that experiment with technologies early on the Hype Cycle curve will attract talent who want to stay ahead of the pack”, Gartner said.
Sustainability
In addition to investing in personnel and innovation, Gartner recommends a focus on sustainability. Governments worldwide require companies worldwide to reduce emissions. As a result, Gartner recommends investments in technologies that benefit both finance and sustainability.
One example is autonomous sourcing, which uses artificial intelligence, machine learning and natural language processing to find suppliers of parts and raw materials. Autonomous sourcing provides access to both cost-effective and sustainable suppliers.
In addition, Gartner notes the importance of technology for energy efficiency. The organization advises CIOs to use the cloud, data and analytics to determine a company’s energy consumption, also known as a ‘base load’. After determining the base load, investments in energy and optimization systems (EMOS) allow energy consumption to be reduced.
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